Management 2 Grow more in less

space

Intensive GardeningSuccession Planting

Interplanting

Intensive GardeningConventional

gardens - rows about 3 feet apart

Easily cultivated with tractor or rototiller

Not efficient – much wasted space

Intensive GardeningSpace-saving techniques:

wide-row plantingraised bedsintercroppingsuccession plantingvertical training

Intensive GardeningMay require more

time, labor

Closely spaced plants compete

Must have excellent soil preparation

Intensive GardeningPlants spaced to just

touch at maturity

Less erosion

Nearly solid leaf canopy, living mulch

Intensive Gardening

Equidistant spacing pattern – plants same distance from each other within bed

Rows staggered

Distance recommended for plants - distance from center of one plant to center of next.

Efficient use of space, less area to weed and mulch

Intensive GardeningVegetables prone to certain diseases should

not be planted too intensively

Example – tomatoes – need circulation to dry leaves

Raised BedsSoil excellent for root development:

Mixed with organic matter, fertilizer

Not walked on

Excellent drainage

Early warming

Vertical TrainingGrowing plants upright

Cleaner fruit, easier to harvest, more sun

CucumbersTomatoesPeasPole beans

Vertical Trainingtrellises, nets, strings, cages, or

poles

Some plants entwine themselves

Others need tying

Will cast shadow on other plants – trellises at back of garden (north side)

Succession Planting 1Seed or transplant immediately takes place of

harvested plant

Example: harvest lettuce plant in early summer, replace with Swiss chard transplant

harvest early crop of sweet corn, follow with fall crop of broccoli or snow peas

Succession Planting 2Relaying - multiple plantings of one crop to

provide continuous harvest.

Sweet corn, bush beans, cucs

10-day to two-week intervals

Succession Planting 3Plant two or more

varieties that differ in maturity time

New crop ready to take place of crop being removed

50-day and 60-day beans

early-, mid-, and late-season corn

Interplanting or intercropping

two or more types of vegetables together

Take advantage of different maturity rates, heights, spreads, rooting depths

Alternate rows within bed (plant row of peppers next to row of onions)

ORMix plants within row

InterplantingPlanning essential for high production,

quality

plant's growth period (how long)growth pattern (tall, short, below or above ground)possible negative effects on other plantspreferred seasonlight, nutrient, moisture requirements

InterplantingExamples:

corn, beans and squash – 2 weeks after sowing corn

seeds, plant pole beans close to corn rows to use corn stalks for support

tomato transplants between lettuce plants - lettuce harvested before tomato plants grow large

InterplantingSlow maturing, quick

maturing plants like carrots and radishes planted at same time

Smaller plants close to larger plants, (radishes at the base of beans or broccoli)

Shade tolerant species like lettuce, spinach, and celery planted in shadow of taller crops

InterplantingHeavy feeders mixed with light feeders

Can help keep insect and disease problems under control

Pests crop-specific - prefer vegetables of one type or family

Mixing plants contains early pest damage within a small area