Short on space? No problem! With some careful pre-planning, you can turn a small space into a garden that grows fresh produce all season long.
Here are some practical tips for making the most of a tiny plot:
1. Follow the sun. Make sure you track sun and shade patterns before you prepare your site. Fruit producing plants (tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, peppers, etc.) need six to eight hours of bright sun per day. Leafy green vegetables and herbs (beets, carrots, spinach, basil, etc.) can get by with a bit less.
2. Ensure proper drainage. Plants need water, but they don’t like wet feet. Organic materials help keep sandy soils from draining too quickly and help improve the aeration and drainage of clay soils. And if you aren’t using raised beds, grade and level the soil to keep excess water from pooling.
3. Start seeds indoors. Get a head start by starting seeds indoors and transplanting them when it is appropriate for your region. This can extend the growing season by several weeks. Just make sure you “harden off” the transplants before planting them directly into the garden. You can do this by placing seedlings on a patio or in a protected outdoor area so they adjust to outside air and light.
4. Use trellises. For vining plants, use trellises to help train upward growth instead of horizontal spread. Also, be sure to place trellises (as well as taller plants like tomatoes) on the east or north side of your garden so they don’t cast their shade on plants that are lower to the ground.
5. Make a succession plan. Succession planting is a technique where you plant a new crop as soon as the previous crop has been harvested. It requires a bit of pre-planning, but the effort is well worth it with produce that keeps coming all season long. This article from Organic Gardening describes the basics of succession planting: http://bit.ly/1ruw1gh
6. Remineralize the soil. Use a high quality soil amendment like Cascade Minerals Remineralizing Soil Booster to replace the right balance of minerals and trace elements (such as magnesium, calcium, silicon and iron) that have been depleted and which are essential to plant and human health. Research shows that finely ground volcanic basalt improves root systems, increases yields and promotes plant health in a wide variety of conditions and crops.
Use these techniques to maximize your garden’s yield, no matter how big or small.
I add new soil every year too.