What if you have a yard, but its very small or much of it’s paved or rocks, or the only area that gets decent sun exposure is really small? How can you maximize your space to produce as much food as possible?
I have good news for you, there are several things you can do to get more out of your space.
If you have a space that is at least 700 square feet of useable land, see our food forest page for how to get the most out of it. This article is for land that can’t be used for a food forest.
1. Raised garden beds
Raised beds are an obvious choice if the land is paved or rocky and you can’t install a food forest in it, but they tend to be quite expensive. If you want to add significant square footage via raised garden beds you may find yourself wondering whether it would cost less to just buy a bigger property. Here are some ways to get raised beds for cheap.
Check local classifieds like Facebook market place for things that are being given away for free or sold for very cheap. Keep in mind that:
1. You are growing food in it, so avoid using materials that are toxic or once contained toxic chemicals.
2. If you want it to last, you will need a material that can survive being outside such as metal or plastic.
- Something I frequently see listed for FREE on classifieds listings is wooden pallets which could be used to frame your garden bed. If you line the inside of your beds with a tarp (which you might also be able to purchase for cheap on your local classifieds) the wood will not rot as quickly.
- If purchasing new materials, metal roofing sheets are the cheapest I have found per meter of any material that could be used to frame a garden bed.
- If your garden bed is going to be on the ground, as opposed to a deck or balcony, consider skipping the bottom sheet to save yourself some time and money.
- Things you can line cheap materials with to prevent sun and water damage so they will last longer are weed blocking material (for UV protection) and tarp material (waterproofing).
To fill the garden beds? If you need alot more dirt to fill your beds then you want to pay for, search for people selling soil online. On Facebook marketplace, I have found people selling quality organic soil to use as topsoil as well as the occasional person giving away dirt for free.
2. Go vertical – most people have heard of tower gardens but they are also not cheap, and can you actually grow anything substantial in them or are they just for herbs and lettuce? Yes, you can grow something substantial in a tower garden that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. Here’s how.
While I have not come up with a way to grow potatoes and corn in a tower garden, you can grow chickpeas. Most beans sprout too large to get out of holes in the tower, but chickpeas have nice small sprouts.
The cheapest solution I have found are stacks of 5 gallon buckets. You can often find these in classified’s listings or buy them from home depot for ~$3, meaning a 5 foot tower will cost around $15.
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- Glue each bucket to the lid of the bucket underneath.
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- Cut a hole in the bottom of each bucket that also goes through the lid of the bucket below so the roots can grow right through.
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- Cut 3 small holes in the sides of each bucket (at least 6 inches apart) where you will plant your chickpeas (or anything else you want).
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- Fill the first bucket with soil then place the lid and next bucket on top and fill it with soil as well. Do not put the lid on the top bucket, the plants can grow out of the top.
Like the garden beds, you may also be able to find free or cheap products in your local classifieds that you can make a tower with.
2. Make use of your shady spaces by growing mushrooms. Mushrooms do not need sunlight. They actually prefer the dark and you can grow them all year buy taking them indoors when it gets too cold. Closets make a great place to grow mushrooms.
3. Hanging planters – there are a variety of hanging planters available on Ali Express. The material does not appear to be high quality, and I do not know how long they will last but they are reasonable cheap and can hung off your balcony or fence, or from a window ledge.
- They appear to be similar in size to a 5-gallon bucket and may work best for things with shallow roots, such as broccoli, cabbage, Brussel sprouts and strawberries, or if you don’t use all of the slots. Buy it here.
The key is to get creative and keep your eye out for resources that you could use to expand your growing space.
