How to get most out of small space
I have 4 4x4 raised garden beds. Any recommendations/tips to get the most out of small space? In the past I have planted: green beans, cucumber, zucchini, squash, watermelon, spinach, lettuce, snap Peas, jalapeno, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, and carrots. I am open to any help to Maximize my space and get the most bang for my back. Thanks in advance!
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pepperhead212
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Welcome to the forum!
Simply put, to get more in a smaller space, grow up! Pole beans, snow peas and sugar snap peas, cucumbers, tomatoes, some melons, some squash, some large eggplants, and some oddball things like bottle gourds, are things I grow on trellises - about 135' total. There is also the idea of "square foot gardening" - something you might want to look up. Good for things like greens, and peppers, that can be planted closer than normally recommended, as long as they are well fed, and greens, especially, sort of shade out the weeds.
Simply put, to get more in a smaller space, grow up! Pole beans, snow peas and sugar snap peas, cucumbers, tomatoes, some melons, some squash, some large eggplants, and some oddball things like bottle gourds, are things I grow on trellises - about 135' total. There is also the idea of "square foot gardening" - something you might want to look up. Good for things like greens, and peppers, that can be planted closer than normally recommended, as long as they are well fed, and greens, especially, sort of shade out the weeds.
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applestar
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- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
I agree that vertical trellis gardening is essential for saving space.
But how well this will work will depend on how deep your raised bed soil is, whether these are bottomless with room to grow roots into native soil underneath, how wide the pathways in between are and how you are maintaining them, and how much sun exposure they get as well as what configuration and orientation these four square beds are arranged.
Assuming optimum conditions my design would be —
1) 2 zucchini plants at opposite corners PLUS you might be able to grow POLE type snap peas in the two other opposite corners using 6 foot bamboo pole or other tripod trellis. Peas will be done by early summer. OR one zucchini plant and add carrots in the front and 2 cucumber plants (vertical trellis in the back/North for the cucumber)
2) 2 icebox / personal size watermelon plants pruned to two vines each and trained to grow up a vertical trellis on North (back) side PLUS bush beans succession planted in the front half — first (earlier) sowing in the interior 12” x 4 foot strip and second (later) sowing in the front 12” x 4 foot strip
3) SMALL fruited (winter) squash — too many variables — depends on type and variety — trained to grow up vertical trellis on North side (back) with front edge used to grow lettuce and spinach while still cool — depending on where you live, lettuce and spinach season will be over by summer. OR set up an arched cattle panel type tunnel trellis from East side to West side and grow two squash up West side and 3 or 4 cucumbers up East side. Grow the lettuce and spinach in two N-S mini rows 12”~ 18” apart along center under the tunnel.
4) 2 Cherry tomato plants, 2 or 3 vines each, on TALL vertical pole type supports at the back (North) with 4 peppers in the front 1/3 of the square
But how well this will work will depend on how deep your raised bed soil is, whether these are bottomless with room to grow roots into native soil underneath, how wide the pathways in between are and how you are maintaining them, and how much sun exposure they get as well as what configuration and orientation these four square beds are arranged.
Assuming optimum conditions my design would be —
1) 2 zucchini plants at opposite corners PLUS you might be able to grow POLE type snap peas in the two other opposite corners using 6 foot bamboo pole or other tripod trellis. Peas will be done by early summer. OR one zucchini plant and add carrots in the front and 2 cucumber plants (vertical trellis in the back/North for the cucumber)
2) 2 icebox / personal size watermelon plants pruned to two vines each and trained to grow up a vertical trellis on North (back) side PLUS bush beans succession planted in the front half — first (earlier) sowing in the interior 12” x 4 foot strip and second (later) sowing in the front 12” x 4 foot strip
3) SMALL fruited (winter) squash — too many variables — depends on type and variety — trained to grow up vertical trellis on North side (back) with front edge used to grow lettuce and spinach while still cool — depending on where you live, lettuce and spinach season will be over by summer. OR set up an arched cattle panel type tunnel trellis from East side to West side and grow two squash up West side and 3 or 4 cucumbers up East side. Grow the lettuce and spinach in two N-S mini rows 12”~ 18” apart along center under the tunnel.
4) 2 Cherry tomato plants, 2 or 3 vines each, on TALL vertical pole type supports at the back (North) with 4 peppers in the front 1/3 of the square
green beans, cucumber, zucchini, squash, watermelon, spinach, lettuce, snap Peas, jalapeno, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, and carrots.
If you want to do intensive planting you can follow the spacing recommendations of the square foot gardening method. This works fine for small crops. For larger crops like zucchini, cucumber, tomatoes, I plant in large containers. One 18 gallon container will hold:
1 zuchhini
4 cucumbers on a 80 inch trellis ( I double stack two folding tomato trellisses and stake them in with long garden stakes)
1 tomato indeterminate or determinate (4-5 ft tall) Determinate will only need a single folding tomato trellis, the indeterminate will need a taller stake or trellis.
