In this article, we will take a tour of a 20 by 40 garden that showcases various gardening techniques and strategies. The garden is carefully planned and laid out to maximize its productivity and diversity. The garden features raised beds with arch trellises, a variety of crops such as butternut squash, cucumbers, zucchini, peppers, onions, and celery, as well as different planting strategies for potatoes, sweet potatoes, and green beans.
The garden also demonstrates the use of wood chip pathways to suppress weeds and prevent soil erosion. Additionally, the article will cover topics such as grocery list gardening, raised bed construction, and the use of grow bags for potatoes. Overall, this article provides a comprehensive overview of the different techniques and strategies that can be used to create a productive and diverse garden.
Key Takeaways
- The garden features raised beds with arch trellises, a variety of crops, and different planting strategies for potatoes, sweet potatoes, and green beans.
- Wood chip pathways are used to suppress weeds and prevent soil erosion.
- The article covers topics such as grocery list gardening, raised bed construction, and the use of grow bags for potatoes.
Planning and Layout of the Garden
The 20 by 40 garden is planned out and laid out to ensure maximum diversity and food production. The garden has multiple raised beds, each with a specific purpose. The first raised bed has an arch trellis above it, and it is just a 5×4 raised bed. Everything is growing really well in this art trellis, with a whole bunch of butternut squash growing over the entire thing. There are also zucchinis, two peppers, and onions growing in this little space, making it a mass amount of diversity and food that’s growing here.
The second raised bed has more butternut squash growing over the trellis. However, the cucumbers did not do well this year for whatever reason. The garden is planned based on the grocery list, and the aim is to grow a lot of the things that are on the list. The idea is to have things that are easy to preserve, offer a lot of calories, and last a long time in a cold basement, such as onions, potatoes, and butternut squash.
The third raised bed has pole beans that have grown really well. The difference between pole beans and bush beans is that pole beans climb, while bush beans do not. The garden also has celery, which is not the easiest crop to grow at all, but once established, it grows really well. The aim is to have one celery plant per week if everything goes well.
The garden also has potato bags, which are any type of grill bag. They are used because the septic system is located where grilling is not allowed. Grow bags are also great because they can be moved around, and at the end of the year, all you need to do is dump them into some kind of container, pick out the potatoes, put the dirt back in, and use them again the next year.
The garden has wood chips to help with soil erosion and suppress weeds. The wood chips also make a really nice walking path, especially after it rains. The garden also has borders made of fallen tree limbs and other debris to have a nice, cleaner look.
Overall, the garden is planned out and laid out to ensure maximum diversity and food production. The garden has multiple raised beds, each with a specific purpose, and it is planned based on the grocery list to ensure that the family can grow a lot of the things that are on the list.
Raised Bed and Arch Trellis
The garden features a 5×4 raised bed with an arch trellis above it, where butternut squash is growing. In addition to the squash, there are zucchinis, peppers, and onions growing in this space, providing a diverse range of fresh produce.
The garden also features another trellis with more butternut squash growing on it, although the cucumber plants did not fare well this year. The garden was planned based on the family’s grocery list, with a focus on growing shelf-stable produce such as onions, potatoes, and butternut squash.
The garden also includes 52 celery plants, providing a year’s worth of celery for the family. The potatoes are grown in leaves, with the leaves acting as a natural mulch. The family has been self-sufficient in potatoes for several years, saving the little potatoes at the end of the year and replanting them in the spring.
The garden also features a teepee structure that was originally meant for grilling, but is now used to trellis sweet potatoes. The family also uses grow bags for potatoes, which can be easily emptied and reused each year.
The garden is bordered with fallen tree limbs and other debris, providing a cleaner look and making it easier to mow the grass on one side and tend to the garden on the other. The garden’s crown jewel is a raised bed made from fence pickets, with teepee structures made from saplings and jute twine providing free trellises.
This raised bed features indeterminate tomatoes, butternut squash, onions, and volunteer potatoes. The butternut squash has completely taken over the raised bed, providing an abundance of produce. Overall, the garden is planned to provide a diverse range of fresh produce that is easy to preserve and provides a lot of calories.
Diversity and Food Production
The garden tour showcased a 20 by 40 garden that was planned out and dialed in for optimal food production. The garden was diverse and had a mass amount of food growing in a small area. The garden had a variety of vegetables and fruits growing, including butternut squash, zucchini, peppers, onions, celery, sweet potatoes, green beans, and tomatoes.
