11 Crops That Don’t Mind Overcrowding
Small gardens can produce immense harvests! You simply have to ignore the spacing requirements on seed packets. Pack those vegetables tightly, and watch your garden burst at the seams with produce. Seasoned grower Jerad Bryant shares 11 crops that are perfect for overcrowding.
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Spacing requirements are for ideal conditions, where a vegetable has ample airflow and space to spread. Though these conditions are crucial for crops like peppers and eggplants, they’re less critical for quick-growing ones like lettuce, spinach, and chard.
Other veggies, like corn, depend on overcrowding! They use wind to pollinate their flowers; the closer they grow near each other, the easier it is for pollen to reach their female flowers. You’ll have higher yields when you overcrowd corn than when you space it out.
These crops are especially valuable in small gardens, where space is limited and valuable! Combine overcrowding with other efficient strategies like succession planting to get the most out of your garden this season. Without further ado, here are 11 crops that don’t mind overcrowding.
Lettuce
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botanical name Lactuca sativa |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 6-12” |
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hardiness zones 2-11 |
Lettuce starts this list because it’s quick-growing, easy to care for, and delicious! You can pack loose-leaf and oakleaf varieties close together, then harvest individual leaves when they reach picking size. Other superb types for close conditions include baby greens, mesclun mixes, and dwarf varieties.
Head-forming lettuce varieties may need a few inches of space to reach their full potential. Pack them too close, and they may form small ones or none at all. This is ideal if you’re growing lettuce for loose-leaf picking, though it’s less than ideal if you’re looking to grow large and crunchy iceberg heads.
One way to grow head-forming lettuce in tight spaces is to harvest the plants one at a time. When one head forms, cut it down; the space you leave behind will let the surrounding lettuce plants grow and fill the area. Some types may resprout after you cut them, providing endless harvests!
Spinach
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botanical name Spinacia oleracea |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 6-12” |
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hardiness zones 2-11 |
Like lettuce, spinach is an easygoing crop that doesn’t mind overcrowding. It sprouts tender leaves from small, low-growing rosettes. Some types form clusters, while others offer loose leaves for individual picking. My favorite way to grow spinach is en masse in a tight space; the packed plants grow small, baby greens as long as the weather is cool, mild, and moist.
‘Baby Greens’ are perfect for this style of growing. They form small, oval leaves on small plants just a few days or weeks after planting. Pack them in a tight square, or sow rows with seeds close together. You may harvest the leaves once they reach two to four inches in height.
Mature spinach types, like ‘America’ or ‘Bloomsdale,’ also perform well in narrow corners or rows. They’ll form larger plants if you let them, but you can harvest them 28 days after planting for tender baby greens.
Swiss Chard
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botanical name Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 1-2’ |
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hardiness zones 2-11 |
Swiss chard is another leafy green like spinach and lettuce. It’s a close relative of beets; breeders formed Swiss chard to harvest its leaves rather than an edible, bulbous root. For this reason, chard types have a similar flavor to beet greens!
I love Swiss chard because it resists heat and frost better than lettuce and spinach, even though it’s not as great-tasting fresh! It’s best to cook, blanch, or steam the leaves, then add salt, pepper, and oil before eating them.
Some chards are supreme because of their tenderness, allowing you to eat them fresh! ‘Perpetual Spinach’ is one such variety from Italy. It sprouts many thin-ribbed oval leaves perfect for salads, sandwiches, or cooked recipes.
Green Onion
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botanical name Allium fistulosum |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 1-3’ |
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hardiness zones 5-9 |
Did you know green onions are perennial in warm, temperate zones? Plant seeds this spring, cultivate them, and let them thrive for years! So long as you live within USDA hardiness zones 5 through 9, you can grow perennial onions. Moreover, these are the perfect crops for small spaces because they don’t mind overcrowding.
‘Tokyo Long White’ is a sweet-tasting variety perfect for beginners. It may not survive the winter, though you can save its seeds to grow green onions the following spring.
Though true green onions have the scientific name Allium fistulosum, there are two other onion species with tender, tasty leaves. Allium cepa onions are the typical bulb-forming types; pack them tightly to promote foliage growth. Allium x proliferum, or the tree onion, is a perennial type ideal for zones 3 through 10.
Cilantro
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botanical name Coriandrum sativum |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 1-2’ |
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hardiness zones 2-11 |
If you eat tacos, make sofritos, or just love the taste of cilantro, you’ll want to try growing it yourself! This crop is quick-sprouting, easy to grow, and doesn’t mind overcrowding. Jam seeds in small spaces for seedling harvests, or give each one an inch or two of space to let them grow to a larger size.
Cilantro sprouts two edible parts for recipes: leaves and seeds. The seeds create the spice coriander, as is evident by this herb’s scientific name, Coriandrum sativum. Some varieties produce better-tasting leaves, while others sprout dozens of seeds on a single plant.
If you’re growing this herb for coriander, consider following the proper spacing requirements or thinning the seedlings after they sprout. The adult plants need space to spread wide and tall as they produce flowers and seeds. Some varieties, like ‘Moroccan,’ are quick to bolt and perfect for coriander production. Sow them thickly, harvest the seedlings, then let a few plants mature into adults for free coriander!
