Planting a Vegetable Garden
Intensive gardening might be right.

Planting a vegetable garden?

Want more bang for your buck?

Intensive gardening may be the answer in a small vegetable garden.

Pushing the limit when growing vegetables when backyard gardening

gives a higher return on the time and energy invested.

A small vegetable garden creates a need for innovation....

                                   .... beyond the standard vegetable seed package planting guide.

... Decrease vegetable plant spacing.

... Plant wider rows of vegetable plants closer together

... Jack up the beds for raised bed gardening.

.... Grow up not out. Grow vegetables in a vertical garden.

... Inter planting maximizes production in small vegetable gardens

... Succession planting ..

     ..in the same growing season and into the next gets more mileage out of the same garden soil.

... Smaller space to control when organic gardening ...

         ... Less work ...  watering ... fertilizing ... and digging involved !

Our gardener likes the less work part ...

... We vegetables like the coziness and the change in company.

Planting a vegetable garden in a small space means more intensive planting.

Our gardener says a well dug vegetable garden does not hurt him a bit.

He says the exercise is good for others in the family!

Intensive gardening ... higher yield in the same space ...

... when planting a vegetable garden this way.

Planting a vegetable garden this Heavy Duty way

       means the garden soil will be stretched to the limit.

... Take the time to prepare the garden site the way the vegetable garden design has been laid out.

... Raised bed vegetable gardening is basic when maximizing vegetable plant space.

     The vegetable garden soil is right ... mixed to order !

... These vegetable garden plans will include combined methods of gardening vegetable ... 

... Raised bed gardening ... vertical gardening ... and container vegetable gardening.

Plan to grow vegetables you like to eat.

... Then decide vegetable seed planting times to maximize harvest and the ability to use it.

... A vegetable garden that includes well maintained interplanting will maximize yields.

... Planning  creates an ongoing harvest. Not all at once! 

How does our vegetable gardener rate in the planning department ?

When asked we vegetables replied ...  No Comment !

Planting seeds in your small vegetable garden to the extreme?

... The rows will be doubled and may be doubled again.

... The vegetable plant leaves should touch when mature.

... The vegetable growing space is maxed

      while deterring weed growth by shading between the rows

... Garden fertilizer and water will be needed more often to feed this crew.

... More often but smaller amounts because we are sharing.

... Less moisture evaporation and essential nutrients not washed away means more goods for us vegetables.

As we are sharing the vegetable garden space ...

... our gardener must consider each vegetable's specific needs.

Like do not be growing pole beans so they block the sunshine needed when growing peppers.

The opposite of this is beneficial when growing tomatoes to shade the growing spinach plants.

Spinach likes the cool shade

Growing beets or other root vegetables that mature at a specific size still need adequate space.

The arm length between us growing beets can be increased by harvesting early baby beets.

This thinning if timed right will give the remaining beet plants room to mature to full size.

Do not end up with square beets !!

Intensive gardening in this manner decreases the need for foot paths between the rows .....

.... no soil compaction ....

.... Less walking room between vegetable plant rows

      increases available space for growing vegetables ....

.... This means the garden fertilizer nutrients travel through the soil easier ....

.... aided by water that is absorbed better by the garden soil.

Lining us vegetables up with little arm room?  Be sure to allow for as much leg room as possible.

Root space is especially important in a small space garden ...

... raised beds and when growing vegetables in containers

What garden soil depth do you think is required ...

... for our vegetable plant roots to spread out to gather plant nutrients?

Vegetable plant roots ... How low do they go?

....  Shallow rooted vegetables grow to a depth of 12 to 18 inches deep

    Growing radishes may reach down as far as 22 inches while spreading out to 12 inches wide

    Other shallow rooting vegetable plants include

     broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, garlic, potato, spinach and corn

....  Medium rooted vegetable plants can reach 18 to 24 inches in depth.

    Growing beans have roots going down 30 inches and further.

    Bean plants spread out 20 to 30 inches

    Other medium rooting plants include

     beets, carrots, cucumber, eggplant, summer squash and peas.

....  Deep rooted vegetables grow to a depth of 36 inches and much farther.

    Growing tomatoes may grow 5 feet deep plus more.

    These tomato plant roots may have the same 5 foot spread.

    Other vegetable roots that are deep rooted include

    parsnip, winter squash, asparagus and pumpkin.

Because of the vegetable plant root spread ...

...     mulching  instead of cultivating will prevent root damage.

Interesting ...

... we vegetable plants are like icebergs with a large mass below the surface.

Packed in like sardines in a can!

Talk about companion planting!

We like the company.

Root depth and development information

Intensive Gardening means the home vegetable garden space is stretched to the limit ....

.... Good vegetable growing principles still rule.

           ... Organic Gardening Compost ...

Vegetable plants can not get enough of organic gardening compost.

In our home vegetable garden ...

... the sites where intensive gardening practices are being used ...

... our gardener watches very close for things that are out of sorts.

He is on the lookout for ...

... plant diseases ... garden pests  ... 

... as well as too little or too much water and garden fertilizer.

Balancing all the needs of us vegetable plants requires good observation ...

... in these highly populated backyard garden areas.

Intensive gardening ...

... is great in a small vegetable garden as well as larger scale vegetable growing.

Raised bed gardening is key to both ...

... creating an excellent ROI on your time and energy ...

... Planting a vegetable garden this way

What a  great 4 way partnership planting a vegetable garden this way.

... Intensive Gardening

... Raised Garden Beds

... Our Gardener  &

... Us Vegetables.

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