The 100 Square Foot Garden
Getting the Most Out of Your Small Vegetable
Garden
Mary Anne Normile, Pam Hosimer, Erica Smith and
Sandra Sundstrom (Design)
College of
Agriculture and
Natural Resources
Our Vision:
A healthier world through environmental
stewardship.
Our Mission:
To support the University of
Maryland Extension mission
by educating residents about
safe, effective & sustainable
horticultural practices that
build healthy gardens,
landscapes, & communities.
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Website: http://extension.umd.edu/growit
Blog: www.groweat.blogspot.com.
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Road Map
Small-scale intensive gardening:
What? Why?
©2012 Pam Hosimer
Techniques
100 Square Foot Gardens
By Master Gardeners On a Hill
GROW100--the 100 Square Foot Garden
Challenge
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What is small-scale
gardening?
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"The purpose of gardening
intensively is to harvest the most
produce possible from a given
space."
-- Virginia Cooperative Extension
factsheet, “Intensive Gardening
Methods,” 2009
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Small-scale refers to the limited
gardening space available to
many urban/suburban
gardeners.
©2012 Pam Hosimer
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Small-scale intensive
gardening looks like this…
Photo by Sam Korper 2011 (detail)
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Or this…
©2012 Pam Hosimer
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But not this…
©2013 Pam Hosimer
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Why small-scale intensive
gardening?
To save space
To save time
New gardener—start small
Make use of odd-sized spaces
Limit costs
 Intensive vegetable gardening makes the
most of your available resources.
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Intensive Gardening
Techniques
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Beds, not rows
Close planting
Vertical planting
Interplanting
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Containers
Succession planting
Use suitable varieties
Good soil
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Plant in beds, not rows
©2013 Pam Hosimer
• Row gardening a holdover
from agriculture
• Large unplanted areas are
inefficient
• Bare soil an invitation to
weeds
• Soil compaction in
paths
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Plant in beds, not rows
Colorado State University Extension
• With raised beds, you
control the soil
• Better drainage, warms
sooner in spring
• Work in bed without
stepping in it
• Less soil compaction
• Wide rows another
variation
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Close planting
• Plant tightly—no wasted
space
• Leafy canopy reduces
soil moisture loss
• Keeps weeds down,
moderates soil
temperature
• Plant yield may be lower,
but yield per square foot
is higher
• How close?
Photo by Erica Smith
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Close spacing--illustration
Rows with traditional spacing
Same area with
intensive spacing
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Vertical planting-grow up!
• Stakes, trellises, cages
can support plants
• Peas, pole beans,
cucumbers, peppers,
tomatoes, squash can
be grown vertically
• Saves space on garden
floor
Photo by Melissa Smith
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Vertical planting
Photo by Bob Nixon
Photo by Erica Smith
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Interplanting—mix it up!
• Plant fast- and slowgrowing plants together
• Tall plants shade heatsensitive plants
• Alternate rows of plants
in bed
• Mix plants within a bed
Photo by www.nikijabbour.com
(used with permission)
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Container planting
• Plant where the sun is
• Grow food on patio,
porch, balcony, rooftop
• Use space-saving
varieties
• Barrels, planters, tubs,
pots, wading pools …
Use your imagination!!
Photo by Sam Korper 2011
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Succession planting
• Have something
growing throughout the
season
• After harvesting one
crop, replant space
• Cool season  warm
season  cool season
plants
• Requires some
planning!
Photo:http://www.dogislandfarm.com
(used with permission)
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Mar
1-15
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
16-31 1-15 16-30 1-15 16-31 1-15 16-30 1-15 16-31 1-15 16-31 1-15 16-30 1-15 16-31 1-15 16-30
Beets
Spring
Broccoli (early)
Garden
Carrots
Chard
Collards
Kale
Kohlrabi
Lettuce (leaf)
Onion (transplants)
Peas
Radish
Spinach
Beans
Carrots
Cucumber
Eggplant
Peppers
Summer Squash
Tomatoes
Succession plantingexample
Summer
Garden
Asian Greens
Beets
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Carrots
Fall
Garden
Chard
Collards
Kale
Kohlrabi
Mustard
Radish
Rutabaga
Spinach
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Choose your varieties
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High-yielding crops
Compact, small-space varieties
“Cut-and-come-again” greens
Economic value:
grow crops that are
expensive to buy in store
©2013 Pam Hosimer
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Choose your varieties
High-yielding:
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Tomatoes
Peppers
Onions
Eggplant
Beans
Cucumbers
Summer squash
Lettuce and greens
Less efficient use of
space:
• Long-vining crops:
melons, pumpkins,
winter squash
• Large heads: cabbage,
cauliflower
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Importance of soil
Photo by M. Tulottes, Wikimedia Commons
• Soil preparation the
key to successful
intensive gardening
• Deep fertile soil high in
organic matter
• Holds nutrients and
moisture
• Plants better resist
pests and disease
• Replace nutrients used
by intensive growing
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The Master Gardeners’
100 Square Foot Garden
Photo by Lauren Greenberger
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Design of the Garden
