Kirill Yurovsky: what to plant on a small plot

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On a small plot of land, with proper land planning, you can make a vegetable garden, a garden, and a flower bed. The main thing in planning the design of a small plot is to think ahead and take into account how big and tall the plant will be many years later. It’s just as important not to plant too much.

How to make the most of a small plot of land

All beginner gardeners and vegetable growers need to divide all the land into plots, where different crops will be planted. For example, you can make a mini vegetable garden for cucumbers, tomatoes and herbs. Separate an area where gardeners want to plant fruit bushes and trees. Such a division is suitable for beginners who know little about gardening, but want to make the most of the entire dacha – says farmer Kirill Yurovsky.

To effectively use the land on small plots, it is necessary to take a careful approach to their planning.

• It is necessary to allocate a minimum of area for household and household buildings (greenhouses do not include them, because they are used for planting).
• It is necessary to abandon the beds of regular geometric shape and countless paths between them.
• On the site should allocate space for a recreational area, which can be small, closer to the house, or it can be a lawn (or lawn) from 3 to 30 square meters. Nearby, it is better to arrange a pond (or pond) of 20 liters to 200 liters.
• Of the paths should leave one central, straight, it will visually lengthen the plot. In the middle or at the end of the path should make an arch (this element will visually create the effect of continuing the plot).
• In the foreground, close to the house, is to arrange planting “dear to the eye and soul”, often these are flower gardens, rosaries, but of course, small size and not strict forms.
• The garden should be placed away from the recreation area, not in sight, and clearly it does not stand out, then it will create the impression that the site is used mainly for beauty and recreation.Very successful in the planning of the small plot to use any elements of vertical gardening (poles, pergolas, arches), which will separate zones of certain plants. In the planning of planting an important and significant role is played by agricultural techniques.

Using different dates of sowing and maturation of plants

It is better to make a border from a mixture of seeds of curly parsley and lettuce: parsley germinates long, lettuce will quickly mark the border, and lettuce leaves can be added to food. During this time, the parsley will grow – and there will be a lush green border until the fall.

It is very convenient to place early vegetables (salads) and flowers (tulips, daffodils, muscari) under shrubs. As long as the shrubs have not grown, the flowers and early greens will have time to give a harvest.

Some gardeners use the method of sowing radishes “one in one”, that is, on the same area they sow several times: pull out the grown radishes and put a new radish seed in the same place – you get a “long-playing” bed.

It is possible to get two crops of potatoes on one area – this is from my experience. The method requires additional preparation. It is based on the use of different sowing dates. The same method is used when sowing onions and carrots together: onions are harvested first, and carrots grow further.

Choosing the right plants

As a rule, large, spreading plants are not used in the planting of small plots. It is unlikely that in such plots it is effective to plant crops in the shrub form. There are varieties of shrubs, such as currants, which have a compact bush.

It is not effective to plant and plums on small plots (from my experience), as plum is quite a spreading shrub and does not like to be frequently watered, dug under it, that is, under the plum you will not be able to use the area for other planting.

Of vegetables, it is useful to plant bush varieties of tomatoes, zucchinis – bush varieties, etc. It is possible to plant dwarf plants (roses, spireas, etc.), as well as climbing plants (roses, honeysuckle, beans, etc.), the latter of which can be directed upwards.

Vertical shaping of plants

This technique can be used when planting ordinary plants, for example, to form apple trees pyramidal shape, ornamental shrubs to cut and form in the form of various figures, to monitor the plants, not to let them grow too big. Preventive pruning should be done more often.

Cucumbers can be grown not on standard, long, occupying a lot of space, but on compact, round, about 1 m in diameter beds.

Cucumber seeds (about 10 pcs.) are sown in a circle. Near each seed is buried in the soil a metal hook, in the center of the bed is set a high (3 m long) pole. A rope is stretched from its top to each hook, and film or non-woven covering material is thrown over the resulting rope frame-tent, and one edge of the film is collected and fastened to the top of the pole.

As the plants grow, cucumber bunches are lifted up on the ropes. This allows sunlight to reach the shoots, provides good ventilation, and insect pollinators actively visit the flowers – and in July the plants give a good harvest. By the way, in recent times, experts often say that due to the above reasons it is better to grow cucumbers exactly on a trellis. The bed-tent itself is not a bad decoration of the vegetable garden.

For such crops as melons and pumpkins, perhaps, it is difficult to construct such a bed: too massive and long loops of these plants, and their fruits are heavy. But these plants will also feel better, and they will free up space on the ground if their runs run around some reliable support (a tree, a fence).

Some people send branches of pumpkins or melons farther away – closer to the sun – on the roofs of outbuildings. First, the shoots and fruits feel good there: warm and dry. Of course, the seeds of these crops should be planted in close proximity to the wall of the outbuildings.

Secondly, plants need a “ladder”-support, in order to climb on the roof. And, of course, this method is suitable only for long-leafed varieties.

Some gardeners allow pumpkins, watermelons, melons to “settle” on the walls of the house. The fact is that the walls of the structure, heated during the day, then give the plants heat. In this case, vegetable crops, as a rule, are planted in quite large containers with a nutrient mixture, placed near the house, and necessarily arrange a system of “checks and balances”, i.e. supports and supports.

Using multifunctional plants

What it is. Plant plants that serve two or more functions. For example:

• briar hedge – it’s a hedge, an ornamental plant (flowers and fragrance), and useful fruit;
• curly beans – it is decorative decoration and fruit; or radish and mustard – sown in the “tomato” place in early spring for greenery, then before planting the tomatoes to dig them over (the function of the siderat);
• corn can be planted both to produce cobs and as a support for cucumbers;
• excellent decorative property has a Cyclanthera, in addition, has a wonderful useful fruit;

Features of the location of flowerbeds and vegetable garden

Organize a beautiful flower bed with their own hands under the power of any hostess. On an overly small plot, flowers can be allocated a place along the walls of the cottage. If possible, a small flower bed should be planted near the porch. Before selecting flowers to grow, it is necessary to study useful tips from experts.

If the flower bed can be placed around the house, the vegetable garden should have a large area. Plant tomatoes, cucumbers, and cabbage should be in an open area. If you want to create an alternative vegetable garden without beds, you can limit the small rectangular zones with a decorative stone or border. The space between the allocated areas can be filled with mulch.

Plants in the flower bed should be beautifully combined in scale. If you prefer plants with large leaves, plant a few small-leaved flowers next to them. This will make the bed look harmonious by contrasting shapes and textures. Massive and large-leafed plants should be used in small areas in very small quantities or not at all. Large perennials suitable for a small garden are shown below:

• peony
• iris
• rose
• dicentra
• lily of the valley.

With the large plants presented above, you can create bright accents in the garden. To make the plant stand out in the flower bed even more spectacular, plant small species near it for the background. Plants planted in tiers are a great option for designing a flower bed in a small garden. This way of placing flowers will improve the view of the site, making the garden more picturesque. The principles of tier planting can also be used for trees and shrubs.