When you think vegetable garden do you think of wide open spaces with rows and rows of vegetables. It does not need to be that way. You can grow vegetables in small cramped spaces and have vegetables all year long. Growing vegetables can be very rewarding and economical. Think tomatoes in tubs at the edge of your deck or strawberries in containers on a window sill. Maybe some lettuce in an old window box or some scarlet runners on a trellis beside your deck or patio.
A space no bigger than your washer and dryer can supply you with vegetables all year round. The trick to gardening in small spaces is proper soil mix, fertilizer and finding plants and seeds that are suited to small growing spaces. Look for plants that are bush compact or dwarf. Many seed companies now offer miniature plants to fit the needs of people with limited space.
Growing vegetables in containers is different than other types of gardening. But there are advantages. The advantage of vegetables planted in small containers is that you can move them around. Lettuce needs about four hours of sunlight but tomatoes beans need about 8 hours of sunlight. If you live in an area where you have small critters like moles or squirrels container planting is the answer. Another advantage to container gardening is that you can treat each plant individually especially if one plant requires a particular type of soil. Container plants can also be moved in doors for the cooler months and you can even grow vegetables all year if you have a grow light and some extra space.
It is easy to create an artificial light system to get the seeds started. Purchase two 40 watt fluorescent tubes, a warm and cool, from your local hardware store. The tubes do not need to be the expensive plant growing tubes. You will need to keep the lights very close to the seedlings for a least 12 hour a day.
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