Intensive high yield gardening in small space - Garden Plants and Gardening Forum

cia007 · 03-03-2008, 02:24 PM

Trying to figure out if I have enough space to really produce an abundant crop of vegetables this year. Last year, I did well with 4 large pots of tomatoes....the tomatoes were my highest yield, followed by lettuce.

I'm wondering how much space I need to really grow some good stuff this year. I currently have two large half wine barrels that I grew peas and beans in last year along with the lettuce. That experiment didn't give me as high of yield as I would have liked, but more than I thought I'd get.

I am looking at these potato sack things
Potato Bag

I wondered if they might also work for onions, sweet potatoes, beets or garlic?

I am somewhat limited on lawn space to rip up, and the soil is very poor here anyways, so raised beds or container gardening would be the thing.

I barely have enough sunlight to properly grow corn, but enough sun to grow things well
(my tomatoes and peppers loved it!)

I am especially concerned with making some room to grow starches (potatoes,sweet potatoes) and proteins (tall climbing high yield soup beans).

smgardener · 03-04-2008, 06:52 AM

I've never seen that Potato Bag before, but I bet the concept would work for all your tubers.

According to this potato growing article on humeseeds:

Quote:

[Potatoes can be grown] under plastic or in plastic garbage bags: Garden soil or a commercial potting soil can be used to grow the potatoes in the bags, Fold over the top half of the bag, fill with soil, and plant a certified seed potato that has been cut in half. The plastic bag can be set above ground wherever it's convenient. Punch holes in the bottom of the bag for drainage.

You can even use tires:

Image courtesy of Ed Hume seeds

cia007 · 03-09-2008, 06:49 PM

So I just bought the book "How to Grow More Vegetables" and I am looking at the estimates for average yearly consumption for an adult...and I am figuring for potatoes, this averages out to about 104.4 lbs for a family of 4. Does this sound right?

If correct, I am estimating I would need 6-8 potato bags that are capable of 13 lb yields for my family of 3. Does this sound right? And maybe actually 3 bags if I run 2 crops per year?

I also did some web research and see corn can be grown easily in containers and actually has a shallow root system. Someone reported growing nine 5 gallon buckets full of regular sized multi ear corn successfully. I was looking at my half-wine barrels wondering how much corn I could fit in there biointensively, the specs say 8'' apart plants....but I am also looking at how much a family would need and that seemed to come to 95 plants??? Does this sound right?? If so I need lots of buckets...LOL!

lulugardens · 03-10-2008, 09:07 PM

Sounds like an interesting experiment... so, how much space do you have for your containers?

cia007 · 04-18-2008, 07:30 PM

I have quite a bit of space... in fact, I could easily put in at least 6 4x4 raised beds...it is just that I live in a pretty manicured neighborhood with a very nice Japanese-style ornamental landscaping. I am trying to figure out how to keep the landscape nice, while incorporating what I love. Really, a cottage garden would be more my thing.

I ended up getting 3 large potato bags, and some ozette potato, red potato,and german butterball potato seeds to grow in them. We'll see how it goes!

lynsay144 · 03-07-2009, 02:10 PM

I try to power up the soil with some natural mixtures .. and it works!!

http://www.gardeningandplanting.com/

pselvam · 11-26-2009, 09:49 PM

The idea of single-row planting started with the use of mules to cultivate the garden. Out of habit, many gardeners still use this system. Raised beds, arranged just wide enough to reach across, are ideal for growing vegetables and small fruit. The use of beds allows you to concentrate soil preparation in small areas, resulting in effective use of soil amendments. A higher percentage of the available growing space is used, there is less room for weeds to grow, and water can be used more efficiently. The yield per square foot from raised beds is often twice the yield from conventional single row gardening.

Soil preparation is the key to successful intensive gardening. Providing extra fertilizer and irrigation will help, but there is no substitute for deep, fertile soil high in organic matter. Humus-rich soil holds extra nutrients and moisture.

Raised beds are generally 8 to 12 inches high and as long as desired. The width should be no wider than 3 to 4 feet so you can work the bed without actually stepping in it. To create a raised bed, use topsoil from pathways and add organic matter. The raised bed does not have to be enclosed or framed. No support material is needed for shallow beds, those less than 6 inches tall. To prevent soil erosion, gently slope the sides of the bed.

If garden soil is not deep, double dig the beds. Remove the top 9 to 12 inches of soil from the bed. Insert a spade or spading fork into the next 9 to 12 inches of soil and wiggle the handle back and forth to break up compacted layers. Mix the top soil that was removed with a generous amount of compost or manure and return the mixture to the bed. It should be fluffy and slightly raised. Continue this action every 6 to 8 inches along the bed.
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texasgardener · 03-14-2010, 07:56 PM

Hey cia007,

How did the potato bag thing work?

