VEGETABLE GARDEN:
INTENSIVE GARDENING METHODS |
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MG
Manual Reference
Ch. 10, pp. 39 - 46 |
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The purpose of an intensively grown garden is to
harvest the most produce possible from a given space. More
traditional gardens consist of long, single rows of vegetables
spaced widely apart. Much of the garden area is taken by the space
between the rows. An intensive garden reduces wasted space to a
minimum. The practice of intensive gardening is not just for those
with limited garden space; rather, an intensive garden
concentrates work efforts to create an ideal plant environment,
giving better yields with less labor. |
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Though its benefits are many, the intensive garden may
not be for everyone. Some people enjoy the sight of long, straight
rows in their gardens. Others prefer machine cultivation to hand
weeding; though there is often less weeding to do in intensive
plantings because of fewer pathways and closely spaced plants, the
weeding that must be done is usually done by hand or with hand
tools. Still other gardeners like to get their gardens planted in
a very short period of time and have harvests come in all at once.
The intensive ideal is to have something growing in every part of
the garden at all times during the growing season. |
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A good intensive garden requires early, thorough
planning to make the best use of time and space in the garden.
Interrelationships of plants must be considered before planting,
including nutrient needs, shade tolerance, above- and below-ground
growth patterns, and preferred growing season. Using the
techniques described below, anyone can develop a high-yielding
intensive garden. |
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The raised bed
The raised bed or growing bed is the basic unit of an intensive
garden. A system of beds allows the gardener to concentrate soil
preparation in small areas, resulting in effective use of soil
amendments and creating an ideal environment for vegetable growth.
Raised beds warm-up more quickly in the spring. This is a major
advantage when growing vegetables in the spring, giving them a
head start. Because raised beds warm up faster and to a higher
temperature by mid summer they dry out more quickly. In the
hottest parts of Arizona raised beds may become too hot and use
very high amounts of water. In the hot regions, gardeners should
consider using lowered beds. With lowered beds, soil improvements
are made below the natural grade rather than above and below but
the other principles discussed are the same as for raised beds. |
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Beds are generally 3 to 4 feet wide and as long as
desired. The gardener works from either side of the bed, reducing
the incidence of compaction caused by walking on the soil. |
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Soil preparation is the key to successful intensive
gardening. To grow so close together, plants must have adequate
nutrients and water. Providing extra synthetic fertilizers and
irrigation will help, but there is no substitute for deep, fertile
soil high in organic matter. Humus-rich soil will hold extra
nutrients, and existing elements that are "locked up" in
the soil are released by the actions of earthworms, microorganisms
and acids present in a life-filled soil, making them available for
plant use. |
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If your soil is not deep, double-dig the beds for best
results. Remove the top 12 inches of soil from the bed. Insert a
spade or spading fork into the next 10 to 12 inches of soil and
wiggle the handle back and forth to break up compacted layers. Do
this every 6 to 8 inches in the bed. Mix the top soil with a
generous amount of compost or manure, and return the mixture to
the bed. It should be somewhat fluffy and may be raised slightly.
