7 Hacks for Mega Food Yields in Tight Spaces

Sep 24

Written By Cindy F

More space- every suburban gardener wants it. Most of us can’t have it. It can be so frustrating when you have a ton of happy seedlings ready to go in the ground, but they just can’t fit. You could cram them all in ignoring spacing requirements, but then in the end no one is happy. The plants struggle to survive, and you end up with pitiful yields.

This is a problem I have learned to embrace over the years. It fosters creativity. How can you get the most food out of a small space? This article aims to help solve this age old problem.

1.Choose Your Plants Wisely

Go for disease resistant varieties. Some plants tend to get sick and die mid-season, while others have been bred to stay healthy all season long and keep producing.

My two favorite tomato plants that keep on going all season long in our zone 7 climate are Sunrise Bumblebee (rareseeds.com) and Jersey Breeze (hudsonvalleyseed.com). Do some experimenting and find out which ones work best for your area.

If you can choose between a bush style plant and a tall vining plant, go for the vining one. Take advantage of vertical space by growing plants up supports.

For example, you could grow a traditional zucchini plant, but this would take up a lot of space, about 9 square feet usually. You could instead grow a vining zucchini, like Zucchino Rampicante (rareseeds.com), and it will only take up one square foot if you grow it up a trellis or fence. You can use the squash just like a regular zucchini when it's young, or as a winter squash if you let it mature.

**Vining Zucchini Plant- Zucchino Rampicante**

Tips for Plant Selection:

Experiment with different plant varieties to discover which ones thrive best in their specific climate and soil conditions.

Choose vining plants for maximizing vertical space and provide examples of suitable vining varieties for different crops.

Look for disease-resistant varieties to promote healthier plants and avoid mid-season setbacks.

2. Plant in Blocks

Farmers plant crops in rows so that their tractors have easy access. In a home garden this is obviously not necessary. It makes more sense to plant in blocks. Not only is it the best use of space, you also end up with less weed pressure since there is not so much room for them to grow and they are shaded out by crops.

This technique was made popular by the author, engineer, and horticulturist Mel Bartholomew after he wrote the book “Square Foot Gardening,” published in 1981. Mel Bartholomew's Square Foot Gardening method gained widespread popularity and has since been embraced by many home gardeners as a practical and accessible way to grow vegetables and herbs in a limited space.

Example: Peppers in a 3’ x 3’ Space:

Here is an example of block planting peppers with a suggested plant spacing of 18 inches. In a 3' x 3' space, you can accommodate nine pepper plants using this spacing.

3. Harvest Frequently

If you harvest your crops frequently, your crops will produce more. When fruit is left on a plant longer than necessary, the plant has to expend energy to store the fruit that could otherwise be used to make more fruit.

Tomatoes, for example, can be harvested at blush stage and left to ripen on the counter. This allows the plant to produce more tomatoes than it would have otherwise.

Use the “cut and come again” method

Using the cut and come again method lets you get more produce off of the same plant. This works for things like lettuce, swiss chard, celery, kale... You simply harvest what you need from the outside of the plant and let the middle keep growing to produce more. In the grocery store you'll buy a whole bunch of celery, but in a small garden it's best to just pick a few celery stalks as you need them, and let the plant keep on growing.

Pro Tip – Use all of the celery plant, including the leaves. Celery leaves are packed with flavor. This is a good reason to grow celery, since the leaves are usually already removed when you buy it from the grocery store.

4. Succession Plant

How Succession Planting Works:

Early, Mid, and Late Season Crops:
- Identify crops that have different maturity rates. Some plants mature quickly, while others take longer. By selecting a mix of early, mid, and late-season crops, you can create a sequence of planting and harvesting.
Continuous Harvest:
- Rather than planting your entire garden at once, stagger your planting dates. As soon as one crop is harvested, another is ready to take its place. This allows you to enjoy a continuous supply of fresh produce throughout the growing season.
Season Extension:
- Succession planting can extend the time during which your garden is productive. You can grow crops that thrive in cooler temperatures earlier and later in the season.

Examples of Suitable Plants for Succession Planting:

Lettuce and Greens:
- Start with early varieties in spring, followed by heat-tolerant varieties for summer, and finish with cool-season types in the fall. Examples include Butterhead, Romaine, and Kale.
Radishes:
- Radishes mature quickly and are excellent for succession planting. Sow seeds every 2-3 weeks for a constant supply of crisp radishes.
Beans:
- Bush beans and pole beans can be successively planted for a prolonged harvest. Begin with bush beans, then follow with pole beans as the season progresses.
Carrots:
- Carrots can be planted in intervals, ensuring a continuous supply. Consider using different varieties with varying maturity dates.
Broccoli and Cauliflower:
- These brassicas can be planted early in the season, followed by a second planting for a fall harvest.
Herbs:
- Herbs like basil, cilantro, and dill can be continuously sown throughout the season for a fresh supply.

