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"No-hassle" says WHO?!

I diligently tried this when the book first came out. Prep is definitely a hassle -- I built a 4x8' raised bed and filled it with a dozen trips for (thankfully, free) compost from the city composting pile at the landfill (now they sell it to landscapers to help fund recycling). I built plumbing pipe frames for each end to support bird net to protect my produce. I started seeds inside and planted them carefully according to schedule. I mulched and watered and weeded and fussed and fertilized. I get a few small salads and a ONE green pepper (69 cents at the supermarket) that probably cost me a hundred dollars in energy and supplies.

DO NOT try square foot gardening unless gardening seems like a fun hobby in general. It may be LESS hassle than traditional farming methods, especially if you do it year after year (once you have built the bed), but it is a lot of work, and yields are not amazing. (I now grow flowers, and BUY produce!)

Wow! Square foot gardening. I did this as a young teen in Florida in the 1990s. It sure was fun. I had two beds. I have the book. Like the other commenter said... its expensive. Do it for fun, not for produce. My yields were great though. But that is probably because of the Florida weather. Mine was square foot and completely organic. Back in the day when organic was unheard of. I got lots of tomatoes, peppers, mint, herbs, etc. But it was not a financially responsible thing. Just like growing flowers doesn't make sense sometimes.

Any hobby is expensive when you first start, but you're not going to have to rebuild the whole thing every year! Don't judge by the first year's yield, keep trying!

I also had a square foot garden many years ago when I had a yard that got plenty of sunshine. Unfortunately I have all shade now. I remember it was a very good method and I had lots of vegetables. Worked for me!

I have used this method for three years now, and love it! Yes, start up costs are up there, but it's great having my own organic food. I also make my own compost, and this year I bought mini-blinds for dividers, and there were so many on there that I'll have dividers for years, so it was a good long term investment. I have 40 squares in my garden, and can grow lots and lots - sometimes more than we can use, so then I get to share. I'll never garden any other way.

Ouch! "Back in the day when organic was unheard of"? In the 90's? I was gardening organically in the 70's...and no, I am not from California. Point is, organic gardening has been around a long time and its methods are proven to yeild more and better food. Any well prepared garden is expensive and hard to do at first. As Anne (in Reno) said keep trying and give it time, it goes by quickly.

Just for the record, I did it for three years, then switched the whole bed over to strawberries, then (after a couple of years) gave up. I still contend it's a lot more work than advertised, so you should only go that route if you love gardening.