M is for Money

Organic produce comes with an oversized price tag, but you can grow your own for a fraction of the cost. I live in the city on a lot that doesn’t provide much space for gardening. I still manage to grow a variety of fruits and vegetables through the smart use of the space I have. Here are a few ideas on gardening when you don’t have a lot of room.

Grow Herbs on a Window Sill

This may be the only option for city dwellers without a balcony or outdoor space. Herbs are easy to grow and can be raised successfully in containers in a window. Fresh herbs are very expensive from the store, so growing your own can save some serious money while spicing up your culinary creations. You can buy rectangular planters that will fit perfectly in a window sill and grow your various herbs together or get several small pots and plant them individually. If you are impatient like me, buy small plants from the garden store rather than seeds. Trim your herbs regularly so that they don’t go to flower.

Container Gardening

With container gardening you don’t even need a yard to grow produce. Many plants offer smaller varieties that are well suited to growing in pots. This way a city dweller with only a balcony or courtyard can grow vegetables and some fruits. One word of caution, plants in containers can’t throw deeper roots to reach water. Use oversized pots and either water regularly or install a drip system to keep your plants hydrated. Strawberries, tomatoes and peppers do well in pots, I’ve also grown carrots and bush beans in containers. Look for compact or bush varieties that won’t need as much space.

Use Raised Beds

Raised beds help you make more efficient use of a small garden. You can minimize the walkway space, pack the plants tighter and plant them right up to the edge of the bed. Since you typically bring in soil to add to the bed, you can create an ideal medium for growing plants. They also cut down on many garden pests. Raised beds make your garden attractive and orderly.

Tight Packing your Plants

The tighter you bunch plants together, the more problems you create. It’s easy to place small sprouts or seeds close together without accounting for the grown size of the plant. They will compete for light and resources when crowded too close together and diseases will spread more easily. But, if you are vigilant about spraying before problems arise you can pack your plants in more closely and get a higher yield in a small space. I use neem oil, it’s a natural pesticide that also works on powdery mildew (big problem in my garden). Buy the pure oil and mix it at home with soap and water, it’s much cheaper than buying the prepared sprays that contain neem.

Go Vertical

Make the most of a small footprint by planting vertical growing produce like peas and pole beans. Last year I planted a compact variety of cucumber that I trained to grow on a trellis. Use stakes or cages for eggplants, tomatoes and peppers to encourage them to grow upward rather than outward.

Dwarf Fruit Trees

I have several small potted fruit trees. They are each dwarf varieties that are only a few feet tall but still produce full sized fruit. One is a multi-graft peach tree about 6’ tall, last year it produced over 9 pounds of peaches. These small yet mighty trees are now common in nurseries and garden stores. I also have dwarf kumquat and orange trees. Use the largest size pot or half barrel if you want to keep them in containers. You could also plant them directly in your yard.

Choose Plants Wisely

Some plants are space hogs, especially squashes and melons. They tend to takeover whatever space they are planted in and are often not appropriate to small gardens. Choose plants that can grow up rather than out, many plants come in both bush and vine varieties. The vining type will take up less space than their bushy cousins. You can also co-plant complimentary vegetables, for example plants that prefer cool, shady conditions can be placed next to taller plants. This allows you to plant more in the same space.

Small Garden, Big Harvest

Planting a vegetable garden is good for your health, your wallet and the environment. You don’t need a huge yard, a sunny spot will do. I use a combination of raised beds and pots to grow a variety of fruits and vegetables. During the height of summer my small garden produces more than we can eat, I have to freeze the excess. Using a few of the ideas here you can get big results in a small space.


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