Urban gardening

How to create an urban garden?

 

Having an urban garden is easy and very rewarding! You can provide yourself with fresh vegetables and it will also decorate your urban environment.

Urban gardening is the practice of cultivating food in towns (urban areas) for example roofs of buildings, balconies or public streets. This article focuses on urban gardens in your home.

So if you have a window sill, patio, doorstep or balcony it´s time to start your urban garden!

Sunlight and space

-          Where to start?

So the first thing to decide is what plants you would like to grow.

When choosing what plants to grow you need to take consideration to a few things, one is the amount of sunlight you have in your urban environment (balcony, window sill etc.). For instance, if you have a shortage of sun you should choose plants that grow well in the shade.

Generally, root crops and leaf crops can tolerate partial shade, but vegetables grown for their fruits generally need at least 6 hours of full, direct sunlight each day, and perform better with 8 to 10 hours. Overall most vegetables need a minimum of 5 hours of direct sunlight – that is, sun on the plant, not somewhere nearby. Exceptions are lettuce and spinach which benefit from some shade in the heat of the day.

Plants that grow in shady areas:

-          Greens; Swiss chard, lettuce, arugula, endive, spinach

-          Various herbs like coriander (cilantro), thyme, mint, parsley

-          Cabbage

Plants that grow in sunny areas:

-          Beans

-          Peas

-          Carrots

-          Radishes

-          Squash

-          Strawberries

-          Onion

-          Beetroot

-          Herbs; rosemary, oregano, basil

Plants that need a lot of sun:

-          Tomatoes

-          Peppers

-          Cucumbers

-          Eggplant

-          Chilis

-          Citrus

Also you need to see what you can fit into your urban garden depending on the amount of space that you have. If you´re using a small space like a window sill, smaller plants like lettuce, herbs, radishes, peppers and chilis will be fit for growing. If you have a balcony you may have more choice for growing plants that require larger containers like tomatoes, carrots and beans.

What to grow

Here are the minimum depths needed for containers for growing some vegetables, remember that they will always do better with a bigger pot with more room for their roots to grow.

15 cm: lettuce, strawberries, radishes, basil, coriander, arugula

20 cm: bush beans, onions, peas, mint, thyme, spinach, chilis

25 cm: pole beans, carrots, chard, peppers, parsley, eggplant, rosemary

30 cm: beets, cabbage, summer squash, cucumber, tomatoes, citrus

Plant the seeds according to package directions.

Containers and drainage

Once you have determined what to grow it´s time to find containers. Be creative! Nearly any type of container can be used for growing vegetables. Old wash tubs, wooden boxes or crates, cans, plastic bottles, cut-off juice cartons, gardening pots, old cooking pots, sinks, tyres, old drawers, barrels, window boxes, baskets lined with plastic (with drainage holes punched in it), buckets or why not an old rain boot? Clay, wood, plastic, metal containers are all good to use for planting but never use anything that has held products that would be toxic to plants or people.

Depending on the crops you selected, the size of the container will vary. Most plants require containers that allow at least 15 to 20 cm depths for adequate rooting. Smaller sized containers like coffee cans, plastic bottles and juice cartons are generally ideal for crops such as lettuce, radishes, and herbs; use medium sized containers, such as 20 liter buckets, to grow tomatoes, cucumbers and squash.

Good drainage is vital for successful growth and the overall health of vegetables. If the container you have chosen does not provide any outlets for drainage, you can easily drill a few holes within the bottom or lower sides. Placing gravel or small stones in the bottom of the container will help improve drainage as well. You may also consider raising the container 2,5-5 cm off the ground with blocks.

Companion planting

Companion planting is the practice of planting different crops close to each other to assist each other in nutrient uptake, pest control, pollination and other factors necessary to increasing crop productivity. 

Here are some plant combinations and ideas for pots:

-          -Carrots, onions and lettuce

-          -Tomato plants, basil and lettuce

-          -Peppers, lettuce, escarola, arugula, basil and beans

-          -Cucumber, beets, radishes, carrots, lettuce, spinach

-          -Eggplant, spinach, peas, beans

-          -Strawberries, beans, spinach, thyme

-          -Beans and squash

-          -Spinach, chard, onions

         Combinations to Avoid:

• Beans and peas with onions and garlic
• Carrots with dill or fennel

Placement and watering

You will want to situate the containers in an area that is close to a water source if possible and with sufficient sunlight, usually, at least five hours.

Generally, you should water container plants every few days unless it is quite hot; when watering daily may be required. Check containers at least once a day and feel the soil to determine whether or not it is damp. A lot of wind will dry out the plants quicker so you can arrange your pots so larger plants shield smaller plants or make a windbreak. Mulching is also a method that will keep plants from drying out. Mulching is done by putting straw, grass or other organic material around your plant covering the soil so that it doesn´t dry out.

 

Tips

       -If you are using transparent containers you should line the container with newspaper so that the roots aren´t directly exposed to the sun.

-       - Don´t be too ambitious, better start with a tomato plant or two and some lettuce and herbs then trying too much and being disappointed.

-      - Putting wheels on your containers is a good way to be able to move around your plant, to give them more sun or shade.

-     - Collect rainwater for watering

-       - It is always good, if you have the possibility, to grow a few additional plants of everything in case some of your plants die.