Knowing how to grow your own food in small places is a skill I wish I could pass on to anyone who lives in the city. These techniques can also work where you live in an apartment or condominium that has no food supply gardening area.
How to Grow Your Own Food in Small Places in a Nutshell
Knowing how to grow your own food in small places is really about micro-gardening. That is the term that I have coined to describe gardening on a very small scale. It involves taking the principles of raised bed organ gardening to a level that anyone can use.
Who Should Know How to Grow Your Own Food in Small Places?
In the current economy of the United States, where we owe the world as much money as our Gross Domestic Product, we are all in jeopardy of having food prices rise to the point that we cannot afford food. A food supply gardening plan is essential for all of us to know.
Who Should Not Know How to Grow Food in Small Places
I really think, unless you are ultra rich, you should be growing some or all of your food. That brings up a point. Any food you grow saves gives you a way to sustain your food supply, and can help you be less dependent on commercial food supply chains.
Famous People Who Know How to Grow Food in Small Places
Price Charles of England is perhaps the most famous person with a food supply garden. Here are some other folks that might surprise you:
- Former President Busch
- Roseanne Barr
- William Shatner
- Simon Cowel
- Candida Lycett
How to Grow Food in Small Places
The techniques are simple, and will allow you to grow a fair bit of food, as well as learn how to grow your own food in small places:
- Figure out how many windows in your home have exposure to sun most of the day. Use pots to start an herb garden in these areas. Periodically, you can set those plants out on a porch, or just in the sun, if you feel they need more sun. Use a quality potting soil like Hummerts or Miracle Gro to sustain the food supply for the plants. You can also move them to a bigger pot over time.
- For those with space, you might consider a gardening box that is 2ft wide and as long as you can handle by yourself. It needs to be 6 to 8 inches deep with quality gardening soil. Use plywood to close in the bottom. Cut a small drain hole in a place or two that can let some water trickle out (1/4” holes). Place a bucket underneath. Be very careful with your watering. Use grow lights to help you keep leafy greens like lettuce, spinach, etc., that do not require full sun to grow. For old hippies, this ought to be a snap.
- If you have room outside, build small boxes to set on a porch, under an awning, etc. Use the size dimensions above. You can, though, cut your holes bigger, to allow better drainage out of doors.
- Use large pots for gardening on the concrete. My brother owns a condo with no grass, and manages to grow a full summer garden in this manner. Again, you have to use quality soil to sustain this plan. This type of food supply gardening needs full sun, so you can grow things like tomatoes, peppers, onions.
- You can use a barrel to grow potatoes vertically also. It just needs some holes periodically, so you can reach in and get potatoes. I have seen the same plan with cleaned up tires. As the potato grows, you add a tire, and use soil and straw to cover the green part of the plant (leave only 4 inches showing). As you cover the green plant, it will make roots that will grow more potatoes.
The Rationale Being How to Grow Your Own Food in Small Places.
The rationale behind how to grow your own food in small places is simple: make use of vertical space and small spaces as much as possible. There is lots of evidence to show that food supply gardening can happen in non conventional ways (long rows of crops spread over acres of ground.)
The Pros and Cons of How to Grow Your Own Food in Small Places
Pros:
- You can manage a small garden very quickly.
- No weeds to deal with, because you are using boxed, pots, etc. to grow.
- This type of food supply gardening can be done anywhere.
- Some garden can be kept the year round.
Cons:
- It is very hard to grow enough food this way to sustain the whole family. I have seen examples of gardens in old swimming pools, though, that get close. The theory is that some is better than none.
- You have to be very careful not to flood plants with water.
- Not everyone thinks garden plants are pretty enough for landscaping. That would be a trade off.
Tips on How to Grow Your Own Food in Small Places
- Use plastic pots. They are cheaper, and can be found in pretty colors, to help perk things up. They can also be replaced easily.
- Learn to dry your herbs, and save them for cooking. This will keep your plants from getting too large.
- Use good strong grow light equipment, and use the strongest bulb possible. Leave the lights on all the time (close a door if needed)
- Take potted plants out into the sun once in a while, on a pretty day. A little extra sun is good. Just don’t forget them.
- In all things, think vertically. Almost any plant can be trained to grow up. I’ve even grown watermelon, cantaloupe, butter squash, and other large fruits this way.
How to Grow Your Own Food in Small Places Do’s
You will need to tend your garden a little each day (10 minutes). Check for pots that are too dry, too wet. Fertilizer will need to go in between plantings, or every couple of months. Repair old and broken pots, garden boxes etc.
How to Grow Your Own Food in Small Places Don’ts
Don’t let your small food supply gardening plan get out of control. I have seen full basements used up to grow light and hydroponic gardening. Remember, the rationale for food supply gardening in small places is some is better than none.
Links to learn more:
http://www.containergardeningguru.com/
http://homeharvest.com/lightingmain.htm
http://www.motherearthnews.com/city-farming/small-space-gardening-thats-affordable.aspx
http://coopext.colostate.edu/4dmg/Plants/smlspace.htm
Links to Food Supply Gardening Communities:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Small-Space-Gardening/126719014049308
http://groups.google.com/group/pufn/browse_thread/thread/89362c077fde118d?pli=1
http://doyourpart.com/green-living/small-space-gardening/
Hi, My Name is Ray Province. The Food Supply Gardening website is dedicated to helping people learn to grow their own food. Learn a little more