Growing Your Own Food In Small Spaces

Growing Your Own Food in Small Spaces By Craig Scott

With some innovativeness, small spaces can be maximized to harvest your own food. If you have a small patio, deck, or place to grow food in containers than you are in luck. You can grow lots of healthy vegetables. Some of these plants can grow in containers, some vertically, and others horizontally. You will feel so good when you harvest your own salad from your patio. Your body will thank you for the nutritious meal and your wallet too!

 

Preparing Your Small Space Garden

Whether you opt to garden in a container or with a trellis planning for your garden takes time and research. You must research what plants will thrive in your space, sunlight, and method of growing. You also need to consider how to keep your plants pest-free and thriving until harvest time.

There are many ways to stay away from harmful pesticides and keep your plants protected naturally. Garlic spray, neem oil, Epsom salts, citrus spray, and hot pepper spray are just a few of the ways to successfully grow your crops without ever using pesticides.

Container Gardening

Container gardening is one of the best ways to utilize small spaces. The advantage is that almost any vegetable and many fruits can be grown in containers.

Successful gardening always begins with placing the containers in the right amount of sun exposure. Choose the vegetables and fruits that fit the amount of sunlight your deck or patio receives, so you aren’t always chasing the daylight and moving the containers. You must also dedicate time to properly watering your plants as they are growing. The soil in pots will dry out faster, and nutrients are absorbed more quickly than when planted in the ground.

The benefits of container gardening are that the containers can be anything from boxes to plastic baskets to pasta strainers. You can plant in almost anything as long as you allow for drainage and drill holes if necessary. When making your choices on containers evaluate each plant and the requirements each has for the proper amount of space.

It is easy to grow fruits and vegetables organically. Pick up organic soil at your local hardware store along with your fruit or vegetable seedlings or starters, and you have created your own organic container garden. Gardening in containers also allows for more natural pest control. You can control where the pots are placed and what you place in or around them to deter birds, small animals, and bugs.

Vertical Gardening

There are so many ways to grow vertically from growing on a trellis to pallet planters to hanging baskets. Utilizing a trellis maximizes space and keeps plants off the ground. Pallet planters can be used vertically or horizontally depending on your space. Pallet planters allow you to be as creative with the actual planter as you desire. Hanging baskets work well for a few plants and can add to your vertical garden space.

Growing fruits and vegetables vertically saves space but also helps with pest control. The plants are in front of you and not in the ground where pests or critters can be doing damage. You can also plant your fruits and vegetables organically when gardening vertically. Research the best choice for organic soil for your plants and the best ways to supplement or feed your soil with organic matter.

There are so many fruits and vegetables that thrive in a vertical garden. From cherry tomatoes, winter squash, melons, peas, cucumbers, strawberries, kitchen herbs, and even potatoes are good choices to grow vertically. Each plant must be supported for its growth and size, so make sure you have adequate space, drainage, and sunlight exposure.

Raised Beds

If your space allows for raised beds, then they can be a great use of space because you can accommodate more plants per square foot. You can build your own raised beds, or there are places available to purchase them.

Raised beds provide the ability to easily grow plants organically because you are filling the beds with your choice of soil. It also allows for an extended growing season. Raised beds warm up faster than the ground, and you can cover the bed at the end of the growing season.

Almost any vegetable can be grown in a raised bed garden. Select vegetables that go together such as lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and carrots. Plant onions, peppers, and potatoes to supplement your cooking. No matter the vegetables that you choose to plant, it is essential that they are planted according to directions, and each has the space necessary to thrive.

 

Craig Scott is the editor at Green & Growing. He loves to spend all the time he can outdoors and find every excuse to leave his house. He writes about everything from backyard DIY projects to what solar panel is most efficient. If you can’t get a hold of him, he’s probably on a trail or a boat. You can check out Green & Growing on FaceBook