Don’t let limited space deter you from growing a lush garden filled with edible plants. By carefully selecting varieties that grow well together and optimizing your space, you can create a small row garden that produces a bountiful harvest. A narrow garden allows for easier maintenance and better access to all your plants. Adding trellises can further maximize growing space by utilizing vertical space. With rich, fertile soil, regular watering, and feeding, you can ensure your plants thrive. Consider planting tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, lettuce, and carrots in your small row garden for a variety of delicious produce.
Tomatoes
Choose compact or patio determinate tomato varieties for a small row garden to avoid the effort of training indeterminate ones. Cherry tomatoes are a great option for a bountiful harvest. Consider replacing plants once you’ve harvested all the fruit to extend your harvest.
Peppers
Peppers come in a variety of sweet and hot options that can thrive in a small garden. Try lunchbox peppers for sweetness or ornamental peppers for color and heat. Companion plants like carrots, onions, garlic, and radishes can be grown alongside peppers.
Beans
Opt for bush beans or pole beans to maximize space in a small row garden. Pole beans can be grown vertically with a trellis for a more abundant harvest. Regularly picking beans encourages more growth and production.
Peas
Grow peas vertically with a trellis and continuously harvest pods for a bumper crop. Use the soil beneath peas to plant leafy greens like lettuce, spinach, and Swiss chard to benefit from added nitrogen in the soil.
Cucumbers
Grow cucumbers vertically on a sturdy trellis to save space. Keep the fruits off the ground and use the space below for other crops. Guide the cucumber plants up the trellis as they grow and ensure they receive enough water and fertilizer.
Lettuce
Plant different lettuce varieties in your small row garden for a constant harvest. Loose leaf types are ideal for filling in empty spaces and succession planting. Cut leaves as needed for fresh salads.
Carrots
Grow carrots between and around other crops, ensuring enough room for their roots to develop. Start from seeds sown directly in the garden or in toilet paper rolls filled with soil. Plant the tubes directly into the garden to avoid disturbing the roots.
Radishes
Sow radishes alongside carrots for quick harvesting and filling in empty spaces. Radishes mature rapidly and can be harvested in as little as three weeks. Both the leaves and seed pods are edible.
Spinach
Plant spinach in shaded areas by taller crops to prevent bolting. Start seeds in early spring and fall for best results. Proper timing and watering are essential for successful spinach growth.
Kale
Extend your growing season by planting kale around summer crops towards the end of the season. Harvest after the first frost for improved flavor and be mindful of the best time of day to harvest kale. Provide ample water to prevent bitterness in the leaves.
