Living in an urban setting, you may think that you do not have enough space to grow own vegetables, herbs or fruit trees. Granted, space is an issue in urban areas. However, by employing a few simple tricks and techniques, you can get lots of food from that small gardens, enough to meet your home needs.
The techniques involve maximizing yields and utilizing every available space. The ways to do so are simple and won’t cost a lot. Some will not even cost anything to implement, just your time and dedication. Here are ten gardening tips to grow more in less space.
1. Use raised Beds and Spirals
A flat garden makes a smaller growing surface. By raising the earth or mounding it, you can significantly increase the available area on which to grow your crops. Spirals are also a great way to double or even triple the area of your garden. Its called three dimensional gardening.
2. Do Away With The Lawn
The lawn is pleasing to look at, but what other purpose does it serve? Consider using the area occupied by grass to plant your greens, onions or even potatoes. The crops are equally appealing to the eyes, with the advantage that they will grace your kitchen in the end. You can opt to cut off a part of the lawn and turn it into a garden instead of the whole area.
3. Use fertilizers
Crops need nutrients-and in enough quantities-if they’re to produce more. Buy fertilizers that suit a particular plant’s nutrient needs. You can also use some types of waste that come from your kitchen as fertilizer. Eggshells and coffee grounds contain nutrients and are excellent to use in your small garden. If you can obtain chicken or goats droppings, use that to make compost fertilizer; it’s natural and the best for your vegetable garden.
4. Attract Pollinators
If you know some science, you understand the importance of pollinators such as bees and butterflies in improving harvest. By planting flowers around your garden, your crops will be adequately pollinated and will produce more. To maximize on space utilization, plant edible flowers such as flowery herbs.
5. Make Use of Vertical Gardening
Vertical gardening involves growing plants upwards by providing support. The support can be netting, wood lattice, wires or bamboo planks. Plants that have tendrils to attach themselves to things for support do well with this technique.
6. Grow Fruit Trees That Don’t Grow Tall
Dwarf fruit trees are an excellent way to maximize your small available space for fruit growing. Because they don’t go up high , they won’t create shade that would affect the other plants growing underneath them.
7. Plant Indoors
Mushrooms, parsley, basil and ginger are among the crops that grow well indoors. Find places in the house where you can plant them, even if it means hanging boxes to hold them. They do not need sunlight to do well and do not need much care. If unsure about how to grow them, obtain help from an expert or a friend who has experience growing them.
8. Plant Varieties That Are High-Yielding
Some crop varieties yield more than others. Because yours is a small garden, you cannot afford to plant varieties that won’t produce anything significant. Do your research and seek expert help to determine what high-yielding varieties are available to guarantee you plenty in harvest.
9. Intercrop
It means growing other crops alongside the main one. For example, utilize the space under dwarf fruit trees to grow onions or carrots. You can also use the space underneath vertically growing crops such as tomatoes.
10. Use Every Space Available
Don’t just lament about the lack of space as an excuse as to why you’re not getting enough food for your kitchen. Use driveways, walkways, the balcony or even the roof to grow crops. You do not need to dig up a garden in these places. Hang boxes or any other containers there, put soil in them, and plant your vegetables and herbs. You will not believe the amount of food that will fill your kitchen.
With these tips, you can get more on the small space that’s your garden. Lack of space won’t be a major problem anymore that would prevent you from eating food taken straight from your garden. Use the tips alongside good farming practices for better results and safe harvest. Beautiful garden will have many benefits and it will increase the overall value of your home, so in case you decide to sell your home, you will have better chance for getting more money.
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