How to Make a Vegetable Garden if You Have a Small Space!

With prices rising the way they are many people are looking into growing their own vegetables. For a relatively small cost up front you could save yourself hundreds in fresh vegetables over the summer (and winter if you grow enough).

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Containers
• potting soil
• vegetable starters (or seeds if you feel adventurous)
• small spade and rake (optional)

1. The first step is to choose a good container or multiple containers depending on what you're intending to grow. You can use any type of deep container (at least a foot deep) as long as it has adequate drainage. If it doesn't you can always poke holes into the container to allow the extra water to pass through.
2. Fill the container with potting soil to about two inches from the top. It is important to fill the container this full because you want as much root space as possible. Potting soil usually includes a good amount of nutrients so it will not be necessary to use any type of fertilizer.
3. For this article I will give the example of three different types of container gardens. First is the large vegetable plants such as tomatoes and cucumbers. It is recommended that you allow 1 foot at least between plants. If you have starters you need to dig a deep enough hole to plant the transplant all the way up to the first leaves. This is the only plant you do this way because tomatoes will sprout new roots up their stalk to this spot. All other vegetable starters such as cucumbers or summer squash you will want to plant level with the dirt already in the starter. Fill in the dirt gently around the plant.
   For another container you could make a lettuce planter. Use a small rake or even your fingers to dig trenches throughout the soil. Sprinkle seeds generously all over the area and then cover about half an inch with soil.
   The third type of container garden you could try would be the mixed garden. I don't recommend this for larger vegetables unless your container is very large. You could take a large tote for example (with holes cut into it) and plant from left to right: lettuce, carrots, onions herbs. Use the same technique as the lettuce container.
   Water with each type of container after they are planted to be sure the soil is thoroughly wet and has settled (air pockets can cause rot).
4. For those that you started from seed you will have to thin them out as they start to come up. When the new plants are about one to two inches tall them them down some, then as they get larger thin more. For lettuces and things like herbs it will not be as necessary to thin heavily but for carrots and things like that you will want to thin heavily so that each carrot has at least two to three inches between them. If they do not have ground space to grow then they won't and you'll end up will toothpick size carrots only.
5. Harvest tomatoes and large vegetables when ripe. Harvest carrots when they are anywhere beyond 2 inches in diameter. To harvest lettuces and herbs you only need cut them about an inch from the ground and they will continue to regrow.
   Enjoy fresh vegetables all summer that you have the satisfaction of growing yourself.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have a problem with pests and do not want to use pesticides, consider planting marigolds in containers around your vegetables.
• If your initial seed planting doesn't come up for any reason, REPLANT! Use the extra seed that you have and plant again.
• Do not over water your garden!