Cooperative Living May 2020 - 25

GreenThumb | Story and photos by L.A. Jackson,
Contributing Writer
Little Gardens,
Big Yields
How to grow vegetables
in limited spaces
I
f thoughts of producing oodles of
fresh, homegrown edibles have you
ready to dig in the dirt, it's time
to roll up those sleeves and start a
vegetable garden. The physics of time
and space dictate that big harvests
naturally come from big gardens. But
for backyard growers, it is simply a
matter of making less do more.
GO TO BED
For maximum production from
limited growing areas, go with beds,
not rows. Place young plants or seeds
according to their recommended
spacing per plant and forget about
distances between rows. Rows of plants
looking like tidy lines of soldiers are
better for large gardens in order to
have paths to walk around, but this
isn't necessary in small beds.
Try not to make beds over 4 feet
wide; this shortens your reach into
the plants and greatly minimizes
embarrassing face-flops in the dirt.
SMALL WONDERS
Size isn't everything in gardening,
especially when it comes to growing
backyard edibles. Many modestly sized
selections are tagged with labels such
as bush, dwarf or patio, but are still
quite capable of producing impressive
crops.
The tomato is the most common
big veggie found in smaller sizes.
There are a ton of cultivars available,
but, for starters, give Tiny Tim, Bush
Beefsteak or Early Wonder a look.
Keep in mind that a majority of
these slight-in-stature offerings yield
all their produce in a matter of weeks.
Standard vine tomatoes, if kept healthy,
typically crank out fruit continually
over the long growing season.
Squash, watermelons, pumpkins,
cucumbers, cantaloupes and green
co-opliving.com
Small watermelons
such as Sugar Baby
can be trained to grow
up, not outwards,
in a garden.
Tennessee Teardrops
hot peppers, Red Burgundy
okra and spiky rosemary
show off in a planting bed.
beans - all champs at chewing up
space in a planting bed - can also be
found in compact forms, either as
young plants or seeds, at local garden
shops in the spring.
GROW UP
Don't think you have to stick to
munchkin-sized plants. Typical strong
growers such as tomatoes, green
beans, cucumbers and squash can be
trellised, staked or caged to grow up
rather than out.
The long, rangy vines of watermelons,
pumpkins and cantaloupes can be
trained upwards on vertical supports.
It's a good idea to cradle the developing
fruits in supporting burlap, nylon or
cloth slings. Even some pumpkins are
small enough to be suspended safely.
Cultivars, including Spookie, Jack O'
Lantern and Sugar Pie, yield smaller,
more manageable 6- to 7-pound fruits.
Also, vertical gardening improves
fruit shape and, since beneficial air
circulates through the foliage easier,
can promote healthier plants.
BEYOND THE VEGGIE PATCH
Many veggies can be easily
interplanted in the landscape as
complements, rather than complications,
to existing ornamentals.
Peppers can be both productive and
pretty. While blocky bell peppers might
look a bit clunky in flower beds, there is
a wide range of hot peppers that show
off long-lasting fruits in many sizes,
shapes and sizzling colors on relatively
compact plants.
Common pudgy eggplants
probably won't qualify as eye candy
in an ornamental garden. But vibrantly
colored fruits of cultivars, such as
Fairy Tale, Prosperosa and Neon,
can add extra visual sass to sunny
flower borders.
Okra, closely related to the lovely
hibiscus, stays true to its family ties
with fancy foliage and delicate flowers.
One standout is Red Burgundy, an
heirloom selection that has been a
veggie garden favorite for years because
its gorgeous and tasty scarlet pods
never fail to turn heads.
A cautionary note about planting
vegetables or herbs with other plants:
If you spray any pesticides on
neighboring ornamentals, make sure
the chemicals are cleared for safe
use on edible plants as well. ■
L.A. Jackson is the former editor of
Carolina Gardener magazine.
May 2020 | Cooperative Living | 23
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Cooperative Living May 2020

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