Free space for the city gardener might be no more than a cramped patio, balcony, rooftop, windowsill, hanging rafter, dark cabinet, garage, or storage area, but no space is too small or too dark to raise food. With this book as a guide, people living in apartments, condominiums, townhouses, and single-family homes will be able to grow up to 20 percent of their own fresh food using a combination of traditional gardening methods and space-saving techniques such as reflected lighting and container "terracing." Those with access to yards can produce even more. Author R. J. Ruppenthal worked on an organic vegetable farm in his youth, but his expertise in urban and indoor gardening has been hard-won through years of trial-and-error experience. In the small city homes where he has lived, often with no more than a balcony, windowsill, and countertop for gardening, Ruppenthal and his family have been able to eat at least some homegrown food 365 days per year.

Food, we can't live without it, yet its costs are rising and consuming more of the family budget. In addition, health concerns about the use of pesticides, gmo foods, and potential soil mineral depletion in the food supply inspire more people to want to grow their own vegetables. Many of these live in cities with only small yard spaces. This book presents new methods devised and tested by the author to maximize food production from a small yard. By tightly spacing plants in deep, fertile soil, training plants vertically, and harvesting year round -- with the help of the inexpensive, portable greenhouse one can build from this book -- a great proportion of a family's vegetable needs can be grown at home - even in the space it takes to park a car. The author devised and tested a great growing system. Even if people have more space, it doesn't make sense to use more space. Gardeners won't necessarily produce more vegetables, but more space does mean more area to cultivate, weed and water; less space for other backyard uses. Soil fertility is more important than additional space. The system of composting we use requires an EM medium (mostly wheat bran inoculated with beneficial micro-organisms) and two buckets, one for collecting kitchen waste and one for further fermentation. The microorganisms not only feed the plants, they also clean up the soil.

Describes more than fifty projects for growing fruits, vegetables, and herbs in small spaces, whether a patio, rooftop, or windowsill; includes recipes and a list of other resources.

You don't need an allotment to grow your own, Grow All You Can Eat in Three Square Feet - now available in PDF Grow All You Can Eat in Three Square Feet innovative guide to maximizing even the smallest of gardening space so you can grow delicious fruit and vegetables, in abundance, at home. This must-have manual showcases a multitude of plots and inspirational ideas to make the most of your small spaces. Grow everything from tomatoes on your window sill to wisteria up your wall, with Naomi Schillinger's easy to follow instructions. It doesn't matter how much space you have available, with key techniques such as sowing seeds, assessing soil and choosing the right plants for which type of space are all shown with step-by-step instructions, full colour photographs on every page and easy to read diagrams and charts to make sure you are getting the most out of your space and your plants. Grow All You Can Eat in Three Square Feet shows that even those with the smallest space, can produce the most impressive crops.

Tiny plants are poised to take over the gardening world. And no category of tiny plants is as welcome and wildly embraceable as tiny edibles. Not only are they cute as a button, but they’re tasty and nutritious too! In Micro Food Gardening, author and small-space gardening pro Jen McGuinness, introduces you to a world of miniature edible plants and dozens of DIY projects for growing them. Not everyone has room to grow a full-sized tomato plant or a melon vine that takes up more room than your car, but everyone has space for a micro tomato that tops out at the height of a Barbie doll or a dwarf watermelon with vines that won’t grow any longer than your leg. From miniature herbs and salad greens to tiny strawberry plants, baby beets, and mini cabbages, you’ll quickly discover that micro gardening offers a surprisingly diverse and delicious array of edible opportunities. Plus, with step-by-step instructions for a plethora of DIY micro food gardening projects, you’ll be up and growing in no time at all. Whether you micro garden on a high-rise balcony, an itty bitty patio, a front porch container, or even in a basket on the handlebars of your bicycle, there are mini food plants ready to start cranking out fresh produce just a few weeks after planting. Creative projects include: A window box of mini potatoes for a porch, deck, or fire escape railing A mini lettuce table that serves to both grow food and hold your beverage A compact “cake tower” of strawberry plants A wine box spice garden A mini food fountain with herbs, veggies, and edible flowers A small-space omelet garden for cooking up the perfect breakfast Plus, several indoor food-growing projects will have you enjoying homegrown micro veggies year-round, even in cold climates. With advice on plant selection and care, project plans, full color photography, and growing tips, Micro Food Gardening is here to show you the joys of growing your own fresh, organic food, no matter where you call home.

At last, an innovative solution for urbanites, apartment dwellers, and anyone who wants to grow food in small spaces — grow up! Vertical Vegetables & Fruit shows how easy and fun small-footprint food gardening can be. Low maintenance and big harvests are just two of the benefits of using teepees, trellises, cages, hanging baskets, wall pockets, stacking pots, and multilevel raised beds to grow vegetables and fruit. Whether your soon-to-be garden is an alley, a balcony, a rooftop, or just a windowsill, master gardener Rhonda Massingham Hart provides expert advice for constructing the site, preparing the soil, and planting and caring for vegetables and fruits to produce a hearty harvest. From beans on a tepee to tomatoes on a wire archway, melons on a slanted fence to cucumbers on a trellis, kiwis on a clothesline to strawberries in a pot, there are simple growing guidelines here to fit every gardener's favorite tastes and site. For experienced gardeners looking to try new techniques as well as first-time growers with tiny growing spaces, Vertical Vegetables & Fruit is the space-saving, harvest-enhancing guide to producing a bounty of fresh food in any location.

Forget the 100-mile eat-local diet; try the 300-square-foot-diet &— grow squash on the windowsill, flowers in the planter box, or corn in a parking strip. Apartment Gardening details how to start a garden in the heart of the city. From building a window box to planting seeds in jars on the counter, every space is plantable, and this book reveals that the DIY future is now by providing hands-on, accessible advice. Amy Pennington's friendly voice paired with Kate Bingham-Burt's crafty illustrations make greener living an accessible reality, even if readers have only a few hundred square feet and two windowsills. Save money by planting the same things available at the grocery store, and create an eccentric garden right in the heart of any living space.