Everyone wants to have a garden in their backyard. But it’s not always possible, or even practical for that matter. Maybe you live in an apartment and don’t have any space at all to grow food. Or maybe you want something small enough to fit on your balcony or patio. It doesn’t matter; there are plenty of ways to grow your food without a traditional garden! Here are some great tips for how small space gardening can work for you.
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Be creative in selecting a space for the garden.
This is the most important part, and it can be the very hardest to figure out.
Do you have a balcony? Do you have a few windowsills for pots of plants? What about an old shoe organizer or wicker basket that could serve as some makeshift garden boxes? Since small spaces are usually on the ground floor, this is where your creative skills will come in handy.
You may not have any outdoor space at all! But don’t let that stop you from having a green thumb. There’s still plenty of room indoors. Small indoor gardens are possible with just one small window sill box or even a DIY terrarium (considering these ideas). They’re great for apartment dwellers that live on higher floors because they won’t require much upkeep. You may also want to consider adding some houseplants, like a peace lily or spider plant, which can be grown in an old pot you find at the thrift store.
If your small space is really small and has no windows, then hydroponic gardening is worth exploring. You could even try using your showerhead as a low-cost water source for plants! Your apartment garden doesn’t have to look like it came out of Martha Stewart’s guidebook. Just keep things simple with pots on shelves or hanging from hooks when possible, and don’t forget about recycling household items into planters. Your little patch of green will grow anywhere there’s enough sun (or artificial light) and soil available.
Be careful in choosing plants for an apartment garden
You must be careful in choosing plants to plant in an apartment garden. Placing lush plants near a window may mean the leaves will block natural light and stop photosynthesis, causing both your own home as well as the surrounding neighborhood to become dark (and no one wants that).
- Some plants are low-growing, such as herbs are grown indoors or on a balcony without blocking sunlight.
- Place taller plants like tomatoes away from windows – they still need sun but not too much of it; otherwise, they’ll produce few fruits.
- Consider small space gardening with only vegetables such as peppers, beans, and cucumbers. This way, you won’t have to harvest them all at once, so there will always be some fresh for new growth!
Create a planter box with recycled materials
One of the most exciting ways to quickly and cheaply create a planter is by using recycled materials. For example, you can use items like milk crates, wine barrels, or old tires with their sidewalls removed to make an elevated garden bed that will give you more growing space for your small apartment garden. Recycled egg cartons and flats can also serve as excellent base materials for seed starter containers. You can cut or arrange them to fit the available space in your mini garden.
- This is especially useful in areas where there are heavy freezes because these planters allow excess water to drain off rather than pooling at the bottom of them.
- A raised box makes it easier for people who may be older or have mobility issues, so they don’t need to bend down as far when tending plants.
- Considering the ebb and flow of the sun in your small space garden, you can grow taller plants such as tomatoes or other vegetables that need to be shaded on one side.
- You might even want to plant vines like cucumbers or peas at ground level so they don’t block too much sunlight from reaching smaller neighbors who may have a lower light tolerance.
- Before planting any crop, consider insect pests and make sure the surface is clean and free of debris because many bugs (such as slugs) enjoy snacking on freshly planted seedlings.
Do not forget to water every day during hot weather with an irrigation system for more efficient watering throughout your small apartment garden beds.
Plant herbs, vegetables, and flowers in small pots or containers on the porch or patio
Planting herbs, vegetables, and flowers in pots on your porch or patio is an excellent idea for small spaces such as these. However, some of the best plants can grow from seedlings like basil, so it’s important to consider cutting them instead when planting them in containers with limited space.
- It will be easier for you to maintain your herb garden as they are all cut down at once when dirty.
- You can plant hanging baskets on the railing around the porch, which will save space below it where other plants could go.
- Consider fast-growing vines like morning glories like petunias work well because if there’s not enough sun, they’ll climb up something else.
The great idea is to make sure you have plenty of mulch, so everything stays watered longer.
Use of jars to grow mushrooms
Before you begin, you need to make sure that the mushroom species you choose is suitable to the climate and environment of your apartment. The king mushroom grain spawn is a good choice for growing in tight spaces. It’s also equally important that you sterilize your jars in boiling water for about an hour to prevent the buildup of molds and bacteria. Next, prepare the substrate by mixing equal parts brown rice flour and vermiculite, then add water to make the mixture moist.
After, inoculate the jars with the mushroom spawn. Place the lids on the jars and secure them with rubber bands. Place them in a warm, dark place with a temperature of around 75°F to 80°F. Check the jars every few days for signs of growth. If you see any mold or other contaminants, discard the jar. When the mushrooms are mature and ready to harvest, remove the lid and pick the mushrooms.
Grow plants indoors to add more color to your home and decrease stress levels from looking out at an empty landscape
Some plants are better suited to indoor life than others. For example, many ferns grow well indoors, as long as they have enough light and a moist environment. Other good choices include “air plants,” orchids, aloe vera, succulents (also known as jades), peace lilies, spider plants, and lucky bamboo.
