Juan O' Sullivan's Tip of the Week #3: Planning for Next Year

Nothing is more gratifying to me than sharp looking horticulture, designed properly, that generates maximum production per square foot.

In this Juan's Tip of the Week we ask you to make notes this year so that you can utilize them to improve your production for next year. Proper planning and layout of plant rows allows for Proper Spacing, Proper Garden Design, Raised Beds, and Variety Production and History. See garden photos for all suggestions below.

1: Proper Spacing: We plant tomatoes in double rows three feet apart in the row and rows that are five feet apart. We plant chile peppers two feet apart in the row and rows that are two to three feet apart depenting on the variety. Doing this will make your drip irrigation more consistant, generate space efficiency and most importantly offer air flow to prevent viruses in your plants.

2. Proper Garden Design: Start early and do a layout of your garden. Expand your gardens into non flat areas of your yard that will not allow for really any other uses. You can then tier and terrace your gardens and build them up with matter for great production for years to come.

3: Raised Beds do multiple things for you. Elevating your beds offers the opportunity to make a better seed bed and also make for easier picking. I am getting old and my back hurts after picking 600# of chile on a Friday getting ready for market. If my beds are one foot tall, I do not have to bend over so much and that is gigantic. (See garden photo for raised beds)

4: Variety Production and History: Make notes on all of your varieties regarding their disease resistance and general production notes so that you will know if you want to grow them next year.

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