Home Gardening

Small garden spots are rewarding and fun
Mississippi Gardens Newspaper and Web Column - September 22, 2003

When you read the words "vegetable garden" what comes to mind? For many of us it is the garden we remember that grandpa had. For me it was my Aunt Marge's garden on the family farm in Indiana. Her garden, perhaps like the one in your childhood memory, made a lasting impression upon me. She had the energy, know-how, and good Indiana soil to make anything grow. These days, it seems that few young people grow their own vegetables. I'm here to tell you that you don't need a miniature farm to have a garden spot that is both enjoyable and rewarding.

There are several ways to grow a great garden in a small space. One method for successful, easy gardening is to use containers. Just about anything that will hold soil and allow excess water to drain can be used as long as it starts out clean. Some that work well include plastic or clay plant pots, wooden barrels or boxes and 5-gallon buckets. The size of the container will dictate how much of each vegetable can be planted. For instance, I use small wooden boxes that are about 24 inches long, 18 inches wide and 12 inches deep to grow 28 bunches of multiplying onions. I don't have to till or hoe this size container and pulling weeds takes only a minute or two. Gardening this way is a quick and easy way to have homegrown veggies.

Another great way to maximize space is to grow vine crops on a trellis. Just recently, I visited a commercial vegetable farm in George County where the cucumber crop is just coming in. Even though there are many acres of cucumber vines, they are all growing upright on a string trellis! This method could be used for cantaloupe, watermelon, and small pumpkins. For these larger fruited crops, the fruit can be suspended in a nylon hose for extra support. Trellised cucumbers are less likely to get disease, their green color is deeper and more uniform and, it takes less space to grow them. A simple string trellis can be made with two stakes and nylon string. Weave the string back and forth, from stake to stake, ever higher as the vine grows upward.

There is a lot more to say about growing vegetables in small spaces. If you like this idea get started now by sowing seeds of great salad vegetables like Chinese cabbage or Romaine lettuce directly into the container of your choice. Use potting media, compost or good garden soil to fill the container. Consider mixing in a cup of dolomitic lime for each 5 gallons of soil. Use controlled release fertilizers for best results. Two great sources for gardening info include The Garden Tabloid by Mississippi State University Extension Service and Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew. Happy Gardening!

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These archived columns were written by Kerry Johnson, a hobby gardener, former weekly newspaper columnist and an Area Extension Horticulture Agent for 11 coastal counties in Mississippi.