Intensive Planting
I was first introduced to the concept of intensive planting on an olive tree farm north of Santa Rosa, California somewhere around 2005. I remember asking the head gardener if someone hadn't thinned the beds yet and what was going. He proceeded to give me some amazing knowledge about a growing style he referred to as intensive planting. Thanks for the knowledge and all the olive oil my friend.
Intensive planting is a way of spacing crops in order to produce and harvest as much as possible from an allotted space. Intensive planting is not just about plant spacing it takes other factors into consideration; growth pattern, size of the plant at maturity, shade tolerance, nutrient needs, and growing season. A productive intensive requires planning but with all these factors you can plan and produce a year-round productive garden.
Below is a chart that discusses plant spacing
Plant
Spacing (inches)
Asian Cabbage
10-12
Leeks
3-6
Asparagus
15-18
Lettuce, Head
10-12
Bush Bean
4-6
Lettuce, Leaf
4-6
Lima bean
4-6
Melons
18-24
Pole Bean
6-12
Mustard Greens
6-9
Beets
2-4
Okra
12-18
Broccoli
12-18
Onions
2-4
Brussels Sprout
15-18
Peas
2-4
Cabbage
15-18
Peas, Southern
3-4
Carrots
2-3
Peppers
12-15
Cauliflower
15-18
Potatoes
10-12
Cucumber
12-18
Pumpkins
24-36
Chard
6-9
Radishes
2-3
Collards
12-15
Rutabaga
4-6
Corn
15-18
Spinach
4-6
Endive
15-18
Squash- Summer
18-24
Eggplant
18-24
Squash- Winter
24-36
Kale
15-18
Tomatoes
18-24
Kohlrabi
6-9
Turnips
4-6
* Remember when intercropping, or growing multiple varieties within close proximity to one another, in order to figure out spacing, take the average of the 2 crops.
For example, if I am growing heads of lettuce (spacing of 10-12”) and beans (4-6” spacing) together I would take the average of the two. I would use the spacing of (11+5)/2= 8”.