Intensive gardening is nothing new. It is a method that has been around for centuries and is still practiced in many parts of the world. The close spacing of plants, maintaining a fertile soil, crop rotation and succession planting combined together is what sets this method of gardening in a class of it’s own, along with apart from the traditional row method.
Raised beds are the ideal when incorporating these methods of gardening together. The preparation of a raised bed by digging, along with adding organic soil amendments to the existing soil before building your garden beds will greatly improve the soils structure. Double digging, adding amendments and mounding your garden beds above the existing ground will improve the soils aeration, drainage, moisture retention and tilth to allow for deep root penetration. Mounding of the soil also allows for added space to be planted over a flat surface.
A fertile, well balanced, organic rich soil is very important with this method of gardening.
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In the traditional row method of gardening only 1/3 of the total gardens space is planted, compared to more than 3/4 when intensive gardening practices are used. Planting at a closer spacing usually is done by staggering the plants, allowing for more plants per square foot. Careful planning is needed to be done with this method, taking into consideration each crops habits, size at maturity, root spread, nutrition intake and water habits.
Succession planting is is very important to get the most out of your growing season.
This is simply done by rapidly replanting to fill the spaces of crops that have been harvested. With a little simple planning, this can be achieved by rotating cool and warm climate crops. Once you start your garden in the spring with your cool climate crops and they are harvested, you can replant those areas with crops that will do well in the warmer weather months. After the warm clime crops have been harvested, you can replant with another crop that likes the cooler temperatures and harvest them in the fall. Timing is very important with succession planting to get the most out of your growing season.
Another great benefit to this method of gardening is companion planting. Carefully planning needs to be done when using this method, like nutrients being replenished back into the gardens soil. Different crops call for different nutrient needs. Planting the same crop over and over in the same location will do no benefit to your garden and only deplete the nutrients from the soil. Rotate nitrogen-fixing legumes like peas with crops that need nitrogen, such as corn, lettuce or tomatoes.
Intensive gardening is a method that is highly productive with a little careful planning.