Join Julie Polanco on this episode of Crunchy Christian Podcast as she shares how to start a garden in a small space. Growing food in a small space brings special challenges that owners of larger pieces of land don’t have to deal with. What if you live in an apartment, townhouse, or condo? What if you own a small city lot, like Julie does? How can you still enjoy the benefits of growing your own food?
And most of all, what if you’ve never grown anything in your life?
Now’s the time to get started!
How to start a garden in a small space: 5 considerations
How much space do you want to devote to growing food?
The first thing to think about is where you will grow your food. Do you have space outdoors or will you grow food in pots on your apartment balcony? The amount of space you have will determine what you will grow and how much.
What vegetables does your family enjoy and which ones will you grow?
Julie offers a few ideas on how to decide which vegetables to grow.
Get the download she mentions by clicking HERE. The printable you receive through this link will help you decide what to grow in your small space. Some vegetables need more space than others or will require a trellis and others grow well in smaller spaces or in pots.
Where do you get quality seeds?
In this episode, Julie mentions a few different ways to get quality seeds for your garden. If you cannot get them from a local source, here are a few mail order sources:
Julie has no affiliation with any of these companies and does not endorse one over the other. These sites are provided for your convenience.
How do you prepare the plot/pots where you will plant your garden?
Offer your vegetables and herbs the best chance of sprouting by optimizing the soil in your plot or pot. You do not want to use tons of compost or fertilizer. But, you also don’t want to just throw some seeds on your unprepared backyard soil. Julie gives some simple tips for getting your area ready before you plant any seeds.
What are the indoor/outdoor requirements for starting your seeds?
Some seeds need to be started indoors and some are direct seed. Some vegetables need lots of water in order to sprout and some need cold weather. When you receive your seed packets, pay special attention to this. Generally, delicate leafy vegetables do not do as well in direct, hot sun (think lettuce and spinach). Brassicas (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussel sprouts, kale, kohlrabi, and collards) like cooler weather also. However, tomatoes and peppers do best in the hot summer sun. Another example is carrots. Carrots need consistently moist soil to sprout, but other vegetable seeds drown with too much water. So, it’s important to check on the specific recommendations for the vegetables you’re growing.
Listen to Crunchy Christian Podcast to get the full scoop on how to start your garden in a small space.
And, don’t forget to hop on over to Julie Naturally and get your Healthy Habits Tracker!
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