Small Space and Container Gardening
By Skye Resendes
Skye Resendes
Though the pandemic shutdown has brought gardening to a wider audience, some may believe they do not have an area to garden because of space limitations. Fear not—the reality is quite different. With the right tools and a little imagination, everyone can create a plentiful garden in the smallest of spaces.
Containers
You can fill your available space with loads of plants by using containers. I once grew a large Angel’s Trumpet tree (Brugmansia) and an Australian Umbrella tree (Schefflera actinophylla) in large plastic containers on a fairly small porch. The trees grew taller than me and prospered for years. In that same apartment, I also grew a plethora of tomatoes and tomatillos in large pots on each step of the stairway going up to my flat. If you choose bush varieties, feed regularly, and make sure water needs are met, you can have an ample harvest.
Select pots wisely as well, in accordance with plant needs. Unglazed clay is great for plants that like to dry out completely between watering.
Skye Resendes
Painted or glazed clay pots are ideal for varieties that do not like their roots too dry. Cement pots are good for succulents and cacti that don’t like soggy soil but find unglazed clay too drying. Always watch your plants, however, to see if they have too much drainage or not enough. (I’ve grown some water-loving succulents in my time.) If so, a container switch may be in order.
Cost is also not an issue. Recycle yogurt and other containers by drilling a few holes in the bottom for drainage. Get creative: wrap the container in old fabric or used wrapping paper (leaving your drainage holes free). Old wooden boxes also make good planters. If a container has drainage, it can be upcycled or repurposed.
Remember to leave a half an inch from the top of the container for mulch: gravel, perlite, or vermiculite. This way, when you water, soil will not splash outside the pot.
Michael Harrelson
Finally, don’t shy away from big plants. One or two large plants in a small space, with smaller plants in their shade canopies, can make an area feel lush and larger.
Go Vertical
You can purchase vertical plant pockets to hang on a wall. Search “garden-wall grow bags” on the internet. Or make your own vertical planting space: flip used, untreated pallets on their side and fit them with boards to make planting slots. Old shower soap holders work fine nailed to a fence and potted up with small or trailing delights. Plant vines in a container and train them up a patio cover or along a fence to create the illusion of an expansive green haven.
Once a month during hotter times, fill a bucket with a weak application of liquid fertilizer solution and water, just enough to submerge a pot to its rim. Soak your potted plant until it stops bubbling. This practice ensures that air and dry pockets will not be stressing your pot-bound babies. Most of all—have fun!
Resendes has been a UCCE Master Gardener since 2020.