Five High Yield Crops to Grow in a Small Vegetable Garden

Many of us possess the urge every spring to start a garden. The level of gardening usually depends upon how much space we have allowed to plant our veggies. Time and space seems to restrain even the most zealous gardener from accomplishing a high yield of crops to last throughout the year when one considers canning and freezing capabilities to store all these goodies. The rest of us simmer back and consider those vegetables we would like to plant in a small space that will still give us fantastic yields for the summer and fall. I have put together a list of five ideal vegetables to plant for those with little garden space.

Tomatoes

This little red fruit is a staple to most gardens large and small and can even be grown in a pot on the deck or patio. Most people automatically choose tomatoes as their number one choice because they are so easy to grow and well liked. The use of cages or poles will commit the plant to continue growing in the vertical direction which keeps your horizontal space free to grow other vegetables. The biggest success I have had with tomato breeds include the cherry and the pink lady which have produced quite well from June to late September in my zone 5 garden.

Lettuce

This leafy green vegetable will continue to produce throughout the year. The trick to reaping solid returns on romaine or green leaf is to consider staggering the plantings. When I grew Romaine last year, I was able to sustain about three to four cuttings from each plant before the lettuce eventually went bitter and was done. One way to keep the lettuce supply abundant all year is to stagger the planting season for lettuce. After planting one seedling, follow up with a second phase planting a few weeks later, and so on. This continual planting and harvesting will provide salads all summer long.

Pole Beans

Beans are a great abundant producer that grows well when they have the ability to grow vertically. Bush beans planted into the ground tend to spread out and can get bogged down with heavy rains leading to caked mud and rot conditions. Consider making or purchasing a trellis to fasten the young seedlings. This upward growth will keep the beans healthy and pretty much dirt free. These hearty vegetables go great on the supper table and lend themselves well to canning and freezing for winter use.

Bell Peppers

Peppers thrive in the zone 5 environment as I have reaped huge harvests every summer into late fall. These plants are hardy and will be a consistent producer. They do take up space in the garden but the yield trade off makes their occupation well worth it. These vegetables are great addition to some summertime kabobs or stuffed green peppers.

Herbs

Using seasonings and herbs purchased at the store can get quite expensive and usually don't taste nearly as good as the home grown variety. Consider starting an herb pot or carve out a small section of your garden. Typically, I grow a few sprigs of dill, cilantro, and basil for which I can access cuttings all summer long. Many herbs are considered weeds, so it is imperative to continually monitor growth and cut back those capable of going to seed.