Small Space GardensSmall Space Gardens

ByBy

Lin Frye, DirectorLin Frye, Director

Arboretum and LSG ProgramArboretum and LSG Program

Johnston Community CollegeJohnston Community College

Site Planning

• Find niches• Locate house, lot, walk, fences in space

North

West (House) East

South• Locate existing trees, shrubs, fences and beds you wish to keep, trash

cans, storage sheds, etc.• Mark sun and shadow pattern across space, prevailing winds• Consider family needs (i.e. play area for children), recreation, outdoor

cooking, entertaining, meeting areas, privacy• Consider water source location, underground utility lines, septic tank

and field• List your desires

• Consider unconventional areas, i.e. lawn edges, for the things you wish to grow – vegetables, herbs, flowers

• Consider sunlight and shade and a water source

• Consider spacing requirements for your plants

• Soil test, ph

• Fertilizing

• Compost

• Native soil and amendments

What do you want to plant?

Raised beds

• Benefits: drainage, warms faster, easier to work

Small Scale Gardens

Niches

• Even the smallest of shaded places can be used

Vertical Gardens

• You can grow all vine crops vertically

• Need garden supports (trellis, tall cages)

• Can be combined with niches, square foot gardening and some containers

Square Foot GardeningBased on the book by Mel Bartholomew “Square Foot Gardening” and French

intensive gardening

• Benefits: high yield, efficient, bountiful, minimal effort, small space

• Intensive Gardening

• Blocks of 4’ x 4’ raised beds separated by a narrow walking path

• Good drainage

Square Foot Gardens

• Soil test – vegetables need 6-7 ph

• Intercropping – importance of spacing, fertilizer, companion plants

Lin Frye’s Home Gardens

Equal parts of coarse vermiculite, screened peat moss, coarse sand, decomposed leaf mold (or bagged compost), lime, fertilizer

My formula for a 4’’ x 8’ x 1’ bed:

2 cu feet humus ½ to 1 pounds 10-10-10 slow

release fertilizer

½ pound powdered dolomitic lime

OR

Soil

8 cu feet peat moss8 cu feet bagged compost (sterilized)6 cu feet cow manure6’ to 8’ soilless mix (Metro Mix 400)

Each square is planted with a different crop in each square (careful with spacing and crowding) Example: Pepper plants – one plant per 1’ sub block

i.e. If you wanted to plant an entire 4’ main block in Pepper plants, you’d plant a total of 16 plants.

i.e. To plant spinach plants – 9 per 1 foot sub block for a total

4’ bed of 144 spinach plants.

(Each block is 12 inches x 12 inches)

NEVER WALK ON THIS GROWING MEDIUM! KEEP ADDING COMPOST TO KEEP YOUR SOIL IN TOP CONDITION!

• COMPOST AND FERTILIZER

• WATERING

• INSECT MANAGEMENT

SQUASH STRAWBERRIES

• Plant Spacings in a Square Foot Garden

• A One-Person Garden

This system can be viewed at the Arboretum Kitchen Garden site.

• Benefits: Can follow the sun or move to shade if needed

• Can add instant color to any area

• Can have easy access to herbs and vegetables

Container Gardening

• Any container can be used

• Clay, Plastic pot, Coffee Mug, Planter Box, Soda containers or even old shoes

• Make sure there are holes in the bottom of the container

• Raise containers with holes off a solid surface to assist with drainage

• If no holes – add ½” of small pebbles, gravel or broken crockery for drainage

• Be sure to use a container large enough for the plant(s) you’ll be growing

• Shallow-rooted crops (lettuce, peppers, radishes, herbs) – use containers at least 6” in diameter with an 8” soil depth

• Bushel baskets, half barrels, wooden tubs are best for tomatoes, squash, pole beans, cucumbers.

Container Gardening

Container Gardening

• Different soil, water, fertilizer and cultural requirements than plants in the ground

• Special container mixes – Jiffy Mix, Super Soil, Pro-Mix, etc.

