The best growing tips for smaller spaces

Ahead of the RHS National Garden Week, Rik (co-founder of Harvst) gives his top tips for growing food in smaller spaces. Aspiring gardeners can enjoy the benefits of homegrown plants and also reduce their carbon footprint relatively easily with very little outside space, there’s just a few things you’ll want to keep in mind as you start and continue to grow.

Grow plants that you love

Love beetroot but hate broccoli? Listen to those tastebuds as there’s little point in wasting time, energy or room on growing food that’s not going to be loved and used. Fortunately, for those with a Harvst mini-greenhouse, there’s no need to worry about the seasons as its climate controlled smart technology means growing is year-round.

Think bijou

Focus on dwarf or bush varieties of vegetable favourites instead of the larger or trailing kind. There are lots of smaller, space-saving plant varieties, plus baby veg are quicker to grow and just as tasty. The RHS has some good suggestions on choosing mini vegetables.

Choose high yield crops

When room is tight, choose plants that grow quickly and have a high yield. Salad vegetables like lettuce, spring onions, radishes and some cherry tomatoes are good examples. Shallots, chillies, carrots, beetroot, dwarf courgettes and herbs also keep giving.

Grow up

If horizontal room is an issue, grow upwards. There are plenty of climbing vegetable plants – like the faithful runner bean – that will give a good crop without taking up lots of ground space. Harvst’s Yard greenhouse is just 1.2m wide, 0.6m deep, and 1.4m tall making it ideal for small space growing but with the benefits of height.

Get feeding

When growing lots of plants in a small space it’s important they’re not competing for nutrients – so keep them well fed.

Choose the right spot

Different plants like different conditions, so consider which plants will work best in the growing space. A cool, shady yard that only gets the sun for half the day is a vastly different environment to a sun-drenched window ledge in the kitchen. Unless there’s the option for something like a Harvst Mini-greenhouse to control the environment, it’s an important factor to consider before starting to plant up.

Plan ahead

Whether using a mini-greenhouse, plant pots or beds it’s useful to sort out a planting schedule. Be ready to fill gaps that appear as plants finish, so there’s always got something on the go. That way, there will always be fresh vegetables to harvest, whatever the time of year. You can keep a record of all your growing with our free to use Harvst app.

Grow your own vegetables with a Harvst mini-greenhouse
Designed to help people grow more at home, with less effort and minimal space, Harvst blends gardening with smart technology and offers two web-connected ‘mini greenhouses’. A complete growing system for vegetables or flowers, each model comprises a Harvst cold frame, smart Wi-Fi connected control unit, mobile app, and built-in self-watering irrigation.

Compact and suitable for garden spaces both big and small The Yard and The Terrace start from £640.