There are so many different ways to garden that it would be hard to even list them all.
We put together this grouping of ten different intensive gardening methods that make the most out of your gardening space, so that you can grow the most food possible with the least amount of hassle.
Have you tried any of these methods? If so, leave a comment at the bottom and tell us about your results!
Tire gardening
Do you appreciate the rugged appeal of recycled tires in your garden? Or, do you want a cheap (read: free), shapeable container garden? The steps are simple: carefully cut off the outer rim of a tire using a utility knife. Once you’ve formed that flexible “O,” you can maneuver the tire tread inside out if you prefer to have the smooth, slick innards visible.
By stacking treads on top of one another, the tires become excellent containers for growing potatoes and other rooted plants since the structure provides much-needed growth room. The black surface is ideal for plants that need warm growing conditions.
Used tires are easy to come by and can be molded into non-circular shapes. Simply lodge some wooden logs in the tire to create the desired shape. Check out these step-by-step instructions with photos: http://www.tiregarden.net/
Mittlieder method
The Mittlieder method creatively–and affordably–combines soil-based gardening with hydroponic gardening. This method takes advantage of space, time, and resources and works with both soil beds and raised beds. Apartment dwellers can enjoy this method as much as commercial farmers.
So how does this method differ from other gardening techniques? Plants must be fed 16 essential nutrients, as determined by Dr. Mittlieder himself. In addition, while the soil type isn’t a major factor in gardening, soil distribution is essential for proper irrigation, which he believes to be centralized watering, as opposed to drip irrigation. Plant spacing is also more liberal in the Mittlieder method. Finally, pruning vegetable plants is essential, yet often ignored in other gardening techniques.
For a quick-start guide, see this site: http://growfood.com/
Square foot gardening
The Square Foot Gardening method can be started using only a frame and some dividers. Picture a box divided into smaller squares, each measuring 1-foot by 1-foot. The square foot gardening method focuses on the number of seeds that can be planted within each square box based on the size of the plant. For example, one tomato plant might occupy its own square while oregano can be planted 4 times within a square. Carrot seeds, on the other hand, can be planted 16 to a square. Not sure how big your plant will be? Check the back of your seed packet for spacing information.
Want tips on ideal soil composition for your square foot garden? Visit: http://squarefootgardening.org/square-foot-gardening-method
Keyhole gardening
Keyhole gardens provide adequate growing conditions in less-than-adequate environments. Keyhole gardens are named after their shape: they are typically round beds with a pie-slice-shaped aisle for easy access, all built around a circular center compost. These types of garden beds provide the best of several worlds: raised beds allow for regulated soil conditions, the compost center permits rich nutrients to re-enter the soil through recycling, and soil stays nourished via water poured into the compost pile, essentially drought-proofing your crops.
Keyhole gardens are easy to build and can be customized to your liking. Use decorative brick, old wood scraps, cinderblocks, netting, tree logs, or even thick plastic. The framing possibilities are endless and a little composting knowledge is needed. See our own more detailed description of how to make and maintain a keyhole garden.
Aquaponics
Who says soil is necessary for gardening? Aquaponics is one of two soil-less gardening methods we highlight. This is an organic gardening system that uses fish waste to nourish plants. This doesn’t mean your plants are submerged, however. A variety of systems exist, including simple trays in which plants sit: their bottoms are hydrated and fertilized by the aquatic ecosystem. Kits are available for purchase and because you get to choose the type of fish involved, children are curious about aquaponic gardening.
Just like a normal fish tank, your aquaponics system will need monitoring and occasional testing, so don’t forget to include your gardener tot in these duties. For an overview of aquaponics and greater starter tips, head to Oregonlive.com.
Window Farms
Perhaps you’ve seen one in a window already: a vertical cascade of hanging vessels–typically halved soda/water bottles–home to soil-less leafy green plants and herbs. The method is simple enough. Plants grow out of the bottle while an air pump (such as those used in fish tanks) circulate liquid nutrients that gently flow down the structure. Sunlight is necessary, but for windows that don’t receive enough light, hanging LED lights will work.
It goes without saying that this method of gardening is ideal for residents with no patch of grass to claim as their own; the method is also dirtless. But first-floor residents beware: you are sure to get curious by-passers peering into your personal space, so consider a privacy curtain. Read about one woman’s window farm initiatives here.
