Despite the current recession during the Obama administration, there are still a handful of industries and products that are still doing well. Home gardening tops the list of industries thriving during hard economic times.

Just $50 of seeds and fertilizer can yield about $1500 worth of produce, which is a huge return on investment. Yes, of course it takes a little bit of time and effort, but if done wisely, it is not difficult, especially if utilizing the square foot gardening method. Besides, if you were recently laid off from work, it is a way to stay productive and still cut expenses.

Here is a big box style square foot garden that I recently completed in Arizona. Because of the dry, hot climate in area, this design allows the potential for a year-round garden. These boxes are 6 feet high (with 2 feet depth of planting), about 4 1/2 feet wide, 24 feet long. The approximate cost per box (excluding soil) is about $150.

The lumber per box is 2″x12″x8′ (12), 2″x12″x4′ (4), 4″x4″x6′ (8), 2″x4″x8′ (6), 2″x4″x4′ (4). To save on expenses, I bought the longer lumber (12 feet long) cut to needed lengths.

The native soil is horrible; it is sand (after all, Arizona is a desert). So with two feet depth, I used a combination of mulch, manure, vermiculite, spanghum peat moss, compost, and a bit of Miracle Gro.

With the box design, the top can be covered by a sun shade during the severe heat months of June, July, and August (when temperatures are above 110 degrees), and then can be covered top and sides with a thick clear plastic during the slightly cold months of December, January, and February in order to facilitate a greenhouse effect. In addition, planting tomatoes, cucumbers and other vining plants can be achieved by placing them on the side and droping a verticle rope from the top beam down to the bottom for the vines to climb.

Related posts:

1. Square Foot Gardening
2. Thornless Prickly Pear Cactus