Successfully Growing Your Vegetables in a Cramped Little Garden

Metropolitan areas offer many things to their inhabitants. Jobs are plentiful, eateries and watering holes are in high abundance, and arts and nightlife scenes are often very appealing. Those looking to move from more rural areas to perhaps an apartment or condominium in the city might feel they will be forced to sacrifice many of the attributes the country provides. Space is at a premium in the city. Suburbia and rural living offer more of it, and many people living in more spacious areas enjoy growing their own vegetables and tending personal gardens in their spare time. The fact is that vegetables are able to grow and thrive in smaller areas, and just because your space is limited, it doesn’t mean you and your vegetable garden need to be.

As a result of new research and development involving genetic modifications of standard vegetables and fruits we have all come to expect in a backyard garden, many seed companies offer seeds and starts of miniature or dwarf versions more suited for growing in limited space. Just imagine, growing tomatoes in a bucket on your tiny condominium deck could be so rewarding and the perfect addition to a summer salad. You can grow strawberries in small containers in your bedroom windowsill, strawberry shortcake, anyone? Growing your vegetables in containers has its advantages over a conventional garden because you can move your plantings inside if cooler weather should threaten and give your growing vegetables artificial indoor light in the interim.

Achieving a proper soil and fertilizer mixture is essential in your indoor/outdoor miniature garden’s success. At your local home improvement or garden store you can choose from a large variety of potting soil mixes especially designed for container gardens. Special care needs to be taken ensuring proper drainage yet adequate water retention to help nurture the growth of your plantings’ roots, keeping them evenly moist. A liquid fertilizer is preferred, as it will possess the ability to remain in the soil longer, achieving positive results. The liquid fertilizer should be evenly applied at every other watering. Since you probably don’t have a hose reel and garden hose in your apartment, you might need an attachment for your kitchen sink or a simple jug or cup could do the job of applying the daily irrigation for your burgeoning plants.

A final consideration is location for your garden. This of course depends primarily on the types of plants that are growing. For instance, lettuce only needs about four hours of sunlight daily, but your tomatoes require about eight. Plan accordingly, placing appropriate plants in appropriate environments according to their needs and specifications. By following these simple guidelines, you will have a perfect little garden, providing you with vegetables you can enjoy year round, in the middle of the urban jungle.