Straw Bale Gardening
You don’t need to live on acres of land to utilize a straw bale garden. Even a small bale (discretely placed, if you prefer) will provide high yields and require little maintenance. Bales are great raised beds: straw collects/disburses moisture and is compostable, which means over time your plants will gain nutrients as the straw decomposes. Plus, the bales retain heat to extend your gardening season even further.
Here’s how it’s done. Before placing your bales, lay some fabric to inhibit weeds from sprouting up through your bale. Lay bales side-by-side if you have more than one, making sure the strings stretch across the sides, not the top. For two weeks, soak and fertilize the bales so they are ready for crops. Finally, plant your seedlings.
Check out this detailed article about creating straw bale gardens.
And for all things straw bale? Check out http://strawbalegardens.com/
Straight-from-the-soil-bag gardening
This method should by no means be considered the lazy way. It’s the ingenious way! Soil bag gardening can be customized to the amount of space you have available. You can even start a soil-bag garden near a window that gets full sun. If you’re a beginner and just want to test your green thumb, go out and pick up one 40-pound bag of top soil.
Instead of spreading that soil in a raised bed or container, simply lay it flat. You’ll cut off the entire top of the packaging, exposing a window of pre-ready soil for your plants. You might think the next step is too easy: plant seedlings at the appropriate time (found on the back of the seed packets).
This method is more than just convenient. You’ll have practically no weeds and, if you choose to continue your gardening adventures, over time the bag will etch an automatic bed outline in your lawn.
For more information, Mother Earth News has a detailed article.
Lasagna gardening
It’s as delicious as it sounds: a method of layered vegetable gardening that reduces your workload. Lasagna gardening actually offers a reprieve from mismanaged gardening. This method is ideal if you have let your gardens go wild or have just inherited an unkempt yard.
The lasagna gardening method actually encourages neglect…sort of. Instead of taking the time to clear out unharvested crops, resilient weeds, or dead plants, simply compact them and place a compostable buffer on top: cardboard boxes, newspapers, straw, manure, leaves, or grass will do. Not only will this eliminate unsightly terrain, but you’ll notice that plants you smooshed to smithereens will actually persevere over time. Top off your layered garden with additional seedlings to get an amalgamation of crops: no digging, tilling, or weeding required.
Learn more with these articles over at Mother Earth News and Organic Gardening Magazine.
Ruth Stout no-work garden
The second unusual gardening method in our list to be named after a person: the Ruth Stout no-work garden. This method follows the same basis of the last two methods: less digging, soil preparation, weeding, and tilling. Ruth herself used just one fertilizer (cottonseed or soybean meal) and didn’t bother maintaining a compost pile.
Her trick? She kept a thick layer of vegetable mulch on her vegetable and flower gardens. Potential matter includes hay, straw, leaves, pine needles, weeds, garbage and even sawdust. As the mulch rots, soil is enriched and more mulch is added. Her one caveat is to start with an area that has at least an 8”-thick layer of mulch in order to prevent weeds.
Here, Ruth explains her method herself at Mother Earth News.
Love the website. Is there an app for this channel ?
I am.trying the hale bale gardening for the first time. I live on the central east coast of Florida and have nothing but sand. I have done raised bed gardens and it is back breaking work to add and amend soil. Hope this works plus it is amending my land.
Let us know how it works out!
U need clean straw, hay has too many seeds
i live in northwest fl and do the straw bale this is the second year last year we did 4 bales this yr we are doing 32 it is the best way to garden wish you luck
I purchase my bales in the fall. Just store them in the yard till I am ready for spring. Bales are more plentiful and a lot cheaper in the fall too. Really do like to garden this way!
I use the straw bales also in central Iowa. I live on an acreage that is mostly rocks and gravel. I planted just 10 days ago and already have peppers setting on and tomatoes are blooming. some plants have already tripled in size!!
I live in Bulgaria where the soil is very fertile but I am unable to kneel or bend so bales are perfect as there is no weeding. I put my straw bales out in October on weed suppressing material. I put an extra binding on them as they get well soaked by the snow. Come planting time they are nicely matured and it’s easier to make planting holes in the wet straw. Each year I try to add something different as well as the usual basics like tomatoes, cucmbers, radishes, lettuce, strawberries, peas, beans etc. Happy gardening !
