Utilizing that Small Space to Grow your Garden
Growing food crops from our backyard is a great way to connect with nature on the great outdoors while saving a few extra bucks. Even if the space you’re working with is small can still work for you, all it takes is some planning and before you know it you will be growing and harvesting your very own food crops.
Growing and harvesting our own foods is a great way to grow foods that are healthy (pesticides free) because these crops are grown with our very own hands. Many homeowners are taking advantage of that extra space no matter how small and are reaping the fruits or should I say vegetables that they smartly grew from that small garden space. With that said let’s turn that small space into a garden area growing these superfoods (vegetables) that are so beneficial to our health.
Vegetable Gardening in a Small Space
What is so interesting about working with the soil is that you can garden in just about any space, once you can meet your garden plants’ requirements you are all set and good to go. These requirements include soil, water, and sunlight and an example of this is growing plants from a hanging basket.
The plant that’s grown above the ground is thriving because it has the three basic elements (soil, water, and sunlight) which are so important. As long as you can provide these elements for your garden plants you can have a garden. Lots of garden plants on a yearly basic suffer or falls prey to insect pests, disease, and nutrient deficiency simply because of the neglect of one of the three basic elements in some cases it may be all of the above which are not considered.
Location, Location, and still Location
When seeking to grow a garden the location should be considered first because plant species’ light requirements are different and knowing this difference will determine how well your garden plants perform. The same is true when seeking to grow a vegetable garden, know the light requirements of the vegetable that you seek to grow.
As a measuring stick to go by vegetable needs about six-plus hours of sunlight each day to perform their best. What this means is that if the only space that is available to you can hold one or two containers under the right lighting conditions then this is an ideal spot to have a container garden.
When a plant light requirements are not met their immune system will become weak causing it to become susceptible to garden insect pests infestation sounds familiar right. In some ways, plants are just like us, if we fail or neglect to provide what our bodies need we will become sick because of a weak immune system. So remember the Location is so important for your vegetables to thrive allowing you to reap a good harvest.
Soil
Garden soil has been greatly misunderstood by so many because some see soil as nothing more than dirt that is dead but what if I were to tell you that soils especially garden soils really do matter and is very much alive. Soil differs in its profile therefore different species of garden plants have their soil preference.
There are billions of soil microbes that live in the soil their presence is needed in order for garden plants to survive. These microbes break down organic matter in a nutrient form that is taken up by the roots of plants.
Good garden soil is porous meaning that it will hold the right amount of moisture but will allow excess water to drain. The ideal soil will also allow for the free flow of oxygen to be used by soil microbes and is easy to work with when growing vegetables is. It’s best to use soil that is organic-rich this type of soil will help to yield a good crop.
Creating a compost pile will go a long way in building and conditioning your garden soil, what you want is to give your veggies a good start so as they mature they will be healthy.
Watering methods for your vegetable garden
Every living thing needs water even the tiniest microscopic organism, where ever there is water, you will find life, in fact, many years ago I heard someone refer to water as “the liquid of life” Plants need water to survive, it is said that most plants contain up to 90-95% water but as great as this amount may be each species of plant have their water requirements.
Some garden plants are known as high maintenance and need lots of water to thrive and even then the amount of water that is given should be monitored because too much water can lead to root rot and other issues. Then there are plants that can survive on very little water which are known as low maintenance plants.
Some low maintenance can go without water for weeks and still look healthy, there are also plants that are in between they are not high or low maintenance plants which can be watered moderately allowing the soil to dry out somewhat between watering. When it comes to your vegetable garden know the water requirements that are needed to keep your veggies healthy. When it comes to the vegetable, as a rule, I would keep the soil somewhat moist, not too dry nor waterlogged.
Small garden space ideas
- Raise bed gardening
- Windowsill gardening
- Container gardening
Raise bed gardening
A great way to garden in a small space is by building a raised bed, with this type of garden you can let your imagination run wild as these gardens come in many shapes and sizes. What I love about raised bed gardens is that they don’t make contact with the surrounding or native soil, it is much easier to amend and work the soil and the weeds are much easier to manage. For more on constructing a raised bed garden click on the link that was provided.
Windowsill gardening
These garden types remind me of the old days when our parents and grandparents grew plants from their windowsill. These garden types have made a name for themselves and will add to the overall design of a home.
Windowsill gardens bring with them a touch of flavor that’s so amazing, so consider installing this type of garden and reap a harvest of freshly grown veggies.
Container gardening
Container gardens are so popular and have been making waves for years, these traditional gardens have proven to get the job done. What I love about container gardening is having the advantage of moving your containers around either when conditions are not favorable or even favorable meeting your garden plant’s requirements.
When working with containers there are rules that must be followed, such as ensuring that the containers have drain holes, is large enough for garden plants to sit comfortably, etc… for more on container gardening two links have been provided for you. Container gardening and Container gardening problems.
Additional information on small garden spaces
1. When growing food crops it’s best to use pesticides that are labeled to treat them.
2. Keeping your garden as weed-free as possible is a must because weeds will compete for water, sunlight, and nutrients.
3. Encouraging beneficial insects into your garden will work wonders because these beneficial insects will feed on garden insect pests and if you decided to go this route then you will not need step one which can and will also have a negative impact on beneficial insects.
4. Ensure that pruning tools are always sanitized before using them.
The final word on small garden spaces
So as you can see, it’s possible to grow vegetables in small spaces as long as you’re meeting the requirements that we highlighted above in red you will be on your way to reaping a harvest. What I love about owning an edible garden is growing your own foods that are healthy and to stand back and just to see what you have accomplished with your hands, what a way to give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done so utilize that small garden space as you work the soil and eat the fruits of your labor.
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About the author
Norman loves being in the garden, both at home and for his job....
he is 'Natures Little helper' being outdoors, growing his vegetables and flowers from an early age.
Now having spent over 22 years in the profession he want to give some of his knowledge to others...
his vast array of hints and tips you will find scattered over this site will help you no end growing plants in your garden.
Thank you so much for sharing such a beautiful article with us.I love gardening and I love gardening in my backyard.Because if there is a garden in front of the house then the natural weather of the house is very good.Besides, in your home can be made naturally so most everything in your garden is of good quality and fresh.I have a garden of my own. I collect some fresh vegetables from there every day and use them for my family.And I think it’s very good for our health.Read your article and learn about how to grow a home garden and I want to make my small garden even bigger and share those new expriences with you later.
It is so good to hear that you are taking advantage of growing your own veggies. It is good to reap a harvest from our yard which can benefit both us and our families. Please I would be happy to hear of those experiences. Wishing you the best of success and have a good day.