Use Your Available Garden Space to its Best Advantage. Try one of these methods of food production.
Growing a vegetable garden is an important part of being prepared and self-reliant. In times of economic stress or for general knowledge, you’ve got to include food production as part of your plan.
While gardening might be important knowledge to have, it’s also fun, a fantastic way to teach children the wonders of nature and a great stress reliever! The biggest bonus of all, in my opinion, is knowing that you can walk outside for a delicious meal and that it is chemical free. So what’s your garden style? Do you like to…
- // grow in raised beds
- // use vertical gardening tools like trellis’ and ladders
- // apply Permaculture principles in your garden
- // grow in pots and containers
- // use the square foot gardening method
- // grow in rows like a farmer
I have at one time or another incorporated most of these methods in my garden. Each of them has a place in your vegetable garden styles, there are many ways to use available space to our advantage. Follow through to these posts –
How to Condition Straw Bales
The Ultimate Raised Bed – Make a Keyhole Garden
5 {Mostly} Free Online Vegetable Garden Planners
Build Raised Beds from Cedar Fencing
10 Reasons to Keep a Garden Journal
4 Permaculture Principles Every Gardener Should Embrace
Benefits of Attracting Birds to your Garden
Vegetable Families and Crop Rotation
Grow These 12 Fruits for a Year Round Supply
Vertical Gardening Roundup
Food Scrap Gardening
The Woodland Homestead by Brett McLeod
Vertical Gardening Ideas
Book Review: Plan & Build a Raised Bed Vegetable Garden
The Postage Stamp Vegetable Garden
Why Your Garden Needs a Straw Bale
Grow Onions in Containers
Six Planning Tips for Starting a Garden from Scratch
Try the Mittleider Gardening Method
Preparing the Green Thumbs of the Future: Gardening for Kids
8 Reasons to Try Square Foot Gardening
10 Reasons to Try Raised Bed Gardening
8 Reasons to Try Vertical Gardening
Garden Primer: What’s Your Vegetable Garden Style?
This post about Square Foot Gardening explains how to use it. It’s intensive planting at its best. You can get a lot of vegetables into a small space if you know how much area each plant REALLY needs.
I recommend a few books below that I like and own (these are affiliate links, thanks for supporting PrepardnessMama!)
–The Postage Stamp Garden Book: Grow Tons of Vegetables in Small Spaces
–Mini Farming: Self-Sufficiency on 1/4 Acre
–Square Foot Gardening: How To Grow Healthy Organic Vegetables The Easy Way
The Raised Bed Gardening post will give you helpful tips if you want to start your garden quickly or if you have poor soil. Just put together raised beds of various sizes and bring in some soil and compost. Find out more in the Raised Bed Gardening post.
Another idea I’d like to try is a keyhole garden. The Ultimate Raised Bed – Make a Keyhole Garden post will give you great ideas. Keyhole gardens are raised beds with a twist! They have their own compost system in the middle and are easy to make from recycled materials.
Vertical gardening is a plus for small space. The post – Sow it up, Vertical Gardening – see our Pinterest Board for more inspiration- If you have a small garden space vertical gardening is for you. Grow up to maximize every inch of your area. I also put up a gutter garden and I’m exploring other ways to grow vertically in my small garden.
Try the Mittleider Gardening Method It is a combination of raised beds and soil-less growing. I know it sounds strange to grow without soil, but this intensive gardening method works!
Straw bale gardening is a new venture for me this year. I learned how to condition a straw bale before planting in it and I’m expecting to have great harvests.
Container Gardens
I love container gardening. Even though I might have a big “farmer” garden I still incorporate containers into the mix. See 8 Reasons You Should Try Container Vegetable Gardening or more information Container gardening is perhaps my most favorite way to get growing in a short amount of time. You will be surprised all the fruits, vegetables, and herbs that can be grown in pots.
Growing Cilantro – The Cut and Come Again Method
How to Build a Gutter Garden
Creative Ways for Growing Potatoes in Containers
Planting Depth – What Can You Grow in a 12″ Pot?
Planting Depth – What Can You Grow in a 6″ (Inches) Pot?
5 Container Gardening Tricks
Planting Depth – What Can You Grow in an 8″ Pot?
Grow a Bumper Crop of Basil in Containers
8 Tips to Grow Grocery Store Ginger
5 Tips to Grow Blueberries in Pots
Yes Mom, You Can Grow Potatoes in a Laundry Basket
Potatoes in Grow Bags: A Surprising Solution to Rocky Soil
6 Fantastic Reasons for Growing and Using a Comfrey Plant
Grow Salads in Pots & Tubs
How to Make Stevia Syrup
Top 10 Gardening Posts of 2015
Is Container Gardening Right for You?
Create a Sustainable Kitchen: Infographic
The Postage Stamp Vegetable Garden
Grow Onions in Containers
Grow Green Onions on Your Patio
Refresh Your Mint Patch
The Benefits of Keeping a Garden Journal
Growing Three Sisters in a Pot
Planting Depth – What Can You Grow in a 4″ Pot?
Soil Polymer Crystals as Mulch for Container Gardening
8 Reasons to Try Container Vegatable Gardening
Visit the other gardening pages at PreparednessMama: Gardening for Food Production – Tips, Tricks, Sprays & Brews (DIY Gardening) – Growing Herbs – Composting and Soil Building – Get Growing