Porch Plantings and Small Spaces

Living in the Bay Area often translates to living in an apartment, loft, duplex, triplex, or condo. Although many of us do live in larger houses, a lot of urban-dwelling folks have smaller spaces to work with and do not necessarily have a backyard available. While that may prove challenging when it comes to gardening, there are many ways to go about growing food in these smaller spaces. I myself have lived in a range of places in the Bay Area, from a house with a garden we built from scratch to apartments with a single balcony or porch, I have found a way to grow beneficial plants and food for myself.

If you have less than ideal space for plants, these suggestions are for you! When it comes to smaller spaces, I have learned a few key things: how to properly grow plants in containers or raised beds, how to study the sunlight movement on an average day, and how to utilize indoor space effectively to sow seeds. I will go into these three points individually and give you some tips on how to get started. 

First, if you have minimal outdoor space available to you, knowing how to grow plants in containers (or small raised beds) is a must. I know this seems obvious, but lots of vegetables and fruits cannot be grown in containers because their root systems are just too large to be confined to a pot. Plants like tomatoes, melons, squash, and cucumbers can have a difficult time reaching full size if kept in a container, and will often result in a small or stunted harvest. I have had some success with cucumbers, peppers, bush tomatoes, and eggplants in large 10 or 20-gallon containers, but they require optimal conditions and will still take a little longer to develop crops. Depending on the size of the space you have, you may have to let go of growing those large plants and focus your attention more on the plants that will be successful in a garden pot. 

For container plantings, I recommend starting seeds off in seeding trays indoors and then gradually transplanting them into larger pots until they are ready for the largest pot they need to reach full size. If you are completely new to gardening, I suggest starting with herbs like basil and parsley to get a feel for it. Then you can branch out into lettuces, leafy greens, and smaller vegetables like radish, and eventually work your way into growing larger brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, bok choy, etc.), beans, peas and larger root vegetables (carrots, turnip, beets, etc.). Container plantings may require more specific soil mixes (will typically read “potting mix”) depending on the size of the pot and the type of crop. If you have a small space, containers are your saving grace. 

Second, studying light movement and patterns in your space is essential to knowing where to plant your crops and where to keep them when they are developing fruits and vegetables. Now of course light will change with every season, and the Bay Area, in particular, has temperate weather that does not mimic typical seasons. It is important to know how much light your apartment receives throughout the day to know which plants you can grow versus which will suffer. For example, I know that my bedroom and porch receive about 7 hours of direct bright light from 11:30 am to 6:30 pm during the spring and summer, therefore I place my plants accordingly by prioritizing the plants that require full sun. It only takes a few days of observation to know how the light moves in your home, which will give you great insight on where to place plants for optimal growing conditions. 

Lastly, it is important to utilize indoor space when you are living in a smaller home in order to properly sow seeds and start crops. I recommend buying seed trays or 1-4 inch pots to start seeds, as well as a soil mix specific for starting seeds or container planting. Seeds will need optimal light, water, and temperature conditions, but I have found that many plants start well indoors. Ample natural light in your home will usually suffice for seedlings, but if you want to purchase a grow light your seeds will have a much higher germination rate. It is also important to have your larger pots and soil ready for when your seedlings are sprouted and ready to be transplanted into larger containers. Sowing seeds indoors will increase your chances of success in growing food in your apartment. 

Ready to start growing? Start by planting in containers or small raised beds, observe and track the natural light in your home, and start seeds indoors. It’s that simple! Just because you do not have a yard does not mean you can’t grow your own food. There are even services now where you can buy microgreen self-growing trays and plant towers that have their own watering system. There are so many options out there, you just have to discover them.