Plants To Grow For Food In Small Spaces
From patios, balconies, small yards, community plots. It is truly quite amazing what one can grow for food in small spaces with A little effort and willingness to learn & experiment.
Some plants do require a lot of space to grow and spread out but many can thrive grown vertically, with little space, good soil, and adequate light and watering.
Before you begin. OBSERVE.
1.Track sunlight in your desired area. Most plants need 6+ hours sun. Know the times of year and different months and days of light in your planting areas.
2. Go vertical when can. Use stakes/walls/trellis’s whenever possible. It is easy to grow many varieties up and interplant others at their base to save space.
3. Chose some ‘cut & come again’ plants like lettuces, kales, chards, herbs to maximize food production efficiency.
4. Focus on soil health. This is our most important aspect. Healthy soil = healthy nutrient dense produce.
Vegetables Options To Grow:
Leaf Lettuces— pots, containers, plant towers
Cucumbers —pots, grown vertically
Peppers —grow great in pots.
Beets—pots or small beds/containers
Eggplant —pots or small beds/containers
Bulb Onions —pots or small beds/containers
Daikon—pots or small beds/containers
Bok Choi —pots or small beds/containers
Shallots —pots or small beds/containers
Chard —pots or small beds/containers, plant towers
Collards —pots or small beds/containers, plant towers
Mustard Greens —pots or small beds/containers, plant towers
Malabar spinach —pots, grown vertically
Dwarf Kale —pots or small beds/containers, plant towers
Radishes —pots or small beds/containers
Peas —pots, grown vertically
Pole beans —pots grown vertically
Potatoes — pots or grow bags
Chayote— pots grown vertically
Fruits Options To Grow:
Tomatoes (Cherry or Grape) —pots, containers, grown vertically with support or hanging baskets
Strawberries —pots or small beds/containers or hanging baskets
Citrus (Lemon, Lime, Orange, Mandarin, Kumquats)—pots pruned small
Apples —pots pruned small
Grapes—pots grown vertically
Kiwi — pots grown vertically
Passion Fruits—pots grown vertically
Pineapple —pots or small beds/containers
Herbals & Other Options To Grow:
*all grown in pots, small beds/containers or interplanted below and between other vegetables/fruits.
Nasturtium
Chives
Sage
Oregano
Mint
Lemongrass
Dandelion
Hops
Micro-greens —trays and option of indoors
Questions To Contemplate: What can I experiment growing in my small space? What varieties do we eat and use in our home that we could save by growing ourselves? What can I grow indoors or outside or both?
