I’m so grateful to have a lot of space in my garden which makes being self-sufficient that much easier BUT being self-sufficient is still achievable within small spaces as well!

It’s all about being efficient with your use of space!

GROW QUICK GROW PLANTS ALONGSIDE LONGER GROWING PLANTS

Broccoli for example takes around 3 months to grow.  While the seedlings are growing why not plant some lettuce or other greens in the blank spaces that the broccoli will eventually fill.

TRELLISING & CAGES

Vegetables like peas come to mind when you think of trellising but there are many plants that you may not have thought of trellising.  Basically, anything that is trailing eg zucchini, cucumber, pumpkins can be trellised.

Additionally trellising can also manage the spread of plants keeping them trained to a certain shape without completely running wild and taking over.  Purple sprouting broccoli for example can grow rather high and bushy.  If grown in a cage you can limit the spread allowing you to plant more in one area.  Tomato cages are brilliant for this too.

GROW THE RIGHT VARIETY

For many urban dwellers the luxury of a huge backyard has become harder to achieve with block sizes and homes being dramatically reduced.  Seed varieties have adapted with this and you can now buy seeds that are more suited to small spaces.

Eg. Sprouting varieties of broccoli are a great space saver in the garden allowing you to harvest from a single plant over a long period of time rather than planting lots of single head broccoli.

You can also find cabbages and cauliflower varieties that are smaller in size too.

Dwarf varieties of trees and vegetables are very common nowadays.

PLANT LONG HARVEST VEGETABLES

Think about planting vegetables that give over a longer period of time.  This way you don’t have to keep finding space for successive planting.

Some cool season vegetables such as kale, spinach, silver beet, rocket, peas, snow peas, spring onions are all great vegetables that provide continual harvests.

USE CONTAINERS & GROW BAGS

 If a patch of dirt is hard to find there are so many wonderful containers and grow bags on the market that allow you to grow even with a concrete backyard!

It doesn’t need to cost the earth either!!  Be imaginative with your containers…. what do you have lying around the house or yard that could be repurposed.

SHARE GARDEN

Grow with a friend or neighbour.  For example, you grow the broccoli, and they grow the cauliflower.  Sharing your produce with others and all growing something different could save you a heap of space in the garden!

DIG UP SOME OF YOUR LAWN or VERGE

I love my lawn but do consider if some of your lawn would be better utilised as a garden bed!  The beauty of urban living is that community parks, playgrounds and green spaces are quite widespread nowadays giving you the option of enjoying those benefits and using your lawn space to grow food instead!

MAKE ROOM BY PRUNING

Regular pruning of plants can make space.  Brassicas for example can be extremely leafy.  I regularly prune diseased and low-lying leaves to feed to my chooks.  It creates more space and gets rid of any growth that is drawing extra energy from the plant too!

GROWING YOUR OWN DOESN’T HAVE TO BE AN ALL OR NOTHING THING!

Anything that you can grow and bring to the kitchen is going to be worthwhile!  You don’t have to grow everything.  Start small. Start somewhere!

Having a small space doesn’t mean you can’t be growing your own food in some shape or form.

Big love from the garden

Sash xx