Hey everyone! I'm looking at the instructions for building a Square Foot Garden, and I noticed something puzzling. If I use four wooden boards that are each 4 feet long and overlap the ends, doesn't that actually reduce the interior dimensions? Given that the boards are 1 inch thick, I think the inside would end up being around 3'11". Is losing a quarter inch per square foot significant? I'm considering using 4'1" boards to make up for it. What do you all think?
3 Answers
You’re right about the measurements! If you assume each board is a full inch thick, that makes it close to 4' by 3'10" since you cut off 2 inches in total for the overlaps. Just keep that in mind when you're building!
Honestly, I don’t think that quarter-inch discrepancy really matters. You’ll be fine with what you’re planning.
Seems like a bit of overthinking to me! I typically just make those tiny adjustments on my garden beds. They end up being called "4ft x 8ft" but are really closer to 4ft by 8ft after adjustments. The plants won’t care much either way!
Exactly! As long as you divide the bed into sections as needed, you should be fine. Just avoid wasting too much wood over small differences!
Thanks for clarifying! I was worried about the measurements not being right.