The size of your garden shouldn’t affect the number of your veggies

Picture this: you’ve harvested plump, organically grown vegetables. This includes 20 pounds of carrots from just 24 square feet and 100 pounds of lettuce with 100 square feet.

No, it’s not a dream.

Yields like these are more possible than you can imagine. All you need to do is a plan and strategize how to maximize your garden’s yield before you begin. As they say, with preparation comes opportunity.

Here’s how you can begin preparing:

1. Build up your soil

This step will easily be the most important factor for increasing your yields. Building soil is what gardening is all about. Once you focus your attention on the condition of the soil, your garden will flourish. After all, it starts at the core.

A deep, rich soil encourages the growth of healthy roots, which in turn reaches more nutrients, creating productive growth once it moves above ground. The quickest way to achieve a deep layer of soil is to make raised beds.

In a raised bed, plants grow close enough together that they shade out competing weeds – meaning you’ll spend less time weeding! They also help with watering and harvesting.

2. Round out the beds

Now that you’ve raised your beds, round them out! You’ll save more space by rounding the tops to form an arc. These arcs will create a planting surface that’s a foot wider than a flatbed. This might not seem like much, but it will make a significant difference in the total planting area. Greens such as cucumbers and spinach are perfect for planting on the edges of your rounded bed.

3. Grow vertical

If you’re struggling with the small space of your garden, grow your plants vertically. This will make them easier to harvest and maintain. Vegetables that are grown vertically will also be less susceptible to fungal diseases. Cucumber, squash, peas and other vining crops are typically grown vertically with supports from cages or stakes. Other plants that are more traditionally grown horizontally can grow upwards with vertical planters.

4. Keep your friends close

Some vegetables are more compatible with others. When you plant these compatible crops together, you can save space in your garden. Corn, beans, celery, and carrots have their own group, while asparagus, tomato, parsley and basil have formed their own clique. Use a vegetable companion planting chart to learn which can be grouped together and which actually can be combative. This will save you time, energy and vegetables. Also, here is an additional resource on comprehensive guide on how to master companion planting for happy DIY home.

5. Succeed at successions

The principle of succession planting is using certain planting methods to increase crop availability by making efficient use of timing and space during a growing season. These approaches include:

1. Harvesting two or more crops in succession

2. Two or more crops simultaneously

3. Using the same crop with different maturity dates.

This allows gardeners to harvest two or three crops within a single area. For example, an early crop of lettuce can be followed by fast-harvesting corn, followed by spinach or garlic, all within a single growing season. To get the most from succession planting, be sure to use transplants and fast-maturing assortments.

Utilizing one or all of these tips will significantly impact your high yield garden. The more you try, the more you’ll learn and the more easily your vegetables will flourish.

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