I have done strawbale gardening for years. It is my favourite method. It is essential to get the inner composting started early for plants to thrive. Good old fashioned urine adds the nitrogen needed to do this. Once the initial 2 weeks of regular watering is up they work like a dream.
And in the end of it all you have beautiful compost waiting to be unstrung and spread.
I started out doing the square foot method, it did not work for the veggies I grew. Went to raised beds and it is working out fine. Have 4 beds 4 x 12 and another 4 beds 4 x 8.
Square foot gardening *is* a raised bed gardening system, isn’t it? Do you mean that the soil recipe didn’t work for you, or the spacing of the plants, or something else?
My square foot garden was a great success when I didn’t have enough sunny space for anything more than a couple of hundred square feet. It grew very well and was attractive enough to keep in the front yard beside the sidewalk.
When I’ve had a larger garden, I follow the Ruth Stout method fairly closely. We do till it in the spring but most years it’s covered in heavy mulch. I plan to use straw this year. I’ve also made lasagna beds and they worked well, too. Anything that will improve the soil and keep in moisture is a benefit in our mid-Atlantic area.
I’m going to recommend Ruth Stout to my mom. It seems like it would work really well for her garden that is in the harsh central Texas sun and heat, because the straw would act as a nice, cooling mulch and improve the soil at the same time.
Never ever use Monsanto products…Miracle Grow being one of them. Monsanto is killing bees w/ their toxic products and killing our food system. Their corporate goal is to own every seed on the planet.
I’ve got some handy tinfoil for you.
You are absolutely right about monsanto!!
Don’t be silly. Miracle Gro is made by Scott’s. No Monsanto is not making any products that kill bees. Neonicotinoids are often blamed, but those are made by Bayer and Syngenta and most recent evidence seems to indicate they are not to blame, according to the USDA. Bee die-offs seem to be related to varroa mites, nosema, and over-transporting of hives. See http://www.ars.usda.gov/News/docs.htm?docid=15572.
You need to update your info- Monsanto products ARE responsible for killing bees!
They (Monsanto). Make Round-Up! And ARE dangerous! They will have you believe that they are safe, but lie! Same company that made Agent Orange! If you think they are safe, you must work for them!
Monsanto is killing off the bees, as well as the humans, and if you believe the USDA reports you are a moron. It is in their best interests to sell us on Monsanto, so they do. USDA is operated by ex-CEO’s of big ag companies that are heavily invested in Monsanto.
Yes and during the Obama administration he appointed a senior legal counsel from Monsanto to Dept of Ag. I appreciated Obama and his overall attempt to lead us in the right direction but was devastated by some of his appointments, this being one. Politicians!
Some very great gardening conecpts.
i especially love the ‘Lasagna gardening’. I’ve been experimenting with it for some time already and it really saves a LOT of work!
Thanks from switzerland.
Thanks for the feedback!
Texas Plains area is clay one area next to sandy soil. I like the Lasagna method very much. It helps build up my soil season by season and I can slowly increase my soil depth.
I have used a slightly modfied method of square foot gardening for years. Don’t just use a 4 X 4 square. All my beds are 4′ wide and as long as the area they are in permits. Never stepped in. The 4′ also accomodates the chicken tractors that are run up and down them through the winter.
I use the Square Foot Gardening soil recipe (1/3 compost, 1/3 vermiculite, 1/3 peat or coir), but don’t use the rest of the method.
I’ve used a combination of Ruth Stout’s No Work method and raised bed gardening with success. I haven’t had a garden for a few years, but it’s the only way I garden when I do.
I don’t build frames for the beds. To start, I dig a bed 4′ wide bed, by however long I want it and work compost into it. Then I build up a raised bed by raking soil away from the edges into the middle and leveling it. This leaves a trough around the perimeter for drainage with a raised portion in the middle.
I cover it with a thick layer of straw. Instead of planting in rows, I pull back the straw covering the section I want to seed and sow the seeds in the moist soil where the straw was. As the seedlings emerge, I work the straw back in between them, adding more straw as they grow,
I’ve turned poor soil into good and never had to water the garden, except to wet down a new layer of straw so it stayed put.
