intensive gardening practices - growing a lot in a little space

Intensive Gardening PracticesIndependence Gardens

Portland, OR

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January 2012© Independence Gardens LLC

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

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Introductions

What We Do• We help you DIY

– Building garden infrastructure

– Classes– Consultations– Doo Tees!


Class Goal• Introduce a host of resources that can

help you grow more in less space/time

Topics We’ll Cover• Intensive vs. extensive agriculture and

gardening• Common intensive methods: brief

intro to some well-known approaches• Common intensive methods: focus on

combining techniques• Inspiration for growing a lot in a li!le

space

What We’ll Cover TodayPreview

Got Questions? Please ask as we go along.


Any of these look familiar?


Intensive vs. extensive agriculture

Intensive• Required for sustaining high

population densities• Inputs

– Design: high– Labor: high– Capital: high– Water: high per area, low overall– Soil: high fertility required– Chemicals: used extensively

• Outputs– High per unit of area

Extensive• Practiced in areas of relatively

low population density• Inputs

– Design: low– Labor: low– Capital: low– Water: low per area, high overall– Soil: low fertility required– Chemicals: not generally used

• Outputs– Low per unit of area


Why & whence intensive gardening?

• Intensive farming/gardening is framed a bit differently…– #e point

• Grow the most edible (for you) food in the least space possible• Minimize wasted space and resources• Minimize synthetic chemical inputs• Save time and (make) money• Feed the world

– #e ancestors• French Intensive

– Alan Chadwick• Biodynamic

– Rudolf Steiner


• What’s in a name?– Named approaches can be

• Systematized• Replicated• Sold• Plug and played

• Your toolkit– Techniques can be

• Mix-and-matched• Picked from and chosen to suit

your site and lifestyle

Approach vs. technique


Choose your package

Here are some things to thinkabout when choosing anapproach:

• Founder(s)• Date of inception• #e WHY behind the method• Target audience• Cost to implement

• Basis in…– Science– Experience– #eory– Practice– Religion

• Source of revenue– Book(s)– Teaching– Product line


Postage Stamp Garden



• Duane Newcomb (1975)



• Duane Newcomb (1975)• Based on French Intensive and

biodynamic methods




biodynamic methods• #e size of the garden is the

main consideration (“postage stamp-sized”)






• Ease of use is also emphasized






• Ease of use is also emphasized• Book is readily available online


Square Foot Gardening

• Mel Bartholomew (1981)• Focuses on residential food

production• Simple, accessible writing style

and methods• Easy to wrap one’s head around• Early editions of the book easily

found online


GROW BIOINTENSIVETM

• John Jeavons (1974)• Synthesized French

Intensive and biodynamic approaches ( “biointensive”)

• Ecology Action a!empts to grow ALL needed materials on the land being farmed

• Science-based, experimental


GROW BIOINTENSIVETM


SPIN Farming

• Wally Satzewich, Gail Vandersteen, and Roxanne Christensen (early 2000s)

• Targets emerging farmers in urban areas• Puts farming within a business/entrepreneurship context• Eliminates two major barriers to entry in farming: capital

and land• Each publication costs money (but the idea is that by

using the method, you will get that money back...plus!)


Choose your own adventure

• Not every approach recommends all of these, but they turn up frequently across approaches:

– Appropriate and long-term design– Raised beds– Vertical growing– Interplanting or companion planting– Succession/relay planting– Drip irrigation– Double digging– Mulching (and sheet mulching)– Season extenders (cloches and cold frames)


Appropriate design

• Permaculture is design-intensive, and designed to be less input-intensive over time

• Take advantage of inputs that already exist• Really KNOW your own schedule and what you have to

give a garden/what you need it togive you


Raised beds

• Wooden sides NOT required

• Easy to customize • Easy to access• Easy way to de$ne garden

space• Recommended for

gardening with children and people with disabilities


Vertical growing

• Stairstepping– Terracing land (or

containers) to catch sun– Height-based plantings

(short things/tall things)

• Trellising– Grow UP on supportive

structures

• Hanging gardens– Grow in baskets or down

from above


Interplanting

• Timing– Early and later maturers– WHEN does a plant use HOW

MUCH space? when is it fully mature and harvestable?

• Structure– Tall with short– Sturdy with vining

• Function– Nutrient return– Trap crops


Succession/relay planting

• Hedge your bets• Harvest over time

instead of all at once

• Take maximum advantage of space/time


Drip irrigation

• Put the water where your plants can use it

• Note: Don’t let the convenience of a drip system keep you away from your garden space


Double digging

• Soil preparation technique made popular by John Jeavons– Changes structure– Creates raised beds (no

wooden sides!)• Quick and dirty, hard

work with immediate return


Mulching (& sheet mulching)

• Build, retain, and enrich soil (your biggest asset!)– Protects soil from

compaction and nutrient leaching

– Increases in$ltration of water from soil surface

– Decreases need for frequent watering

– Reduces temperature %uctuations


Composting

• Nutrient cycling onsite

• Waste reduction – Turning a waste

product back into a resource

• Organic ma!er• Note: pay special

a!ention to sanitation in the intensive garden


Season extenders

• Start earlier• Grow later• Grow a wider variety of

plants• Protect your plants

from extremes (temperature, precipitation, wind)


Other ways to grow

• Keeping animals– For poop– For products

• Using humanure• Aquaculture• Hydroponics• Vermicomposting• Growing mushrooms• Sprouting sprouts


Other ways to grow


Resources

• Postage Stamp Gardening– h!p://www.thebooksite.net/postagestampgardening/

• Square Foot Gardening– h!p://www.squarefootgardening.com/

• GROW BIOINTENSIVETM

– h!p://www.growbiointensive.org/

• SPIN Farming/Gardening– h!p://www.spinfarming.com


http://www.thebooksite.net/postagestampgardening/

http://www.thebooksite.net/postagestampgardening/

http://www.squarefootgardening.com/

http://www.squarefootgardening.com/

http://www.growbiointensive.org/

http://www.growbiointensive.org/

http://www.spinfarming.com/

http://www.spinfarming.com/

Next steps for you!

• A lot of this information is overwhelming and abstract, so make it manageable and concrete– Do you want to choose an

approach or implement a combination of techniques?

– What approach(es) or technique(s) appeal to you?

• Find a buddy to do your project with you


Questions?


intensive gardening practices - growing a lot in a little space

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