How to Grow More With Less Space

Having a small growing space can be frustrating if you can not grow all that you would like. Here are 5 tips that will help you know how to get the most from your garden.

1. You might be tempted to plant your plants closer together to get more in your garden. This however will not work as the plants will not produce as much if grown closer together. You can, however, choose varieties that are high yield producers such as  growing green beans vertically, and even trellising the squash and cucumber plants.  Be sure that these plants do not shade the rest of your garden as it will reduce the amount your garden produces.


2. Be sure you amend your soil regularly with organic matter to make sure the soil in your garden has the most available nutrients for your garden. This will ensure that the plants you are able to plant will produce a good harvest.


3. There are some plants that tolerate a little shade. Just think if you are harvesting the plant for a fruit or the root, then it needs full sun. If you are eating the leaves or plant, then it can tolerate some shade. This might help you have areas to grow in your yard that you previously thought you couldn't grow.


4. Grow some smaller plants in containers on the patio. If you have limited space in your grow boxes, and still want to grow more, try planting your big plants in the garden, and the smaller plants in a big pot. Just remember that pots need to be watered much more often than plants in the garden. They drain very well and also heat up more than the soil in the garden, thus making them require more water.


5. The last option is to square foot garden. This is a great option for those who have a very small space. You are limited to growing smaller plants, and you will need to make sure and follow the requirements for the soil, as this is an important part of making square foot gardening work.

Be sure to plan and account for all that you want to plant. This will also help you get the most from your garden. Happy Garden Planning!

Gardening For Beginners

Gardening is for everyone who has the desire for fresh harvest and a refreshing experience. It is not too late to start, and it is easy to learn. I think the ability is naturally born in us to know the basics of how to keep a plant alive. Gardening is for beginers. But a little research and planing will go a long way on how successful you garden will be. So where to start?

1. Make a plan. Where are you going to have your garden? Map it out, or if you will have containers, know how much space you need so that you can plan what veggies you will have space to plant. One tip that might save you some headache, Start out small. Try a small grow box first, then you can build more. It will give you an idea on how much time you have to spend in the garden. If you find yourself wanting more to do in the garden, then by all means the next year expand it.
2. After you know where, I recommend to sign up for an account for this excellent garden planner. You can plan what you want to plant by mapping it out, and it will show you how many plants you can plant in that space. Then it will even send you an email reminder when it is time to plant those things in your plan. I also like the feature of being able to take notes about your garden from year to year. You will learn things and want to remember them. Having this on the computer, you no longer have to worry about loosing papers or forgetting things. I love it!
3. Next, build or prepare the soil where you are going to plant. Add lots of organic matter every year. When you begin a garden this is one of the most important things to learn. It will keep your soil nice, and makes your garden grow wonderfully.
4. When the time is right, plant your garden. Each plant has its specific needs so you will need to plant at the right times for each one. Again the garden planner will help you with that.
5. Make a plan for your watering system. I use to water my garden all by hand, everyday. Well, by hose actually. It took me an hour every morning. I really enjoyed my time, but if things came up, then my garden would suffer. So we installed drip irrigation to water for me. It took some time to put it in, but saved me so much time in the long run. I recommend this if your garden is very big, or you have any trips planned. I still kept an eye on my garden, and went out to keep the weeds down, but my time was spent taking care of it instead of just watering it.
6. Harvest often. Most plants will slow their producing, or stop all together if the vegetables are not harvested often.

You can begin to garden, and reap the benefits of having a wonderful harvest of homegrown food. We have an extensive website designed to help people like you start a garden, and have a successful harvest. Please refer to it often, and check out all my past blog posts. I try to share as much useful information as I can.

Happy Gardening!