- 1). Use individual, small beds no more than four feet wide.
This allows access to the vegetables without stepping in the beds and compacting the soil. Additionally it is best to start out small and add later when you have more experience. Providing permanent paths between beds will allow more access to the crops in your small garden. - 2). Double dig.
This may be a lot of work but it provides nutrient rich, well drained soil for your small vegetable garden which allows roots to thrive and produce and more abundant harvests. Dig the first layer and put it in one pile (this will be mostly topsoil). Dig another layer and put it in a separate pile. Now fill the beds you have dug alternating between both piles of topsoil, organic soil, and adding one third organic matter (rotted cow manure or compost) as you go. - 3). Be selective about what you grow.
Choose plants that can stay under the ground until you are ready to harvest them from you small garden such as carrots and beets. Don't plant too many crops that are ready at the same time such as lettuce. Plant a lot of crops that you can train to grow up like peas, beans and cucumbers. - 4). Place plants closer together than traditional gardens.
Eliminate rows altogether for a more bountiful harvest and room conservation. Plants grown closer together also help one another ward off pests, especially in small gardens. - 5). Use or inter planting or double cropping.
Plant fast growing and slow growing plants in the same bed. For instance, plant melons and pumpkins between stalks of corn or radishes and carrots in the same bed. The fast crop will mature first and can be harvested before the slower growing crop is crowded out of your vegetble garden. - 6). Monitor watering.
Initially keep the seedlings moist but not soggy. As your crops grow, adjust the amount of water you give your plants. Small gardens produce a lot of shade when the plants grow tall. Adjust your watering accordingly.
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