Know about the concept of urban gardening in limited spaces. Practical tips for maximizing food production in small spaces and apartment living.
Are you fond of gardening but do not have ample space? No worries! All it takes is a little creativity and ingenuity to maximize space for a great harvest. All of us look forward to the taste of freshly grown vegetables and if these come from our own soil, it is like an icing on the cake.
Many of us live in apartments with very less or no sunshine at all. No problem at all! You can still grow veggies and other plants. Here are a few tips to make your task easier.
Vertical Gardening – Use a recycled pallet planter or a traditional trellis to use extra space productively. Many vegetables can be grown in this manner, for example, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, peas and pole beans, salad greens, Asian greens, kitchen herbs and strawberries.
Container Gardening – Container gardens are space efficient as there is no wastage of growing space. You can grow almost any vegetable and even some fruits, provided the plants get the optimum conditions for growth. It is also possible to grow small fruit trees and bushes with the right amount of water and sun exposure.
The best thing about container planting is that you can even chase the sun; yes, that’s right! You can drag and move the container to a place with more or less sunshine, as per your requirement.
Square foot Gardening – Gardening in raised bed has its own set of advantages. It is a great method of maximising effort and space. It reduces the need to weed besides accommodating more plants per square foot. Raised beds offer excellent drainage, regardless of the location of your garden. These beds are usually 18-24 inches deep but certain plants can be grown in one-foot-deep soil as well.
The bottom-line is to be strategic about what can be grown in the space available with you. Some vegetables need at least six hours of direct sunlight while others might need partial or complete shade, so assess the availability of these conditions and decide what will grow best. Good luck!
