Fresh vegetables and fruits are healthier than store-bought. It is a dream of most people who are interested in gardening that they will get a fresh supply of food for the kitchen from their own garden. I know gardening is not an easy task and you can never know everything about it.
But your little endeavor may succeed you in your purpose. You will get all the information about gardening from the internet or books. It is a better way to do some research before starting gardening.
How To Divide Your Land For Growing Beds On Your 1/4 Acre Of Land?
If you have a quarter acre of land then with perfect planning you can grow more food. If you are an experienced gardener, you know how to extend your growing season, interplant, and succession plant.
You must have a greenhouse on your land so you can easily start your growing season when you want. You have a 10,000-square-foot area so you can divide it.
If you build 150 beds according to your land. The width of the bed is 32 inches and the length is 12 feet long.
- ¼ or quarter acre= 10,890 feet
- Total number of beds= 150
- The size of each Bed= 12 feet long and 3 feet wide.
- The area of the path between beds= is 16 inches
- Each bed needs= 50 square feet
- The area of 150 beds covers= 50 × 150 =7500 square feet
- 2 Greenhouses= Each 34 feet long and 12 feet wide= 34×12= 408 sq. feet
- Total size occupied by greenhouse= 816 square feet
If you follow this division then almost 8500 square feet of land is used for growing food. The remaining 2000 square feet can be used for raising chickens, rabbits, ducks, and other inexpensive animals to make yourself more self-sufficient.
Build 2 Greenhouses On Your 1/4 Acre Land
The size of the greenhouse depends on your climate and the number of plants you want to keep in it. You can build 2 greenhouses on your land; each greenhouse is 34 feet long and 12 feet wide.
As 1/4 acre is a sufficient piece of land so you can easily build your greenhouse. There are many advantages of a greenhouse. In a greenhouse, you can easily maintain temperature, moisture, and light for your plants.
- The first benefit is that you can start your growing season earlier, generally, you have to wait until the last frost passes, then you sow the seeds outdoors. Greenhouses make it possible that you can grow your plants at any time because it provides a favorable temperature according to the needs of your plants. But in case you have a greenhouse you can sow the seeds in seedling trays in the greenhouse. When your seedlings are 3 to 4 inches tall then they are ready to transplant in their permanent location.
- You can use artificial lights for your plants in the greenhouse.
- A greenhouse is a place where your plants are safe from the harsh winter season. If you are living in such a climate where temperatures fall below the freezing point then your plants can’t survive in that situation. Greenhouse provides shelter in that case. If the weather is too cold you can arrange a heater for your plants. In the same way, if the weather is too hot you can arrange a ceiling fan for your plants.
- The animals and insects can’t access your plant in a greenhouse.
- You can control all the conditions in your greenhouse that’s why your plants grow well.
Keep Reading
- How To Become Self-Sufficient In ¼ Acres
- How Much Food Can You Grow In One Acre?
- How Much Land To Feed A Family Of 4?
Build Raised Beds For Your Edible Plants To Make Your Work Easier
It is not an easy task to become self-sufficient after growing on a quarter acre of land. To make your work easier you can also build raised beds. There are many benefits of the raised bed.
In our calculation raised beds are not included but you can adjust them according to the choice of your land. You can easily maintain your plants when you grow them in raised beds.
As bending and kneeling is the part of gardening but raised beds to help to look after your plants effortlessly.
You must leave 2 feet between each bed so you can easily pass. The path between the beds helps you to reach your plants easily. If the beds are wider than 3 to 4 feet then you will have difficulty maintaining your plants.
The plants that are grown in the center of the bed will be neglected and as a result, you will not get healthy vegetables.
Production Factors And Techniques
When you grow on your quarter acre of land before starting you should pay attention to many factors. For instance, you have to know how to control different insects, pests, and weeds.
If you want to grow vegetables to fulfill your needs then you should choose them according to your family’s choice. If you are growing vegetables for selling then you should take care of consumer demands.
It is not easy to manage growing food on 1/4 acre of land but with effective management, it can be possible. If you can’t study the flow of desired vegetables then you have to adopt basic techniques.
Some vegetables can easily be grown throughout the year but it depends upon the climate. The production of such kinds of vegetables varies in different regions.
Climate
Before deciding on the vegetables and fruits on your land you should make a new search about what type of vegetables and fruits can be grown in your climate.
Moisture, temperature, wind, humidity, and light are allm included in climate. These factors of climate can affect the growth and development of your plant.
You can ask about suitable fruit and vegetables in your area from any local nursery and they will guide you. It is better to take expert advice if you want to produce healthy food on your land.
Temperature
Another important factor that plays a very important role in the healthy development of your plants. You should have knowledge about the requirements of the temperature of plants that you are going to grow on your land. As temperature requirements vary according to the specific row.
Some vegetables like to go in cold climates. They can’t bear temperatures above 70 degrees Fahrenheit or 21 degrees centigrade. The vegetables which are included in this group are cabbage, broccoli, beet, Brussel sprouts, onion, pea, radish, potato, turnip, parsley, leek, lettuce, carrot, garlic, cauliflower, and spinach.
If we talk about the vegetables that like to grow in the warm season: eggplant, bean, cucumber, okra, pepper, sweet corn, squash, watermelon, sweet potato, and tomato.
For glowing warm weather crops your temperature should be above 70 degrees Fahrenheit. These vegetables can’t tolerate frost. If you want to start your growing season with a deer then you can prepare your seedlings in the greenhouse. when the weather is comfortable for them then you can transplant them to their permanent location.
