2016 Small Garden Challenge 4'x12' bed OR Equivalent

[Amaranth]

2016 Small Garden Challenge

To accommodate the most people, let’s do a 4x12’ garden challenge (or equivalent, see below).

Grow as much as you can in the space each season. By focusing on a small space you can really hone your garden techniques and will be amazed at how much you can get out of a small space. Tips: To increase your success, trellis and use succession planting. Use row cover or cold frames to extend the season if you like.

Grow at least 5 different foods each season. There’s room for interpretation here. I’d consider hot peppers and sweet peppers as different items. Probably would consider full size tomatoes as a separate items from cherry/pear/grape tomatoes. You can go for more diversity if you prefer.

Weigh your produce and let us know at least once a month how it’s going. Pictures of gardens and harvest baskets welcomed.

Equivalent spaces:
Three 4x4’s
One and half 4x8’s
The first or last 12’ of a 4x25.
One 3.5 by 13.75’ or if you have 3.5 by 14, close enough.
One 3x16’

What if you have only one smaller garden?
If you have a
4x4, tell us how much you grew and then multiply by 3 for an adjusted equivalent.
4x8 tell us how much you grew and then multiply by 1.5 for an adjusted equivalent.

Other combos possible, just let us know what you are working with.

Who wants to see what they can do in a small space? Assuming your soil is in reasonably good shape, a good benchmark goal is to average 3 servings of vegetables per day from a space this size.

What are you thinking of planting for your first set of vegetables?

[razz]

Who wants to see what they can do in a small space? Assuming your soil is in reasonably good shape, a good benchmark goal is to average 3 servings of vegetables per day from a space this size.

I don't know about 3 servings per day but I am game to try on my 3x16 foot bed. I have the mesclun lettuce, radishes, spinach, pole beans, green onion, leeks, kohlrabi and tomato seeds, some already seeded in plugs. I will plant my zucchini in pots this year.
What other veggies would be good to plant?

[Rogar]

I have a shallow (10") 4x4 square foot garden. I plant tomatoes in two squares on one end and have a frame and netting support on that end. I plant them with the roots and lower stem horizontally and am routinely surprised at how well they do in such a shallow substrate. The rest I mostly do with leafy greens and herbs, and for one person it is all I need to keep well stocked. I've found several things that do much better in my open garden. I've tried beets, kale, eggplant, peppers, onions, and leeks in both and those all do much better in the open space. Maybe it's because my square foot is so shallow? But for greens it's perfect.

[Amaranth]

Razz, you could probably get some peas in. If you use the sugar snap type you can eat the whole pea at any size. Also when you get ready to take them out you can eat the tender tips and flowers of the plant.

Rogar, that shallow of a bed sounds perfect for greens. Small round radishes and French breakfast radishes would likely do well. Also there are some short 4 inch carrots that might work.

[Gardnr]

I guess I can't participate in this. I have 9 beds and I choose not to 'squish' my plantings into a prescribed spot. Have fun everyone!

[Float On]

I have 5 3x9 beds that are 12" deep. One I have grape and raspberrys. They were only supposed to be in there for a short while...and then I forgot to move them. Seems too late now. One I decided to do cut flowers in. Two I still haven't planted but one I planted 2 weeks ago. It's got spinach, several varieties of lettuce, 2 types of green bean (bush style), and green onion. I usually fit 10 tomato plants into one. The other I'll probably do okra, peppers, and beets. I'd like to do sweet potatoes, haven't tried those before. Is 12" deep enough? Kind of a late start this year.

[razz]

I planted radishes, carrots, green onions, mesclun lettuce and will repeat this several times more. I am going to try starting my climbing beans before planting out in late May when the danger of frost is over. Looking over my seeds to see what else needs starting. The tomatoes and peppers are doing well so far in the starter trays.

[Gardenarian]

My puppy digs up everything, so I am using containers only this year. I'm scaling back; just tomatoes and summer squash. We planted some grapevines last year, which are leafing out, and have pear, apple, and plum trees. It looks like it's going to be a great year for fruit here.

Oh, and I'm planting chard in my earthbox, and have a lot of herbs in pots (some are still in the early propagation stages, the mint is stupendous already.)

[Amaranth]

Float On, it’s worth a try on the sweet potatoes. Also you can blanch and freeze the sweet potato greens before you dig the sweet potatoes up.

Razz, that sounds like a tasty combo. Can picture some tasty and colorful salads from your garden.

Gardenarian, sounds like a workable strategy. We had a lot of frosts and rain at the start of the fruit flowering season, so the various area orchards are not sure how things are going to go.

Anyone else want to try the challenge? All kinds of sizes of beds can work for the challenge.

[razz]

Planted the started peppers, leeks and tomatoes, more mesclun, onions, kohlrabi, radishes seeds in the long bed; some herb seed and started the bean climbers for transplanting in the long bed and patio summer squash to be planted in pots. The cold spring really slowed everything down so the garden has produced very little. I did get one cutting from one of the two rhubarb that I planted last year. I checked the price for the rhubarb and i harvested about $4 worth but it is not in the long bed but near where the neighbour irrigates his lawn.

I confess I planted some zinnias and calendulas in the long bed as I love them for colour on my dinner table - food for the soul, so to speak.

[razz]

I started out with sandy gravel, lots of leaves and some enriched topsoil with high hopes.

The 3x16 foot bed gets 6 hours of sunlight so I have to be particular what I plant there and rotate. I put the summer squash in pots in full sun.

Harvested my first batch of salads and enjoyed it for lunch. Radishes grew into mostly tops and small bulbs. Carrots are spindly. Everything is now planted so we will see what develops. The started climber beans look good as do the 6 tomatoes, 6 peppers.

How is everyone else doing?

[razz]

So far, I have harvested a good supply of lettuce, some spinach, abundant kohlrabi is starting, steady yield of pole beans to eat/freeze, lots of peppers from my 6 plants, ample green onions and the 7 tomatoes are loaded and just starting to turn red.
I have enjoyed my wonderful supply of zinnias for my table. I do love my flowers.

Disappointment - carrots, patio summer squash and radishes. I must have too much nitrogen from all the leaves that I spread last fall as everything is growing so tall. The drought and high temps have been a challenge as well.

Next year, I will start plants and then move them into the bed on a regular basis to keep the supply going. I have started some fresh spinach and green onions and transplanted them to test this theory. I also added some started decorative kale for fall pots.
How is everyone else doing?