For most of us, space is an issue in the garden. Whether your yard is small or you just haven’t converted as much lawn into growing space as you want to so far, space can be the number one determining factor for productivity in your garden. Here is a list of 5 ways that you can help make the most of the space you do have to grow more food.
Raised Beds
Growing in raised beds instead of rows helps make the most of space you have. With tightly defined borders you can plant right up to edge of your beds. And if your beds are around 4 feet wide, they are large enough to hold plenty of food and still narrow enough to easily reach across to weed or harvest. If you were to make paths between each row you would drastically reduce your growing space.
Sun Tracking
Taking note of the angel and amount of sunlight in your garden as the day goes on will allow to plant your crops in a way that maximized the sun available to each plant, making it possible to grow more crops in the same space. Making sure to plant the shortest crop on the side that the sun is on will still allow the taller crop to get light.
Trellis
Tomatoes and pole beans are not the only plants that can be grown on trellises. Even larger crops like pumpkins can be grown vertically if the fruit is supported as it grows. An old worn out t-shirt around the fruit and tied to the trellis works great.
Perennials
Not only does growing more perennials help reduce your work load, but it also means that the soil they are grown in will always be productive instead of having months of waiting in between harvests.
Interplanting
Interplanting your bed with slow growing crops like brussel sprouts and fast growing crops like radishes can double your yield without increasing the space necessary. The radishes will mature before the brussel sprouts and be ready for harvest without interfering with them.
This list is just a few of the ways that you can save room in your garden and increase production. Don’t let the size of your garden keep you from growing more, just make the most of it.
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