Today we wanted to talk about what we’re growing on our ¼ acre property.
With each garden season, we plan, work and wait to see what our property will offer and yield us. We reflect and make changes each year so that we are working as efficiently as possible and have the highest yield from our crops. Today we’re sharing all about what we’re growing on our 1/4 acre property.
What is the reasoning behind this?
One thing that is really important to us is that we try to grow and produce as much of our own food as we possibly can. It’s important for us to know where our food comes from and what is in our food. By growing our own food, we know exactly what is used to produce it and that we use organic and sustainable practices as well.
How much can you really grow on a ¼ acre property?
You would be surprised at how much food you could grow in a small space. We employ some tactics such as square foot gardening where you grow as much food as you can in one square foot. We also employ some methods of companion planting where we grow tomatoes and peppers or other plants together in the same space. In addition, we also use some methods of vertical gardening by way of trellises so that any crops that we can train up a trellis we are able to grow vertically.
Each year we grow hundreds of pounds of fruits and vegetables on our property. We typically grow a very large quantity approximately 100 pounds of tomatoes, 20-30 pounds of peppers, 75-100 pounds of potatoes, 40-50 pounds squashes and pumpkins, 15-20 pounds of onions. It really is possible to produce a large amount of food in a small space.
How do you make the most of a small space?
We have 8 raised beds which are 4 feet x 8 feet, 3 two and three tiered raised beds, 30 grow bags including 10 10-gallon and 6 20-gallon bags. We prefer raised beds because it reduces the amount of dirt and organic matter that you lose each year. You also have more control over the moisture in the soil due to it being elevated above the ground level. We prefer grow bags because they are similar to a raised bed yet they are movable. If down the road you want to move them to another part of your yard, you can easily relocate them by way of a moving dolly. The other great thing is that the grow bags can be placed anywhere. We have them located on a cement slab. To reduce the amount of sun and heat these bags receive, we also have installed a shade cloth over this area.
What are we growing on our 1/4 acre property?
This gardening season we are growing many varieties of tomatoes including cherry, salad, and slicer tomatoes. They are all heirloom and indeterminate varieties. We are also growing many varieties of peppers including; bell peppers, sweet peppers, jalapeno peppers, pepperoncini peppers, yellow wax hot peppers, shishito peppers, ancho grande peppers, and Italian frying peppers. We are growing many different types of squash including; zucchini, acorn, buttercup, table king, and spaghetti. We are growing two types of pumpkins; howden and sugar pie. We are growing several types of melons including; cantelope, watermelon, casaba, and tigger. We are also growing potatoes, onions, cucumbers, peas, green beans, lettuce, kale, and artichokes.
What else can you grow on a small property?
If you aren’t wanting to go all in with garden beds, planters, or pots. You can also just plant some fruit trees or berry plants. You can plant dwarf varieties of apples, cherries, and other fruit trees which won’t get overly large. We have two dwarf apple and two cherry trees. We also have blueberry, raspberry, tayberry, and blackberry bushes growing on our property. These are all fairly low maintenance besides having to be pruned, trained, and sometimes needing to be sprayed if they get bothered by any pests.
We’d love to hear what you are growing this year? We love hearing what others are growing or producing for themselves. Please let us know in the comments below. Thank you for visiting Sunup to Sundown! We’ll be back soon with another recipe or update regarding our garden or our journey to become more self-reliant. Please subscribe, like or share this post with others who could benefit from it.
