Best Easy Vegetables to Grow in a Small Garden
With very limited garden space, what would you recommend as your top five “no-fail” crops so I do not waste my time and money?
If space is tight, it makes sense to focus on crops that are easy to grow, productive, and worth the room they take up. The best choices are ones that crop quickly, keep producing, or can be harvested over a long period.
Top five easy crops for small spaces
- Radishes are one of the quickest vegetables to grow and are ideal for smaller gardens. They are low maintenance and cope well in a range of soil conditions.
- Lettuce and spinach are both reliable choices and can also be grown in containers. Try a gourmet lettuce mix for variety, and harvest a few leaves at a time for a steady supply.
- Rainbow silverbeet is one of the best-value crops for home gardens and remains a Kiwi favourite. It is easy to grow and keeps producing over a long period.
- Dwarf beans take up very little room and are generally easy to grow, while still giving a reliable harvest.
- Kale is another hardy leafy crop that keeps producing well. Pick the outer leaves as you need them and leave the centre to keep growing.
Other crops that work well in small gardens
- Compact tomato varieties can also work well in small spaces. Look for types such as Roma, Scoresby Dwarf, or bush and semi-dwarf varieties like Russian Red. Cherry tomatoes such as Small Fry, Tiny Tim, and Tumbling Tom Red are also well suited to pots and smaller gardens. There are often new compact varieties available each season, so it is worth checking with your local garden centre.
- Zucchini or courgettes can also be productive, although they do need a bit more room, they can be growing vertically up a tomato cage or vegetable support. Harvest regularly to keep the plant producing, as fruit left too long can quickly turn into marrows.
Preparing the soil and keeping crops coming
Before planting, prepare the existing soil well by adding plenty of organic matter such as Daltons Garden Time Compost and/or Garden Time Vegetable Mix. This helps improve soil structure and gives plants a better start.
If you are growing in pots, the Garden Time Vegetable Mix will work well, or try Daltons Premium Potting Mix.
It also helps to sow or plant little and often rather than all at once. This is called succession planting and gives you a more continuous harvest instead of everything cropping at the same time. Always keep your local conditions in mind as well, and choose varieties that suit your area and the time of year.
