Square Metre Gardening – Veggie Planting Calculator

With the size of urban gardens shrinking, the idea of square metre gardening is gaining momentum once again. Which bodes the question: what is square metre gardening and how can GardenStax help you?

Is this you?

• You have dreams about a harvest of garden-fresh vegetables, but you can’t for the life of you see how you can do it?
• The time you have available for pottering in the garden is what you would call ‘limited’?
• You live in a home that is a far cry from the quarter acre section Kiwis once took for granted?

Or maybe you already dabble in the art of growing vegetables, but the result is very hit and miss? We may just have the best news you’ve heard all week!

That delicious home cooked meal prepared with your very own veggie crop is a lot more achievable than you imagine.

The answer is ‘Square Metre Gardening’.

What is Square Metre Gardening?

Square metre gardening is also called Square Foot Gardening or Patchwork Gardening. What’s important is the underlying concept: work smarter, not harder.

It’s not a new fad by any means. The idea was first tossed about by Mel Bartholomew in 1981. His book borrowed its ideas from the French way of gardening, dating back to the 1500s. Hardly recent.

But with the size of urban gardens shrinking, using the available space to its full potential became high on people’s list of priorities. And the idea of square metre gardening gained momentum once again.

So what is Square Metre Gardening in a nutshell?

• It uses a raised garden bed or container, typically of a square metre size. But that’s not set in concrete. Place a weed mat at the bottom and fill with a quality soil-compost mix.
• This veggie planter gets divided into squares.
• Each square is then planted with a different crop. Depending on the plant size and growth pattern, each square hosts one, four, nine or sixteen plants. So you may have a square with 1 zucchini/courgette plant, a square with 4 sweetcorn and a square with 16 parsley plants.

Benefits of Square Metre Gardening

So what’s with the ‘work smarter, not harder’ claim?

Traditional cultivation of vegetables relies on planting crops in a row. While that might work well in a larger garden or even a commercial garden where there’s machinery involved, it’s not a very efficient method for a small garden where space is at a premium.

But making the most of a small garden plot is not where the benefits of a Square Metre Garden end.

• You can grow a great variety of your favourite vegetables in a tiny space
• The amount of fertiliser you will need is a lot smaller. So is the amount of watering you will have to do.
• No more weeding!
• No need to use heavy or expensive equipment
• It’s very suitable for accomplished and beginner gardeners alike
• It’s also suitable for gardeners with a physical limitation
• You can build a garden on top of a lawn or even a concrete path
• The real question is: where do I start?

How to do it with GardenStax?

If Square Metre Gardening sounds great, GardenStax is the perfect place to start your new gardening adventure.  Anybody; I mean, ANYBODY can create a GardenStax Square Metre Garden. It’s a bold thing to say, but we’re that confident.

It’s as easy as:

• Choose one of 4 sizes and pick the finish you prefer
• Remove the packaging
• Hammer in the pins to connect the corners
• Drop in a weed mat
• Fill with a soil-compost mix
• Relax and watch your garden grow!

On top of the simple set-up, you’ll also love the flexibility that allows you to create garden beds as high or as low as you want. Stack them, tier them, or morph them in any shape or form you like. You can even pack them up and take them with you when you move on to your next home (making them perfect if you live in a rental property!).

And to prove we have ‘making thing easier for our novice gardeners’ high on our priority list, we’ve also made an app to help you determine what to plant at any time of the year. The app will tell you what companions to plant and how many plants per GardenStax you’ll need.

No more guessing. Bumper crops awaiting!

Try our GardenStax Veggie Planting Calculator.

Get creative!

GardenStax timbers are sustainably sourced, high quality, chemical free and heat treated, making them a perfect choice for raised garden beds.

But nothing is stopping you from giving the GardenStax your own spin.

Nobody says your GardenStax garden bed should be used as a vegetable garden!

It can be a flower bed, a compost bin, a sandpit for the kids, or as a base for your greenhouse. Add a base and 4 wheels and turn it into a storage box for the pool toys. Stain or paint to your heart’s desire. Decorate with little flowers or funny quotes if you must.

The options really are only girdled by the limit of your imagination. Frankly, we’d love to see what you come up with!

You can buy GardenStax online or in store through Mitre 10.

Email your pictures to marketing@strol.co.nz

Happy gardening!