Gardening in 3 dimentions

[hoodat]

Most of us, when planning a garden take the length and width into consideration, but all too few think of the other dimension - UP. Many crops are wide spreading but not very tall; certain cowpeas and sweet potatos are two good examples. You could plant tall crops such as corn etc. in among them and add more varieties to your garden without adding extra space. Up is the only direction you can expand into without adding more land. You have to pay more property tax when adding length and width but up is free.
Since land was so hard to work using primitive tools, American Indians used this idea in their three sisters gardening. In fact they went even better by using two layers of up. Beans grow above cornstalks while the ground space is used by squash. Just remember that when growing this densely you will need to fertilize more.

 

[897tgigvib]

Like this?

 

[so lucky]

Whew, Marshall, I bet you have fun trying to get the vines out of that mesh top! Or do you just dispose of it and buy another next season? I think I would be tempted to use chicken wire, and then a torch. I had a not so good time just getting morning glories out of my garden fence; yours looks 3x as bad!

 

[journey11]

Wow Marshall, that is certainly an exemplary example! Yes, I am thinking propane blow torch to clean that puppy out each winter... How do you go about it?

Right on, Hoodat. And you get the added benefit of nitrogen fixation with those beans too. Just gotta time them right so they don't overwhelm the corn. You know, even with as much space as I have, it's never quite enough. I use a lot of bamboo here lately and trellis what I can. And as with the 3 Sisters, squash fit in nicely as a living mulch.

That is something I would like to learn more about...other good companions for living mulch.

 

[897tgigvib]

That was the 2011 garden. I switched to chicken wire at the edges, netting on top. The netting collapses with the first heavy snow, so that makes it actually easier to get the vines out...but whoa is me to restitch it The garden is 10 longer on this side, a few feet wider on the north side, and a new section on the opposite side now.

 

[baymule]

UP.........hmmm........Hoodat, you got my pea-brain thinking. Up...........

 

[hoodat]

There are semi runner type beans that will not grow tall enough to overwhelm cornstalks. One of the old heirloom beans is even called Cornstalk Bean and was developed for the purpose of growing on corn stalks. I plan to use broomcorn as poles this year. It grows much taller than corn and the seeds are large enough to be useful for my rabbits.

 

[catjac1975]

jungle garden in the extreme! gorgeous and productive!

 

[HunkieDorie23]

Good point Hoodat, I have been reading about intensive gardening and thinking alot about it. I already have my greenhouse area all plotted out and I am going up as well as out. I have a 6'x8' greenhouse in a 22' circle that used to be out pool and have been busy planning area around the greenhouse. In the summer I thought that if I grow stuff around the outside so it is a little shaded that the veggies inside might appreciate the shade a bit so I was planning up as well as out. I am planning some walkways as well as my herbal tea garden. I do a lot of planning in the winter.

I am planning on runner beans and pickling cucumbers as well as herbs and peppers. I will be pretty nice to look at also (I hope).