Growing food in small spaces can be a lot of fun. What’s more you can create an incredibly productive small garden in a lot less space than you might think. So in this guide to small space gardening, we’ll go over some of the basics of growing food in a small space garden.
The first thing we’ll cover is what is a small space garden. Then you’ll discover some small space garden design and planning ideas. After that we’ll answer the question: what can I grow in a small garden? (You know what kinds of vegetables you can grow.)
After that we’ll move into How do you garden in a small space? We’ll touch on space saving ideas like square foot gardening, container gardening, and gardening vertically. When we’re done with that we’ll discuss companion planting, and succession planting, as ways to save space and grow more veggies.
What Is A Small Space Garden?
Well now, that’s a really good question. If you search Google for what is a small space garden, this is what you get. The more you search the more you see that the idea of “small garden” is relative.
In general, “garden writers” consider 100 square feet (that’s 10’X10’) a good starter size for a small vegetable garden. The main reason is that 100 square feet is a reasonably manageable garden size, and a garden this size will produce a decent amount of food.
Of course that size isn’t a hill to die on. For some folks a small garden is a 1 acre kitchen garden. In case you’re interested, that’s 43,560 square feet. For others it’s a 40 Sq Ft balcony.
What’s more, according to square foot gardening expert Mel Barthalolomew if you plant intensively and in succession a 4X4 foot garden can provide enough fresh veggies for a single person.
In other words, you could say a small space garden is a garden that’s just big enough for the needs of you and your family. And if you treat it right it will reward with fresh food throughout the year.
Small Space Gardening
So you only have a small space for a garden. NO PROBLEM. Like I said before gardening in a small space is fun. It can be a bit of a challenge at times but all it takes is a little thought and creativity. So don’t worry, you’ve got this. Now one of the first things you have to ask yourself is…
How Small Is Your Space?
Here’s the great thing. No space is too small for growing food. Even if all you have is a kitchen window to grow in you can fill it with all the herbs you need. Not only that but did you know, you can keep yourself in salad greens most of the year in a space not much bigger than your dishwasher?
Embrace the Space You have
It doesn’t matter How small your garden space is (REMEMBER No space is too small for growing food) embrace it and grow as much as you can. Use all the layers of your garden. In other words use the ground (deck or floor), use trellis’s, railings, walls, Hang plants in pots. You get the picture.
Here’s a fun trick. Remember that kitchen window I just mentioned? You can repurpose plastic bottles, (soda, water, etc) and turn them into hanging gardens, to fill with your favorite small plants. This little trick will work in pretty much any window that gets good sun.
Small Space Garden Design
When you design a small vegetable garden you can maximize the space you have, and still, make a beautiful garden that will feed you and bring you joy for years to come. If you don’t have a lot of outside space that’s ok, small garden spaces can combine inside and outside space to create a super productive small garden.
All that being said before you go digging, planting, or looking for containers you’re going to want to make sure you have a detailed plan for the layout of your garden. Think about the plants you want to include. Make sure that they grow well in your area and are small enough to fit in your garden when they are full grown. Decide on the best location. Are you going to plant inside, outside, or both?
Choose The Best Location
When you start to design a small garden space, the 3 most important things you need are, the right amount of sun, water, and really great soil. These things are essentials when growing a vegetable garden. What’s more if you can provide these things, you can grow a vegetable garden anywhere.
Just a note, it doesn’t matter if it’s inside or out all 3 requirements are the same. However getting the right amount of sun for an inside garden can be tricky. So think about using grow lights if necessary.
Small Inside Gardens
- Look for areas close to or in front of south windows
- Find a space that can get dirty and wet
- If grow lights are necessary find an area close to an electric plug.
Small Outside Gardens
- Choose an area that gets plenty of sun every day (6 to 8 Hrs)
- Pick a spot that’s close to a water source.
- This should go without saying. Pick a spot you can get to easily.
Planning a Small Space Garden
When you’re planning a small space garden here’s a few questions to ask yourself. First and foremost. How small is your space? Like I said before, no space is too small. However, if you only have 1 small window, feeding a family of 4 with enough left over to can, is kinda out of the picture. So…That being said.
