Cost of living: How to grow fruit and veg in a small space

Small garden? No problem, just gather a few pots on the pergola and start growing fruit, vegetables and lots of flowers.

Small potted olive trees.

With the push towards courtyard-sized outdoor spaces and higher density living, many people don’t have space for a garden, but there is an alternative to surround yourself with lush foliage and colourful flowers. You garden in pots!

Although this may present a number of challenges with pots drying out rapidly, especially on hot days, and requiring more regular feeding, it can also bring with it opportunities, such as flexibility or moving things around in smaller spaces, and portability for those renting.

Colourful geraniums look great in pots.

Evergreen bay trees are productive too.

POT PLANTS FOR SUNNY AREAS

1. Gardenia – scented flowers over a long period, glossy green foliage

2. Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (Brunsfelsia) – flowers over a long period in three shades of purple

3. Lilly Pilly – foliage colour, pretty flowers

4. Bay Tree – dark green leaves which can be used in cooking

5. Ficus – glossy green or variegated leaves

6. Sacred Bamboo (Nandina domestica and dwarf forms) – attractive foliage colour and form

7. Roses – flowers for 6-9 months

8. Geranium especially new cultivars like ‘Big Red’ – flowers for most of the year

9. Succulents such as Agave, Aloe, Cotyledon and Echeveria – foliage colour, form and flowers

10. Cordyline – attractive coloured, strappy leaf foliage

The Gold Dust Plant has striking foliage that will brighten up shady areas.

SHADY CHARACTERS

Perhaps you want to dress up a doorway this Christmas, but it only gets a couple of hours of morning sun, there are options to choose from.

Semi-shaded and shaded positions can sometimes be the most challenging for pot plants as many plants will tend to get leggy and reach out for the light.

1. Lady or Rhaphis palm – attractive foliage and form

2. Camellias – glossy green leaves and flowers in winter-spring

3. Hydrangeas – stunning summer blooms

4. Daphne – heavenly scented flowers in winter-spring and glossy green foliage

5. Gold Dust Plant (Aucuba) – glossy large leaves, variegated foliage

6. Begonia (especially the cane type) – flowers over a long period and attractive foliage

7. Elephants Ear (Alocasia) – bold foliage and form, scented flower

8. Clivea – bright orange flowers and dark green strappy leaves

9. Bromeliads – fascinating forms with colourful foliage and flowers

10. Cast Iron Plant (Aspidistra) – glossy green leaves, with variegated forms available

An espaliered Meyer lemon tree is perfect to grow in pots.

Herbs, chilli, tomatoes, take your pick.

PRODUCTIVE POTS

If you are keen to grow produce and you have the right sunny position, you can grow herbs and vegies, or fruiting shrubs and trees. Strawberries and blueberries grow well in pots and so do a number of fruit trees. The minimum pot size for a fruit tree would have a 50cm diameter and this allows you to grow the compact or dwarf fruit tree varieties successfully. However, if space permits, choose larger pots with a diameter of 70cm such as a wine barrel, and then with appropriate pruning and management you can grow most normal varieties (apart from large nut trees such as a walnut).

Most citrus respond well to container growing and have the added benefit of being highly ornamental as well. Popular tub varieties include the ‘Meyer’ lemon, ‘Washington Navel’ orange, ‘Japanese Seedless’ mandarin, ‘West Indian’ and ‘Tahitian’ limes, and cumquats.

Other fruit trees which do well in pots include miniature varieties of peaches and nectarines; columnar or compact varieties of apples and pears; figs; olives; feijoas; and cherry guavas.

Always check the pollination of requirements of fruit trees and be prepared to thin the fruit to allow the development of high quality, full-sized fruit.

A little bit of care goes a long way.

POT CARE

Whatever plants you do choose for pots, they all need to be looked after well. A rule of thumb for looking after pots in sunny positions in dry climates is to water them daily during the hot weather and feed them regularly.
As far as fertilising goes, use a slow-release organic based fertiliser and feed a little bit regularly, or use soluble fertilisers every few weeks. By keeping your plants strong and healthy they are more resistant to the stresses of heat and drought.

In dry areas, use a premium potting soil and consider adding some compost or coir to increase the soils water holding capacity. The soil of pot plants especially those that have been in the pot for a while tends to become hydrophobic, with the water almost running over the surface and down the sides without ever truly penetrating the root system. To counteract this, use an organic bio-degradable soil wetter such as Eco-hydrate, which helps water to penetrate the soil surface delivering water to the plants root system. Avoid having a plant sit in a saucer of water as the plant may suffer from wet feet. Finally, don’t forget to mulch your pots.

LONG TERM PROSPECTS

Some plants can live in pots for decades, yet others have an expiry date. Sometimes you can simply pot them up a size or two and they will keep growing strongly, but others will eventually max out and you can’t go up another size or manage a pot large enough for them to thrive. Then you have a choice to either plant it out into the garden if you have space and its appropriate or put the plant up for adoption (give the plant to someone who can plant it out).