Tips for Succession Planting:

Keep a Planting Calendar:
- Maintain a planting calendar to track when each crop was planted and when it's expected to mature. This helps you plan future plantings.
Utilize Microclimates:
- Different areas of your garden may have slightly different microclimates. Use this to your advantage by planting heat-loving crops in warmer spots and cool-season crops in shadier areas.
Interplanting:
- Succession planting can involve interplanting quick-growing crops between slower-growing ones. For instance, sow radishes between rows of slower-growing cabbage.

By incorporating succession planting into your gardening practices, you can ensure a more efficient use of space, resources, and time, resulting in a bountiful and continuous harvest throughout the growing season.

5. Keep Your Soil Healthy

Don’t till your soil. This is not only unnecessary, but detrimental to all the creatures living in the soil, from worms to microscopic organisms.

All of these have a purpose even though we humans cannot identify most of them and what they do. We know enough to say that more of them is a good thing, and less of them is a bad thing.

Fungi do not tolerate soil disturbance well; this is important because they are responsible for a lot of good things. They aerate the soil, release nutrients that your plants can use, and make pathways for plant roots to access those nutrients.

Mulching

Soil that is covered makes a happy home for micro-organisms who cannot tolerate direct sunlight, holds in moisture, and prevents weeds which compete for nutrients with your plants. The easiest way is to use your grass clippings around your plants.

Paths should also be covered. Wood chips work great for this. They slowly break down, feeding the soil underneath.

Spread Compost on Your Soil at least once a year. You can simply pile up all your garden clippings, kitchen scraps, grass clippings, leaves…let it all break down each year, use it up, and then start again. I like to get to the bottom of the pile for the broken-down stuff, and then I take what is on top and start a new pile when it is time to put the garden to bed in late fall.

If you have chickens, you’ve got it made. Manure is a great source of nutrients for your soil, and the chickens do a great job of stirring it in with whatever source of bedding they have and turning it straight into compost. Fall or early spring is a great time to clean out their run and lay all that goodness on the garden. You can also buy bags of composted manure at garden centers.

6. Take care of your plants

Provide Proper Space:

Ensuring adequate spacing between plants is crucial for their optimal growth. Overcrowded plants compete for sunlight, nutrients, and water, leading to stunted growth and reduced yields.
Tips:
- Follow recommended plant spacing guidelines on seed packets or plant tags.
- Thin out seedlings when they reach a certain size to give each plant enough room to mature.

Pruning and Staking:

Some plants benefit from pruning and staking to maintain an open canopy, improve air circulation, and prevent diseases. Staking helps support plants with heavy fruits or those that tend to sprawl.
Tips:
- Regularly inspect plants for signs of overcrowding and prune excessive growth.
- Stake plants like tomatoes and peppers to prevent bending or breakage.

Proper Watering:

Consistent and appropriate watering is essential for plant health. Insufficient or excessive watering can lead to stress, diseases, and reduced yields.
Tips:
- Water plants at the base to prevent fungal issues on leaves.
- Use mulch to retain soil moisture and reduce evaporation.

Disease and Pest Management:

Plants are susceptible to diseases and pests that can negatively impact yields. Implementing preventive measures and early detection are key for plant health.
Tips:
- Rotate crops to disrupt pest and disease cycles.
- Use natural predators or organic pesticides when necessary.
  Related Article: A SUSTAINABLE APPROACH TO PEST CONTROL

If you give your plants the proper space they need, and prune and stake them when necessary, they will produce well for you, and you will need less of them.

7. Plant Only What You Will Eat

This may seem obvious, but it easy to fall into the trap of overplanting one type of crop every year, simply because you have a ton of seedlings. Either compost extra seedlings or give share them with friends, neighbors, or local community members who may benefit from them.

Unless you are planning on canning your tomatoes or making a year’s worth of marinara sauce to freeze, you probably don’t need 30 tomato plants. Trust me, I’ve been there.

Save room for something you and your family can use. It may be helpful to make a list of your family’s favorite vegetables and herbs to help prioritize space in your garden for these plants.

I hope this article inspires you to see how much food you can get out of your garden, no matter the size. Happy planting!

Cindy F