Sounds like a nice system! Thanks for the feedback.
I have been using the Mittleier method for 7 years with great success.
I’ve been using straw bales gardening for a few years now, with great success for tomatoes and cucumbers. I didn’t have any luck with ‘frosting’ bales with top soil for lettuce and carrots, so will be planting things like that, as well as beans and peas in my pallet garden.
I am currently using the right out of the bag method for my tomato plants and since the plants are a bit young still, I am using some red plastic cups to keep them help up strong and tall. Just put holes into the bag, 3 of them, cut a whole in the bottom of the cup, slice it down the side from the hole to the edge, slide it around the plant gently, curl the cup together till you can put the ‘top’ of the cup into the hole in the bag and then let it reopen up and push down slightly. Easy peasy. Keep watered and watch those babies grow and flourish! 🙂
surprised not to see the Rain Gutter Grow System on this list… check it out. Search for “Larry Hall RGGS” on you tube… it’s pretty amazing stuff.
I am doing the tires and a raised bed with center blocks. My gardening this year is excellent. Thanks for all you tips an d help. God Bless and Happy gardening!
My potatoes grew very nice in the tires, a lot better than I thought they would. I now have raised gardens made of landscaping bricks. You can have round, oval or square gardens. Plant what ever in the holes between the bricks. I have Spanish onions in mine. Chives grow real good in a large flower pot.
I love these plantings where you don’t have to have a yard or green thumb I even get excited when a avocado pit starts blooming – first time it was by accident from under the refrigerator.
Our camping getaway here in Missouri is directly on a small 6 acre lake. Growing veggies there is a challenge due to poor soil, critters and the inability to water on a regular basis. So, in the spirit of using what ya got, I created a floating garden! (wish I knew how/or if could post a pic here) Doubled up 2- 1.5″thick by 28″x28″wide pieces of insulation foam board and cut a hole in the middle where I placed a large plastic pot so only about 2″ were below water, added chunks of foam from the cutout to about 1/3 up from the bottom, then pulled strips of cloth wicks thru the drainage holes, up past the foam into the top layer of soil/mulch mixture and planted a volunteer tomato from my home garden. Then I attached a large round tomato cage upside down on the rim with heavy pinch paper clips. It has placidly floated, flourished and flowered there, tethered between 2 young willows about 4 foot from the bank, since 6/1/14- at least it was, haven’t been there for 2 weeks. The only real concern I have is that it may get too top heavy- but it’s all a learning curve, right? And next season I will try a 4 potter- Toms and Melons maybe! OH-added plus- it makes a great fish cover!
Tires contain petroleum products and other chemicals that leach into soil as the tires break down. Plants can take up those chemicals, which may include heavy metals. I personally would recommend against using tires to grow food crops, or be placed any where near where food crops may be grown.
Use them for unique flowers and other decorative plant beds in the front yard, but for or near edibles beds.
Totally agree with you. Tires contain too many chemicals and it can be harmful. Don’t take the risk.
Has anyone tried hugelkultur? I am in the process of building a bed now.
Dave, I’m doing a modified version; raised bed with logs in the bottom and only a few inches of soil on top. I’m not sure of the outcome since I don’t have my seedlings in the soil yet.
Nana, I tried what you are doing about four years ago and regret it. I put stick s and bamboo at the base of raised beds. While impact to the plants was not noticeably better or worse it made preparing the gardens in later years a real pain. It take many years for the wood to break down and until the. It just hinders you working the soil.
I bury wood slats off pallets in the soil, cover with compost and plant
I did raised beds and tires for planters for the non edibles. It turned out great! I’m a teacher in Phoenix. My 1st graders managed 3 large raised garden boxes and several tires. We grew vegetables in the boxes and glowers in the tires. I would love to share photos if there is an interest. I love the square foot garden idea and want to try it out.
I quit using tires in 70 because of fears about contamination of plants and soil.
Switched from rows to weed free planting after Dick Raymonds Joy of gardening was published in 82.
I have modified my gardening over time.
I grow onions, lettuces, garlics, beets and similar plants close as D I can did.
