Marking out squares.

[Vanisle_BC]

I'm not a 'devout' square foot gardener but I like the idea of organizing my 3'-6" wide, 12-18" high raised beds in a patchwork of formal squares and rows. How to conveniently mark them out is a bit of a puzzle; what do others do or suggest?

I suspect I would find string to be a nuisance, and half-buried strips of wood even more so. My 3 drip-tape strips running lengthwise in the beds doesn't help. Maybe something like intersecting rows of marigolds would work but they might steal too much room, plus they're not there at early-spring seeding time. I've experimented with overwintered leeks planted at the corners of squares but they are difficult to harvest without disrupting other plants

So far wooden stakes at the corners seems the best I can come up with. Any better/more elegant ideas?

[rainbowgardener]

Stick steel screw eyes



in the ground. They come in all different lengths and sizes of loops.

Then thread them with vinyl coated plant training wire, nylon clothesline, etc.

[Vanisle_BC]

Thanks rainbow; that sparks a whole new thought direction. Meantime I've stuck long twigs at the corners of squares, rows etc.

[kayjay]

Hi. I'm also a sort-of SFGer. Last fall, I took down a ratty old set of venetian blinds and cut them up to use the slats. They're too thin and flimsy, though. They're bent out of shape already just from being bumped and blown around a bit. I have to go back to the drawing board. I think I'm going to super-glue several layers of them together and try again.

If I'm not happy with that, I'm going to see what I can get at the hardware store in terms of just thin pieces of wooden dowels or something.

[applestar]

One year, I used pushpins along wood sided raised beds and cotton kitchen string.

The pushpins rusted and wouldn’t come out.

I’ll use non-rusting nails or brads next time, but the cotton string deteriorated enough to snap off by end of season and disintegrated by spring.

[applestar]

If you just need to mark the area for planting and sowing, and not have anything there the rest of the time, why not have square “stencils” — I might use a square picture frame or even cardboard with the hole cut out... or bunch of square cardboard to lay in checkerboard pattern. Use something more waterproof if you want.

[Vanisle_BC]

I prefer the idea of having more-or-less permanent markings on/in the ground. Was trending towards KJ's suggestion of dowels or such when my eye lighted on a pile of pencil-width shrubbery prunings. I cut some pieces about 8" long and 'planted' them at the corners of my squares, sticking up 2-3 inches. That will work for now - may be improved in future; maybe not.

[digitS']

Not the same but we built trellises for roses when I worked in a greenhouse. Every square foot counts for a lot ($) in a greenhouse. With 150' beds, we used wire with cotton string, across the beds. The roses were for cutting and sold to florists.

I still build trellises for plants but use baling twine. After my first season doing this outdoors, I abandoned using the cotton string. My experience was the same as AppleStar's -- the string that would last several years under the greenhouse glass, broke within weeks in direct sunlight. It must be the effects of UV light that glass would reflect.

However! Where it didn't need to be around all season and was protected by pea vines, I had a lot of cotton string at the end of the pea season and decided that composting plants and string should work. Nope. What a mess I made of the compost! I haven't used cotton string outdoors, since.

Steve

[jal_ut]

Go to a building supply store or lumber yard and get a nylon construction grade string. This stuff will hold up outdoors.

[Vanisle_BC]

..... decided that composting plants and string should work. Nope. What a mess I made of the compost! I haven't used cotton string outdoors, since.Steve

Agreed. I don't/won't use string for marking squares etc. To me it's a nuisance when weeding, planting, harvesting. Then as you've noticed it's not easily compostable. And if it won't readily biodegrade I'll try to avoid buying it anyway.

[imafan26]

We used lawn edging. you can with some work cut part way through them to make the grid. It lasts longer than wood in the ground.