Vertical supports
Vertical supports
HEIRLOOM TOMATOES
ZUCCHINI
TOMATILLO
SUMMER
PATH
GREEN
CHARD
PATH
PEPPERS
CUCUMBERS
CONTAINER
EGGPLANTS
EDGING: EDIBLE FLOWERS
N
PATH
CHIOGGIA
BEETS
PATH
HERBS
OKRA
BUSH
BEANS
COLLARDS RAINBOW
CHARD
BORAGE
POLE BEANS
KALE
MUSTARD
GOLDEN
BEETS
PARSLEY/ BROCCOLI CARROTS
RAAB
CHIVES
/ONIONS
LETTUCE/ SPINACH LETTUCE/
RADISHES
RADISHES
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Design of the Garden-SPRING
Vertical supports
Vertical supports
HEIRLOOM TOMATOES
PEPPERS
ZUCCHINI
TOMATILLOS
SUMMER
SQUASH
CUCUMBERS
POLE BEANS
OKRA
BUSH
BEANS
CONTAINER
EGGPLANTS
GREEN
CHARD
COLLARDS RAINBOW
CHARD
BORAGE
HERBS
EDGING: EDIBLE FLOWERS
CHIOGGIA
BEETS
KALE
MUSTARD
GOLDEN
BEETS
PARSLEY/ BROCCOLI CARROTS
CHIVES
RAAB
/ONIONS
LETTUCE/ SPINACH LETTUCE/
RADISHES
RADISHES
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Design of the Garden-SUMMER
Vertical supports
Vertical supports
CUCUMBERS
HEIRLOOM TOMATOES
PEPPERS
ZUCCHINI
TOMATILLOS
SUMMER
SQUASH
POLE BEANS
OKRA
BUSH
BEANS
CONTAINER
EGGPLANTS
GREEN
CHARD
COLLARDS RAINBOW
CHARD
BORAGE
HERBS
EDGING: EDIBLE FLOWERS
CHIOGGIA
BEETS
KALE
MUSTARD
GOLDEN
BEETS
PARSLEY/ BROCCOLI CARROTS
RAAB
CHIVES
/ONIONS
LETTUCE/ SPINACH LETTUCE/
RADISHES
RADISHES
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Design of the Garden-FALL
PEPPERS
CABBAGE
KALE
ROMAINE
CAULIFLOWER
LETTUCE
CONTAINER
HERBS/
CHARD
CHARD
LETTUCE
ROMAINE
KALE
CHINESE
BROCCOLI
PARSLEY/
CHIVES
LETTUCE
SPINACH
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Laying out 100 Square Feet
Photo by Mary Anne Normile
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Spring bed
a few weeks later…
Photo by Darlene Nicholson
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Intensive techniques…
• Succession planting (fall
garden follows summer)
• Container garden
• Vertical gardening
• Interplanting
Photo by Melissa Smith
Photo by Erica Smith
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…yielded big rewards!
• The garden produced
over 170 pounds of
produce from 100
square feet
• Vegetables and herbs
donated to Manna
food center
Photo by Mary Anne Normile
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The 100 Square Foot Garden
On a Hill
©2013 Pam Hosimer
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Design
of the garden
Garden Plan• 100 square feet of
vegetable garden using
six raised beds and
two containers
• Vegetables in center of
each bed
• Perennials on either
end of each bed
©2013 Pam Hosimer
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Close planting in beds
Tomato transplants in May…
…staked in a bed…
©2013 Pam Hosimer
©2013 Pam Hosimer
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…are ready to harvest
in August!
©2013 Pam Hosimer
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Vertical Planting-an A-frame
Maximize your
growing space by
growing on both
sides of an A-frame
structure.
©2013 Pam Hosimer
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Vertical Planting-an A-frame
Pickle cucumbers climb…
…and take over their support
©2013 Pam Hosimer
©2013 Pam Hosimer
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Pallet gardens filled with herbs
and annuals
©2013 Pam Hosimer
©2013 Pam Hosimer
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Vertical Planting-Trellis
Set up the trellis in May…
©2013 Pam Hosimer
…plant beans close
together…
©2013 Pam Hosimer
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…harvest in September
©2013 Pam Hosimer
©2013 Pam Hosimer
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Interplanting
Mix it up in your beds by planting perennials, like Phlox
(right) and Helenium (left), next to vegetables like
these hot pepper plants.
©2013 Pam Hosimer
It helps attract
pollinators like bees
and butterflies.
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Container Planting
Sturdy patio tomatoes…
…grow robustly in a pot
©2013 Pam Hosimer
©2013 Pam Hosimer
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100 square feet can yield big
rewards …
©2013 Pam Hosimer
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7 tomato varieties
4 pepper varieties
Cucumbers
Carrots
3 bean varieties
Asparagus
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Chard
Peas
Zucchini
yellow squash
15 herb varieties
potatoes
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…and look beautiful too!
This 100 Square Foot garden yielded a whopping 167
pounds of produce in this small economical space.
©2013 Pam Hosimer
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What Can YOU Grow
in 100 Square Feet?
http://extension.umd.edu/growit
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OPEN to all gardeners
Tell us about progress in your garden
Tweet - to #grow100
Post - on the GIEI Facebook page
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• Keep it small
• Register online at:
http://extension.umd.edu/growit/
grow100-challenge-sign-form
• Pick a theme:
New to Gardening
4-Rs Garden – reduce, re-use,recycle,re-think
Maximum Production
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• Judging will not be scientific
• Three update periods:
April 16 - June 15
June 16 - August 15
August 16 - October 15
• Prizes will be awarded
• Resources available online
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©2012 Pam Hosimer
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Resources
• Grow It! Eat It!
http://www.extension.umd.edu/growit
– We have all types of practical food gardening tips and
information. Check out our popular blog!
• Home and Garden Information Center
http://www.extension.umd.edu/hgic
– Here you will find factsheets, photos, and videos. You
can also subscribe to the free monthly e-newsletter.
– We answer gardening questions 24/7…just click
“Ask Maryland’s Garden Experts”
• Maryland Master Gardener Program
http://www.extension.umd.edu/mg
– Consider becoming a trained MG volunteer!
This program was brought to you by the
Maryland Master Gardener Program
Montgomery County
University of Maryland Extension