Transcript vegetable growing in small spaces

Small Space
Vegetable Growing
Getting the most out of your space
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Framework for Discussion
Introduction
Strategies for a small garden
Strategy Details
Vertical veggies
Vegies in containers
Sprouts
Microgreens
Strawbale gardens
Wicking beds
What we talked about
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Introduction
Growing your own:
Saves money
Improved nutrition
Fresher produce
Lower food miles
No chemicals
Don’t let lack of access to acres
stop you growing your own!
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Strategies for a Small
Garden
Planning
Indeterminate vs determinate
veggies
Stacking in space
Stacking in time
Aspect
Use cut-and-come-again veggies
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Strategies for a Small
Garden (too)
Use fruiting veggies
Think vertical
Don’t plant too much of the one
crop
Interplant where possible
Try new veggie types/varieties
Try small/medium varieties
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Strategies for a Small
Garden (Tree)
Consider a perennial bed
Consider sprouts and/or
microgreens
Make a place for containers
Sow thickly, then thin out
Install straw bale garden
Install wicking bed
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Vertical Veggies
 Maximise use of horizontal space
 Cultivate less ground, less time weeding
 Increase the light and air getting to
leaves
 Ease of monitoring & controlling pests &
diseases
 Increased yields
 Improved access to produce
 Cleaner produce
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What are the options?
Trellis
Water Tanks
Fence Veggie Garden
Teepee/circular trellis
Potato cage
Veggie Tower
Container wall
Pallet garden
Hanging basket
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Veggies in Containers
It’s a good way to start out
The crops are moveable
Can be moved to catch the
sun or out of the frost
Can go with you if you move
Good if you are renting &
can’t have a garden
 If your soil is no good
A great project for kids
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The Containers
Depth –
Lettuce, rocket, leafy herbs 15cm
Spinach, silver beet – 20cm
Everything else – 30 to 40cm
strong enough for grow medium
Must have drainage holes (or be
self watering)
Examples – pots, wood, metal or
polystyrene boxes, recycled food
tins, garbage bins, buckets etc.
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The Containers
Self watering containers
Drink bottle
Earth box
20 litre bucket
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The Soil
 Must retain moisture while being well
drained and be fertile
 Rich, friable garden soil is a good
base but add coarse sand & compost
 Can add vermiculite or perlite
 Or use good quality potting mix
 Make your own with sand, compost
/worm castings and cocopeat 1:2:3
 To keep the fertility up apply liquid
manure every week or two.
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The Veggies
 Herbs – basil, parsley, marjoram, thyme.
 Tomato, eggplant, chillies & capsicums
 Leafy veg - Spinach, silver beet, lettuce
 Cabbages, broccoli or brussels sprouts,
(require very large containers)
 Asian vegetables - Pak Choi; Chinese
Mustard; Mizuna; Mibuna
 Roots - carrots, radishes & potatoes
 Zucchinis, squash and bush pumpkins
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Sprouts and Microgreens
Veggies don’t get fresher than this!
Packed with vitamins and minerals
Inexpensive to set up and operate
Easy set up using minimum of gear
No yard space is required
Require about 5 minutes per day
Environmentally friendly
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Sprouts
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Glass Jar Method
Measure out the seeds – 1 to 2
dessertspoons is a good start
Place in jar and cover with water
Cover top of jar with cloth
Leave overnight
Pour off water and drain
Rinse and drain twice per day
Harvest when well grown
Keep in the fridge for up to a week
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The Plants
 Alfalfa (Lucerne)
 Sunflower
 Adzuki beans
 Fenugreek
 Barley
 Sesame
 Chick peas
 cannellini beans
 Wheat
 kidney beans
 Millet
 Soy beans
 Buckwheat
 Most brassica seeds
(cabbage, broccoli,
cauliflower)
 Lentils
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Microgreens
Microgreens are the next step
along the plant growth continuum,
in that the seeds are planted into
a growing medium, germinate,
produce roots and a couple of
leaves – then we eat them.
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The Process
 Fill the seedling flat with growing medium
and tamp down to a firm, flat surface
 Sow your seeds thickly but evenly
 Tamp down the surface to ensure good
soil to seed contact
 Cover the seed with a thin layer of
growing medium or newspaper
 Once germinated and grown to four
leaf stage they can be harvested
 Harvest with scissors
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The Plants
Herbs such as – rocket, basil,
coriander, mustard, fenugreek
Vegetables such as – Asian greens
Beets, brassicas, celery, garden
cress, endive, lettuce, peas, radish.
Grains such as – barley, oats,
wheat, linseed, buckwheat,
sunflower
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So what do you
do with them?
Eat them in salads
Rice paper rolls
Use as a garnish
On top of soups
In stir fries
On sandwiches
In frittatas
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Wicking bed
 Obtain or build container
 Line bottom half with plastic
to form reservoir
 Install filler tube
 Fill bottom half with gravel,
scoria or wood chip etc
 Make a dip in the middle
 Fill top half with growing
medium (30cm thick max)
 Fill reservoir with water, plant
out and mulch
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Straw Bale Garden
 Lay straw or hay bale flat on the
ground
 Soak with water, if using straw add
a 25mm layer of chicken manure
 Leave for 1-2 weeks to mature
 Water regularly (daily)
 Materials on the side will help
conserve water
 Plant seeds into 2cm compost on
top or seedlings directly
 Use for tomatoes, cucumber,
zucchini, capsicums, peas etc
 Lasts – 2 seasons
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What we Talked About
 Strategies for a small garden
 Strategy Details
Vertical veggies
Vegies in containers
Sprouts
Microgreens
Wicking beds
Strawbale gardens
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Questions?