I plant different squash in rings of 4 to five plants.
I plant my tomatoes 5 feet apart leaving room to rotate .
Every thing is mulched around the plants and where you walk.
Weeding in minimal.
Can you please tell me what weed free planting is. I seem to be weeding all the time even tho I have raised gardens.
Thank you.
Rita.
Cover the soil completely in black plastic and just cut holes where you put the plants, very few weeds and the soil stays warm. I always get a ton of produce. Should be easy in a raised bed, I have a 60’x80′ garden I cover. I have family that farm and they save me a piece from their bunker silo cover when they take it off in spring, so I’m recycling.
You didn’t include chip gardening. http://www.backtoedenfilm.com/
I either have done or am currently doing most of these. For home gardens in rural settings, flexibility and creativity are fun and make for a great gardening experience. http://Www.nanasranchblog.com
I should have typed ‘urban’ instead of rural.
I was told tyres leach toxins into soil, so not good for edible plants
I have tried lasagna gardening – It really works! It’s best to set it up in the fall so you will have rich soil for spring planting, but I have done it in the spring. Weed free and healthy plants!
Thank you for including Square Foot Gardening, but I wanted to let everyone know . . . in Square Foot Gardening the grid is just LAID ON TOP of the growing medium. The raised bed itself is not separated (LOL or it would be called Cubed Foot Gardening). This allows the plants to share root space with its neighbors.
Kim Roman ~ Certified SFG Instructor
Square Foot Gardening 4 U
I’ve use most of these methods but question the line about, “The steps are simple: carefully cut off the outer rim of a tire using a utility knife.”
Maybe I’ve been blessed with tough tires but mine need a jigsaw to cut through.
No one else concerned that the tires would leech some horrible things into the soil where your food is growing???
I liked what you had here but you need to include Hugelkultur beds next time and perhaps guerrilla gardening.
I am sort of doing a little of each combining what works
from each idea.
this year I have discovered diatomaceous earth for ants
did the trick and trying on earwigs seems to be working
my pole beans are giving it their best effort.
tabasco and water spray for squirrels . love the lasagna method
do not disturb the soil structure and add the kitchen sink.
great success with composting again I add everything I can get my hands on and throw in plenty of manure this gets the pile cooking
and ages the manure so is not toxic.
speaking of toxic why the heck would anyone use a dam tire in their
beautiful garden I am not a fan of any thing not organic in my garden
does not makes since to me. a garden is a thing of beauty . the raised beds when amended with what ever you have will be very little work. I pile on the works leaves, grass, wood ash, cardboard compost
Epsom salts ground up egg shells and cedar mulch because I like the way it looks and remember plant as many flowers as veggies.
balance is the key it all works together. do not use miracle grow
why would you. if you are that lazy go to the store. I am 68 year old lady and do not have the time or the patience to put up with
the people producing Round Up it is patented as an antibiotic
need I say more. I attended the first earth day at orange coast college Ralph Nader was a speaker that year. last April was in Yosemite Valley for earth day and their 150 anniversary, a great leap forward.
keep growing your own food, catching your own water
and live modestly, my goal is to amend my soil enough to not have to water, the water I use is rain water as much as possible, your plants will thank you. am trying an in ground water jug called an OLLA
leaches the water slowly to your plants, so far very impressed by this method. I have even piled my neighbors logs to push the water flow around their garage I am sure as they rot they will absorb more and more water. no one lives there so guess I am it as they are
on the down hill side. I am sure every one has a diff take, depends on where you live and what you deal with good luck to all. just keep gardening, learning and laughing. because the critters will get most of it.
I am doing 4 straw bale raised beds this year, for Tomatoes, Peppers, Onions, Sweetcorn and brassicas and so far so good. I live in the UK and so far it hasn’t been the best spring or early summer…..No rain during the spring and very hot weather and rain and chillier temps this last month….but everything I have planted in the straw bale beds is growing so fast I was really surprised. I used weed matting at the bottom then logs and cardboard, then topped it off with manure and compost. Fingers crossed
Back to Eden gardening
http://www.backtoedenfilm.com/
You can cut the tires and make any shape that you want to make. The tires can be riveted together to make a raised bed, or you can use silicone to “glue” them together. I have a star shaped tire bed that is 3 tires high and painted metallic silver and blue. It was a wonderful way to get rid of some old car tires that we had in the garage. Tires make great flower planters too, and I am sure that you can find a you tube instructional video on making those.
