To grow productively and economically means trying to grow highest yield of crops possible in the smallest amount of space with the least amount of labor and expense. Believe it or not it is possible to do this organically and at the same time grow a high yield garden or at least a garden that can keep your family self-sufficient (in the sense that you survive on what you grow.)
According to several high yield organic gardening methodologies (such as Metilieder method and polyculture) having a sustainable high yield garden is one that is able to produce generous crops of a period of time including –
- Growing food you want to eat, so you are eager to eat your own produce (a garden that produces food that nobody eats is not an environmentally sustainable one)
- Growing economically, so that it saves you money (the garden doesn’t cost you more than it would to shop to sustain it)
- Taking care of environmental issues, so that the ground will continue to support growing healthy crops.
The plants that you grow in your garden should not only be ones that you and your family like to eat but also what is indigenous to your area. In other words don’t try to grow tiny pecans if what your neighborhood’s soil really supports is huge chestnuts.
Here are some basic principles to get you introduced to the basic principles of high yield gardening.
- Buy high quality seed that is known to produce high yields in the first place. The masters behind the high-yield organic method of gardening called the Mettilieder method recommend the Garden-In-A-Can, which is triple-sealed heirloom seed, from a source like Mountain Valley Seeds (www.mvseeds.com). Store it in a cool dry place. These will maintain a high rate of germination percentage for up to a decade.
- Extend your growing seed by starting them inside first in a homemade greenhouse.
- Situating the vegetable garden on a south-facing slope is a good idea because it warms up rapidly in the spring.
- The site of your garden should be open but not exposed to any other element but the sunshine. Vegetables like lots of sun but not too much wind.
- Windbreaks should erected if the site is windy. Wind negatively affects the productivity of vegetables …even mild winds can reduce your production by 20 to 30%. As a rule of thumb, a windbreak usually shelters a distance that is five times its height.
- Use soil testing to determine which nutrients are needed. You can buy pH testing tests at the drug store or gardening supply stores. The ideal pH level for the soil for a vegetable garden is between 6.8 and 7.0.
- The best type of soil is loamy, rich in needed nutrients and contains organisms that break down into organic matter. The soil in a high yield organic garden also provides sufficient moisture to the growing vegetable plants and drains well.
Following these principles is sure to help put you on the right path for growing as much as you possibly can in a little space.