No, this post should not raise your blood pressure but it could increase your gardening yield!

First let’s discuss what intensive gardening means…

We’ve all seen the large rectangular garden plots laid out in rows containing tons of veggies and thought, “I don’t have room for that!” That is where intensive gardening comes in to play. This is method is made for small spaces, minimizes wasted space, and not only allows for more yield, but also creates an ideal plant environment.

Think about it. When you go for a romp in the woods, are there any plants perfectly spaced out and manicured? NO! Plants tend to grow in groups. Taking notes from nature is key to reproducing it in your yard. Now don’t get me wrong, as gardeners we tend to our plants, unlike nature, but nature does have a method to it.

So HOW do we plant intensively? The key to this method is planning! Consider the relationships of the plants you would like to grow. Can tomatoes be planted with corn? (answer…no). Which plant is a friend to tomatoes? (one possibility…onions) What plant will deter pests? (answer…flowers) Are tomatoes and another plant susceptible to the same disease? (if answer is yes, plant them away from each other). Think about nutrient factors…are these plants competing for the same amount of nutrients? Other items to consider would be shade tolerance, growth patterns, and preferred growing season of each plant.

Now that you have your plan…it’s time to PLANT! Remember to start big and go small, meaning plant your large plants in the middle, medium outside of that, and small on the edges. If you choose to do intensive planting, do not follow the recommendations on the back of the seed packet. You will plant each plant much closer, allowing for the mature size of each, but leaving very little open space throughout the garden.

The last step to this process is to ENJOY! All your planning and replanning and planting will pay off. You will save yourself the struggle of weeding and spend more time harvesting the fruits and veggies you truly love!

Way too much to take in? I would be happy to come out to your garden space and teach you this method of planting. Feel free to hop on over to my store and book a consult today!