Gardening is a great pastime and you can use outdoor space to grown fresh produce for your family. However, gardening in a small space comes with its own set of challenges and for those on a budget, it can even be even harder. But you shouldn’t be put off, because small space gardening can be great if you want to grow their own food. With a few simple tricks, you can make the most of even the smallest gardening space. Here are some budget small garden ideas.
Budget small garden ideas
There are some great ways you can make the most of your garden. From square foot gardening, to looking for plant varieties that take up less space than usual, here are a few of the best tips for budget small space gardening.
1) Give square foot gardening a try
Square foot gardening is a great opportunity to grow a lot of food in a small space. Unlike traditional rows used for gardening, that require large spaces, square foot gardening allows you to grow lots of plants in a small space. A single garden bed can provide a large portion of your family’s food.
In a square foot garden, your garden bed is split into a grid of 1 foot by 1 foot squares. In each square, you place multiple plants. A square foot garden allows you to grow more food in a smaller space.
2) Grow vertically
Taking advantage of vertical space is a great way to make the most of what you have. Use trellises, hanging pots and stacked planters to make room for more plants in your small garden space.
3) Look for dwarf versions of plants
Many popular plants have been bred to grow in dwarf varieties. These are great for fitting commonly large vegetables, like tomatoes and peppers into your small garden. These varieties can grow in as little as a couple of feet, allowing you to enjoy the benefits of homegrown vegetables even in a small patio garden.
4) Ask for advice
For some, gardening is a passion as well as a hobby. So if you’re new to the game and you’re looking for budget small garden ideas, then ask somebody that has been doing it for a while. If you don’t know anybody personally, then try connecting with other gardeners online. If that fails, then access some free advice online. YouTube has some brilliant guides for those that are looking to build their knowledge.
5) Only grow the most valuable foods
If you are gardening in a small space, you might have to be a bit more intentional about what you’re growing. Take the time to figure out what you want to grow and what will get you the most value for your garden. Make a list of produce you and your family enjoy. Next, check what the prices look like, to make it easy to find the right things to grow that will save you money.
6) Care for your garden soil
Smaller gardens have less soil and in turn less nutrition for your plants. That means that it’s imperative that you look after it, otherwise you could lose the things that you try to grow. The soil in very small gardens also tends to become depleted faster. So make sure to rotate your crops in your garden, like you would with a larger one and use plenty of compost and fertiliser to maintain healthy soil.
7) Companion plant
Companion planting is one of the best ways to get more from your garden space. Not only does it allow you to grow more, but it allows you to plant flowers and herbs in with food crops. This means that your garden will be protected from pests and it will also add balance the soil. It can be a game of trial and error, finding the best combinations for each flower pot and garden bed. But doing this will allow you to make the most of the space you have.
8) Share your resources
One of the best budget small garden ideas I can give you is to share with others. If you have a neighbour that also has a small garden, then you should pool together your resources. It might be that you decide to share tools and equipment, but you could also trade offcuts of plants. That way, you won’t be paying for them.
Small gardens can be equally as fruitful
You don’t need to have a huge garden to make the space count. There are plenty of flowers, plants, fruit and vegetables that you can grown, even if you only have a small space. You just have to get creative and make sure you use the space you do have well.
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