- Will your garden be inside, outside or both?
- How many people are you trying to feed?
- Will it be a small kitchen garden or a fully self-reliant garden?
- Are you eating fresh or preserving your harvest, or both?
- Will you be doing companion planting?
- Do you plan on having multiple garden beds?
- How many times in the year will you be planting?
After you answer these questions, go ahead and measure out your garden then get out the graph paper. Or make it easy on yourself and use a simple free garden planner like this one.
What Can I Grow In A Small Garden?
That’s sorta like asking how long is a piece of string. You can grow just about anything in a small garden, that you can in a big one, just not as much of it. However that doesn’t mean you can’t have a big harvest in a small space.
For instance, did you know that if you follow a few simple guidelines, it’s entirely possible to grow enough food for one person to eat fresh, and store, in just 32 square feet?
Vegetables That Thrive in A Small Space Garden
One of the keys to finding the best vegetables to grow in a small garden is making good plant choices. In other words you want to choose compact, productive plants that take up less space and still provide plenty to harvest.
Not everyone has a large garden space to grow in, with limited time and resources it can be hard to decide what vegetables should you try growing. The following are some of the best vegetables that will thrive in small spaces over many different seasons.
14 Best Vegetables To Grow In A Small Space Garden
- Tomatoes
- Peppers
- Squash
- Shallots
- Onions
- Melons
- Cucumbers
- Garlic
- Zucchini
- Potatoes
- Beets
- Peas
- Beans
- Greens
That’s just a partial list and here’s a very important point.
The very best vegetables to grow in a small garden are the ones you like to eat.
How Do You Garden In A Small Space?
You don’t need a lot of space to garden. You can plant heirloom tomatoes and peppers in planters and containers, or grow herbs in small gardens like window boxes with the right setup. Here’s 5 tips to help you garden in a small space.
- Plant intensively
- Plant in succession
- Grow companion plants together
- Use planters to extend your space
- Grow vertically when you can.
Intensive planting: grow a lot of food in your small space garden.
Planting densely in beds is a way to grow a lot of food in your garden. You can do this by planting crops between paths and around trees, leaving no space to waste. Both companion, and succession planting below, are also ways to plant your garden more intensively.
Succession planting can help to conserve space.
Here’s the definition directly from Wikipedia. (Succession planting refers to several planting methods that increase crop availability during a growing season by making efficient use of space and timing.) It’s a planting technique that allows you to grow more than one crop in the same space, it’s about replacing one crop with another.
Companion planting can also help to conserve space.
Companion planting is when you grow different combinations of plants together, to make them more productive. You see certain plants just naturally compliment each other and grow well together because of growth habits, pest-repelling abilities, or nutrient requirements.
Consider Containers
If all you have is a porch or patio, planting your garden in containers is really your only option. What’s more container gardening is a great solution if you rent a house and you can’t dig holes in the yard.
Here’s a few examples. Grow chives, rosemary or basil in terracotta pots. Plant pole beans and /or squash in containers, by a fence or railing and let the vines climb.
Grow Up, Not Out
Vertical gardens are great space savers and there are several benefits to going this route.
- Your harvest will be bigger.
- It’ll be easier to pick vegetables
- You’ll have more space for other plants.
- You can “dress up” your garden with ornamental structures for plants to climb
- Vertical gardens are great for growing things like tomatoes, gourds, melons, and vining vegetables.
Summary
Keep in mind when designing your small space garden the best location is one that has these three all important things: sun, water, and really great soil. We talked about 7 things to keep in mind when planning your small garden. Don’t forget, you can grow just about anything in a small garden but to get the best harvest pick compact plants that will best fit your space. Speaking of larger harvest, plant intensively and in succession. Plant companion plants together, use planters where you can, and grow vertically to extend your space.
The most important thing you can do when starting your small space garden is to:
HAVE FUN!
I hope you found this post helpful go ahead and share if you did, and let me know in the comments below what other articles you would like me to write.
Wakeman
thesmallspacegarden.com