most productive plants in a small space?

[alia]

i'm posting this question here because i'm specifically interested in plants that have a yummy, preservable harvest. i have a 9 by ten foot square space in my community garden (and count myself lucky. i live in new york city and allotments aren't a big part of the culture here). i'm thinking caged tomatoes and pole beans. my mil (a master allotmenteer. oh, how i envy her her plot) recommended a few raspberry canes if i can squeeze them in.
my one year on the plot has suggested to me that if i want a good harvest, variety is crucial. what other plants would ppl recommend? what plant could you not imagine your plot without?
i have a tiny herb garden hanging off my porch, and i am reserving some space for flowers, so it's not all work and no play.

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Alia, firstly a warm welcome to the forum.

Well me being a greedy sort of a fellow, would have three favorites, Carrots, Lettuce and cucumbers, you just can't buy that sort of taste.
They would also fit nicely into a small space, of course peas and sweetcorn are pretty good too, oh and then theres.......

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Alia, i woke up in the night with one more thought, peppers.

[alia]

thank you! i had been thinking about peppers, glad to have that thought reinforced.

[The Mouse]

Hi Alia
Just an idea - you could go high-rise and grow some strawberries above whatever you put directly in your plot. By that, I mean having some simple wooden frames on which you stand growbags (or pots / boxes etc), and then plant strawberries into these. These frames stand over your ground crops. This has the dual advantage of allowing you to get more out of the same area, and also keeping the strawberries out of the reach of some of the pests (slugs!)

[alan refail]

Alia

Do have a look at Mel Bartholomew's square foot gardening. Click HERE

I tried it as a demonstration garden for a local food growing group about 20 years ago and know it can work very well (=productively).

Mel works on modules of 4foot by 4foot giving a 16 bed garden. Your "plot" will give you five times as much.

Best of luck
Alan

[Primrose]

I'd certainly include lettuce and salad stuff. The "cut a& come again" varieties will keep going throughout virtually the whole of summer. The idea of strawberries from hanging containers is a good one and will help you maximise the space available.

[alia]

i'm really interested in the "cut and come again" type lettuce-- but i don't know what they're called in the states so am having a bit of trouble finding them. (am new enough that i don't know how to find out what i don't know, if that makes sense)

[alan refail]

Have a look at something like this
http://www.tmseeds.com/product/324
for lettuce mixture. For $2.49 for 6 thousand seeds you can't go wrong.

For more ideas, try googling growing salad leaves