Grow an abundance! By Grown and Gathered

Story by Grown and Gathered.
Tomatoes: Start early. Start tomato seedlings in a greenhouse in late winter, then plant advanced tomato seedlings in late spring, after the danger of frost has passed. Plant in 90 cm intervals in a double row—rows spaced 30 cm apart (see opposite). In just 15 m2 you can fit 28 plants in two beds!
Provide support: Erect a vertical mesh trellis along each row of tomatoes in the first month after planting. Then simply weave the branches back and forth through the trellis each week as they grow—tomatoes love to climb, but they’re not good at it, so we need to help! Any branches growing directly into the path that are too hard to weave can be snipped off near the main stem.
Yield big: Grown on this system, one healthy tomato plant can yield 15–20 kg in a season. That’s 420–560 kg of tomatoes from a 15 m2 patch! Should be enough to feast on tomatoes all summer, put away all the passata you need and share plenty with your village!
Zucchini/summer squash: Just 1–3 plants! For a household, plant just one to three plants in late spring, after the danger of frost has passed. Choose a mix of varieties (striped zucchini and yellow squash are our favourites). Some varieties ‘creep’ and others will remain a ‘bush’. We choose bush varieties for inside the garden and creeping varieties for the perimeter. Plant young. Plant from seed or as young seedlings with just one set of crinkly leaves—more mature seedlings don’t do well. Space 90 cm apart—they’ll get enormous! Harvest regularly. Check for harvest-sized fruits daily (zucchini fruit can grow up to 3 cm a day!). Regular harvest will ensure continuous growth all season until frosts (if you get them) kill the plants. In frost-free areas, a healthy zucchini can live for months upon months. Nurture. Spray leaves every few weeks with worm tea or a seaweed/kelp/fish emulsion to protect them from powdery mildew (see page 103 for more information). And lay compost around the plants halfway through the growing season to guarantee strength long into autumn.
Rocket: Rocket is our favourite salad green. One small patch of rocket (60 cm x 60 cm), planted twice a year, is all you need for a constant supply of lush greens year-round. Sow. Sow rocket seed in shallow furrows, cover back over with soil and keep moist until the cotyledons appear. Sow a patch in early spring and another in early autumn. Water. Water rocket every day, as consistent watering is key for it to sit all year, without bolting to flower.
Harvest: Once leaves reach salad size, cut as needed, starting at one end of the row and working your way along. Cut with a knife, 5 cm from the base of the plant. More leaves will grow and be ready to cut in just 3 weeks. Repeat. You can harvest your rocket this way over and over. A consistently watered patch that has enough nutrition in the soil will continue to grow from spring through to autumn, through several cuttings, and your second patch from autumn to spring again.