Lots of people have limited space, but you can still grow a garden. Including amongst these individuals is our cohost, Chin. He is making the most of his area and producing some impressive container gardens.

The one thing you do need is sunshine. You can artificially produce the sunlight if necessary. Your plants will need six hours or more. Alternatively, you can grow low light plants, like lettuce and broccoli.

Your plants will also need a regular supply of water. You need to make it easy to water so you will do it. Linked at the bottom of the article, you will find a video on how to make a wicking bucket. Using this bucket is a great idea because it provides a longer supply of water for your bucketed plants. One of the big problems with container gardening is that the water dries up too quickly, and the plant’s roots become overheated and dry.

Your soil is also essential. It needs to be rich in organic matter. Soul nutrition is especially important in a container or small space because you will need to supply a maximum amount of minerals and vitamins in your limited space.

When you are considering what to plant in your space, think about what you can buy in quantity locally? You may want to choose something else you like, but you can’t source locally. When buying seeds, look for any varieties that have the words patio, pixie, tiny, baby, dwarf, or container in the name. Just because the plant is small doesn’t mean that the fruit or production will be micro. Vining crops are also good because you can direct them up fences, or walls.

Grow what you eat. Grow expensive things. Leafy vegetables grow good in containers. Don’t forget to add variety. Learn about companion planting. You will get better yields that way. You will develop more products in smaller spaces because the plants will reap the benefits of one another. The best-suited plants for small spaces or containers are shallots, garlic, kale, purple sprouting broccoli, early potatoes, lettuce, beets, chard and spinach, early carrots, tomatoes, pole or French beans, herbs, cucumbers, zucchini, peppers, radishes, squash or peas.

Also, research succession planting. Rapidly replanting can allow you to plant in quick reseeding cycles and grow more in a smaller space.

There are some things you need to be prepared for when planting in smaller spaces. You will not be able to rotate your crops, so you need to be vigilant of bugs and blights that will live in your container. Change the soil out often.

There are also benefits of panting in smaller spaces. It is easy to stay on top of weeding. Blending plants into flower beds will attract the bees which have positive benefits for your vegetable plants.

Herbs and greens can be grown in small containers. However, the use of five-gallon buckets is best for large plants like tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers. Clay pots lose moisture quicker.

Think outside the box for planting space. You can plant on the edge of the driveway. Salvaged shutters with weed cloth attached behind can be hung on the wall and planted. Look into vertical tower gardening. A city roof, dog house roof, or bird feeder roof can provide space for a garden. The only limit is your creativity. You can plant vining plants behind a bench., plant hanging baskets, and even convert tables, benches, and chairs into herb gardens. You can plant in the air, by turning the tomatoes upside down. Walls, stacked pots, and arbors are all viable planting options.

Another option is a community garden or small raised beds, given you have space. Linked below, there are some great ideas for small space gardens.

Don’t limit your options. Verticle planting ideas are numerous. One article had an excellent cinder block vertical vegetable garden. You can even design a garden window hanger that you can raise to water and lower to collect sunlight.

Cedar step gardens allow bigger plants more space in the back and smaller plants more space at the bottom. Tin cans attached to a wall make a great growing space, recycled materials make perfect raised beds, and old pipes and PVC pipes provide a place for production.

Plants will want to grow anywhere as long as you provide them with an excellent environment to grow in. Look out for them. Make sure they are getting sunlight and water, and they will produce food for you.

Works Cited:

https://www.thespruce.com/vegetable-gardening-in-small-spaces-1403451

https://www.sunset.com/garden/landscaping-design/small-space-gardening#garden-anywhere-behind-bench

https://greensideup.ie/vegetables-to-grow-in-a-small-vegetable-garden/

https://www.gardenersmag.com/high-yield-vegetables-to-grow-in-small-space-gardens/

https://www.almanac.com/content/small-vegetable-garden-plans-and-layouts

https://onelittleproject.com/vegetable-garden-ideas/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8aE9nd8D4s