If you live in an environment where you have very little space, the key is not to go horizontally but choosing to go vertically. A simple switch from horizontal to vertical can net you a much larger harvest of food to supplement your diet. I personally recommend a composting vertical planter versus the water-based for many reasons (later post) but you can buy self-watering planters if you are really tight on space and cash. I’ve spent some time choosing species that would work in various vertical planters, check them out when you get time.
~*~ This post contains an affiliate link (composting planter), which means I get a portion of proceeds from your purchase. Your purchase allows me to be a stay at home mom & feral housewife. ~*~
Leaves:
If you consume the leaves of a plant, you can expect the container depth needed to grow these to be around 6-8 inches depending on head size. These plants typically are the faster growing so keep this in mind when germinating along with roots and fruits.
Kale (Dwarf Siberian Kale, Blue Curled Scotch Kale)Lettuce (Tom Thumb Lettuce, Little Gem Lettuce, Tennis Ball Lettuce)Bok Choy (Baby Milk Bok Choy, Hedou Tiny Bok Choy)
Green Onions (He Shi Ko Bunching Onion)
Arugula (Common Arugula)
Chinese Cabbage (Hilton Chinese Cabbage)
Endive (Frisee Endive)
Spinach (Galilee Spinach, Bloomsdale Spinach)
Balsam (Candy Cane Balsam, Camelia Flower Mix) Herbals (Bee Balm, Borage, Burdock, Calendula, Horehound, Echinacea, Lavender, Mint, Parsley)
Roots:
If you consume the root more than the leaves of the plant, the depth of the planter should run between 8-10 inches based on the variety of root you’re planting. These take longer because the growth is a solid mass, so be aware when germinating with leaves and fruits.
Carrots (Little Finger Carrot, Kuroda Carrot, Parisienne Carrot)
Radishes (Early Scarlet Globe Radish, De 18 Jours Radish, Saxa Radish)
Parsnip (Hollow Crown Parsnip)
Beets (Crapaudine Beet, Albino Beet, Bull’s Blood Beet)
Onions (Bianca Di Guigno Onion, Texas Grano Onion)
Rutabagas (Purple Top Rutabaga)
Fruits:
Fruiting style plants will need the deepest pots, grow mostly outward and take the most time to be ready for consumption. The depth for these will typically range 10-12 inches of soil, yet small varieties can be well managed in large vertical planters.
Cucumbers (Mexican Cucumbers, Dragon’s Egg Cucumbers, Green Apple Cucumbers)
Sweet Peppers (Mini Bell Peppers, Pippins Honey Peppers,
Tomatoes (Blue Cream Tomatoes, Micro Tom Tomatoes, Orange Hat Tomatoes, Napa Rose Tomatoes, Black Cherry Tomatoes, Spoon Tomatoes )
Strawberries (Alexandria Alpine, Regina Alpine Strawberry, Yellow Wonder Strawberry)Peas (Tom Thumb Peas, Alaska Garden Peas, Little Marvel Garden Pea)
Eggplant (Japanese White Eggplant, Frog Egg Eggplant, Little Fingers Eggplant)
If you need help with planning your homestead, you can email me. I offer a free initial consultation and charge $25 an hour after that. Happy Homesteading!
Suburban & Rural Homesteading Today 