Growing Vegetables in a 6 Inch Soil Layer
Even with a shallow growing medium, it is possible to produce a substantial harvest of vegetables. With annuals and perennials, you can get more than a handful of veggies in a 6 inch soil layer. Check out which vegetables you can grow in a shallow soil layer.
Annual Vegetables
- Tomatoes: Plant hybrid bush varieties or determinant tomatoes that have a semi-determinate or determinate growth habit.
- Strawberries: Plant perennial varieties such as June-bearing, ever-bearing, or day-neutral types.
- Peppers: Choose from the numerous varieties of bell peppers, hot peppers, and sweet peppers.
- Salad Greens: Cut-and-come-again salad greens are a great choice for shallow soil layers.
- Beets: The leaves may not grow very big in shallow soils, but the roots will still be delicious.
Perennial Vegetables
- Asparagus: Plant two-year-old crowns; they will produce spears the following spring.
- Garlic: Plant garlic cloves four inches deep. The tops will still grow well in a shallow soil layer.
- Rhubarb: Rhubarb performs well in shallow soil layers as long as it has adequate moisture.
- Raspberries: Choose from the numerous varieties of raspberries. Choose canes with 12-18 inches of stem.
- Horseradish: Dig up roots in autumn and replant in the spring. Roots will remain productive for years.
With annual and perennial vegetables, you can get a continuous harvest of delicious vegetables from a 6 inch layer of soil. Plant a variety of vegetables in this soil layer and enjoy the fruits of your labor for years to come.