I am doing one bag of the soil bag gardening this year. So far my lettuce is growing nicely. Since I live in the north, it is in a cold frame right now.
Mm mm ill try it ?
I use the four square method and like it. I placed wire under the beds to keep out gophers. I would not use the tire method for food. Too concerned about the toxic chemicals in the tires leaching into the soil and contaminating the plants.
I am always surprised to see old tires used as gardening spaces. Is that safe for gardening food? I am under the impression that tires release toxins to the soil and therefore to the plant in it. Am I right?
Please do not raise edibles in railroad ties or tires!!! Both are toxic. Both must be disposed of through special channels in the waste stream. In CA we have special dumps where the ties must be discarded.
4-5 gallon buckets work too, AKA container garden
I’d love to get a list of these all in one place. Maybe I’ll make it myself and post it here. Tomorrow, not today. Out to the garden now!
If you have critters and purchase feed for them, the tough woven plastic feed bags make great containers. I planted tomatoes, corn, beans, peppers, just about everything in bags. I have horses and used only composted horse manure. My yields are amazing! No weeding. Very affordable.
Here in California it can get pretty warm at planting time, but using the bags I can get everything ready in the cooler months, and just pop the seeds or seedlings in after the last frost. It is almost too easy. 🙂
*many pig farmers and cattle ranchers will give you bags for free if you ask.
Tires contain plenty of heavy metals & petrochemicals. Never get them into your garden!
Just started my raised bed square foot garden. Put it together this weekend. Do I have to wait a period before I can start planting?
Thank you for these great ideas. I would like to mention regarding straw bale gardening, the originator of this process is Joel Karsten, his book, “Straw Bale Gardens Complete,” is the straw bale gardener’s Bible nationwide. The Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/groups/strawbalemiraclegarden/ is a great resource for beginners and experts. Have used this method on the arid eastern plains of Colorado with good success. The bales can be reused and it’s beneficial to people who can’t bend over so much any more.
Brilliant! Adore the keyhole idea and I’m off to build one right now ?
I have tried the 4×4 garden and it works very well. I did my strawberries that way. Now i am trying the flower pot way. I bought the long flower pots and so far I have planted carrots, radishes, tomatoes, onions, beet, turnips and everything is growing very well. My tomatoes are planted in very large pots and I must say that the cherry tomatoes are doing exceptionally well, harvested 3 crops so far this year. Chive I have always grown in pots as my dog loves chives and they are poisonous to animals.
Thank you for putting together this list. I plan to try several of the methods. One small comment about bale gardening. The text says to place bales with the strings on the sides, not the top. I believe that is not correct, and your photo shows the strings on top as they should be.
Not selling anything, just posting a method that I have not seen here. This is my method that I use in droughts. I do not use rain water, or methods that you have probably seen before. I let trees and shrubs water my garden for me. feel free to message me to learn more. Here is my web site. Not self promoting, but since this has never been done I would be glad to teach you more.
Jon Hutton
http://hishouseinc.com/agriculture.php
I love the Ruth Stout method. I don’t have access to old hay but have ten acres of woods and lots and lots of leaves which we put through a chipper/shredder and then put on our raised beds about 4 to 6 inches deep in fall. When planting time comes in the spring I test the PH which seems be just fine even with the leaves as mulch. I guess it is because of the worms and all the good bacteria and stuff.
Most of our beds are either 3 ft or 4 ft wide and anywhere from 10 ft long to 20 ft long. I do some square foot gardening but use my soil after screening out the rocks and the have added good top soil which we have to buy and lots of peat, composted manure and leaves and greens we can find.
At 71 years old I still raise a large amount of our food we need fresh and preserve more for winter. I have a greenhouse of sorts with glass front facing south to raise my own seeds that have been saved for many years. It has water barrels on the north wall for passive heating during the winter which works pretty well.
Another method must know. It was a good read knowing other methods of planting. it was a successful method though. Thank you for sharing this idea. Truly helpful.
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