I am using up some extra space I have and was wondering if you got it to work for you?

03-03-2008, 02:24 PM	#1
cia007 Green Thumb Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Olympia, WA Posts: 48	Intensive high yield gardening in small space Trying to figure out if I have enough space to really produce an abundant crop of vegetables this year. Last year, I did well with 4 large pots of tomatoes....the tomatoes were my highest yield, followed by lettuce. I'm wondering how much space I need to really grow some good stuff this year. I currently have two large half wine barrels that I grew peas and beans in last year along with the lettuce. That experiment didn't give me as high of yield as I would have liked, but more than I thought I'd get. I am looking at these potato sack things Potato Bag I wondered if they might also work for onions, sweet potatoes, beets or garlic? I am somewhat limited on lawn space to rip up, and the soil is very poor here anyways, so raised beds or container gardening would be the thing. I barely have enough sunlight to properly grow corn, but enough sun to grow things well (my tomatoes and peppers loved it!) I am especially concerned with making some room to grow starches (potatoes,sweet potatoes) and proteins (tall climbing high yield soup beans).

03-14-2010, 07:56 PM	#8
texasgardener Green Gardener Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 5	Hey cia007, How did the potato bag thing work? I am using up some extra space I have and was wondering if you got it to work for you? __________________ Spring is Coming: Its time to Plant! Free GreenHouse Plans For All sizes and Budgets-Build Your Own GreenHouse for Free How To Make Your Own Compost Bin WormBed Planning and Construction

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03-09-2008, 06:49 PM	#3
cia007 Green Thumb Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Olympia, WA Posts: 48	So I just bought the book "How to Grow More Vegetables" and I am looking at the estimates for average yearly consumption for an adult...and I am figuring for potatoes, this averages out to about 104.4 lbs for a family of 4. Does this sound right? If correct, I am estimating I would need 6-8 potato bags that are capable of 13 lb yields for my family of 3. Does this sound right? And maybe actually 3 bags if I run 2 crops per year? I also did some web research and see corn can be grown easily in containers and actually has a shallow root system. Someone reported growing nine 5 gallon buckets full of regular sized multi ear corn successfully. I was looking at my half-wine barrels wondering how much corn I could fit in there biointensively, the specs say 8'' apart plants....but I am also looking at how much a family would need and that seemed to come to 95 plants??? Does this sound right?? If so I need lots of buckets...LOL!

03-10-2008, 09:07 PM	#4
lulugardens Green Thumb Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 36 Blog Entries: 6 Images: 3	Sounds like an interesting experiment... so, how much space do you have for your containers?

04-18-2008, 07:30 PM	#5
cia007 Green Thumb Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Olympia, WA Posts: 48	I have quite a bit of space... in fact, I could easily put in at least 6 4x4 raised beds...it is just that I live in a pretty manicured neighborhood with a very nice Japanese-style ornamental landscaping. I am trying to figure out how to keep the landscape nice, while incorporating what I love. Really, a cottage garden would be more my thing. I ended up getting 3 large potato bags, and some ozette potato, red potato,and german butterball potato seeds to grow in them. We'll see how it goes!

03-07-2009, 02:10 PM	#6
lynsay144 Green Gardener Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 5	I try to power up the soil with some natural mixtures .. and it works!! http://www.gardeningandplanting.com/

11-26-2009, 09:49 PM	#7
pselvam Green Gardener Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 3	The idea of single-row planting started with the use of mules to cultivate the garden. Out of habit, many gardeners still use this system. Raised beds, arranged just wide enough to reach across, are ideal for growing vegetables and small fruit. The use of beds allows you to concentrate soil preparation in small areas, resulting in effective use of soil amendments. A higher percentage of the available growing space is used, there is less room for weeds to grow, and water can be used more efficiently. The yield per square foot from raised beds is often twice the yield from conventional single row gardening. Soil preparation is the key to successful intensive gardening. Providing extra fertilizer and irrigation will help, but there is no substitute for deep, fertile soil high in organic matter. Humus-rich soil holds extra nutrients and moisture. Raised beds are generally 8 to 12 inches high and as long as desired. The width should be no wider than 3 to 4 feet so you can work the bed without actually stepping in it. To create a raised bed, use topsoil from pathways and add organic matter. The raised bed does not have to be enclosed or framed. No support material is needed for shallow beds, those less than 6 inches tall. To prevent soil erosion, gently slope the sides of the bed. If garden soil is not deep, double dig the beds. Remove the top 9 to 12 inches of soil from the bed. Insert a spade or spading fork into the next 9 to 12 inches of soil and wiggle the handle back and forth to break up compacted layers. Mix the top soil that was removed with a generous amount of compost or manure and return the mixture to the bed. It should be fluffy and slightly raised. Continue this action every 6 to 8 inches along the bed. ============================ cv writing male fertility clinic