Since the pandemic, store shelves are often emptied out wherever you go. If you’re lucky enough to find a store that’s still selling food and supplies, you have a long wait ahead of you before you can check out with your groceries, as previously noted. Here Zoey Sky, NaturalNews.com, reflects on starting a square-foot garden to stay self-sufficient:

Because of fears of food shortages due to the COVID-19 pandemic, more people are showing an interest in home gardening to grow their own food. On paper, this task may seem easy, but gardening is a labor-intensive endeavor. Nonetheless, it is a hobby that can offer many benefits. If you’re interested in growing vegetables in a small space using an efficient method, try square foot gardening.

Compared to other methods, square foot gardening takes place in a small, orderly, and highly productive plot of land.

The practice was invented by Mel Bartholomew, a backyard gardener, efficiency expert and retired engineer. He developed square foot gardening because he wanted to grow vegetables in an efficient manner and in less space than regular-sized gardens.

The idea was introduced to the public in 1981 through Bartholomew’s book “Square Foot Gardening.” The practice is perfect for people who want to start an indoor garden, those who live in apartments or people who live in areas with cooler climates.

Select a suitable location for your square foot garden

Find a spot where the ground is relatively flat and receives at least six to eight hours of full sun every day.

Don’t choose low areas that can turn into puddles after heavy rain. It’s best to settle on a spot near your house so it’s easier to water, weed and harvest.

Build a raised garden

Generally, square foot gardens are 4×4 feet. With a garden of this size, you can easily reach the middle no matter what side you’re standing on. It’s also easier to divide a 4×4 plot into 16 1×1 squares.

The sides of your garden must be at least six inches deep. However, if you plan to grow root vegetables like carrots, your garden should have 12-inch deep sides.

Purchase four planter wall blocks with 2-inch slots on four sides and four 4-foot-long 2x6s from a home center to make a 6-inch-tall raised bed.

Set the blocks at least four feet apart on level ground to form a square. Connect two blocks by sliding a 2×6 board into the 2-inch slots. Do the same thing with the remaining boards and blocks to create your 4×4 frame.

To make a sturdier frame, use a more durable material like pressure-treated lumber or cedar. Check the quality of the lumber and don’t purchase pressure-treated lumber from 2004 or earlier, which may have been treated with arsenic.

Arsenic from lumber will leach into your garden soil.”

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