Planning a Vegetable Garden

Posts Tagged ‘Growing Vegetables at Home’

So what’s growing in the garden now?  I’ve pretty much finished my modified raised bed main garden (just a tiny bit more to go), and most of the seedlings are in place.  Here’s what I’ve got so far.

Tomatoes, Tomatoes and More Tomatoes

I tend to grow lots of tomatoes as I am fascinated by their different sizes, shapes, colors and flavors.  As a result, I have plenty to share, as well as plenty of fruits from which to save seeds.

In the main bed, I have the following tomato varieties:

• Kellogg’s Breakfast (large orange beefsteak)
• Brandywine (large pink beefsteak)
• Loxahatchee (medium round slicer)
• Mr. Stripey (medium striped red and yellow beefsteak)
• Black Sea Man (medium black slicer)
• Tomatoberry (red cherry-sized fruit, shaped like a strawberry)
• Druzba (medium to large red slicer)

And that’s not counting the tomato plants I have growing in containers or the front garden!  (Told you I had a lot.)

Peppers (Sweet)

In the main garden, I have the following sweet peppers growing:

• Aconcagua
• Parks Whopper (sweet banana style)
• Corno di Toro

I also have in containers Purira, Pretty Purple Pepper and a jalapeno.  Lots more are in my “staging” area, just about ready to move into the main garden area.

In Praise of Bush Beans

I decided to plant bush beans instead of pole beans.  For me, it makes more sense, since I plant them in waves.  I planted a whole bunch, but some animals decided to dig up some of the seeds.  So for the moment, I only have about 10 or 12 plants growing.  More will some later!

Soybeans

I prefer to call them edemame, but in essence they are soybeans.  I started some seeds inside (oh-so-easy with this veggie), and planted them out…then we had some night temperatures gow down into the 30’s and I lost half of them.  Ah well, our cold weather should be in the past now, so I’ll have to start more seeds.

Anything Else?

Now that you mentioned it, yes, I have some other plants growing in some of the side gardens, containers and…bags!

In containers I have Sweet Success cucumbers; two are planted, and I am getting ready to start more seeds.

In the front garden I have some yellow straightneck squash (variety unknown).  All three plants are blooming now, adding a very bright yellow against the green of the leaves.  Also present are three cantaloupe plants (“Hale’s Best”).

Hanging from a bag (you read that right) I have two zucchini (“Contender”) plants.  They seem to like it, because they are growing to beat the band.  The bag is actually designed to grow strawberries, but I decided to see what would happen by growing zucchini vertically.

And finally, off to the side of the compost heap are two volunteer curcubits.  I think they are yellow squash…but I’m not positive.  I found them growing in the main compost bed and decided to save them and see what happens.  Who knows — I may discover a new taste sensation!  But it will be interesting to see what these plants actually are.

So that’s what I have for now.  I was going to include lettuce, carrots and radishes, but they like the cooler weather — and it’s in the 80’s now.  Well, there’s always the fall for them.

So that’s what I have growing in the garden, although I’m sure there’s more to come, given that I have a long growing season.

What about you — what are you growing, or planning to grow this year?

Small space vegetable gardening is perfect for anyone that doesn’t have the yard space or time for a larger garden.  By giving yourself permission to garden only what you can do comfortably, you’ll both increase your enjoyment and your harvest.

The thing is, there isn’t anything more rewarding than growing your own vegetables!  You’re putting food on the table, which is especially important these days. Gardening in a small space is just as fun and rewarding.

Vegetable Gardening 101

Small space vegetable gardening follows all the same rules as does a larger garden.  To summarize it quickly, you need the following:

• At least six hours of direct sunlight a day. 
• Nutrient rich soil (see the posts on types of soil and composting). 
• Plenty of water.

When it comes to small space gardening, you’ll just need less soil and water.  Not to mention space and time!

How’s Your Soil?

It’s really important that you have the right type of soil in your garden, because without it, all the fertilizer in the world won’t give you a bountiful harvest.  You need soil that is moist and rich in humus (and therefore natural nutrients).  Start with a good loamy soil and you’ll improve both the harvest and surprisingly enough, the taste!

(Not to worry if you don’t have naturally good soil — the vast majority of us don’t.  Adding sufficient amounts of compost to your garden soil can work wonders.) 

Watering — Not Too Much or Too Little

Watering can be by rain or hand watering.  It’s rare that you get just the right amount of rain at the right time, so plan on grabbing a garden hose or a watering can at least twice a week if the rain isn’t sufficient.

How do you know if your garden has enough water?  The finger method does well for me — stick your finger about an inch to an inch and a half into the soil.  If it’s completely dry, it’s time to water.

Eventually, you’ll get to know your vegetable garden and will be able to judge the watering needs without the finger test. 

Vegetable Selections

If all you have is a small space, you need to carefully select the vegetables you will grow.  For example, if you only have a plot of garden that is four feet by four feet, you probably won’t want to grow squash, watermelon or most cucumbers — they just sprawl too much.  One plant could cover the 4′x4′ space all by itself!

Your best bet is to select vegetables that will grow well but not crowd each other out.  One way to get an idea of which seeds or plants to choose is by looking at the variety name.  For example, I have a tomato plant called “Patio” and it remains nice and compact.  Look for seeds or plants with names with worlds like “pixie,” “dwarf,” “bush”, “baby,” “patio,” or “tiny” as part of the name.  These varieties usually remain small (or at least smaller), but still give you a nice harvest.

Consider trellising your vegetables.  Train your tomatoes up a stake, your beans up a pole, and even a cucumber up a trellis.  Use vertical space where possible, and it will give you more growing space on the ground.

Read the vegetable seeds for a small garden post for some more ideas as to actual plant varieties.

More Information on Small Space Vegetable Gardening

One book that I have found invaluable for the times I have been limited to a small gardening space is the book Square Foot Gardening Although I do have a large yard, there have been times that I couldn’t work anything but a very small space, due to health or time constraints. But like anyone else, I wanted all the “bang for the buck” that I could get!

Square foot gardening is basically a way to maximize your small growing area. Of course, the same principles can also be applied on a larger scale! While it might take a little effort to get started, it’s not appreciably more than a “regular” garden. And the results are worth it. Give it a read if you want to maximize your harvest while minimizing the upkeep.