Garden Production
Gardens come in so many different shapes and sizes, with equally diverse goals and challenges. Our task here is not to tell you which gardening approach is "best", because that depends on so many different variables. Instead, we'll show you a variety of the current practices being used by productive, profitable farmers and gardeners, and describe their pro's and con's. We encourage you to experiment on a small scale with any/all of them which sound like a good fit. You'll have to decide for yourself which gardening method(s) to keep. Don't be surprised if it's a combination of several different gardening approaches. We continue to use a number of the gardening methods listed below.
Note: keep in mind that these methods are intended for relatively small-scale, high-value production, rather than large-scale field production of commodity crops. Yes there's a gray area between the two categories, but most of the growers we know using the below methods, are using them on an acre or less of production area. However, there are definitely exceptions to that statement. You are the final judge on which methods will work best for you with the conditions on your property. If it works well for you, use it!
Companion Planting
Companion planting is the practice of deliberately placing different plant species nearer or further away from each other, because they are either compatible or incompatible with each other. While this sounds like a lot of hooey, there is solid research data available to support this practice. Sometimes it's because of biochemical symbiosis (or conflict), sometimes it's because they occupy different micro-biomes (or compete within the same), and sometimes it's because they either attract or drive away pests. Bottom line, companion planting can help minimize problems and boost production.
Container Planting
Container planting has come a long way since just putting geraniums in a pot every summer. Multiple crops can be grown extremely effectively this way, particularly crops which need to be used fresh, yet sparingly, such as aromatic herbs to season a meal.
Kitchen Gardens
Kitchen gardens were, and are, a wonderful option for extremely small areas where a family wants some of the most precious, and perishable, varieties literally outside the kitchen door. While that brings to mind quaint images of small plots in the middle of densely populated urban areas, the same principles can be used in more spacious growing environments.
Victory Gardens
Credited with helping England's residents withstand the hardships of WWII, Victory Gardens are still a powerful way to provide fresh produce during any periods of economic uncertainty. The general principles haven't changed very much, and still help provide a variety of fresh produce for ourselves, our families and our neighbors.
Straw Bale Planting
This approach uses straw bales as a well-ventilated, easily-watered, ergonomically-friendly planting platform. You can literally use straw bale plantings on top of concrete. Like any other method, this approach has some attractive advantages but a few disadvantages which you'll need to consider. In the right conditions, it can be a wonderful option for growing fresh produce.
Vertical Gardening
Vertical gardening can mean different things in different contexts. Here, we'll use this term for any approach which allows or encourages plants to grow vertically rather than spreading out horizontally. Certain plants are already well on their way to growing vertically and only need a little help. Others would seem to be ill-suited for this approach, yet adapt readily to it. On our Vertical Gardening page, we discuss where this approach works, and how to make the most of what you have.
Tire Planting
As the name implies, this approach uses empty rubber tires as a container for plants. The tires are usually car tor tractor tires, and usually consist of several tires stacked on top of each other thus forming a deep container. While some consider this method unsightly, it can be extremely practical and make use of materials which might otherwise go to waste. If it helps feed you, your family or your neighbors, a tire planting can look downright beautiful.
Permaculture
While this approach is a huge subject in an of itself, it offers a variety of practices, principles and methods which can be extremely helpful even in an otherwise conventional garden. We'll take a look at those and see how to make the best use of them.
No-Dig Beds (aka No-Till Gardening)
As the name implies, this approach skips any sort of plowing or rototilling, in favor of methods which leave the 3-D structure of the soil intact. There are a variety of ways to accomplish this, and each approach has its advantages (and drawbacks). We'll take a look at each.
Season Extenders
While not precisely a gardening method per se, season extenders are valuable to both hobbyist and commercial gardeners alike. These techniques help provide not only early and late gardening optionns, but they can also smooth out some of the weather extremes during the middle off the growing season. We've compiled a lot of information about various season extender methods, and summarized them all on our Season Extenders page. That page provides an overview, and then links to each of the individual techniques. We hope you find it useful.