There is also the option of growing herbs indoors for flavor in cooking! For example, Basil will thrive on your windowsill if given plenty of sunlight. An alternative is a thyme which can be potted up with other small space gardening ingredients like lemon balm and rosemary. Before buying any plant for an apartment garden, it’s essential to research what you will need to care for it. “Air plants” are also called epiphytes, which means they do not need soil but cling to a surface such as bark or trees and absorb water through their leaves.
These plants require very little maintenance because they can live without soil and are perfect indoor plant choices! Orchids will grow well in small spaces if there is enough light available. They like temperatures between 50°F – 60°F, so keep your home on the cooler side when possible. Ensure you regularly cut back any browned flowers to allow new one’s room for growth; this will encourage flowering year-round! If you’re feeling adventurous, try planting an orchid leaching mix with good drainage.
Composting to make your fertilizer for the garden
Compose your fertilizer by adding compost to your garden. Compost, or decomposed organic matter, can be made from a variety of sources: dead leaves and grass clippings in the yard; food waste such as vegetable peelings and coffee grounds collected during meal preparation; plant trimmings and small pruning branches are taken from around the landscape; manure-based materials that were generated on-site (such as animal bedding).
The key is to keep these items mixed with other ingredients, breaking them down into usable forms quickly. For best results, mix equal parts of green material with brown material for richer soil over time. The more diverse you make your pile–with different types of paper products, cardboard boxes, etc., the better.
Tips on how to save water when gardening
Gardens can be large or small spaces, and they all need water. But how do you save it?
- Create a rain barrel to collect storm runoff from your roof in the summer for watering plants versus relying on municipal tap water.
- Plant native groundcovers and perennials that are drought-tolerant; add trees and shrubs with shallow roots to make your garden look full while using less water. Consider mulching around those areas instead of letting the grass grow long so you won’t have to mow as often, which will use even more water. If you must maintain lawns, consider following xeriscaping principles by replacing turf grass with rock beds or gravel paths cut into the earth’s surface, requiring little modification.
- Install a rain garden, or use an old bathtub to collect runoff from your roof and channel it into the ground where plants can filter out toxins before the water reenters natural streams.
- Plant trees in strategic places like around windows to create shade that reduces heat during summer months, which keeps our homes cooler by about ten degrees Fahrenheit on average and helps keep air conditioning bills down too!
- Plant native species of fruit trees (and other edible plantings) near the kitchen window for convenient harvesting; you’ll save money because these are often more productive than exotic imports, plus you won’t have to worry about maintaining foreign soil conditions year after year.
Give concentrate to expand vertically.
Now the days of small-space living is here, it is not only possible to have a great garden on the rooftop of your apartment building, but gardens can also be built in small windowsills and balconies.
The critical thing about gardening for small spaces is that you need to cultivate vertically and horizontally by planting climbing plants like ivy along fences or walls. Another good idea would be installing pots with herbs like basil near kitchen windows, so they are close at hand when cooking up some fresh pasta sauce. You can even grow pumpkins and squashes on metal shelving units pushed against an exterior wall, allowing them to climb upwards with their leaves shading lower levels from direct sunlight while still receiving enough moisture from above.
Balcony Box can be a Great Idea.
Using a balcony box can be an excellent idea for small space gardening. Plant some vegetables in the boxes, and you’ll have an apartment garden that will produce food right outside your door, which is perfect to supplement grocery store-bought food when needed.
- The balcony needs to have southern exposure.
- You need at least 12 inches of width per plant; ideally, 18 inches – 24 inches.
- If you don’t want to use soil, buy a potting mix or make your own out of composted leaves and other decomposing material.
- Find containers off Craigslist or swap with friends (if they’re not plastic) because if plastics get too hot, it causes chemicals to leach into foods grown from them.
Windowsill Gardens may be an excellent way.
For an apartment garden, windowsill gardens may be an excellent way to grow some of your food. You can use the windowsill surface area as a small-scale garden, or you could create a “window box” by adding soil and plants to a shallow container fitted snugly against one windowpane (this will help keep the dirt contained). For apartment gardening, growing vegetables requires less space than growing flowers; however, this does not mean it’s easy. Vegetables need watering every day for them to flourish. Growing herbs such as parsley and basil are better suited for apartment gardens because they don’t require much water, nor do they need too many nutrients from rich soil like other vegetables.
To sum up,
Small space gardens can be a dream come true for someone who lives in an apartment, condo, or townhome. Apartment gardening doesn’t have to be challenging, and you don’t need tons of room either! Follow these tips for small space-saving gardening that will help your garden anywhere. You may also want to consider giving some thought as to how the plants will look when they grow up, so make sure there is enough light coming into your home before planting anything on the inside windowsill or balcony box if possible. Don’t forget composting, too, because it’s not only good for your soil, but it also cuts down water usage by about 50% over traditional methods.
