Growing Food in Small Spaces

Value the Vertical

I grow food on less than 200 square feet, so any time I can maximize height, I get to grow more in a smaller footprint. That means sprawling ground covers are out for the most part but tomatoes and other vines and climbers make good choices.

Even with less space, I try to increase diversity as much as possible. Interconnections between species can be hard and I’m under no illusion that I will be able to create a thriving ecosystem, but you’d be surprised how little it sometimes takes to attract pollinators and other beneficial species.

Tomatoes growing against a wall and each other means more tomatoes in less space and utilizes the heat of the wall.

Space
Heather Jo Flores writes and speaks extensively about space and permaculture ethics. Her blog post is worth a read.

No matter what space you have, or don’t have, considering the limitations and possibilities of your space will help you decide what will grow best there and what practices will be most productive. As an example, I’m not a huge fan of grow bags. I would really like some long beds but I don’t have the space for that. So I use grow bags and mulch them each fall with handfuls of maple leaves to help trap in some of the moisture. I choose crops that grow really well in the grow bags and as a result I produce a lot of tomatoes and peppers in a really small area. Grow bags allow me to grow more in less space, while allowing me to move things when necessity. And it you live in a city and/or an apartment, sometimes it’s necessary!

What practices do you use in your small growing space set up?