When I was growing up, my family always had a huge garden. We planted corn, tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, cucumbers, green beans and onions. I hated picking all those vegetables, but I loved eating them. I’ve been lucky enough to have a decent-sized space for a garden all my life, but what about those who have small or no yards, particularly students? I set out to discover how to grow a garden in a limited space.

Minimal space, many options

Garden expert and author David Cavagnaro says container gardening is the best option for people without a yard. All you need is a big pot or even a 5-gallon bucket. Containers are portable, so they can go on a deck or a porch, and can even be brought inside if the weather is bad. Simply fill the containers with soil, make sure there is a hole in the bottom of the pot for drainage, and then plant your seeds.

Another option is to grow vertically. Aaron Olsen, Overland Park senior, says tomatoes don’t naturally grow vertically, but if you stake them or put cages around them, they will grow upward. Olsen is the creator of the KU Campus Garden, and he says it is definitely possible to have a garden in a small yard. Even if you only have 4 to 8 feet of space, you can still plant some vegetables. Lee Reich, author of Weedless Gardening, suggests using a trellis to help plants grow taller instead of wider. This also allows you to plant something on both sides of the trellis.

Becoming involved with Campus Garden is also an option. Olsen began the garden in 2005 behind the University Relations building, which is across from the Kansas Union. The Garden has since moved, and Margaret Tran, Derby sophomore, is now one of the co-coordinators of the project. The group is beginning work on a new garden located on Louisiana Street between 13th and 14th Streets.

Planting the seeds

Barbara Pleasant, contributing editor for Mother Earth News magazine, says starting a garden is simple. “The earth really wants to grow things,” Pleasant says. “Look at an unmowed lawn or a field of weeds. Things are tilted towards success.” She says a packet of seeds and 30 minutes with a shovel is all you need to get your garden growing. Use scrap lumber to make a small bed, add some soil and plant your seeds. Pleasant’s daughter uses small containers placed in a window to grow herbs.

Olsen says if you are starting with a space outside, use a shovel to dig down about a foot into the soil and break it up. Add some leaves or compost to the soil so that it’s not too dense. This will allow the plant’s roots to breathe. Most seed packets or plants will include instructions about how deep they should be planted, so dig holes in your newly mixed soil and drop the seeds in.

Other guidelines

William Adams, co-author of The Southern Kitchen Garden, suggests looking for plants that are fairly intensive so you can harvest them a little at a time. Also make sure you have a container that’s large enough for what you are planting. He says tomatoes will need about 15-20 gallons of soil, but herbs and leafy greens need 5 gallons or less.

Adam Fiedler, Holton senior, suggests planning ahead. Fielder says knowing where and what you are planting is very important. You can start seeds inside in smaller containers and transfer them outside once the weather is warmer and the plants are a decent size. “Buying plants from a store is definitely easier than starting from seeds, but you can plant seeds now,” he says. He also says to make sure you water. Sunlight is the most important thing for indoor plants or herbs, so make sure the plants are in a window with full sun, he says.

If you are planting in small pots to sit in a window, Pleasant suggests turning the plants daily to allow all sides of the plant to receive sunlight, and to water them daily.

Sequencing of crops is also a good idea to get the most return out of your space, Reich says. Lettuce is a cold-hardy crop and can be planted now. Within 30-40 days you’ll have lettuce and can then plant something else in its place. Olsen suggests planting a few seeds a week in case there is a frost or to just make sure you have a continuous crop.

I currently have an 8 x 8 foot garden in my backyard, but I’ve struggled with deciding which crops to plant. Now I think I will plant smaller plants like green and jalapeno peppers and some tomatoes in containers to allow for other larger plants in my garden. If you do not have a plot of land or space for containers, look into community gardens or the KU Campus Garden so you, too, can enjoy wonderful, fresh vegetables.