utilizing garden space

Don’t select crops that take up a lot of room for little yield (melons), grow tall and shade out other plants (corn) or take all growing season to reach maturity (winter squash). A worse scenario would be a combination of the above (pumpkins). The average home gardener wants to utilize space and growing time to best advantage. Most of us plant a garden to have out favorite vegetables readily available and fresh. You might say, “Some crops just have to be planted at home.”
Most crops have their advantages and disadvantages. Having the prize pumpkin at the local fair may mean sacrificing space for more bountiful crops, depending on your garden size. Most home gardeners want to make optimum use of their garden space. One way of doing this is by secession planting, i.e., planting a second crop where an earlier crop has matured, been harvested and is no longer productive. Some crops, such as lettuce, spinach and peas should be planted in very early spring (mid-march) and are done producing when there is still up to three months left in the growing season. These crops can be followed by crops that mature within that time or ones that are able to stand light frosts at the end of the season. For example, you can plant bush beans right after your frost-free date for a crop in two months. A second crop of fresh beans is always welcome. Lettuce, however, can be planted as early as six weeks before beans. They then usually begin to bolt while the first planting of beans is still in blossom. The lettuce row can be dug under and a row of beans planted for a steady supply.
Succession planting takes planning and some understanding of individual crop needs. Heavy feeding crops (large leaf or heavy producing plants) are usually followed by light feeding plants (root crops and/or small leaf plants). Also, heavy feeders usually follow light feeder. Seed catalogs (good reference tools) usually provide information on days to maturity. Side dressings of compost or manure tea help provide the nourishment used by the initial crop.
Some crops are in the garden all or most of the season but do not take up a lot of space. Peppers need only about 10 inches between them and the rows on each side. They do start producing a little late but production continues until frost or piccalilli time. Tomatoes produce long vines, but the good news is that they be staked or caged to give them vertical growth and thus take up less space. Naturally, perennials need to be in an “out of the way” place. Herbs make good container plants. Like all container plants, they need watered often.
Planning for succession planting is a good wintertime project. Right after the seed catalogs arrive is a good planning time. If you are like us, you like to eat what is in season and fresh. Having a variety of in season crops provides more and healthier choices. Don’t forget to use the cold frame to get crops started earlier and kept going later.