Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
This large greenhouse is the centerpiece of the year-round garden at the Summer Winter Restaurant in
Burlington, Massachusetts. With it, Rachel Kaplan, an in-house gardener, provides a variety of fresh produce.
(Photo courtesy of Summer Winter Restaurant)
Start Plants Indoors
Another way to extend your growing season is to start your seeds indoors. By getting the jump on
the season in this way, you'll have seedlings ready to go in the ground as soon as the soil is warm
enough. The obvious thing is to start seeds in late winter or early spring for your spring and sum-
mer crops. But don't forget that you can start seeds indoors during the late summer as well. Then
you'll have them ready to put in the ground for your fall garden!
Starting seeds indoors allows you to plant in succession as well. Start a new round of fast-growing
plants like lettuce and beans every two to four weeks. That way, you'll have new seedlings ready
to go!
Companion Planting and Interplanting
Have you ever seen old pictures of cottage kitchen-gardens that have herbs mixed in with their
vegetables? There are benefits to growing certain plants together instead of a single crop over the
entire space.
Monoculture
creates the perfect environment for outbreaks of pests and diseases, while
companion planting
allows plants to work better together than they would individually.