The garden was designed to grow food that was on the family’s grocery list, which included crops that were easy to preserve and offered a lot of calories. The family grew shelf-stable crops like onions, potatoes, and butternut squash, which last a long time in a cold basement. The garden also had potatoes growing in leaves, which were grown in a container and covered with leaves for optimal growth.
The garden had a lot of wood chips on the ground, which helped with soil erosion and suppressed weeds. The wood chips also made a nice walking path and gave the garden a cleaner look. The garden had raised beds made out of fence pickets, which were four feet wide by 18 feet long. The raised beds had teepee structures made out of saplings, which were used as trellises for vertical gardening.
The garden had a lot of volunteer potatoes growing randomly around the garden, which were not intended to be there. The garden had potato bags, which were used to grow potatoes in a place where grilling was not possible. The bags were movable and could be used again the next year.
Overall, the garden showcased the importance of diversity in food production and the benefits of growing food that is easy to preserve and offers a lot of calories. The garden was designed to be self-sufficient and offered a variety of crops in a small area.
Growing Butternut Squash and Cucumbers
The garden tour showcases a 20 by 40 garden that is well-planned and diverse. The first raised bed has an arch trellis above it, and it is a 5×4 raised bed. Butternut squash is growing over the entire trellis, while zucchini, two peppers, and onions grow below it. The garden also has more butternut squash growing over another trellis, but the cucumbers did not do well this year.
The garden has 52 celery plants, which equates to one celery plant per week. The gardeners intentionally plant food that is shelf-stable, such as onions, potatoes, and butternut squash, which can last a long time in a cold basement. The potatoes are grown in leaves, and the gardeners are self-sufficient in potatoes, having not bought any for three or four years.
The garden also has a teepee-looking structure that is used for sweet potatoes. The gardeners took sweet potatoes from the store, put them in soil in their living room, and planted the slips that came up. The sweet potatoes trellis up the structure, and some of the plants started trellising out onto the ground.
There are also random potatoes growing throughout the garden, as the gardeners may have accidentally planted potatoes in the ground in previous years. The garden has a container filled with soil, which is used to grow zucchini. The gardeners also use wood chips to help with soil erosion and suppress weeds.
The garden has a third art trellis that has Walmart Kentucky Wonder pole beans growing on it. The gardeners prefer pole beans over bush beans as they get a lot more. The garden also has indeterminate tomatoes, more butternut squash, flowers, onions, and volunteer potatoes.
The gardeners built the raised beds out of fence pickets and made teepee structures out of saplings. The raised beds are four feet wide by 18 feet long, and the teepee structures have jute twine around them. The garden is a big jungle, and the gardeners have so much abundance that they cannot even keep it in the raised bed.
Grocery List Gardening
The speaker in the video has shared their experience of growing vegetables and fruits in their 20 by 40 garden. They have planned and executed their garden in such a way that it offers a diverse range of fruits and vegetables, which are also shelf-stable.
The speaker has emphasized the importance of looking at the grocery list before planning a garden. They have grown many items that are frequently on their grocery list, such as celery, potatoes, onions, zucchini, and butternut squash.
They have used raised beds with arch trellises to grow butternut squash, zucchini, and peppers. They have also used teepee structures to grow sweet potatoes. The speaker has mentioned that they have grown celery purposely, with the idea of having one celery plant per week.
To make the garden more functional and visually appealing, the speaker has used wood chips to suppress weeds, prevent soil erosion, and create walking paths. They have also used borders made of fallen tree limbs to give the garden a cleaner look.
The speaker has used grow bags to grow potatoes and has mentioned that they are easy to move and reuse. They have also used fence pickets to build raised beds and saplings to create free trellises.
Overall, the speaker has shared their experience of growing a diverse range of fruits and vegetables in their garden. They have used various techniques to make their garden functional, visually appealing, and self-sufficient.
Celery Planting Strategy
In their 20 by 40 garden, the speaker intentionally planted 52 celery plants, with the idea of having one celery plant per week. The goal was to grow foods that were diverse and shelf-stable, such as onions, potatoes, and butternut squash, which could last a long time in a cold basement. The speaker looked at their grocery list, which they used as a starting point for deciding what to grow for their family.
The celery plants were high-maintenance at first, but once established, they grew really well. The speaker did not provide any specific information on the planting strategy for the celery plants.
