How to Make the Most of Your Garden Space and Grow More Vegetables

Whether your garden area is 10 square feet or 1000, chances are there's more you'd like to plant than you have room for. This Instructable will give you tips to increase your growing capacity without spending a lot of money.

Step 1: Grow UP!

Plant squash, bean and cucumber varieties that vine (not bush varieties). Plant these on a trellis (in the case of cukes and squashes) or, in the case of pole beans, up a bean teepee. A teepee can be made of any long, slender poles (I used furring strips I found in my garage, and tied them together with zip strips). For pole beans, the teepee should be at least 5' tall. You can use fencing as a trellis as well, whether it's chain link, chicken wire, welder wire, or whatever you have. Plants might need a little guidance to know where to grow, just be sure to treat them gently so you don't break the stems.

Comments

[Totysheep]

great tips! Check out my tiny balcony garden. I used the rails as a trellis for my tomatoes and peas and I'm trying to grow a watermelon too this year, but I think I started a little late in the season

[katerlyn]

Thanks, you reminded me that my Dad planted watermelon in the cracks of old concrete where our pasture used to be next to the barn that's gone. Roots get soil, melons don't get wet in the ground.

[supertoria12]

actually, a better alternative to cukes is corn. the stuff can be grown just about anywhere there's a mild climate in the US. plus, the "three sisters" (corn, beans, and squash) were invented (by the native americans) as a way to plant vegetables that would help each other grow. the squash has large leaves that provide shade for the roots of the corn and beans, therefore, keeping the soil moister and preventing weeds. the corn provides a long stalk for the beans to climb on to grow. finally, the beans provide nutrients that corn and squash lack to help all three plants grow. a final aspect of farming that the native americans utilized was putting fish or broken seashells on the soil as they contain calcium (among other great vitamins and minerals) which acts as a good fertilizer.

[lea_avon]

Any chance you could put your plans for the container gardens on line....they look great!

[farzadbayan]

Nice photo , very juicy !

[fegundez1]

These are great ideas,the problem I have is that here in moldy Florida the mildew and worm pests abound. So one needs to make sure that there is breathing room between plants.