Journal

Quick answer: Use a 30–45 litre (8–10 gallon) grow bag with drainage holes, plant 3–4 chitted seed potatoes per bag in loose, well-draining soil, and keep hilling up more soil as the plant grows. Water more often than you would in the ground, and expect a harvest in 10–16 weeks depending on the variety.

Quick answer: Build your raised bed 100–120 cm (40–48 in) wide if you can reach it from both sides, or no more than 75–80 cm (30 in) wide against a wall, and at least 30 cm (12 in) tall — ideally 40–50 cm (16–20 in) for root vegetables and an easier working height. Screw the…

Quick answer: The best raised bed soil mix is roughly 50% quality topsoil, 30% compost or well-rotted manure, and 20% coarser material such as aged bark or perlite for drainage. Build it in layers, with coarser material at the bottom, and plan on about 25–27 liters (roughly 1 cubic foot) of mix per square foot…

Quick answer: Grow garlic by planting cloves in fall, one to two weeks after the first killing frost and at least three weeks before the ground freezes. Set each clove pointed end up, 5 cm (2 in) deep, 15 cm (6 in) apart in rows 30 cm (12 in) apart, then mulch. Harvest in July…

Quick answer: Maximize a small vegetable garden by planting in tight blocks instead of long rows, spacing plants by square-foot grid amounts (up to 16 radishes or 9 bush beans per square foot), training vining crops up a trellis instead of letting them sprawl, sowing little and often instead of all at once, and choosing…