The speaker emphasized the importance of growing foods that were easy to preserve, offered a lot of calories, and lasted a long time. They also mentioned that they were 100% self-sufficient on potatoes, having not bought any potatoes in three or four years. They saved the little potatoes at the end of the year, kept them in a cold, dark basement, and brought them out the following spring to plant in the ground, where they regrew every year.
Overall, the speaker’s strategy for planting celery was part of a larger plan to grow diverse, shelf-stable foods that could last a long time and be used to feed their family throughout the year.
Potato Cultivation
In their 20 by 40 garden, the speaker grows potatoes using a unique method. Instead of planting them in the ground, they grow them in bags made for grilling. The bags are 20-25 gallons and can be easily moved around. At the end of the season, the potatoes are harvested by dumping the bags into a container, picking out the potatoes, and then reusing the dirt the following year.
The speaker also mentions that they have not bought potatoes in three to four years because they save the little potatoes at the end of the year and keep them in a cold, dark basement. They bring them out the following spring and plant them in the ground, and they regrow every year.
The potatoes in their garden are grown in leaves, which the speaker collected from their yard. They cleared out the wood chips, put the potatoes right on the soil, and covered them with leaves. They then bagged up the leaves behind the lawnmower after they had been mulched and put them on top of the potatoes.
The potatoes are located in a container with zucchini growing in it as well. The speaker mentions that they use everything they can and try to grow items that are shelf-stable and easy to preserve. Potatoes are one of those items that last a long time in a cold basement.
Overall, the speaker’s potato cultivation method is unique and allows them to be self-sufficient in potatoes. They also mention the importance of growing items that are easy to preserve and last a long time.
Sweet Potato Trellis
In their 20 by 40 garden, the speaker has a raised bed with an arch trellis above it, measuring 5×4. The butternut squash is growing over the entire trellis, while zucchini, two peppers, and onions are growing below it. The speaker’s aim was to grow the items that were on their grocery list. They intentionally planted 52 celery plants, with the goal of one plant per week. They grow shelf-stable items such as onions, potatoes, and butternut squash that last a long time in a cold basement.
The potatoes are grown in leaves, with the speaker clearing out all the wood chips and putting the potatoes right on the soil, covering them with leaves. The leaves are mulched and put on top of the potatoes, and they regrow every year. The speaker purposely planted extra wire around the tripod stand, which is used for grilling, and trellised sweet potatoes on it. The speaker used grow bags for potatoes, which can be moved and reused the following year.
The speaker has borders made up of fallen trees and tree limbs that need to be removed. They line the edge of the garden to have a cleaner look. The speaker’s favorite raised bed is made of fence pickets, measuring 4 feet wide by 18 feet long. The bed has teepee structures made of saplings, with jute twine wrapped around them. The bed has indeterminate tomatoes, butternut squash, flowers, onions, and volunteer potatoes growing in it.
Zucchini in Containers
In their 20 by 40 garden, the speaker and their wife have a variety of crops growing in containers. One container, filled with soil, is dedicated to growing zucchini. The zucchini is used to make zucchini bread and stir-fries. The container was repurposed from a grill bag and is approximately 20-25 gallons in size. The speaker recommends using any type of grill bag for this purpose.
The garden also features wood chips on the ground to help with soil erosion and weed suppression. Additionally, the speaker suggests using leaves as a cover for potatoes, as they have done in the past. The potatoes are grown in containers and can be harvested every year, making them a shelf-stable crop.
The speaker emphasizes the importance of planning out the garden based on the family’s grocery list. They intentionally plant crops that are easy to preserve and offer a lot of calories, such as onions and butternut squash. In this way, the garden provides a diverse range of food for the family.
Overall, the speaker demonstrates the versatility of container gardening and encourages the use of repurposed materials for this purpose.
Wood Chip Pathways
The garden has wood chip pathways that serve multiple purposes. Firstly, they help with soil erosion and suppress weed growth. Secondly, they make it easier to walk in the garden after it rains. The wood chips are obtained for free from the city depository.
The wood chip pathways also add aesthetic value to the garden, making it look more organized and neat. Additionally, they are functional as they provide a walking path that is not muddy or mushy, making it easier to move around the garden.
The wood chip pathways are also used to grow potatoes. The potatoes are grown in leaves or hay, covered with wood chips, and left to grow. The wood chips help to retain moisture in the soil, and the potatoes grow well in this environment. The potatoes are harvested at the end of August or early September and stored in a cold, dark basement for future use.
