Building a Small-Scale Garden or Farm

For many, a lush garden overflowing with delicious, home-grown produce is a dream. What if your green thumb itches and the desire for your own fresh harvest aches, but you simply don’t feel like you have the space to accommodate a garden or farm business? Don’t be so quick to give up on your goals just yet. Even without acres of land available for cultivation or a vast stretch of backyard, there are a multitude of ways that aspiring growers make smaller plots or even apartments work. 

If your space is limited, maybe you’re looking at your situation the wrong way… literally. When horizontal simply won’t work, perhaps vertical will. Vertical agriculture is a great way to multiply (or invent) growing space for your plants. Think wall space, hanging systems, stackable planters, trellises, and other upright structures. While hydroponics are gaining popularity within the agricultural realm and are a great choice if square-footage is a limitation, you don’t need anything fancy. A hanging show organizer could be repurposed for your plants! Vertical gardening is a great way to create a successful garden with a small footprint. 

Working within the confines of a compact backyard or even a balcony can be difficult. However, container gardening is an effective option. You can utilize wooden crates, pots, plant holders, even buckets as places to grow crops without hindering their ability to thrive. Not only is this strategy budget friendly through using upcycled materials, it allows you to mold your planting ‘bed’ arrangement to the space you have and provides the option of taking your plants with you if you move. You’ll save on space and soil compared to traditional gardening. It’s a win-win. 

Another gamechanger for building a small-scale garden revolves around on the plants themselves. Space wise, what you choose to grow matters. Herbs, leafy greens, peppers, green onions, turnips, beets, bush beans, tomatoes, and strawberries are all extremely space-efficient and are perfect choices for small gardens or containers. Microgreens and mushrooms pose a great alternative to typical crop plants due to their speed of growth, minimal space requirements, and high return on investment. Vertical growing crops include peas, pole beans, raspberries, blackberries, and even cucumbers and squash. Just remember that those plants will need trellises or some sort of support system. Even your planting strategy, such as utilizing companion cropping, can maximize your produce output without expanding your garden’s footprint. 

While navigating limited growing space is challenging, it certainly is not impossible. There are a variety of methods including vertical agriculture, container gardening, choosing the right type of plants to fit your space, and more. You don’t need acres and acres to cultivate home-grown produce. If you have any questions or would like personalized advice on how to create the small-scale garden of your dreams, please reach out to Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County.