Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["TradingPostPaul" <tradingpost@riseup.net>]

Intensive Vegetable Gardening
NC State U.
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/quickref/vegetable/intensive_veg
_gardening.html

The purpose of an intensively grown garden is to harvest the most produce
possible from a given space. Methods used in intensive gardening include
raised beds, wide or multiple rows, vertical trellising, intercropping, and
succession cropping. Traditionally gardens consist of long, single rows
spaced 3 feet apart. Much of the garden area consists of space between
rows. An intensive garden keeps wasted space to a minimum. A good intensive
garden requires planning for the best use of time and garden space.

Raised Beds
The idea of single-row planting started with the use of mules to cultivate
the garden. Out of habit, many gardeners still use this system. Raised
beds, arranged just wide enough to reach across, are ideal for growing
vegetables and small fruit. The use of beds allows you to concentrate soil
preparation in small areas, resulting in effective use of soil amendments.
A higher percentage of the available growing space is used, there is less
room for weeds to grow, and water can be used more efficiently. The yield
per square foot from raised beds is often twice the yield from conventional
single row gardening.

Soil preparation is the key to successful intensive gardening. Providing
extra fertilizer and irrigation will help, but there is no substitute for
deep, fertile soil high in organic matter. Humus-rich soil holds extra
nutrients and moisture.

Raised beds are generally 8 to 12 inches high and as long as desired. The
width should be no wider than 3 to 4 feet so you can work the bed without
actually stepping in it. To create a raised bed, use topsoil from pathways
and add organic matter. The raised bed does not have to be enclosed or
framed. No support material is needed for shallow beds, those less than 6
inches tall. To prevent soil erosion, gently slope the sides of the bed.

If garden soil is not deep, double dig the beds. Remove the top 9 to 12
inches of soil from the bed. Insert a spade or spading fork into the next 9
to 12 inches of soil and wiggle the handle back and forth to break up
compacted layers. Mix the top soil that was removed with a generous amount
of compost or manure and return the mixture to the bed. It should be fluffy
and slightly raised. Continue this action every 6 to 8 inches along the
bed.

The sides of an enclosed raised bed are often made of treated wood. Green
pressure-treated lumber, has been treated with cromated copper arsenate
(CCA) or ammoniated cooper arsenate (ACA). These two preservatives are the
safest for the garden because of their very low tendency to leach into
soil. Research studies have shown that there is very little chance of
ingesting arsenic in vegetables near treated lumber. Because of the arsenic
in the wood, however, wear rubber gloves and a dust mask when sawing the
lumber. Avoid using creosote-treated railroad ties. Freshly treated
creosote lumber can leach into the soil for several years and continues to
give off vapors over a seven to nine year period.

Vertical Gardening
The use of trellises, nets, strings, cages, or poles to support growing
plants constitutes vertical gardening. This technique is especially suited
to gardeners with small garden space. Vining and sprawling plants, such as
cucumbers, tomatoes, melons, and pole beans are obvious candidates for this
type of gardening. Some plants will twine themselves onto the support,
whereas others require tying.

Vertical planting casts a shadow, so avoid shading sun-loving crops, or
plant shade-tolerant crops near the vertical ones. Plants grown vertically
take up much less ground space, and though the yield per plant may be less,
the yield per square foot is much greater. Because vertically growing
plants are more exposed, they dry out faster and require more water than if
they were spread over the ground. This fast drying is advantageous to
plants susceptible to fungal diseases. A higher rate of fertilization may
be needed, and soil should be deep and well-drained to allow roots to
extend vertically rather than compete with shallow-rooted plants. Vertical
gardening is often used with raised beds.

Succession Planting
Succession planting makes the most of an intensive garden. To obtain a
succession of crops, plant something new in spots vacated by spent plants.
Planting a spring, summer, and fall garden is another form of succession
planting. Cool-season crops (broccoli, lettuce, peas) are followed by
warm-season crops (beans, tomatoes, peppers), and where possible, these may
be followed by more cool season plants, or even a fall/winter crop.

Interplanting
Growing two or more types of vegetables in the same place at the same time
is known as interplanting. This technique has been practiced for thousands
of years, but is just now gaining widespread support in this country.
Proper planning is essential to obtain high production and increased
quality of the crops planted.

The following factors must be considered for each plant you think about
planting: length of growth period and pattern (tall, short, below, or above
ground); possible negative effects on other plants, such as, the
competition by plant produced toxins (allelopathic chemicals produced by
sunflowers and Jerusalem artichokes); preferred season; and light,
nutrient, and moisture requirements. Interplanting can be accomplished by
alternating rows within a bed (plant a row of peppers next to a row of
onions), by mixing plants within a row (leeks and parsley), or by
distributing various species throughout the bed. For the beginner,
alternating rows may be the easiest to manage at first.

Long-season, slow maturing (like peppers) and short-season quick-maturing
(like radishes) plants can be planted beside each other. The radishes are
harvested before they begin to be crowded by the peppers. An example of
combining growth patterns is planting smaller plants close to larger plants
(radishes at the base of broccoli). Shade tolerant species like lettuce,
spinach, and celery can be planted in the shadow of taller crops.
Interplant heavy feeders, such as cabbage family crops, with less demanding
plants.

Interplanting can help keep insect and disease problems under control.
Pests are usually fairly crop-specific; they prefer vegetables from one
plant family. Mixing plant families breaks up expanses of pest preferred
crops and confines early pest damage within a small area, thus allowing the
gardener more time to manage the pests. A disadvantage is that it’s hard
to ensure that all plants are protected when spraying is necessary. Avoid
overcrowding which can lead to the development of plant disease because of
decreased air drainage and increased humidity.
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also
http://cals.arizona.edu/pubs/garden/mg/vegetable/intensive.html
has intensive spacing chart and list of Top 15 Vegetables in Economic Value
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paul tradingpost@lobo.net