Self sufficiency in one square foot: SFG grid
by TreeHugger on 03. 5.05
One step up from the windowbox, SquareFootGardening (SFG) offers city dwellers a chance to relax in their very own compact market garden. This is a modular system of four foot by four foot wooden or plastic boxes. These are sub-divided into a grid of sixteen one square foot compartments backfilled with a compost, peat and vermiculite growing medium.
Easy to water, tend and weed-free, here is green-fingered fun. Annual flowers, vegetables and climbers are easily rotated around the grid and provide material for future composting. All profits from SFG go towards humanitarian and educational projects. [by ©Alastair Fuad-Luke, 2005]
Chill out urban market gardening with SFG
Interesting concept, I've seen others do similar things with individual pots inside larger containers (like pots of lettuce inside a horse trough (or large flat water barrel.) For real density though take a look at vertical plant systems, something like the hydro-stacker ( http://www.hydrostacker.com/ ) where the pots all stack up, I think you get more plants in a smaller footprint that way.
We put in two 4'x4' raised bed gardens and planted them using the SFG book last spring. Very easy to do. Lots easier than cultivating Maryland clay! Maintenance of the garden was a breeze. Weeding and watering takes just a few minutes. Convincing the local wildlife to leave the fruits (and vegetables) of our labors alone was an on-going task.
I'd highly recommend it. But expect that the first year or two will be learning experiences. You'll get produce from a small area, but you'll definitely get better at it with practice.