This document provides tips for growing food in a small urban garden through vertical gardening and making the most of limited space. It recommends planting densely in grids with 1-foot squares, using vertical supports for crops like tomatoes and beans, and prioritizing what foods you enjoy eating. Specific advice includes only needing 6 inches of soil, never walking on soil, and following seed packet instructions for planting schedules. The goal is to maximize yields from a small plot through efficient spacing and arrangement of tall and short crops.
2. The Peterson Garden Project
www.petersongarden.org
Intersection of Peterson & Campbell
3. So you don’t have a farm?
You can still grow your own food!
Small space gardening is all about making the
most of what you have.
• Anywhere you’re growing flowers, you could be
growing food.
• Make every inch count: plant as densely as you
can, by following the grids at gardeners.com.
• Think vertical.
5. So you don’t have a farm?
You can still grow your own food!
How to make the most of your raised bed:
• Create a grid of 1’ squares.
• You only need 6” of soil (but remember: this
means no long carrots, parsnips, etc.)
• Never walk on your soil.
7. So you don’t have a farm?
You can still grow your own food!
What should you plant?
• What do you love to eat?
• What do you buy at the Farmer’s Market?
• Three basic categories:
1. SALAD
2. VEGGIES
3. PRESERVING (pickles, canning, freezing)
8. So you don’t have a farm?
You can still grow your own food!
How much can you plant?
• Not all plants produce equally
• Proper spacing is crucial for square foot
gardening—heed the rules!
10. So you don’t have a farm?
You can still grow your own food!
Plant Spacing
• Divide your plot into a grid of 1’ squares
• Plant as many things in each square as possible
• To make the most of your space, use vertical
supports for plants that can grow up, like
tomatoes, squash, peppers, potatoes,
watermelon, etc.
11. Growing Vertical
You get lots more when you grow up!
Growing vertically requires
supports. You must support
plants including:
• Tomatoes
• Tomatillos
• Peppers
• Peas
• Beans
You can add verticals to create
more space for:
• Melon
• Squash (vining types)
14. So you don’t have a farm?
You can still grow your own food!
What goes where?
• Now that you know what you’ll plant, and how
much to plant… how do you arrange your
garden?
• Think about how tall things get.
• Think about where the sun will cast its shadow.
• Elbow room: don’t smish the giants together
18. My PGP Plan for 2011
Highlighting squash & okra
19. The final element: time
Planting at the right time
When do you plant?
• Not all vegetables are planted at the same time.
• Some need to be started from seed indoors
• Some can be planted early, others can’t take August
heat
How do you figure it out?
• Seed packets are the final word
• Leah’s OCD chart
• Gardeners.com: make your garden plan there, and
they generate a planting schedule for you!