How small is too small? You might just be surprised. You can have a productive kitchen garden even if you live in an apartment or a condo, or only have room for a handful of plants. And even if your small space doesn’t get 8 hours of sun each day, that’s okay. You just need to be a little creative and selective when choosing what to grow. Read on to find out just what’s possible in your small space.

Keep It Simple

A kitchen garden doesn’t have to be complicated. Or large. It just needs to work for you. In a small space, it’s even more important that your kitchen garden is well planned and intentionally designed. But before you begin, you’ll need answers to a few questions:

Are there any policies, rules or regulations in your community that prohibit or restrict having plants on your balcony, patio or window ledge? Apartments and condominiums often establish rules requiring that these spaces be kept neat and clean and/or prohibiting items from being hung or draped on railings.
Which direction does your space face? Will your kitchen garden receive morning or afternoon sun? How much sun will your plants get each day? While most herbs can be grown with about 4 hours of sun per day, most tomatoes and peppers really like about 8 hours each day.
How will you water the plants in your kitchen garden? Do you plan on hand watering outside or bringing your plants inside to the kitchen sink? Will your garden be located on a balcony with someone else’s balcony or patio beneath yours? If you’ll frequently be moving your plants, using lightweight containers and potting medium will be wise.

Try a Themed Kitchen Garden

Next - let’s get to the fun part - designing your kitchen garden and choosing your plants! Even though your space may be small, there are many options to consider. Keeping in mind the amount of sun your kitchen garden will receive each day, think about what you’d really like to grow . . .

Do you like to use fresh herbs when you cook?
Is salsa one of your go-to food choices?
Are you the drink mixologist for your family and friends?

As you think about these questions (and others), do you see a theme emerging? Because that’s really what you’re creating - a small space themed kitchen garden.

Consider the Sun

Here’s a little sunlight cheat chart:

2-4 Hours Per Day: Greens & Lettuces
4 Hours Per Day: Herbs
6 Hours Per Day: Beans, Peas & Root Crops like Carrots & Radishes
8 Hours Per Day: Tomatoes & Peppers

So let’s say you want fresh herbs to cook with and your kitchen garden space receives about 4 hours of sun per day. Under this scenario, you’ll be able to grow just about any herb of your choosing.

On the other hand, let’s say you’re a salsa lover but your space only gets about 6 hours of sun per day. You can successfully plant cilantro and chives. And, if you choose a smaller, determinate variety of tomato (or perhaps a cherry tomato), you’ll likely get enough tomatoes for salsa.

Experiment a Little

But in order to get a few peppers, a little creativity might be needed. The more direct sunlight peppers receive, the better they do. And the larger the pepper, the more sunlight it requires. So choose a smaller pepper variety, place the plant in the sunniest location available and consider supplementing with a grow light. Keep your fingers crossed, but don’t hesitate to take a trip to the local market if necessary!

Mix It Up & Go Vertical

In order to maximize your kitchen garden space, think about intensive planting, as well as interplanting - mix and match a variety of herbs and vegetables in one container. Also, remember you can go up! Vertical planting definitely can help increase your kitchen garden space. And balcony or patio railings can help support vining or bushy plants. Hanging planters or baskets also can be attached to ceiling hooks or rails for trailing herbs and veggies.

Edible Flowers Anyone?

And just so your kitchen garden isn’t all green, consider including some edible flowers like marigolds, calendula and nasturtium. A little pop of color in an unexpected place is enough to make you smile.

A New Favorite Spot

Remember - there’s not just one way to create a kitchen garden. The perfect kitchen garden is one that’s perfect for YOU.

Read more about small space and apartment gardening, and find gardening tips from Kitchenairy Gardens and others, on the Redfin Blog - It’s Gardening Thyme: A Beginners Guide to Apartment Gardening.

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