Lots of us want to be more self sufficient and one of the ways of doing that is by growing our own food. Whilst there are endless potential ideas from having your own chickens in your land and harvesting the fruit from the orchard to creating a vast allotment to tend throughout the year, the reality is that most of us don’t have a lot of garden space to dedicate to growing our own food. So let’s look at the best vegetable to grow in small spaces.
Tomatoes
You can eat these in loads of different ways. From popping one straight into your mouth when you’re pulling them from the vine, to cutting into salads, frying with a breakfast or mashing into a pasta sauce, tomatoes are versatile. Technically a fruit, the humble tomato can be grown in a variety of ways, including hanging baskets. This could be a perfect way to use the walls either side of your back door. They grow pretty fast as well!
Spring Onions
You can grow a lot of spring onions in a small space. The great thing about these are well, is that if you grow more than you need, most varieties ‘bulb up’. Meaning they’ll turn into small ‘ordinary’ onions if left in the ground for longer. Simply pull the young spring onions you need, leaving some for later in the season.
Runner Beans
Our next contender on the list of best vegetable to grow in small spaces is the runner bean. You’ll usually find runner beans growing in an allotment because they are so easy and reliable. You don’t need a lot of space either as they are climbing plants so you can use an arch or trellis or even a fence panel. They keep cropping all summer long so you can enjoy them as fresh as possible, but don’t be afraid to use your freezer if you get a bumper crop of them!
Herbs
You wouldn’t want a plate of herbs but having a little herb garden is an easy achievement and you can add some much flavour to your food. You can grow herbs anywhere and everywhere, from a little pot outside your back door to your windowsill. Chives, parsley and basil are standouts. Whatever space you have, herbs will grow!
Radish
Ideal for small spaces, radishes grow in as little as four weeks. This is a great way to use your space and get a crop in a short space of time. You can even sow them between other slower growing crops should you wish. Transform your salads in style! Perfect!
Chillies
You can add plenty of flavour and heat to your meals by growing your own chillies. These are fairly easy plants to grow and they do really well in pots. There are many varieties of chilli to try and if you get a handle on these attractive plants, you could soon be known as the master of chillies!
There are so many options to grow your own food, even with small amounts of outside space that many of us have. We can’t decide on an individual and outright winner for the best vegetable to grow in small spaces. There are so many and they are all great to try. Use your space in style, mix things up and relish the veggies you grow!
