Q:  I am having trouble making a prominent grid .  I have your book, but it was written before the prominence of the grid was stressed.  For my present "garden", I used some sort of jute string or something that is natural looking and not all that attractive, and it keeps breaking.  I have thought of purchasing the video - does the video give suggestions on materials I could use to construct an inexpensive but attractive prominent grid ?  Thank you,   Mendi



GRID IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT

A: Dear Mendi, A prominent and visible grid is extremely important and as you noted we stress it very strongly now. The video does have suggestions and examples of different materials. We have found through the years that string just doesn't work.  It gets dirty, sags, breaks, and just doesn't look good.

GRID MATERIALS

One material that some people use is a white plastic clothesline and to install it they insert small screw eyes into their wood frame every 12". They then tie a knot in the cord and run it from one side to the other over to the next screw eye.  Then over to the third screw eye and back again, tying a knot at the final screw eye. To make everything real tight you tie the knot before you insert the last screw eye, measuring just the right distance to keep the cord very tight. Then you do the same thing in the other direction. I hope all that makes sense. It's a lot easier to do than it is to explain.

VENETIAN BLIND GRID

Another very visible grid is to use Venetian blind slats. You can usually buy a window blind at thrift shops for a dollar, as long as they're over 4' long, you're in business. If you cut them to 4', assuming that's what your box frame measures, you can then make a mark every 12" on the slats and this is where they cross over and intersect. At that point you can drill a little hole and insert a screw or bolt. If you don't have a drill, some people just punch a hole with a hammer and a sharp nail.

WOOD LATH ALSO GOOD

 Another good materiasl are wood slats from any lumber supply.  Very cheap yet very visible and attractive. I hope all the above will help you. Best wishes,         Mel

We recommend a prominent, visible grid that will set your garden apart from all others.  A grid helps organize your garden into squares for easy planting.  Use a solid plastic or wood grid.  We used to recommend string, but found that it gets dirty, broken and loose and just doesn’t work as well as something that is more solid.  That’s why we have decided to offer vinyl grids on our website.  It is also a good idea to attach the grid to the box to hold it in place.  Drill a hole in the end of the grid and then screw it into place.  The grid can then be easily removed and stored away for winter.  Nails are not good to use in attaching the grid, especially if they stick up as it is in a position to cause a cut right under the wrist.  If your garden doesn’t have a grid, it isn’t a true Square Foot Garden.  

Some people go to the thrift store and get old Venetian blinds to use as grids.  Some of these are thin enough that holes can be punched with a paper punch.  Then, gold paper fasteners (brads) can be used to hold the grids together.