5 Tips for Getting the Most Out of a Small Edible Garden
Learn to grow a bounty of fruits, vegetables and herbs no matter the size of your plot
Growing edible plants in a small garden, especially one in the city, can be a challenge since issues with light, drainage and soil health abound. In their new book, Grow Food Anywhere, Mat Pember and Dillon Seitchik-Reardon of Melbourne, Australia-based Little Veggie Patch address these growing pains and share their extensive guide to cultivating fruits, vegetables and herbs in even the smallest of gardens.
Along the way, they also talk about the best practices for creating a healthy garden ecosystem, as well as the value of growing your own food, regardless of how big or small your garden is. “There is the cumulative difference we will all make by growing some of our own food,” Pember says. Here are five tips from the authors for getting the most out of a small edible garden.
Along the way, they also talk about the best practices for creating a healthy garden ecosystem, as well as the value of growing your own food, regardless of how big or small your garden is. “There is the cumulative difference we will all make by growing some of our own food,” Pember says. Here are five tips from the authors for getting the most out of a small edible garden.
Photo by John Laurie
2. Plant flowers. Flowers make a great addition to edible gardens because of their beauty and the benefit they can bring to your fruits and vegetables. “Grow flowers around the edge of your veggie patch to attract pollinators and add color,” Seitchik-Reardon says.
Attractive companion plants, including lavender and alyssum, will attract the important pollinators your flowering vegetables need. Some can even repel unwanted bugs.
2. Plant flowers. Flowers make a great addition to edible gardens because of their beauty and the benefit they can bring to your fruits and vegetables. “Grow flowers around the edge of your veggie patch to attract pollinators and add color,” Seitchik-Reardon says.
Attractive companion plants, including lavender and alyssum, will attract the important pollinators your flowering vegetables need. Some can even repel unwanted bugs.
Photo by John Laurie
3. Use the wall. For extra-tiny outdoor spaces, such as balconies or porches, consider growing edibles on the wall as part of a vertical garden, as long as the space receives enough sunlight.
Vertical gardens, hanging planters and wall-mounted containers maximize limited space for growing edibles. Choose a wall that receives direct sunlight, preferably in the morning, and is easily accessible for harvesting.
Since these containers will most likely be on the small side, you’ll also want to grow compact, shallow-rooted plants, such as lettuce, and plan to water them frequently.
3. Use the wall. For extra-tiny outdoor spaces, such as balconies or porches, consider growing edibles on the wall as part of a vertical garden, as long as the space receives enough sunlight.
Vertical gardens, hanging planters and wall-mounted containers maximize limited space for growing edibles. Choose a wall that receives direct sunlight, preferably in the morning, and is easily accessible for harvesting.
Since these containers will most likely be on the small side, you’ll also want to grow compact, shallow-rooted plants, such as lettuce, and plan to water them frequently.
Photo by John Laurie
4. Pick the right plants. “Grow what you like to eat. It’s that simple,” Seitchik-Reardon says. “Harvesting often stimulates growth, allowing plants to be more productive. By growing the things you love, you will pay them better attention, eat more of them and therefore produce more food.”
If you’re having a hard time narrowing down which plants to grow, think about prioritizing ones that will give you the most value in a limited amount of space. “Herbs and chiles, for example, are compact plants that cost a lot to buy at the grocery store, whereas potatoes, carrot and onion don’t offer the same value,” Pember says.
10 Easy Edibles for First-Time Gardeners
4. Pick the right plants. “Grow what you like to eat. It’s that simple,” Seitchik-Reardon says. “Harvesting often stimulates growth, allowing plants to be more productive. By growing the things you love, you will pay them better attention, eat more of them and therefore produce more food.”
If you’re having a hard time narrowing down which plants to grow, think about prioritizing ones that will give you the most value in a limited amount of space. “Herbs and chiles, for example, are compact plants that cost a lot to buy at the grocery store, whereas potatoes, carrot and onion don’t offer the same value,” Pember says.
10 Easy Edibles for First-Time Gardeners
Photo by John Laurie
5. Watch the water. Improper watering, especially with container gardens, is a top reason edible gardens fail. “Growing in smaller pots means they will dry out a lot faster than normal,” Pember says.
Be sure to check soil moisture frequently. Water your plants in the morning “so that your plants can draw on it throughout the day when the sun is shining,” Pember adds. Setting up an automated drip irrigation system can be a great way to set your edible garden up for success.
5. Watch the water. Improper watering, especially with container gardens, is a top reason edible gardens fail. “Growing in smaller pots means they will dry out a lot faster than normal,” Pember says.
Be sure to check soil moisture frequently. Water your plants in the morning “so that your plants can draw on it throughout the day when the sun is shining,” Pember adds. Setting up an automated drip irrigation system can be a great way to set your edible garden up for success.
Photo by John Laurie
Info: Grow Food Anywhere, by Mat Pember, left, and Dillon Seitchik-Reardon, right, was published by Hardie Grant Books in April 2018.
Your turn: Do you grow edible plants in your small space? We’d love to see them. Share your best photos in the Comments below.
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Info: Grow Food Anywhere, by Mat Pember, left, and Dillon Seitchik-Reardon, right, was published by Hardie Grant Books in April 2018.
Your turn: Do you grow edible plants in your small space? We’d love to see them. Share your best photos in the Comments below.
More
Seeds or Seedlings? How to Get Your Garden Started
10 Tips for Beginning Gardeners
Find gardening tools
Raised beds can give your edibles a leg up since you can fill them with high-quality soil. Additionally, “they can rest on paved surfaces, have better drainage, catch more sun and are easier to tend,” Pember says. With the variety of raised bed options available, they also can do a lot to enhance your garden’s aesthetic.
Pots and other containers are useful for growing many fruits and vegetables, especially if you have only a few square feet of outdoor space. But raised beds, with their high soil volume, make it even easier to create a thriving edible garden.
Size tip: While raised beds can be as long or short as you like, try to keep them narrow enough (say, 3 to 4 feet) so that you can easily reach the center of the bed from the side.
7 Tips to Ensure Success With Raised Bed Gardening | Browse raised beds