This year’s goal is 500 pounds. It sounds like a big, scary, unattainable number, especially for a small garden, but I think it can be done. If I’m doing the math right, it’s really only 11% more than last year. So, if everything that did really well last year does really well this year, and the things that didn’t do so well do a little bit better, that number is possible.
I’ve added a few more containers to the planting area. Now I have six 4′ x 8′ beds, five 25-gallon containers, five 5-gallon containers, and 4 square feet of dirt that I plant along the fence. Which yields 192 + 13 + 4 + 4 = 213 square feet of growing area. I realize the actual enclosed area of the garden is bigger, but I don’t count walkways. Is that cheating? I don’t think so. The in-bed layout, timing and yield would be the same it it were all mashed into one long 4′ x 53.25′ plot. I wouldn’t be expected to count the perimeter walkways then. So I won’t now.
I wish I had room for a 4′ x 53.25′ row. More than one, actually. But that will never happen, for many reasons. Mainly because our quarter acre is completely crammed with shady maples and poorly placed structures. The backyard faces north-northeast. The front yard gets more sun, but it is the dog’s domain: plant life perishes in his presence. Lastly, any attempts to scratch out more garden space are met with stiff resistance, because some people in my house prefer grass to home-grown food.
I will do my best with what I have.