Urban gardener shares trick to maximize limited food-growing space: ‘I used to think it was just for big gardens’
Urban gardener shares trick to maximize limited food-growing space: ‘I used to think it was just for big gardens’
Urban gardening is a great way to bring some more greenery to your life. An urban garden can range from something as large as a community garden plot, like this one built to feed the needy, to a simple window planter.
If you want to start one, but you’re at a loss of where to begin, TikToker and urban garden enthusiast Kia Jade (@kia_urbangardener) has given viewers some great tips for how to maximize space in your small garden using one simple method.
How it works
In her video, Jade explains how to maximize small garden space using companion planting, giving three tips.
Tip one is to avoid overcrowding to make sure that all your plants are able to get enough sun.
Tip two is to use vertical space in your garden. Jade uses a trellis to grow cauliflower and peas in the same pot, as an example.
Tip three is to do some research. As Jade points out, “not all plants like to be next to each other,” so it’s important to look up what plants do well in the same container.
“For some reason I used to think [companion planting] was just for big gardens,” she says in a comment, “but now I’m bringing it to my pots.”
How it’s helping
Gardening is a fun and healthy habit that can provide you with nutritious and rewarding vegetables. Gardening in an urban environment is also extra beneficial for several reasons.
In addition to being a great way to spend some time outside, urban gardening can increase property values and decrease food insecurity, and it has been reported that just 10 square feet of garden can offset the pollution of a car for a year.
Green space also has the added benefit of better air quality and can help reduce water runoff during storms. Further, as Jade points out in another video where she shares tips for growing any vegetable you want in a city environment, adding in a few annual flowering plants attracts pollinators.
What everyone’s saying
Commenters seemed to be familiar with the concept of combination planting. One person wrote, “Companion planting is so interesting! —and complicated!” They went on to ask the original poster what other combinations she was planning to try.
Kia responded, “I definitely want to have basil around the base of my tomato plants this summer!”
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