• Requires “soilless mix” – containing:

• An organic part: peat moss, sawdust, wood shavings, hardwood bark or pine bark

• Mineral part: vermiculite, perlite, pumice, builder’s sand,granite sand or a combination of these

• Special soils provide:

• Fast drainage of water through the soil• Air in soil after drainage• A reservoir of water in the soil after

drainage

• Special soils do not usually contain fertilizer

• Need to compensate for soil drying out faster in a container

• Fertilizers leach with each watering

• Must water and fertilize more frequently

SOILS

• Slow release fertilizers (MAKE SURE IT’S BALANCED)

(10/10/10 – nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium)

• Mix in with soil upon planting

• Refertilize when plants flower

• Refertilize if needed to help a second flowering

• Or use a weak nutrient solution (i.e. Miracle Grow) – use only 1/5 the amount of fertilizer called for on the label for a monthly application

FERTILIZER

• Water thoroughly after adding plant to container

• After settling, soil should be ½” to 1” below rim of container

• Water when soil dries or plant wilts

• Use your finger to determine dryness of soil NOT calendar

• Clay pots require more frequent watering than plastic or glazed pots

• You can put one small pot in a larger one and insulate with peat moss, perlite or gravel

• Group small pots together to help with evaporation

Don’t over water!!

WATERING

• Wick Watering

• Put one end of wick into pail of water and other in soil of the container (through the bottom hole of container). Use thick cotton string

• Provides continuous supply of water and/or weak water/fertilizer solution

• Can also invert a saucer, place over a water-filled container, and place pot on top of saucer

• Can also use special wicking fabrics

• Mist container plants with water to help provide the humidity

WATER (CONTINUED)

CONTAINER PLANT SPACING

• Check seed package for spacing requirements• Plant more seeds than needed because not all seeds

germinate• Thin after germination for proper spacing• Place container in proper light• Amount of light is determined by what you’ll be growing• Anything with a flower or fruit MUST have at least

6-8 FULL HOURS OF SUNLIGHT PER DAY

CONTAINER PEST CONTROL

• Inspect weekly for pests Slugs

Snails Earwigs Spider mites Whitefly Aphids

• Move infected plants away from the others and treat insects accordingly

Vegetable Type of Container Recommended Varieties

Beans, Snap 5 gal window box Bush Romano, Bush Blue Lake, Tender Crop

Beans, Lima 5 gal window box Henderson Bush, Jackson, Wonder Bush

Beets 5 gal window box Little Egypt, Early Red Ball

Broccoli 1 plant/5 gal pot; 3 plants/15 gal tub Green Comet, DeCicco

Brussels Sprouts 1 plant/5 gal pot; 2 plants/15 gal tub Jade Cross

Cabbage 1 plant/5 gal pot; 3 plants/15 gal tub Dwarf Morden, Red Ace, Early Jersey Wakefield

Chinese Cabbage 1 plant/5 gal pot; 3 plants/15 gal tub Michihili, Burpee Hybrid

Carrot 5 gal window box at least 12 inches deep Short & Sweet, Danvers Half Long, Tiny Sweet

Cucumber 1 plant/gal pot Patio Pik, Spacemaster, Pot Luck

Eggplant 5 gal pot Slim Jim, Ichiban, Black Beauty

Lettuce 5 gal window box Salad Bowl, Ruby

Onion 5 gal window box White Sweet Spanish, Yellow Sweet Spanish

Pepper 1 plant/2 gal pot; 5 plants/15 gal tub Sweet Banana, Yolo Wonder, Long Red Cayenne

Radish 5 gal window box Cherry Belle, Icicle

Spinach 5 gal window box Dark Green Bloomsdale

Squash 2 gal pot Scallopini

Tomatoes Bushel baskets; 5 gal pots Tiny Tim, Small Fry, Sweet 100 Patio, Burpee's Pixie, Toy Boy, Early Girl, Better Boy VFN

Examples of Vegetables and the Suggested Container Size

• Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew

• http://www.squarefootgardening.com/

• Plants Available at the JCC Arboretum Plant Sale, Saturday, April 18, 9:00-2:00. Come early for best selection.

FOR MORE INFORMATIONFOR MORE INFORMATION

Call Lin Frye (919) 209-2052Call Lin Frye (919) 209-2052

Call Minda Daughtry (919) 209-2184Call Minda Daughtry (919) 209-2184