Container planting

You don't need a lot of space to grow vegetables.

Nor do you need to spend big bucks on fancy containers.

A simple styrofoam vegetable box (free of charge from the green grocer!) can become a small portable garden. Perfect for balconies or other small spaces, it is capable of growing a considerable amount of food:



Container planting at The Food Forest

We've used half wine barrels as container gardens at our place. This one grew fruit and vegies when our Tahitian Lime (centre) was small:

A wicking bed is a good waterwise idea for growing herbs and vegetables in containers. Wicking beds work like self-watering pots, allowing the plants to access water as they need it. They can be large or small, above ground or below, and work really well for small beds and boxes. They have the benefit of requiring less watering because the water is supplied at the root level so there is little evaporation or nutrient loss.

Sounds complicated you say? Actually, no - they are very easy to make and cost very little. The Gawler Natural Resource centre has some easy to follow instructions for building a wicking bed in a foam box.

Photo source

If you'd like to use wicking methods on a larger scale, there are also instructions for creating a wicking bed in a raised bed.

Photo source

So no matter how small your space is, it is possible to grow herbs and vegies without a lot of money or hassle.

Happy gardening!