Intensive Planting

[ChickenMomma91]

I expressed my desire to discuss Brett L. Markham's theory/method for his vegetable garden on his mini-farm. "First look at the seed packet to determine the final distance between plants after thinning. Second, grab a small ruler and a blunt pencil. Third, use the ruler and pencil to put quarter-inch holes in the ground to mark off a square grid the size of the area you want to plant. The distance between holes is the final distance between plants after thinning. Put a seed on each hole, cover with dirt, and tamp it down, then water daily until the seeds sprout."

 

[ChickenMomma91]

I quoted the book directly and will try this method with my lettuce and carrots this year and possibly others if i find room for more beds. Markham had a 32 square foot bed produce 100 lbs of carrots using the intensive planting method he created. It should save money, space, and time, not to mention water usage and eliminating the need to mulch!

 

[digitS']

Is this the "French Intensive" method, promoted in the US by Chadwick and Jeavons?

Here's a 50 page pdf file from North Carolina State University that may give a few more pages than most people want in a quick look but Wikipedia seems to miss too much . The hexagonal spacing is important, rather than planting in rows, and there is a little more to it than just the double digging.

www.cefs.ncsu.edu/whatwedo/energy/growbiointensive.pdf

There is so much on the internet! Here is a 35 year-old article I most assuredly read in 1980. (LINK)

Steve

 

[digitS']

 

[so lucky]

If I were to be spotted in the garden on all fours dragging around a small ruler and pencil, my DH would probably decide I had finally lost my last marble.

(although I'm sure this author's system has a lot of merit)

 

[ChickenMomma91]

He talks about the french method of the hexagon but his is a grid fashion. He said he wanted a system so easy hus daughter (10 at the time) could do it. He bashes traditional row gardens

 

[flowerweaver]

I plant intensively on a hexagon in my raised beds. But now that I have larger fields across the creek I plant in rows because it's easier and faster to use the Hoss wheeled hoe to plow and cultivator for weeding. Because I am in the desert and must lay drip irrigation, the rows also work better for that. My mineralized well water clogs spray heads.

 

[baymule]

I planted intensively at our previous home. One year from 2 beds measuring 2'x5' I harvested 88 pounds of potatoes. Since moving in February and having bad weather nearly every day since, I have an extrodinary crop of green briars. This first year should be interesting!

 

[Lavender2]

I have tried the intensive planting, more on an experimental scale. In my garden it was intensive weeding, especially for seeded crops. I like to use mulch to retain moisture and find it easier to do that with rows. I do use double row planting for most things which seems to work well and maximizes the use of space.

I think it would work great for raised beds where weeds are not as aggressive and irrigation is not a big issue.

 

[thistlebloom]

I've done a lot of the hexagonal planting. Even then I'm sure I cram them too close.

I'm a serial crammer!!