Radish
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botanical name Raphanus raphanistrum subsp. sativus |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 6”-3’ |
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hardiness zones 2-11 |
Most radishes aren’t like beets or carrots, which demand ample space to grow their roots. They form small, round bulb-like roots that taste great fresh or cooked in a variety of dishes. Grate them on salads, chop them into sandwiches, or roast them with onions and carrots—the possibilities are endless!
Radishes sprout edible leaves in addition to their tasty roots. Treat them like collards or chard, and cook them before eating. They have fuzzy hairs that are unpleasant if you eat them raw.
Winter radishes do need some space, as they sprout larger bulbs than spring types. Grow a small, quick-sprouting spring variety like ‘Cherry Belle’ if you plan on spacing the plants close together. ‘Cherry Belle’ radishes only need two inches of space and 24 days to mature to full size!
German Chamomile
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botanical name Matricaria chamomilla |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 1-2’ |
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hardiness zones 2-10 |
This annual herb sprouts lovely white-petaled blooms with yellow centers. They resemble daisies, partially because German chamomile is a member of the daisy family, Asteraceae. Because of their annual nature, they tolerate cramped conditions with little space. Sow them thickly wherever possible to fill empty spaces.
German chamomile’s sweet-smelling blooms resemble pineapple and apple, with a hint of honey. Eat them fresh in salads or dry them to brew a soothing, calming tea for the rest of the year. The leaves are also herbal, though they’re not as sweet-tasting as the blooms.
Another chamomile, the Roman chamomile Chamaemelum nobile, is a perennial groundcover that tolerates close quarters. It’ll create a thick, low-growing mat over time. Though hardy, it doesn’t taste as good as annual German chamomile.
Strawberry
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botanical name Fragaria spp. |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 4-8” |
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hardiness zones 6-9 |
Strawberry crops don’t mind overcrowding because they naturally overcrowd themselves! You don’t have to space a bunch of plants close together. Instead, plant a few strawberries and let them sprout runners throughout the space. Their runners are free-rooting stems with plantlets on their ends. The plantlets root near the mother plant and form new clones.
Though strawberries can grow close to each other, they may face increased disease pressures as they fill the space. Watch for leaf spots, and thin the plants if diseases show up. Simply dig up extra plants and move them elsewhere, or throw them in a compost pile to repurpose them into fresh dirt.
Three major types of garden strawberries exist: everbearing, June-bearing, and day-neutral. Which type is best for you depends on your climate and growing goals. June-bearing types typically tolerate the most crowding, while everbearing and day-neutral varieties require more space per plant.
Pea
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botanical name Pisum sativum |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 1-2’ |
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hardiness zones 2-11 |
If you dislike peas from the grocery store, consider growing your own! Homegrown peas are sweet, delectable, and prolific. Plant a few seeds, and you’ll have bushels of pods to harvest when the plants mature.
Peas grow best in cool, moist, and mild climates. Sow them in the fall or spring in cold climates and in the fall or winter in mild ones. Plant many seeds per row, giving each one two inches of space from the next seed. Unlike beans, peas tend to stay low to the ground despite their twining tendencies. Give them short supports to lean on if they topple over.
Three main types of peas offer immense variety for the home gardener. Choose shelling peas if you like typical green peas without pods, but only if you’re prepared to shell out the peas! Opt for snow or snap peas if you like eating crunchy, palatable pea pods.
Bean
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botanical name Phaseolus spp. |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 2-12’ |
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hardiness zones 2-11 |
Beans, like peas, produce edible seeds in pods. Some types, like pole varieties, require more space to perform their best, while bush types don’t mind overcrowding and can still yield a great crop. Tall types can reach up to 12 feet, and it’s important to plan accordingly so they don’t crowd your beds.
If you garden with little space, consider planting bush bean cultivars close together. Bushy types like ‘Contender’ grow well with just four inches of space. Sow them alongside corn and squash, and you’ll create a traditional three-sisters garden!
No matter which bean you select, you’ll want to sow them after the weather warms in your area. Beans aren’t tolerant of frost like peas; they grow best with plenty of direct sunlight and warmth. Plant them at the same time as summer squash and corn.
Corn
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botanical name Zea mays |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 5-8’ |
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hardiness zones 2-11 |
Corn is a major crop for the U.S. agricultural industry, but it’s a rewarding vegetable to grow at home! One plant can produce two or three corn cobs, meaning you can grow a sizable harvest on a small plot. The key with corn is overcrowding—it prefers tight quarters for optimal pollination of its flowers.
Corn is monoecious, meaning it has separate male and female flowers on the same plant. The male flowers grow on top. They look like stars, and yellow dust falls off them while they bloom. Female flowers lie below the males; you’ll notice their silky tassels. Fertilization occurs when the pollen falls on the tassels, and the seeds begin swelling into corn kernels.
For the best yields, you’ll need 12 or more corn plants growing close together. Plant them in circular hills or rows with two to three feet of space between them. After the seeds sprout, thin them so there’s a foot of space between each seedling.
