I’ve talked with hundreds of gardeners over the past few decades to glean some of the commonalities between successful gardening systems, and the resulting recommendations that follow here will help you grow a high-yield but low-maintenance, sustainable garden. Compost on-site and use compost to amend and build your soil. 5. That's why we want you to save money and trees by subscribing through our earth-friendly automatic renewal savings plan. Most of us prefer to have a continuous supply of fresh tomatoes during the growing season anyway. Crops that root deeply such as parsnips, carrots and tomatoes, can be intercropped with shallow vegetables such as broccoli, lettuce and potatoes.Fast growing plants, like spinach, can be tucked in around slow maturing plants like corn. 4. Unless you plan on canning large amounts of tomatoes, however, that won't really be an issue. I've used it in my in ground garden for years. Posted on August 13, 2012 by Peggy Layton. Another principle is to make small beds, no more than 3-4 feet wide, and alternate rows of above ground and under ground vegetables. With imagination and determination, you can find ways to grow vegetables even in the smallest of spaces. This is expensive and means you aren’t using and improving the soil already on your property. Each year you should rotate the areas used for particular vegetables. As soon as you pull out one food plant, you drop in another - of a different species. account? It also wastes fertilizer and water. Creating minimal disturbance has led to a bountiful garden with less work on my part. Other good reasons to convert from rows to an intensive garden system: Less effort. Survival Skills, Garden Planning, Seed Saving, Food Preservation, Natural Health – Dozens of courses, 100+ workshops, and interactive Q&As. For the rest of the season, I plant without cultivating, allowing easy interplanting by slipping in new plants between maturing crops. Keep it simple. The 1-by-1-foot grid pattern, a trademark of square-foot gardening, can help intensive growers portion out and make the most of limited bed space. Canadian subscriptions: 1 year (includes postage & GST). Consider growth rate above and below ground when interplanting flowers and vegetables. The reasons for this are that different vegetables use more of some types of vitamins and minerals than others. The use of these strategies will help contribute to the overall good health of the garden and create a small ecosystem that is sure to be enjoyed by both the gardener and beneficial insects. Double digging the beds, by removing the top 10 inches of soil and loosening the soil below with a garden fork, will allow better aeration and water tranport. If you have a limited amount of garden space that gets enough sun, or there are other reasons you can't go larger, then the intensive vegetable gardening principles may be the right choice for you. The traditional in ground garden is usually planted in straight rows, a few feet apart. Two gardening authors and their systems of intensive vegetable gardening have been highly influential in North America for more than 30 years. Creating nutrients and organic matter by making compost out of other ingredients, such as fall leaves and newspapers mixed with food scraps, may make more sense. 10. Already a Member but 1. Melons, cucumbers, pole beans, peas, and other vining plants also will do well and save space by the use of trellises, fences, or cages. The goal here is to produce a lot of food in a very small area, by putting in some serious manual labor to produce perfect planting beds and intensive plantings. A raised bed is simply when the level of the soil is higher than the surrounding ground. Also, soils that receive less disruption have more beneficial nematodes, earthworms, soil mites and other microorganisms wriggling and crawling about. Capitalize on vertical space by growing vining crops on supports. Since these books hit the shelves, millions of gardeners have experimented with and embraced the gardening techniques advocated within. This garden plan is another exact layout. These crops can be planted while the tomatoes or vines are young, and many will be ready for eating before the tomato even sets fruit. Calorie-dense crops such as potatoes are emphasized in order to achieve this in a small area. You'll find tips for slashing heating bills, growing fresh, natural produce at home, and more. Sow only the number of seeds needed in each square to avoid wasting seed. 4. I leave mulch on the soil for as much of the garden season as possible (weeds grow all winter in my Northwest climate), but I pull it back in spring to allow the soil to dry out and warm up. 2. 3. Because earthworms, plant roots and soil insects are so good at aerating soil, I’m happy to leave it to them. Use soil (if you have it). Intensive vegetable gardening means that you reduce the amount of space between your plants. Employ tools minimally — you should only need a trowel for transplanting, a pencil for poking holes and lifting seedlings out of pots, and scissors for harvesting. Already a Member? 10. The use of intensive vegetable gardening methods can increase the yield per square foot by a great amount. 7. The soil must be very loamy and fertile. Plant dual-purpose, carbon-efficient crops — such as grains — in about 60 percent of the growing area. One of my problems is compost: I just don't generate enough to create any. For example, companion-planting charts of the “tomatoes love basil” variety are largely myth, though the value of planting to cycle nutrients to different crop families and attract beneficial insects is well-established (go to Maintain Healthy Soil With Crop Rotation for more). 2. Essentially, you crowd them together. I saw no difference between the double-dug bed and the rest of the garden throughout that summer or in later years. Reducing the use of nonrenewable resources — whether it’s fossil fuels burned in transporting supplies, irrigation water from deep aquifers or even peat moss — is an important consideration and one that’s on many gardeners’ minds. 22 Shares. The first time I read Bartholomew’s book, I was struck by how expensive following his system to the letter would be, from the cost of building beds to buying and hauling a large volume of bulky materials for the growing medium — which he calls “Mel’s mix.” To me, the beauty of gardening is that it transforms waste material into tasty, nourishing food at a considerably lower cost than buying it. This helps to shade the soil as the weather heats up, reducing the amount of water needed. This type of companion planting makes it possible to grow more in the same space. Intensive Vegetable Gardening You can maximize the productivity of the garden using intensive gardening techniques. Are you interested in gardening, but you have limited space? I often leave crop residues on the soil as a mulch and plant right through it. Achieve staggered harvests with succession planting. Can I also view this on the internet?I really enjoy reading Motherearthnews, so would appreciate it if I could read past issues. Alan Chadwick and John Jeavons are popular proponents of biointensive gardening methods, and a number of the techniques stem from French intensive gardening. With time and experience, and based on the region and circumstances, every gardener tailors his or her system to what works best. Do you appreciate the rugged appeal of recycled tires in your garden? Reliance on compost. Combine crops, flowers, steppingstones and a seat, and you’ll have a backyard retreat along with plenty to eat. While this method is reliant on assembling purchased components, it can work well in urban spaces, especially where soil contamination is a concern, where digging into the ground isn’t an option, or where people are especially picky about how a garden looks (perhaps because of ordinances for front lawns). Here is a cool free reference chart for planting and growing vegetables. Less soil compaction. How do I rid my garden of squash bugs from year to year? Even intensive beds that are very small will grow a huge yield of produce. Planting crops that have a high yield per square foot makes better use of … Bartholomew’s aim with square-foot gardening is a simple, foolproof system that anyone can master (no companion planting, no crop rotation and no soil preparation). If you do it right, you can grow more food in less space and put an impressive dent in your household’s fresh-food needs. Like to read more content, Join the Mother Earth News Community Today! Use synergistic planting (also called “companion planting”) so that plants grown together enhance each other. I did buy the CD of past issues when I first ordered my subscription. This can, however, require a slight shift from the “clean soil” garden aesthetic some value. Despite Bartholomew’s concern that improving soil takes too long, I’ve found that adding organic amendments, including balanced organic fertilizers if needed, can turn any soil into decent garden soil in its first few seasons. It incorporates multiple beds. don't have an online Using mulch to keep the soil covered is effective at smothering germinating weed seeds. Or, don’t make compost at all: Just leave organic material on the soil to decompose. Beauty and productivity harmonize in an intensively planted garden when you add flowers and natural, structural elements. Improved soil conditions 3. Determinate tomatoes, those that ripen a large crop all at once, generally produce better if left to sprawl. 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