Hugelkultur
This approach is a combination of deep mulch and raised beds, where the bed frame is made with large logs, and the base is made of rough branches which allow for extremely good drainage. The whole thing can either last for years or break down very quickly, depending on your goals and how you build it. Either way, hugelkultur offers a few really compelling advantages and it has a devoted following as a result.
Raised Beds
Raised beds are simply planting beds that are either slightly, or greatly, raised above the surrounding ground surface. Sometimes raising the bed requires only some wood planks, logs, or stones. We've even occassionally mounded the soil without a supporting frame. Other folks have raised their beds quite high, using several courses of stones, blocks, staw bales, railroad ties or whatever else they can find. The smallest raised beds are no more than large pots or planters. The largest raised beds we've seen stretch hundreds of feet long, and are formed by plows or cultivator shovels and shanks. However they are formed, they offer a variety of benefits. Click here to learn more about this method.
Double-Digging and Intensive Planting
The double digging and intensive planting methods are so closely related that I really have a hard time teasing them apart. Double digging is simply a way to prepare soil for planting such that instead of going down 6" or 8" or 12" or even 15", the soil is loosened as much as 24" down. That allows roots to easily go quite deep, instead of following the shallowly loose soils created by other tillage methods. Encouraging the roots to go deep not only helps insulate the plant from drought, it also allows plants to be grown much closer together. This in turn allows a much higher planting density than would normally be advisable, thus the partnership with intensive planting. This combo method offers a wide variety of advantages, but also a few drawbacks. Click here to read more about our experiences with this approach.
Lasagna Gardening
No, this isn't a vegetarian lasagna-in-the-making. Rather, it's a way to prepare a planting bed by going up, rather than down. Basically, you layer various different natural materials in thin sheets, one on top of the other, until you have a sandwich of natural materials that will not only support but happily nourish a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. It has been a wonderful tool to use when tilling down simply wasn't an option.
Square Foot Gardening
Mel Bartholomew's Square Foot Gardening approach may sound cutesie or clunky at first, but it's a darn good idea. The vast majority of us have grown up being taught to plant our gardens and farms in long, skinny rows. That is a huge waste of space, water, and soil. Thinking in terms of the square footage required by any given plant is a much more efficient and practical way to give each plant only as much room as it truly needs, while conserving soil, water and nutrients in the process. It dovetails extremely well with the other methods listed above. Oh, and it reduces weeding too. What's not to like? Click here to read more about this approach and our experiences with it.
Deep Mulching
We haven't used this method as much as the others, but we've been pleased with what we've seen so far. This approach does not rely so much on how we've prepped the soil prior to planting, but rather how we treat the bed or field afterwards. Sometimes we'll spread the mulch prior to planting, then plant through it. Sometimes we'll spread the mulch afterwards. Either way, we've seen some interesting results from our initial experimentation.
Sheet Mulching
Not to be confused with deep mulching described above, sheet mulching is the laying out of a thin sheet of well-balanced mulching materials on top of soil, to protect from moisture loss, add nutrients, create a healthy microbiome, and provide other benefits.
We will be adding new sections to this page as we become aware of new methods. If you have questions about any given method, ask us! Or, if you've experimented with a gardening method not listed on this page, let us know about your experiences.
Our Successful Farm and Ranching Books
We released our very first self-published book, The Chicken Coop Manual, in 2014. It is a full color guide to conventional and alternative poultry housing options, including 8 conventional stud construction plans, 12 alternative housing methods, and almost 20 different design features. This book is available on Amazon.com and as a PDF download. Please visit our sister website's The Chicken Coop Manual page for more information.
Rabbit Colonies: Lessons Learned
We started with rabbits in 2002, and we've been experimenting with colony management ever since. Fast forward to 2017 when I decided to write another book, this time about colony management. Rabbit Colonies: Lessons Learned is chock-full of practical information, and is available from both Amazon and as a PDF download. Please visit our sister website's Rabbit Colonies page for more information.
The Pastured Pig Handbook
We are currently working on our next self-published book: The Pastured Pig Handbook. This particular book addresses a profitable, popular and successful hog management approach which sadly is not yet well documented. Our handbook, will cover all the various issues involved with pastured hog management, including case studies of numerous current pastured pig operations. If you have any questions about this book, please Contact Us.