5 Space-Saving Vegetables: Creating a Garden for a Small Space

Growing vegetables in an urban setting might seem challenging with limited space, but it’s entirely possible with the right crops and techniques. For city or urban gardeners, choosing space-saving vegetables is key to maximizing your harvest without needing a large plot. Whether you’re working with a balcony, rooftop, or tiny patio, these five vegetables are perfect for small spaces and beginner-friendly. They’re super easy to grow and don’t require too much maintenance. Here’s a guide to growing cherry tomatoes, lettuce, dwarf beans, radishes, and vertical zucchini in your urban garden, complete with tips to ensure success.

This post is all about a garden for a small space.

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Gardening in a Small Space

It may seem like an impossible feat to garden in a small space, but there are plenty of ideas, vegetables, fruits, herbs, and so many other things to do in a small space. It all just takes a little bit of creativity and thought! I’ve come up with at least 5 veggies and fruit to get you started today. It might be too late to get started with seed, depending on where you live and your planting zone, so opt to buy some plants from a local gardening center.

Cherry Tomatoes

Cherry tomatoes are a fantastic choice for urban gardens because they thrive in containers and produce abundant, sweet fruits. There’s nothing like a home grown tomato and what’s better than growing it in your small garden. It can even make a really pleasant space in an urban area – a sort of escape from the hustle and bustle. Varieties like ‘Tiny Tim’ or ‘Patio Princess’ are compact, growing to about 1–2 feet tall, making them ideal for pots or hanging baskets. You won’t have to worry about long vines with this variety!

How to Grow: Plant seeds or seedlings in a 5-gallon container with well-draining soil enriched with compost. Place in a spot with 6–8 hours of sunlight. Water consistently, keeping soil moist but not soggy.
Space-Saving Tip: You can use a sturdy tomato cage to put around your tomato plant for added support. But since it’s so small, you might not even need one.
Harvest: Pick fruits when they’re fully red (or their mature color) for the best flavor, usually 60–70 days after planting.

Overall, these are excellent option for urban gardeners, including apartment dwellers.

Lettuce

Lettuce is a fast-growing, low-maintenance crop that fits perfectly in small spaces like window boxes or shallow containers. It’s a veggie I don’t really have to do any maintenance to or even really pay attention to it. The only time I pay attention to it really is when the temperatures start to get warmer. It’s a cool weather crop and doesn’t like hot weather. Lettuce starts to get flowers, or bolt, when conditions aren’t favorable, making it bitter tasting. Loose-leaf varieties like ‘Black-Seeded Simpson’ or ‘Salad Bowl’ are especially suited for urban gardens. One of my favorite varieties to grow is “Chef’s Choice Mesclun Lettuce Seeds”, which I get from Botanical Interests.

How to Grow: Sow seeds directly in a container 6–8 inches deep, spacing them 4 inches apart. Choose a spot with partial shade to prevent bolting in hot weather. Keep soil consistently moist.
Space-Saving Tip: Grow in stacked planters or vertical wall pockets to maximize space.
Harvest: Cut outer leaves every 1–2 weeks for continuous harvests, starting about 30–45 days after planting. It’s the perfect crop for ‘cut and come again’.

Dwarf Beans

Dwarf Beans, which are a variety of bush beans, are compact plants that don’t require trellising, making them ideal for urban gardeners. Varieties like ‘Provider’ or ‘Bush Blue Lake’ yield tender, tasty beans in small spaces. Provider bush beans are known for their compact growth and high yield/production.

How to Grow: Plant seeds 1 inch deep in a 10-inch-deep container, spacing them 3 inches apart. Ensure 6 hours of sunlight and water when the top inch of soil feels dry.
Space-Saving Tip: Use wide, rectangular containers to grow multiple plants in rows.
Harvest: Pick beans when they’re 4–6 inches long, about 50–60 days after planting, to encourage more production.

Radishes

Radishes are one of the fastest-growing vegetables, perfect for impatient urban gardeners. Varieties like ‘Cherry Belle’ or ‘French Breakfast’ mature quickly and fit in small containers or even shallow trays.

How to Grow: Sow seeds ½ inch deep in a 6-inch-deep container, spacing them 2 inches apart. Place in full sun or partial shade and keep soil moist.
Space-Saving Tip: Interplant radishes with slower-growing crops like lettuce to make use of empty spaces.
Harvest: Pull radishes when roots are 1–2 inches in diameter, typically 20–30 days after planting.

Vertical Zucchini

Zucchini might seem like a space-hog, but compact or vertical varieties like ‘Black Forest’ or ‘Bush Baby’ are perfect for urban gardens when grown with support. These are bush varieties that don’t have sprawling vines. However, if you enjoy a type of zucchini that has vine, you can vertical garden with those as well!

How to Grow: Plant seeds or seedlings in a 10-gallon container with a trellis or cage for climbing. Ensure 6–8 hours of sunlight and water deeply once a week.
Space-Saving Tip: Train vines up a trellis or balcony railing to keep plants off the ground.
Harvest: Pick zucchini at 6–8 inches for tender fruits, about 50–60 days after planting.

Tips for Urban Gardening Success

Now that you have a list of vegetables and a fruit to start with, what are some tips for making the best of your harvest? Here are some added tips to implement.

Containers: Choose pots with drainage holes and use high-quality potting mix with compost for nutrient-rich soil.
Watering: Check soil daily, as containers dry out faster than ground soil, especially in hot weather.
Pest Control: Watch for pests like aphids and hand-pick them or use neem oil for organic control.
Pollination: For zucchini and tomatoes, ensure pollinators can access flowers or hand-pollinate if needed.
Soil fertility: To get the most out of your garden in the little space that you have, focus on soil fertility. Opt for high quality soil before planting your seeds or seedlings. Consider using organic/natural amendments to your soil like compost that’s mixed in with your soil. For example, every year we put down compost in our garden – in our raised beds and our in ground garden. We mix that into the soil really well and then top it with mulch.
Mulch: Even if you’re gardening in containers, you can still use mulch. Mulch is really important because it helps with weed control, keeps the soil cooler, and helps to retain moisture. There isn’t just one type of mulch to use – there are so many kinds. Look for ones that don’t have any coloring added to them.
Vertical Gardening: Use vertical gardening technique to maximize your space. Consider using support systems like stakes or a vertical planter like GreenStalk. Although GreenStalk is a bit on the pricier end, there are other companies who make similar vertical growing systems. Think of it as an investment though. This is hopefully something you’ll be using for a long time.

Final Thoughts

These five vegetables are perfect for urban gardeners looking to grow fresh produce in small spaces. With minimal effort and the right setup, you can enjoy homegrown cherry tomatoes, crisp lettuce, tender beans, spicy radishes, and versatile zucchini right from your balcony or rooftop. Start small, experiment with containers, and watch your urban garden thrive!

This post was all about a garden for a small space.