interplanting

There are many ways to maximize the production of your vegetable garden - raised beds, vertical supports, season extenders, and succession planting - to name a few. But the ultimate in these techniques is interplanting - the mixing of different crops in the same planting area by considering the length of growing season, the size and shape of the plant, the size and shape of the plant's root system, and the plant's tolerance for shade. Most vegetables are well suited for this technique. Here are a few examples:

• Radishes work very well with lettuce. Because they grow to maturity quickly, the radishes are harvested before the lettuce needs the extra space for its enlarging leaves. Another good combination along these same lines is radish and spinach.

• Further into the growing season, lettuce can be planted in between cabbage, brocolli, pepper or eggplant. These plants not only mature later than lettuce, they also provide some shade to the lettuce in the middle of the summer.

• Dill is a good example of a plant that is deep rooted and tall. It could easily be planted in between any number of shallow rooted plants; and its height and lacy foliage would be welcome filtered sun in the heat of mid summer.

Regardless of the combinations you use, remember that you are maximizing space. That means weeds must be kept to a minimum, either by hand picking or with the use of mulch, in order to reduce the competition for available moisture and nutrients; and the soil must be in top notch condition, loose and fertile.

With some pre-planning and common sense strategy, you too can grow a wide variety of vegetables in a small space.