Each spring I look for creative ways to increase the yield from my small mostly container garden. This year I have challenged myself by adding not one but three gardening methods that will be sure to increase my summer harvest. In order to accomplish this I had to purchase larger containers most of which brought on sale or off season last winter. I always try and plan ahead and yes this is frugal because these containers will last for years.
1.Staggered planting - Okay full disclosure I have used this method before but not to this extent. Staggering your planting means what it says you plant seeds then wait a few weeks before planting more. The shot above is my raised crate garden. A month ago I planted a pack of twenty five cents green beans that expired 5 years ago. Yes, they still germinated. Two weeks later I planted purple beans so that I would not be confused as to which beans were growing first. A few days ago I did a third planting. Last year I did two plantings that worked well so this year I added a third. This should enable me to harvest green beans for much of the summer and yes the purple beans turn green when you cook them.
2. Going Up - Vertical Gardening has been around forever but a lot of home gardener's don't realize that with a little creativity you can use this method in containers as well. The shot above is my newly constructed vertical garden made for old air conditioner screens and a few garden plant stakes for stability.
The stales are bounds to the screen using bread wrappers that I save through the year.
3. My third and final method is known as intercropping or companion planting. Each one of the above pots has two different plants The pot on the far right has pole beans which grow vertical and bush beans.
Intercropping is growing two or more crops next to each other at the same time.
The key to intercropping is knowing which vegetables are compatible and which are not. A 5 minute Google search will give you the answer.
According to Dave's Garden There are several other plants that ca
n be used as companion plants for squash; radishes, cucumbers, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and cabbage. Each other these will either benefit from growing near squash or benefit the squash. Two plants that should never be planted near or close to any variety of squash are potatoes and tomatoes.
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