Moisture
Like temperature, moisture also plays an important role in the production of your favorite vegetables and fruits. Crops are affected by annual distribution and the amount of rain in your area.
If there is not enough rainfall then your plants need proper irrigation to compensate. Keep your soil moist because in dry soil the growth of the roots of your plant is disturbed.
When the root system of your plants develops healthily then they can absorb more water and nutrients from the soil. It doesn’t mean you prefer overwatering because wet and soggy soil restricts aeration.
You should also keep an eye on the motion driver in the air. If you are living in such an area where the level is very high then you should not have such crops that like to grow in high humidity. The high humidity level in the air can also encourage fungal diseases in plants.
Light And Site
Plants get all their energy from sunlight. Different plants need different amounts of light so you should choose the perfect location according to their need.
It is better to use a level site for growing plants. When you are growing in a large area then it needs an adequate water supply and perfect soil.
Soil Preparation
The preparation of the soil is a very important part because soil provides all the basic nutrients and minerals to your plants. Make sure the soil is well-drained because wet soil retards the development of plants.
Soil texture and aeration place very important roles. To improve the quality of soil you can add menu and other organic matter this will make your soil richer and improve the development of your vegetable crops
Keep Reading
How To Manage Your ¼ Land For Growing Vegetables And Fruit?
¼ acre land has a 10,890 square foot area. It is very tricky to decide what to grow in it. You should choose those vegetables and fruits that you and your family like most.
In this way, you will become self-sufficient and also sell them. The following is an idea of how many vegetables plants in how many raised beds you can grow.
| No. | Vegetables Names | Beds |
| 1 | CABBAGE AND BROCCOLI | 10 BEDS |
| 2 | CARROTS, TURNIPS, AND BEETS | 10 BEDS |
| 3 | LETTUCE, BOK CHOY, AND SALAD GREENS | 10 BEDS |
| 4 | TOMATO PLANTS IN CAGES | 15 BEDS |
| 5 | PEPPERS | 10 BEDS |
| 6 | BEAN PLANTS | 5 BEDS |
| 7 | HERBS | 5 BEDS |
| 8 | POTATOES | 10 BEDS |
| 9 | ONIONS | 5 BEDS |
| 10 | VINING CROPS SUMMER SQUASH AND CUKES | 20 BEDS |
| 11 | CUCUMBER | 5 BEDS |
| 12 | STRAWBERRIES, BLACKBERRIES, AND RASPBERRIES | 5 BEDS |
| 13 | GRAPES | 5 BEDS |
| 14 | CHERRIES | 5 BEDS |
CABBAGE AND BROCCOLI – 10 BEDS
Cabbage and broccoli plants can easily adjust to one bed. You can grow 25 broccoli and cabbage plants in a 12 feet long and 3 feet wide ground bed.
As you have 10 ground beds for growing broccoli and cabbage then you can grow a total of 250 plants of cabbage and broccoli can easily grow in a bed of this size.
CARROTS, TURNIPS, AND BEETS -10 BEDS
10 beds are reserved for growing beets turnips and carrots. These are deep-rooted vegetables and need ample space for their root growth.
LETTUCE, BOK CHOY, AND SALAD GREENS – 10 BEDS
Salad greens, bok choy, and lettuce are good for health. You should also include these vegetables in your list and reserve 10 beds for them. 50 plants of these vegetables easily grow in a bed of 12 feet long and 38 wide. It means a total of 500 plants of salad greens and lettuce can be grown.
TOMATO PLANTS IN CAGES -15 BEDS
You should choose different varieties of tomatoes like cherry and slicing in 15 beds. You can grow 6 tomato plants in 12 feet long and 3 feet wide beds.
It means you can have 90 tomatoes in 15 ground beds. At the time of transplanting you should install tomato cages so your fruit will get proper support.
PEPPERS- 10 BEDS
As you have 10 beds for growing peppers so you can grow different varieties such as hot and sweet. You can easily grow 25 plants of peppers in 12 feet long and 3 feet-wide raised beds. In 10 beds, you can grow 250 pepper plants.
BEAN PLANTS – 5 BEDS
5 beds are enough for growing bean plants. In each bed, you can easily grow 100 bean plants. In five beds, you can grow 500 bean plants.
HERBS – 5 BEDS
Herbs enhance the flavor of different dishes. No vegetable garden is complete without adding herb plants. Herbs you can grow are coriander, mint, rosemary parsley, basil, thyme, sage, cilantro, and others.
POTATOES -10 BEDS
Potato is the most common vegetable which is eaten worldwide. 10 potato plants are for growing potato plants.
ONIONS- 5 BEDS
5 beds are enough for growing onions. You can also green onions for 12 long raised beds. 5 beds will give you a continuous supply of onions.
VINING CROPS SUMMER SQUASH AND CUKES – 20 BEDS
Vining crops such as squash and cukes must be part of your vegetable garden. 20 beds will produce enough vining crops for you.
CUCUMBER – 5 BEDS
Another summer crop and perfect for your quarter-acre land. You should reserve at least 5 beds for growing cucumbers.
STRAWBERRIES, BLACKBERRIES, AND RASPBERRIES – 5 BEDS
All of these berries need little maintenance. You can grow these juicy treats without much effort.
GRAPES – 5 BEDS
Grapes need the proper structure of support because they are winning fruit you have two train them on traders or wire support.
CHERRIES – 5 BEDS
Another low-maintenance small fruit tree that needs no pruning. You can grow both sweet and sour cherries.