If you're short on space, here are the 6 gardening tips you should know

It's not necessary to have a huge backyard or a ton of space to start gardening. More and more people are turning toward container gardening – the practice of growing plants in potted containers instead of planting them directly into the ground – to enjoy the benefits of growing their own vegetables when they lack space.
Whether someone lives in an apartment or condo or just wants to try gardening before ripping up a chunk of their lawn, these six tips can help transform a small space into a successful container garden area.
Advertisement
1. Look for smaller containers
To start the project off on the right foot, it's important to have containers that maximize the available space. It's not necessary to spend the money on expensive potting containers to grow vegetables on a back patio. Get creative and look for containers that are wide and fairly shallow that will hold potting soil. Plastic dishpans work well for this and can be picked up fairly inexpensively at a dollar store or big-box retailer. Look for thick-walled polyethylene containers as this plastic is considered safe and won't leach chemicals into the potting soil.
Shutterstock
2. Use good-quality soil
An important aspect of growing any plants in containers is using good-quality potting soil. As tempting as it may be to dig up soil from the ground, avoid doing this; buy potting soil instead. It's made specifically for containers to be free of diseases and pathogens and will not compact like earthen soil does. Soil compaction means the roots struggle to grow the way they want to, so the plant can become stunted. A good potting soil is light, holds moisture and provides roots the ideal balance of air, moisture, nutrients and anchorage.
Shutterstock
3. Grow high-yield plants
To get the most out of limited real estate, it's wise to stick with plants that will give you the most bang for your buck. You want plants that yield as much as possible while only needing a small amount of growing space. Plants, such as bush beans, lettuce, radishes and onions, will yield more in limited space than broccoli or cabbage that only has a single harvest per season. Some varieties of tomatoes grow well in containers, too. The garden center can provide recommendations on varieties that are shorter and may not need to be staked or supported.
Shutterstock
4. Plant herbs
Planting herbs is an effective way to take advantage of a small outside area and transform it into a garden space. Herbs will regenerate quickly, providing a (fairly) constant source of harvestable material.
Shutterstock
5. Take advantage of vertical space
If you are limited on space, it's important to maximize what you do have available. One way to do this is to use vertical space and plant upward. This can be done by building vertical units, purchasing specialized planters or simply buying plastic shelving and placing it in a spot where the entire shelving unit receives sunlight during the day. Put containers on each of the shelves. Voila! An instant expansion of gardening space.
Shutterstock
6. Invite pollinators
If you are gardening on a patio or balcony, there's a good chance plants are limited. This means natural pollinators might not frequent your patio/balcony already. To make sure vegetables are pollinated – so the fruit can form – it's important to invite pollinators to the containers. Intersperse some flowers amongst veggies to bring bees, butterflies and/or hummingbirds to the garden space.
Advertisement
Shutterstock