More Practical Productive Gardening Advice

Here are some more tips for growing as many vegetables as possible in the smallest space possible.

First of remember that vegetable gardens continuously remove nutrients from the soil, and decomposing organic matter. So if the same area of the garden is used year after year for growing vegetables application of organic matter and other fertilizers must maintain the fertility of the soil.

 

Secondly the layout of the garden should be in raised bed with narrow pathways separating them that are no longer than a foot wide. This prevents soil compaction (the result of being trod on) that inhibits root growth. Using smaller beds in the vegetable garden makes the best use of available space. It will also suppress the growth of weeds. Mature vegetable crops in close quarters grow leaves that supply a canopy of shade; this makes difficult for weeds to grow.

You should also —

 

Double dig your garden by mixing native soil with amended soil to keep your raised beds natural and easy to drain.

Use traditional fertilizers in their traditional Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium combinations. Most commercial fertilizers must be properly balanced and then supplemented with micronutrients for optimal effect.

 

Use as little commercial fertilizer as possible. Apply fertilizer before your plant and several times again throughout the growing season.

 

Manually weed your garden beds rather than using pesticides. However try not to lean on the soil while weeding as that causes compaction that can cause root growth inhibition.  Destroy weeds as soon as they emerge and be careful not to water them

 

You can also prevent soil fatigue by rotating crops. Most vegetables are annuals. As such they can be planted in different areas of the vegetable garden each year so that different nutrients are taken from the soil. The reason for crop rotation is to prevent a buildup of soil pests and diseases that are specific to one type of crop.