Polk County Master Gardeners
News Articles
Small Gardens
Not enough room for a vegetable garden? Sure there is. All it takes is a bit
of ingenuity.
First, think of height instead of width. Pole beans will produce far more
than bush beans per square foot of garden space - they just need a trellis to grow
on. Other climbers like cucumbers will also produce more with a sturdy trellis
or fence to grow on.
The next place to look for expanding your production without expanding your
garden plot is the flowerbeds. Lots of plants are pretty enough to do you proud
out where everyone can see them. Salad greens make pretty, frilly borders;
nestle a few peppers in among them, especially the red ones.
When you are selecting tomatoes, consider the smaller fruiting varieties.
These produce more tomatoes per plant than the larger ones. They also need
sturdy stakes or (better yet) cages to grow on so they do not sprawl over the
carrots.
Be sure that you are not planting more than you need of one type of
vegetable. Two zucchini plants will produce plenty of fruit to satisfy most
families with a few left over for zucchini bread and gifts to the neighbors.
Use the same space for slow growing plants and faster maturing ones. By the
time your yellow squash begins to really take off, the radishes will be done and
all pulled.
If after all this you are still cramped for space, consider raised beds.
These let you plant closer together than traditional rows. That has a few extra
benefits such as keeping the weeds shaded out most of the time, especially if
you add a little mulch as well.
So do not let lack of space keep you from having all those wonderful fresh
vegetables this year. You can do it.
By Barbara M. Tobias
Back to News Articles
Back to
Polk County Master Gardeners
|