To create a true raised bed, take topsoil from the neighboring
pathways and mix it in as well. |
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This is a lot of work! Try it in one or two beds for
some of your most valuable plants; if you like the results you can
proceed to other beds as you have time. One nice thing about
raised bed gardening is that it breaks work into units. Instead of
gazing desperately at a garden full of weeds, thinking you'll
never have time to clean it up, you can look at each bed and say,
"I can do that in half an hour today!" Other chores are
accomplished with the same ease. |
By their nature, raised beds are a form of wide-bed
gardening, a technique by which seeds and transplants are planted
in wide bands of several rows or broadcast in a wide strip. In
general, the goal is to space plants at equal distances from each
other on all sides, such that leaves will touch at maturity. This
saves space, and the close plantings reduce moisture loss from
surrounding soil. |
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Vertical gardening
The use of trellises, nets, strings, cages, or poles to support
growing plants constitutes vertical gardening. This technique is
especially suited, but not limited, to gardeners with a small
garden space. Vining and sprawling plants, such as cucumbers,
tomatoes, melons, and pole beans are obvious candidates for this
type of gardening. Some plants entwine themselves onto the
support, while others may need to be tied. Remember that a
vertical planting will cast a shadow, so beware of shading
sun-loving crops, or take advantage of the shade by planting
shade-tolerant crops near the vertical ones. Plants grown
vertically take up much less space on the ground, and though the
yield per plant may be (but is not always) less, the yield per
square foot of garden space is much greater. Because vertically
growing plants are more exposed, they dry out faster and may need
to be watered more frequently than if they were allowed to spread
over the ground. This fast drying is also an advantage to those
plants susceptible to fungus diseases. A higher rate of
fertilization may be needed, and soil should be deep and
well-drained to allow roots to extend vertically rather than
compete with others at a shallow level. |
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Interplanting
Growing two or more types of vegetables in the same place at the
same time is known as interplanting. Proper planning is essential
to obtain high production and increased quality of the crops
planted. This technique has been practiced for thousands of years,
but is just now gaining widespread support in this country. To
successfully plan an interplanted garden the following factors
must be taken into account for each plant: length of the plant's
growth period, its growth pattern (tall, short, below or above
ground), possible negative effects on other plants (such as the
allelopathic effects of sunflowers and Jerusalem artichokes on
nearby plants), preferred season, and light, nutrient and moisture
requirements. Interplanting can be accomplished by alternating
rows within a bed (plant a row of peppers next to a row of
onions), by mixing plants within a row, or by distributing various
species throughout the bed. For the beginner, alternating rows may
be the easiest to manage at first. |
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Long-season (slow to mature) and short-season (quick to
mature) plants like carrots and radishes, respectively, can be
planted at the same time. The radishes are harvested before they
begin to crowd the carrots. An example of combining growth
patterns is planting smaller plants close to larger plants,
radishes at the base of beans or broccoli. Shade tolerant species
like lettuce, spinach, and celery may be planted in the shadow of
taller crops. Heavy feeders, such as cabbage family crops, should
be interplanted with less gluttonous plants. |
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Interplanting can help keep insect and disease problems
under control. Pests are usually fairly crop-specific; that is,
they prefer vegetables of one type or family. Mixing families of
plants helps to break up large expanses of the pest-preferred
crop, helping to contain early pest damage within a small area,
thus giving the gardener a little more time to deal with the
problem. One disadvantage is that when it does come time to spray
for pests, it's hard to be sure that all plants are protected. |
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Spacing
Individual plants are closely spaced in a raised bed or
interplanted garden. An equidistant spacing pattern calls for
plants to be the same distance from each other within the bed;
that is, plant so that the center of one plant is the same
distance from plants on all sides of it. In beds of more than two
rows, this means that the rows should be staggered so that plants
in every other row are between the plants in adjacent rows. The
distance recommended for plants within the row on a seed packet is
the distance from the center of one plant to the center of the
next. This results in an efficient use of space and leaves less
area to weed and mulch. The close spacing tends to create a nearly
solid leaf canopy, acting as a living mulch, decreasing water
loss, and keeping weed problems down. However, plants should not
be crowded to the point at which disease problems arise or
competition causes stunting. Refer to Table 10.12 for recommended
spacing in intensive gardens. |
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Succession and relay planting
Succession planting is an excellent way to make the most of an
intensive garden. To obtain a succession of crops, plant something
new in spots vacated by spent plants. Corn after peas is a type of