Overall, the wood chip pathways are an essential part of the garden, serving multiple purposes and adding value to the garden.
Green Bean Varieties
The garden features a variety of green beans, including Kentucky Wonder pole beans and bush beans. The pole beans are preferred over the bush beans due to their higher yield. The beans from Walmart seeds were not as successful as those from a seed company, such as migardener.com. The green beans are grown on trellises and harvested every other day.
Potato Grow Bags
In their 20 by 40 garden, the speaker shows off their potato grow bags, which are actually grill bags that are 20-25 gallons in size. The grow bags are used because grilling is not possible near their septic system. The bags are also portable and can be moved around the garden as needed.
At the end of the growing season, the bags can be emptied into a container, such as a wheelbarrow, and the potatoes can be picked out while the dirt is put back into the bags. This makes the bags reusable for the next growing season.
The speaker emphasizes the importance of growing shelf-stable foods that are easy to preserve and offer a lot of calories. Potatoes are an ideal crop for this purpose, as they can last a long time in a cold basement. The speaker has not bought potatoes in three or four years because they save the little potatoes at the end of the year, keep them in their cold, dark basement, and bring them out the following spring to plant in the ground.
The potato grow bags are just one part of the speaker’s diverse garden, which includes butternut squash, zucchini, peppers, onions, celery, green beans, and more. The speaker plans their garden based on the items on their grocery list, aiming to grow as much of their own food as possible. They also use wood chips to suppress weeds and help with soil erosion, and they repurpose fallen tree limbs to create borders for their garden.
Raised Bed Construction
The speaker in the video provided a tour of their 20 by 40 garden, emphasizing the importance of proper planning and organization. The first raised bed shown in the tour had an arch trellis above it and measured 5×4. The speaker reported that everything was growing well in this bed, including butternut squash, zucchini, peppers, and onions. The garden had a diversity of food growing in a relatively small space.
The second raised bed shown in the tour also had butternut squash growing over a trellis. However, the cucumbers did not do well this year. The speaker explained that they planned their garden based on their grocery list, aiming to grow items that were easy to preserve and lasted a long time. For example, they purposely planted 52 celery plants, one for each week, and grew potatoes in leaves instead of wood chips to make them self-sufficient in potatoes.
The third raised bed had a teepee-looking structure that was originally intended for grilling but ended up being used as a trellis for sweet potatoes. The speaker also mentioned that they had potatoes growing randomly around the garden, including in walking paths.
The raised beds were constructed using fence pickets, which were four feet wide and 18 feet long. The speaker used saplings to create teepee structures and jute twine to make free trellises. The raised beds were filled with soil and wood chips to suppress weeds and prevent soil erosion.
Overall, the speaker’s garden demonstrated the importance of proper planning and organization in maximizing the use of a small space. The raised beds and trellises allowed for a diversity of food to grow, while the use of self-sufficient crops like potatoes and celery helped to reduce grocery costs.
Tomato and Squash Planting
The garden tour showcases a 20 by 40 garden, which is well-planned and diverse. The first raised bed has an arch trellis above it, and it is a 5×4 raised bed. The butternut squash is growing over the entire arch trellis, while zucchini, two peppers, and onions are growing in the same space. The garden produces a mass amount of diversity and food in a small area.
More butternut squash is growing over another trellis, while cucumbers are not doing well this year. The gardener looked at the grocery list and tried to grow the things that were on it. The garden has celery, purposely planted 52 celery plants, which is one celery plant per week. The gardener grows things that are shelf-stable, like onions, potatoes, and butternut squash, and easy to preserve, offering a lot of calories.
Potatoes are grown in leaves, and the gardener is 100% self-sufficient on potatoes, which they haven’t bought in three or four years. Sweet potatoes are grown on a tripod stand, and the plants trellis up pretty well. The garden has a lot of wood chips to help with soil erosion, suppress weeds, and make a nice walking path.
The third art trellis has Walmart Kentucky Wonder pole beans, while the indeterminate tomatoes and more butternut squash are growing in a raised bed. The garden also has flowers, onions, and volunteer potatoes growing everywhere. The gardener uses borders made of fallen tree limbs and lines the edge of the garden for a cleaner look, making it easier to mow the grass on one side and have the garden on the other.
The garden produces a lot of food diversity in a small area, making it an excellent starting point for growing food for a family.