You can under plant tomatoes when they are first planted with an intercrop
of lettuce, or spinach in the cool season. Shang hai pak choi, asian greens can work but the greens can grow faster than the tomato so you will have to harvest them young. plant them around the tomato 8 inches apart. You can get around 5 plants that way.
9 pole beans or peas on a double trellis in a pot. The pole beans and peas can also be companion planted with lettuce. Other companion plants depends on what grows well together. Usually the secondary crop will mature and be harvested in 45-55 days. The larger plant will then want the space all to themselves
1 eggplant can be under planted with lettuce, asian greens
In a 4x4 garden. permanent 7 ft tall trellis on the north end. for vining crops that do not grow thick. That is why I like to plant tomatoes in containers they also grow wide unless you prune them regularly.
Zucchini, cabbages, broccoli will take up 3/4 of the space 9 sf. for a long time so they are better not planted in a small space.
The drawback of square foot garden is that it really does not tell you how to use your space for double cropping. It has one type of crop per square. I prefer to inter crop: plant a pepper, while it is young it can share the space with radish for example that grows fast but won't get so tall that it overtakes the pepper and it will be harvested in 21 days.
By following the sfg method you can work with one square at a time for succession planting.
Lastly, select plants you enjoy eating, are easy to grow, taste better fresh, and are relatively expensive. I grow herbs in containers mostly 1 gallon pots or bowls because things like mint need to be contained. Herbs tolerate small containers well. They are expensive to buy and taste better fresh. I do not grow onions or garlic because they would take up too much space in my garden for 5 months. They are not easy for me to grow, they are relatively cheap to buy and for me I could not plant enough for a year's supply and they don't store well in a hot humid climate.
Grow things in your garden that you actually like to eat. Plan how much and when to plant. Don't plant the whole thing if everything is going to be ready at the same time, unless you can eat that much or have a way to preserve the harvest.
One eggplant is more than enough for me once it starts producing. Zucchini will only produce well in temperatures under 80 degrees, then it will stop flowering in the heat. I can grow tomatoes and cucumbers in my climate year round if I pick heat and disease tolerant cultivars.
Another space saver is a tower garden. A well designed garden tower will have 30-36 pockets occupying a 2sf space and be about 5 ft tall. It is good for growing leafy greens. Larger plants can also be grown but they will hang out more and you may not be able to use all of the pockets because they block pockets above and below them and take over the tier.
1 zuchhini
4 cucumbers on a 80 inch trellis ( I double stack two folding tomato trellisses and stake them in with long garden stakes)
1 tomato indeterminate or determinate (4-5 ft tall) Determinate will only need a single folding tomato trellis, the indeterminate will need a taller stake or trellis.
You can under plant tomatoes when they are first planted with an intercrop
of lettuce, or spinach in the cool season. Shang hai pak choi, asian greens can work but the greens can grow faster than the tomato so you will have to harvest them young. plant them around the tomato 8 inches apart. You can get around 5 plants that way.
9 pole beans or peas on a double trellis in a pot. The pole beans and peas can also be companion planted with lettuce. Other companion plants depends on what grows well together. Usually the secondary crop will mature and be harvested in 45-55 days. The larger plant will then want the space all to themselves
1 eggplant can be under planted with lettuce, asian greens
In a 4x4 garden. permanent 7 ft tall trellis on the north end. for vining crops that do not grow thick. That is why I like to plant tomatoes in containers they also grow wide unless you prune them regularly.
Zucchini, cabbages, broccoli will take up 3/4 of the space 9 sf. for a long time so they are better not planted in a small space.
The drawback of square foot garden is that it really does not tell you how to use your space for double cropping. It has one type of crop per square. I prefer to inter crop: plant a pepper, while it is young it can share the space with radish for example that grows fast but won't get so tall that it overtakes the pepper and it will be harvested in 21 days.
By following the sfg method you can work with one square at a time for succession planting.
Lastly, select plants you enjoy eating, are easy to grow, taste better fresh, and are relatively expensive. I grow herbs in containers mostly 1 gallon pots or bowls because things like mint need to be contained. Herbs tolerate small containers well. They are expensive to buy and taste better fresh. I do not grow onions or garlic because they would take up too much space in my garden for 5 months. They are not easy for me to grow, they are relatively cheap to buy and for me I could not plant enough for a year's supply and they don't store well in a hot humid climate.
Grow things in your garden that you actually like to eat. Plan how much and when to plant. Don't plant the whole thing if everything is going to be ready at the same time, unless you can eat that much or have a way to preserve the harvest.
One eggplant is more than enough for me once it starts producing. Zucchini will only produce well in temperatures under 80 degrees, then it will stop flowering in the heat. I can grow tomatoes and cucumbers in my climate year round if I pick heat and disease tolerant cultivars.
Another space saver is a tower garden. A well designed garden tower will have 30-36 pockets occupying a 2sf space and be about 5 ft tall. It is good for growing leafy greens. Larger plants can also be grown but they will hang out more and you may not be able to use all of the pockets because they block pockets above and below them and take over the tier.