Getting a bigger harvest out of your orchard is a laudable ambition, but what are the most effective ways to increase productivity? The answer is healthy soil, careful planning, and defending your crops against pests, weeds, and extreme weather, so let’s dig a little deeper.

So here are 10 proven tips to increase the productivity of your vegetable garden.

1. Feed your soil

Deep, nutrient-rich soils encourage extensive root systems and strong plants. Feed your soil plenty of organic matter, such as compost, manure, or potting soil. Compost and potting soil can easily be made at home for free, so fertilize as much as you can and place a thriving compost facility in the heart of your garden.

The best time to add most of the organic matter is winter to give it plenty of time to settle into the soil before spring. Then add more organic matter during the growing season, depositing it 2 to 5 cm thick around existing crops. This surface mulch will also help slow moisture loss and suppress weeds, saving you time watering and weeding.

2. Feed Your Plants

Many plants will benefit from an organic fertilizer supplement such as liquid algae concentrate.

You can also grow a plot of comfrey (next to your compost bin is ideal) and brew your own comfrey tea, a potent drink ideal for hungry plants like tomatoes. You can also simply cover the plants with cut comfrey leaves or add them to the compost pile where they will help speed up decomposition.

3. Grow in dedicated beds

Create a permanent bed system and minimize wasted space while focusing your resources. The beds are accessible from all sides, and the plants can be grown in blocks, maximizing productivity. And because you’ll be adding organic matter directly to the beds, you won’t waste it on roads or other unproductive terrain.

4. Choose Plants That Thrive

It may seem obvious, but growing what thrives in your soil and climate will result in stronger growth and higher yields. For example, warm climates are ideal for growing sweet potatoes and tomatoes. Or in cooler areas, opt for crops like Swiss chard and cabbage that can withstand the cold.

Choose varieties that have been bred to thrive in your climate. Early varieties are ideal for short growing seasons, while heat-tolerant varieties are a must for areas with scorching summer sun.

5. Grow more in the shade

Increasing productivity means making the most of every available space, and that includes the darkest areas. They are perfect for leafy vegetables such as lettuce or Asian vegetables, slow crops such as leeks and parsnips, and hardy fruits such as blackcurrants and currants. You can find in this article the crops that grow well in the shade.

6. Collect more rainwater

Rainwater is the best option for watering vegetables. Rainwater is softer, has fewer pollutants, and has a pH preferred by most plants, which promotes better growth. So if you’re still using treated water to irrigate your crops, now is the time to install extra water barrels and collect as much rainwater as possible. You can use a set of connectors to join multiple collectors together.

7. Extend the growing season

Know the dates of your first and last frost, then plan to extend your growing season by using cold weather protection. Tunnels, mini greenhouses, seed boxes, and bells allow planting to begin up to two weeks earlier, while harvesting can continue for a few more weeks at the end of the season.

A permanent structure such as a greenhouse opens up even more possibilities, making it possible to enjoy an even earlier start to spring while also providing sufficient protection for winter cultivation, e.g. hardy salads.

8. Space Plants Properly

Plant too close and your crops won’t grow well and will be prone to disease, but too far away and you won’t make the most of the space you have. A good garden planner will show you exactly how many plants can be grown in the available area.
Good soil can help you push the limits by growing vegetables a little closer than recommended.

9. Companion planting

Some plants are mutually beneficial. Grown together, they can help increase overall productivity. Crop association takes many forms. For example, corn can be used as a support for cane beans, while lettuce grown between rows of carrots or onions helps quell weeds while these slower-growing crops are established.
Mixing flowers with vegetables can help reduce pest problems.

10. Preventive pest control

Take a preventative approach to pests to stop them in their tracks. For example, place barriers over susceptible plants to protect them from flying insect pests, or reduce the slug pest population by eliminating hiding places such as flipped pots or tall grass in and around growing areas. Then, every few weeks, walk around the garden when the slugs are feeding at night to pick them up by torchlight and sympathetically take them somewhere other than your vegetable garden.

Also make room for flowers in the vegetable garden. Flowers like alyssum, marigold, and Douglas
fir don’t take up much space and will improve productivity by attracting ladybugs to control pests, including aphids, spider mites, and mealybugs.