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.

1. Making the Most of a Small Garden
Vertical Urban Gardening

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.

4. Leah Ray
My home garden
Chicago bungalow, limited space

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.

6. The Square Foot Grid
Peterson Garden Project Plots

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!

9. The Square Foot Grid
Correct spacing is the key

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)

12. Growing Vertical
Pros and cons of support systems

13. Growing Vertical
You get lots more when you grow up!

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

15. Here’s the Dirt
My PGP Plot in July 2010

16. My PGP Plot in 2010
Some victories, some defeats

17. Here’s the Dirt
My PGP Plot in July 2010

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!

20. The final element: time
Planting at the right time

21. May 21, 2010

22. June 6, 2010

23. July 12, 2010

24. September 10, 2010

25. Building Community
Resources on Twitter

26. Building Community
Conversations on Facebook

27. The Real Experts
My Favorite Garden Books

28. The Peterson Garden Project
We CAN grow it!