succession. |
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Planting a spring, summer, and fall garden is another
form of succession planting. Cool season crops (broccoli, lettuce,
peas) are followed by warm season crops (beans, tomatoes,
peppers), and where possible, these may be followed by more
cool-season plants, or even a winter cover crop. |
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Relaying is another common practice, consisting of
overlapping plantings of one type of crop. The new planting is
made before the old one is removed. For instance, sweet corn may
be planted at 2-week intervals for a continuous harvest. This
requires some care, though; crops planted very early are likely to
get a slower start because of low temperatures. In the case of
corn, it can be disastrous to have two varieties pollinating at
the same time, as the quality of the kernels may be affected. Give
early planted corn extra time to get started, for best results. |
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Another way to achieve the same result is to plant, at
once, various varieties of the same vegetable; for example, you
can plant an early-season, a mid-season, and a late-season corn at
the same time and have a lengthy harvest. |
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Starting seeds indoors for transplanting is an
important aspect of intensive gardening. To get the most from the
garden plot, a new crop should be ready to take the place of the
crop being removed. Several weeks may be gained by having 6-inch
transplants ready to go into vacated areas. Don't forget to
recondition the soil for the new plants. |
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Planning an intensive garden
Begin planning your garden early, pull out last-year's garden
records and dig into the new seed catalogs. As with any garden,
you must decide what crops you want to grow based on your own
likes and dislikes, as well as how much of each you will need. An
account of which cultivars were most successful or tasted best is
helpful in making crop choices. Use the charts below, and your own
experience, to determine which crops are likely combinations. |
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Good gardening practices such as watering, fertilizing,
crop rotation, composting, and sanitation are especially important
in an intensive garden. An intensive garden does require more
detailed planning, but the time saved in working the garden and
the increased yields make it well worthwhile. Use your imagination
and have fun! |
Table 10.12
INTENSIVE SPACING GUIDE
Plant |
Inches |
Plant |
Inches |
Asparagus |
15 - 18 |
Lettuce, head |
10 - 12 |
Beans, lima |
4 - 6 |
Lettuce, leaf |
4 - 6 |
Beans, pole |
6 - 12 |
Melons |
18 - 24 |
Beans, bush |
4 - 6 |
Mustard |
6 - 9 |
Beets |
2 - 4 |
Okra |
12 - 18 |
Broccoli |
12 - 18 |
Onion |
2 - 4 |
Brussels sprouts |
15 - 18 |
Peas |
2 - 4 |
Cabbage |
15 - 18 |
Peppers |
12 - 15 |
Cabbage, Chinese |
10 - 12 |
Potatoes |
10 - 12 |
Carrots |
2 - 3 |
Pumpkins |
24 - 36 |
Cauliflower |
15 - 18 |
Radishes |
2 - 3 |
Cucumber |
12 - 18 |
Rutabaga |
4 - 6 |
Chard, Swiss |
6 - 9 |
Southern pea |
3 - 4 |
Collards |
12 - 15 |
Spinach |
4 - 6 |
Endive |
15 - 18 |
Squash, summer |
18 - 24 |
Eggplant |
18 - 24 |
Squash, winter |
24 - 36 |
Kale |
15 - 18 |
Sweet corn |
15 - 18 |
Kohlrabi |
6 - 9 |
Tomatoes |
18 - 24 |
Leeks |
3 - 6 |
Turnip |
4 - 6 |
Note: To determine spacing for interplanting, add the inches for
the two crops to be planted together, and divide the sum by 2. For
example, if radishes are planted next to beans, add 2 inches + 4
inches = 6 inches, then divide 6 inches by 2 inches = 3 inches.
The radishes should be planted 3 inches from the beans. |
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Economic value of crops
It is difficult to evaluate the economic value of crops grown in
the vegetable garden due to the different lengths of time they
require for maturity and harvest, the availability of varieties
and vegetables types not generally found in the marketplace, and
the lack of comparison values for vegetables that are not
acceptable by commercial standards (cracked tomatoes, crooked
cucumbers, etc.), but which are perfectly usable by the gardener.
Nevertheless, several studies have attempted to determine which
crops bring the most value per square foot of garden space, partly
to aid small-space gardeners in making decisions about what to
plant. Of course, if no one in the family likes beets, there is no
point in growing them just because they are economically valuable,
but this list may help you determine which vegetables to plant and
which to buy. Perennial crops are not on the list below because
each of the studies was on a one-season basis. Asparagus, rhubarb,
horseradish, and other perennial crops do also have considerable
economic worth. Fruit trees and shrubs are also valuable
producers, especially considering the long-term. |
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Top 15 Vegetables in Economic Value:
Tomatoes |
Beets |
Green bunching onions |
Carrots |
Leaf lettuce |
Cucumbers |
Turnip (green + roots) |
Peppers |
Summer squash |
Broccoli |
Edible pod peas |
Head lettuce |
Onion storage bulbs |
Swiss chard |
Beans (pole, bush) |
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Values based on pounds produced per square foot, retail
value per pound at harvest time, and length of time in the garden. |
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Low-Value Crops (not recommended for small spaces):
Corn |
Squash |
Melons |
Pumpkins |
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Miniature varieties or trellising may increase value
per square foot. |
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