In square foot gardening, spacing is everything. So, I designed and built these plywood guides to assist in planting at the proper distance. Each one consists of a 1'x1' piece of plywood, into which holes have been drilled where the seeds go. They are simple to make, but an invaluable tool in the garden. For more projects and updates, visit www.blueegg.wordpress.com

Step 1: Making the Guides

These guides are extremely easy to make. I'm really posting this instructable to share the concept, since I have no doubt you are all capable of drilling some holes in a piece of plywood;). Three common spacings in an SFG are 4, 9, and 16 plants per square foot, so we will build our guides to those dimensions. To make each one, I first divided the blank into a grid of equally sized squares. The dimensions of said squares are as follows;
-4psf guide; Grid of 4 6"x6" squares
-9psf guide; Grid of 9 4"x4" squares
-16psf guide; Grid of 16 3"x3" squares
Last but not least, I drilled a 1 3/4" hole in the center of each square on the grid, and the guides were finished.

Step 2: Using the Guides

To use the guides, first clear the soil of debris and rake it smooth. The skim off the top layer of soil to the depth at which the seeds should be planted. (For example, if you need to plant your squash seeds 1" deep, skim off 1" of soil). Place the guide down in the square you want to plant and drop a seed through each hole. Finally, remove the guide, gently brush the soil back over the seeds, water, and wait. Your garden will be thriving in no time!