Whenever I talk to people about gardening, invariably I will hear someone say “I would love to garden but I just don’t have the time.” I usually launch into my schpeel about how it is pretty much only the beginning and end of the growing season that is the busiest and, if done right, takes very little time during the peak of the season. Regardless of your skill level or area to work with, it is 100% possible to have a super low maintenance food garden.
Of course, it depends on what you want to grow in your garden. Tomatoes, for example, are more of a high maintenance food to grow. The bottom line is if you really wanted to garden, you would figure out a way. Just like life always manages to find a way (think dandelions in sidewalk cracks), you can garden no matter what your schedule is or what space you have.
Through my own experiences, I have learned and grown several plants that require very low maintenance and will give you great returns on your investment. Keep in mind that if you are gone traveling often, you may need a garden plan that is suited and customized to you. This will be a very general list of some basic, easily identifiable foods. All of them can be planted in containers or in raised beds, depending on what you have to work with.
Vegetables
Whether you want to garden to help ease the food bill over winter or just to have some fresh food readily available, there are numerous vegetables that can be grown incontainers and even on a tight budget! If all you have to work with is a tiny apartment ‘balcony,’ you can still do this! The list below gives you an idea of things that are very easy to plant and then just water as needed until it is time to harvest. Getting sprouts from a local farmer or nursery is a way to vastly increase your chances (and cut down time needed) of success for your new low maintenance food garden.
- Salad greens
- Kale
- Garlic
- Carrots
- Onions
If you are growing root vegetables, make sure your containers or raised beds will be deep enough. If that is not possible, there are usually some varieties of veggies that aren’t so deep such asDanver Half Long carrots. I have personally grown that variety for three years now and while they don’t get long, the carrots are FAT! If you end up with a lot of extra, you can always quickly pickle them up and won’t need any special equipment to do it. Don’t know how to pickle? It is incredibly easy and you can learn in a single afternoon!
The list above is a short peek at numerous items that are very easy to plant and forget about (other than watering). You will need to check on things every few days but once you get into the habit, a simply glance can tell you all you need to know about the state of the garden. You aren’t limited to just veggies though!
Herbs
- Sage
- Basil
- Oregano
- Rosemary
I take pleasure in growing and drying my own herbs and spices. The price of them up here in Alaska at the store is almost exorbitant, especially if you want fresh! I tend to grow my herbs in larger sized pots and they produce enough that, when dried, will get me through the heavier cooking season (holidays) and into the next year. I use a lot of sage and got sick of paying $6 for a 4 ounce bottle. I instead spent $2 on a start and that will grow so much I end up giving some away! That is a serious return on investment and all I have to do is transplant the sprout into a new pot with good soil. Water and leave it be until it is nice and full. I dry my herbs up and use the store bought bottle over and over again. I used to notch the lid to keep track of how often I have filled it but once I passed the 10th notch, I knew I was saving copious amounts of money on my spices overall (I really do use A LOT of spices).
Berries
- Strawberries
- Low Bush Cranberry (Also called Lingonberry)
Wild berry locations are wonderful and I highly encourage you to seek them out and get to picking! If you are in a food desert, you can still grow strawberries in containers such as using a PVC pipe to grow vertically in. It will save space, watering is a breeze, and at the end you get strawberries that you grew! Imagine waking up in the morning and picking fresh strawberries off your plant to be sliced up and added to your yogurt, oatmeal, or cereal.
Overall, strawberries would likely be the lowest maintenance berry to grow though the lingonberries can also be grown in a container that would result in modest returns. Still, it is possible. Other berry bushes would be too much maintenance and work in containers than if they were just planted in the ground or a raised bed. You have to decide what is right for your own situation and what you want to accomplish.
Lowering Maintenance
Weeding and dealing with pests can take a lot of time. Thankfully, there are several methods of keeping those pesky plants and bugs at bay without using chemicals.
- Weed Barrier cloth
- Mulching
- Diatomaceous Earth – This is amazing stuff that will keep slugs and other pests out of your garden.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.