Row Marker (Mittleider Gardening)

Marie Overton
May 5, 2023
2 min read

Updated: 15 hours ago

This row marker design comes from the Mittleider Gardening Course book. It is designed to mark the rows in a garden. This helps me to evenly space the plants in my garden beds. (Something I have notoriously had trouble with.) It has one side that marks every 6 inches and the other that marks every 7 inches.

Person kneeling, using a tool to level soil on a wooden frame under sunlight. Rough, earthy texture in a garden setting.

mark rows

Supplies to Make a Mittelider Row Marker

2″ x 2″ x 96″ board

2 1/2″ x 1/2″ dowel pieces (28)

gloves

hammer

1/2″ carpenter’s pencil sharpener

measuring tape

pencil

wood glue

drill with a 1/2″ drill bit

Mittleider Row Marker Directions

Person measuring wood with a tape measure and pencil on a wooden table outdoors. They wear a brown jacket and jeans. Sunlight visible.

measure holes

Begin by marking an 8 foot 2×2 board every 6 inches on one side and every 7 inches on the other.

Person using a yellow drill to bore into a black wood plank on a wooden pallet. Wearing a brown jacket, emphasizing focused work.

drill holes

Then mark a 1/2″ drill bit at the 3/4″ point and use it to drill in at all the 6 and 7-inch marks. There is one point where the holes line up and it my go all the way through. Just be careful not to drill into your work surface at that point.

Person in jeans and jacket hammers a wooden dowel into a board on a sawdust-covered wooden pallet. A small plastic cup is nearby.

hammer in dowels

I like to put a little wood glue in a container and dip my dowels into it. A hammer is usually needed to get the dowel all the way in the holes. Then you just wait for the glue to dry.

Hands holding a wooden stick with sealed tubes, and a gloved hand holding a red cap outdoors. Bright and sunny background.

After the glue has dried, it is time to sharpen the wood dowels. This just makes it so they go in the soil better. I like to use a carpenter's pencil sharpener for this. Gloves are a good idea as the repetition could cause blisters. If you don’t want to use a sharpener, then a sander could also be used.

The seed flat marker is complete. To use it, just center it in the garden bed and pull it towards you. If your soil is wet it will hold the impression better. This has worked out well for me since most of my plants are an even number or 14 inches apart. It really has taken the guesswork out of my plant spacing.

For more Mittleider Gardening videos check out my Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLK9x5hXg84FxeX_fckJxqioAnIP1jEEb8

To get a discount on Survival Seeds follow this link: https://survivalgardenseeds.com/collections/survival-seed-kits/products/home-garden-30-seed-collection-heirloom-seeds-for-planting?ref=WISDOMPRESERVED

For more information on Mittleider gardening click here: https://growfood.com/