Gardening enthusiasts do not always need a big plot to make their dreams come true. Even if you have a tiny area, detailed garden planning can allow you to grow various crops. The key is to ensure you utilize all the available space to maximize your yield.
Therefore, start with a well-thought-out plan. Plant only those fruits and vegetables that you like to eat that are expensive to buy and are hard to find. Prioritize crops that you can train up a supporting structure or compact cultivars since they occupy less growing space. Adopt successive planting by sowing crops at intervals instead of all at once to stagger the harvest date.
Discover small layouts that can deliver your dream vegetable garden!
1. Traditional Row Planting
Traditional gardening involves planting all your vegetables in wide rows, each row with a single crop. This method uses the most available space, with narrow paths between the rows. Plant the rows north to south to prevent the supporting structures from casting a shadow over the rest of the rows.
Grow greens, such as kale, lettuce, and collards, when using this layout. You can also grow rows of radishes, carrots, and turnips in the next row alongside the greens since these vegetables require little space.
While you can also plant cucumbers and tomatoes, opt for vining varieties and add fences or trellis to guide them upwards.
Adding a boundary of pest-deterring flowers, such as marigolds, is an excellent way to protect your garden from harmful pests and attract beneficial pollinators.
Using your small gardening plot, square-foot gardening is another great way to plant various crops. It involves planting in a raised bed, typically 4 feet by 4 feet. The bed is divided into 16 boxes, each 1 foot by 1 foot, where every box contains a different crop. However, depending on your space, the beds can also be 4 feet by 12 feet or 2 feet by 2 feet.
When planning your crops, determine how much space it needs to grow.
For example, in one square foot you can grow one cauliflower, four celery plants, nine garlic plants, or 16 radishes.You can even erect a trellis at the back of the raised bed to grow vining crops.
Ensure the beds are 6 to 12 inches deep and filled with nutrient-rich soil. Since the plants are densely packed, they will benefit from plenty of nutrients in the soil. Moreover, these deep beds also encourage good water drainage.
3. Summer Veggie Garden Layout
A layered layout allows you to arrange all your crops according to their height. Plant shorter crops and herbs to the front of your vegetable patch, such as swiss chards, hot peppers, and sweet peppers.
The following rows can comprise taller crops, such as cherry tomatoes, bush varieties of cucumbers, red-leaf lettuce, and basil. The last or the back row is an ideal place to add supporting structures to grow ascending crops like pole beans.
4. VerticalPallet Garden
Growing vertical gardens using pallets is one of the top layouts for incredibly small spaces. You only require a small patch of land to place the pallets, such as a patio, an alley, or a balcony, as long as the area receives at least six hours of sunlight.
It is also an inexpensive option, suitable for beginners, as it requires less maintenance than planting vegetables in the ground. The method is more appropriate for growing various herbs that grow happily in small spaces.
5. Companion Planting Layout
Companion planting is a great way to grow vegetables and fruits in a small space. These crops benefit from each other and require similar soil nutrients, allowing them to thrive and grow together in harmony.
For example, carrots and beets prefer onion’s company as it improves the flavors and deters pests, such as cutworms, aphids, and borers. You can grow squash with corn and beans, as they have the same nutrient needs. Garlic steers away many pests, including Japanese beetles, moths, flies, and aphids. Plant this aromatic crop with beets, potatoes, eggplants, and peppers.
Numerous herbs not only elevate the flavors of your food but also act as pest deterrents in your garden. Plant basil with sweet peppers and tomatoes to attract pollinators like bees and drive away moths and thrips that can feast on your precious crops. The strong-smelling cilantro is ideal for planting alongside spinach and potatoes, as it improves their taste and keeps aphids and spider mites at bay.
6. Raised Beds Layout
Raised beds are great for small spaces as you can custom design the size and the soil according to how much space you have and what you plan to grow. Moreover, you can also add more than one raised bed to accommodate plants that do not grow well together.
Build the raised beds in an area of your garden with at least six hours of daily sunlight, as most vegetables require plenty of light to grow. Leave enough room between beds to walk so that you can tend to your veggies.
Fill the beds with top-quality soil and add organic matter like compost to increase the nutrients. Once you start growing, pay extra attention to watering since the soil in raised beds can dry out faster. You can also add mulch to promote moisture retention and inhibit weed growth.
Tiny Garden, Huge Potentials
So there you go! Just because you have a small backyard, it does not mean that you cannot enjoy garden-fresh fruits and veggies. A little planning to decide the best crops for your area and clever placements can allow you to make the most of your space.
Which of these layouts suits your garden the best? Share below in the comments!
