Any Size, Anywhere Edible Gardening

The No Yard, No Time, No Problem Way To Grow Your Own Food

William Moss

• Publisher: Cool Springs Press
• Year: 2012
• Print ISBN: 9781591865087
• eBook ISBN: 9781610582827
• Topic: Biological Sciences
• Subtopic: Horticulture
• Index: Biological Sciences

Edibles continue to be popular choices for gardeners, and beginning gardeners are no exception. Author William Moss takes a beginning gardener through all the steps needed to grow vegetables and fruits in any setting, regardless of the available (or desired) size. This book covers container gardening, vertical gardening, raised-bed gardening, and traditional methods to help gardeners everywhere bring a taste of homegrown freshness to their gardening experience.

Chapter 1

SMALL SPACE VEGGIE GARDENS: THE PERKS & GROUND RULES

MALL SPACE GARDENING is hot. Any Internet search for the terms container gardens, raised beds, or vertical gardening turns up millions of results. In recent years it has been the fastest growing category of gardener. This segment of gardeners is composed of several groups. Urbanites represent a big part, as more people live in cities than ever before. Residents of cities and towns usually garden in small spaces by necessity. Others may have big yards but have limited time and/or energy. These include the time-crunched and downsizers who choose to cut down the size of their garden. New gardeners are other constituents of small-space gardening, and they often wisely start small to bolster chances of success and to keep from feeling overwhelmed.

Creative solutions to space limitations, like these modular grid boxes and plantable concrete blocks, can create a garden that is as much a conversation-starter as a high-yield food source.

Small Space Perks

While they often require more detailed planning, in some aspects small gardens can be easier. Garden design is less complicated. For instance, you may only have room for three tomato plants, but tending them will be much easier for you than the guy who is growing thirty. Maintenance is simpler. Weeding, tilling, amending the soil, fertilizing, mulching, and watering (except containers) all require less effort than in large spaces.

But less effort doesn’t mean less vitality. Small spaces can have a big impact. Whether it’s a simple hanging tomato on a porch or an intricate herb spiral mailbox planting, they all contribute to a better physical and social environment. Community gardens fill vacant lots with veggies and flowers. Raised beds bring color and interest to parkways and cul-de-sacs. Green roofs and wall gardens soften harsh cityscapes while freshening the air. Schools, churches, retirement homes, and hospitals use garden plots to recreate and educate. In this case, size does not matter. We may not have much space or time, but we won’t let that stop us from planting flowers, growing food, and enjoying the outdoors. We can all “get out and grow.”

One of my first gardens was a small piece of ground along the railroad tracks with a “Dead End” sign stuck in the middle (guerilla gardening isn’t something new). I passed this weedy area every day on my way to work (I was a school teacher). I didn’t know who owned the land, but I figured no one would make a fuss over its beautification. So I bought tools, plants, and mulch. I planted no edibles, just a few common ornamentals, such as wax begonias, cosmos, marigolds, and daylilies.

I didn’t expect anyone to notice, but people did! Other train riders thanked me after work as I weeded the garden. When I lugged buckets of water from my apartment, neighbors told me how they enjoyed the cheerful flowers. Although I had seen these people for years, we’d never had a connection until that weedy patch of ground became a mini-garden that united us.

Why Grow Your Own Vegetables?

Few things are as beneficial and life changing as growing your own food. Vegetable gardening gets you outdoors, gives you some exercise, and provides you with healthy crops. Veggie gardens can give you both a sense of achievement and peace of mind.

Growing your own food is seeing a resurgence in popularity. It often is touted as a way to save money, but veggie gardening is not just about saving a few bucks. For instance, if you have an average growing season and harvest 5 pounds of sweet potatoes from a container planting, that’s not a bonanza. You wouldn’t get rich taking them to market, and it wouldn’t cost you much to just go buy 5 pounds of sweet ’taters. But other factors add value to growing your own garden veggies.

First, homegrown produce is as fresh and local as you can get. Vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals (beneficial plant chemicals) are at their peak when the veggie is picked. The quick trip to the kitchen means your body receives the most health benefits. Homegrown veggies are right outside your door. There’s no need to drive to a supermarket to get veggies that have been transported from across the continent. If you are the impulsive type who gets a hankering for a fresh spinach-onion-tomato omelet at odd hours, grow the plants for ’em. They’ll be right there whenever you want them.

Second, you control all the additives. If you don’t want your family to ingest residues from pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, synthetic fertilizers, or preservatives, use techniques and products approved for organic gardening. I never push gardeners to be completely organic, but I recommend organic and sustainable practices whenever possible. A wide selection of pesticides and fertilizers approved for organic gardening is readily available. Labels can be misleading, so read the ingredients. And look for the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) listing or United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) approval.

Another factor is variety. Supermarkets carry one or two types of each veggie. That’s a sparse selection compared to the hundreds of varieties that exist. If you grow vegetables from seed (many are easy), your choices are nearly limitless. You can grow the usual varieties or rare, gourmet heirlooms with neat colors and complex flavors.

Plus, growing your own food is one of the most gratifying experiences a person can have. Ask gardeners about their best veggie crops and they’ll start to smile. Prepare for a long, jovial conversation as they excitedly speak about the merits of their garden and harvest. Few gardeners really think they are self-sufficient, but it feels good to grow your own food.

So factoring in freshness, proximity, availability, organic growing methods, variety, and self-satisfaction greatly increases the value of the homegrown veggies. Only the gardener can put a monetary price on his or her garden’s harvest. For many it’s priceless, although they will happily share their bounty.

Recently I saw conventionally grown heirloom pumpkins for sale in upscale markets at $8 for 5 pounds. So how much would my organically grown 20- to 30-pound heirloom cheese pumpkins sell for? I don’t know. But it would have taken a pretty penny to buy my well-tended pumpkins. However, I happily shared them with family and neighbors. That’s another plus of homegrown veggies: they make great gifts.

Ripe & Ready

We grow vegetables as much for the satisfaction of harvesting as the nutrition. Something about picking crops makes us feel proud, confident, and humble. To go from tiny seed to ripe veggie is a miracle. We don’t control the process. It is already programmed in the plant. We just help out along the way and get to reap the benefits. The sense of satisfaction is ageless. You smile whether it’s your first harvest season or your fiftieth. It literally represents the fruits of your labor, and they are sweet.

Vegetable or Fruit?

For this book, a “veggie” will mean any home garden crop, including fruits. Technically, vegetables and fruits are different. Vegetables have edible roots, stems, and leaves. Fruits are fleshy structures containing seeds. Some of the less sweet, more savory fruits are grouped as veggies for culinary purposes. Tomato, pepper, squash, pumpkin, and cucumber are examples of fruits that are commonly referred to as vegetables.

TRUE VEGETABLES & THEIR PLANT PART

Roots

Stems (Bulbs & Tube...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Contents
• Preface
• Introduction
• 1 Small Space Veggie Gardens: The Perks & Ground Rules
• 2 Types of Small Space Gardens
• 3 Time-Saving Tips
• 4 How to Grow Veggie All-Stars
• 5 Get Out & Grow! Tomatoes
• 6 Top Tomato Picks
• Appendix A: Veggies for Special Sites
• Appendix B: Best Management Practices
• Hardiness Zone Map
• Glossary
• Meet William Moss
• Index
• Photo Credits
• Dedication
• Acknowledgments
• Copyright Page