You can do a lot with a little in relation to gardening.
Vegetables need 6 or more hours of sun each day. Lettuce, other green veggies and broccoli will survive in light shade.
Vegetables also need regular watering. The quickness of their growth depends on it. So you can’t rely on rainfall alone with vegetables in containers as they will heat up quickly.
Vegetables also need a rich soil so it is wise to add organic matter. Even taste can be affected by soil quality.
If you can provide sun, water and good soil you can have a thriving vegetable garden.
How much space do you need?
Even a few pots can provide you with veggies.
Lettuce will grow in the cooler months, but will bolt when it gets hot. However you can keep lettuce growing all summer if you plant tall plants to shelter lettuce from sun.
If you don’t damage the lettuce crown, more will grow and give you a steady supply of lettuce.
Most seed packets will give you the mature size of the plant. For containers, look for plants that say Compact or Petite. This does not mean that the veggies will be small.
Vegetables that harvest early, such as spinach, radishes and peas, could be mixed with slower growing plants like broccoli and peppers. Bell peppers grow up instead of out. So they’re perfect for containers or a small plot.
When the cooler weather vegetables wane, replace with warm weather growers.
Vertical Space Vegetable Gardening
Take advantage of vertical space. When you can’t grow out then grow up. When you grow vertically you increase yield, have better pest management, it creates privacy from neighbors, and it’s easier to harvest.
Growing vertically helps reduce problems like leaf fungus ad fruit rot because there is better air circulation.
Veggies you can train up a trellis are cucumbers, squash (acorn or butternut), tomatoes, green beans and peas.
Just because you live in a small space doesn’t mean you can’t have a vegetable garden. As long as you have a patio or balcony you can grow vegetables.
Natural Garden Pest Spray Recipe
Insecticidal soap is a non-toxic solution for spraying plants that are being bothered by bugs. Mix 1-2 drops of lemon essential oil, 1 tablespoon of pure liquid soap like castile soap per 1 quart of water, and put in a spray bottle.
Avoid dish washing liquid as the additives can harm plants and be ineffective on insects. Keep the bottle handy, and use it whenever you need to protect your garden from creepy-crawlers.
Good To Know…
Container vegetable gardens can have higher yields than your average vegetable garden because the soil is above ground and warms up much quicker during the day. Warmer soil promotes root growth and helps your plants grow faster.
I grew veggies on a deck in a rental I had – I didn’t get the yield I get now but I did ok!! It sure was nice to go out and pick fresh herbs or veggies for dinner, even with only a deck to plant.
We just completed the building of a raised bed (in order to keep the dogs out of the veggies) to use for our herbs/vegetables. Tomorrow, I will be heading to the garden supply store for soil to add to the bed. The tomato plants are just about strong enough to transplant. I will sow seeds directly in the area for salad greens. I’ll need to pick up a few herbs (cilantro, parsley, chives, etc). I get so excited when planning the space. Love your information regarding the pest spray.