Gardening: Small Spaces

In many places in the country now, it is time to start planting seeds indoors! Most seeds like to be planted 6-8 weeks before the last expected frost date, which is mid-February in many areas. (See the first gardening post to find out what the date is for your area.)

If you don't have a yard or a large amount of yard space to garden in, I have good news for you! There are many varieties of veggies created specifically for container growing. These mini plants can produce a fair amount of produce and if you have room for lots of pots, you can grow several of each type of plant. 

In the above photo, you can see the container varieties of tomatoes and bell peppers that I grew last summer. I have done the work for you and found patio varieties on Amazon. You can also visit your local nursery and ask about patio varieties to purchase locally.

TOMATOES:

Container's Choice Tomatoes - They say this plant produces lots of 8 oz. tomatoes.

BELL PEPPERS:

Mini Belles - This plant produces mini bell peppers so if you use them for flavoring, this plant may do for you. If you eat whole peppers or cut into strips for snacks, you'll want a bigger version.

LETTUCE:

Tom Thumb Butterhead Lettuce - Yields little lettuce heads. 

CARROTS:

Little Finger Carrots - These seeds are certified organic, inexpensive, and yield 3-inch carrots.

CORN grows upward, so you can plant a stalk in a small place, but it does need to go in the ground to grow a strong root system that will hold up that thick plant! 

You can grow regular PEAS and GREEN BEANS in a pot with a trellis in it for them to climb up. If if starts to get too tall or out of hand, simply cut off the excess.

You can grow regular STRAWBERRIES in pots.

As far as regular seeds, I love the company Seeds of Change. They are committed to healthy & sustainable seeds and practices. They sell organic seeds and heirloom seeds. The prices for a seed packet averages a few dollars, about double the cheap seeds that you can get at a garden center. But they are high quality and come from a company that is terrific and cares. You also generally get way more seeds in each packet than usual.

It's snowing again here. Brrrrr. Again, doesn't feel like gardening weather, that's for sure! But boy will you be happy that you planted seeds now when Spring comes and you have nice-sized plants to put into the ground! A pack of lots of seeds costs $1 - $4, whereas the plants themselves are $3 - $5 each!

Happy Seeding,