It’s a chief complaint of city dwellers across the world, and one only exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and a world still largely under lockdown. That is, ‘’I want to grow my own, but I don’t have the space!’’
For many, urban gardens are the solution to this protestation. The definition of ‘urban garden’ is fairly fluid, but in essence, it describes those who live in compact spaces, usually because they’re in the city, growing produce or plants on balconies or patios, in containers in a shared community space, or on rooftops. Often, the growing space is shared with neighbours who all do their bit to chip in and help.
When thinking about gardens, the assumption is that the focus falls on plants and flowers. However, urban gardening has increasingly come to refer to a ‘grow your own’ revolution in cities, which essentially involves the cultivation of fruits and vegetables, rather than flowers for decoration. There are a number of benefits associated with doing this, including healthier, organic fruit and vegetables available to you, fostering a sense of community and reducing that community’s environmental impact.
Evidently, you can have an urban garden for your own use, although some people choose to run these spaces as a small business, where neighbours can purchase fruit and vegetables from one another or share in both the crops and mental nourishment that this type of gardening provides.
If you’re considering setting up your own urban garden but aren’t sure of the basics, then you’ve come to the right place; here are 6 IDEAL tips for starting an urban garden.
CHOOSE A LOCATION
First things first, your primary decision is going to be whether you set up your urban garden on private property, such as your rooftop, patio or front yard, or in the community. If you choose the former, you’ll likely be doing this thing alone or with just one or two neighbours. The latter, and it’s likely to be a larger, shared project with more participants and help, but also a greater divvy up of the crops.
Should you choose to start your urban garden in the community, then you’ll need to contact your local council to find out who owns the property, and if permission might be granted for your project.
Some common public spaces which have been turned into urban gardens successfully in the past include woodlands, disused land, gardens in schools, or unused land within social or council housing areas. The Community Land and Advisory Service offer help and support to urban gardeners seeking planning permission and other advice, and should be your first port of call, here.
Alternatively, you could rent an allotment, either on your own or with others. Though allotments are more fully-fledged on gardening and farming, and are therefore better supported for your growing needs, the waiting lists in the UK are notoriously long. Check out the National Allotment Society’s database for vacancies.
Regardless of the plot you focus on, it’s going to need access to water, storage or shed space, and most likely, electricity. You will also need public liability insurance, in case of injuries incurred on site.
The location of your urban garden is crucial for the overall health of your crops, and the direction it faces – in terms of both wind and sun – will dictate what you can grow. The majority of fruits and vegetables require a great amount of sunlight throughout the day to flourish. On the other hand, herbs and root vegetables require partial shade to grow. Choose a location that is appropriate for what you want to grow.
START SMALL
Liability insurance, allotment rental contracts, electricity installation…the dream and reality of urban gardening can diverge drastically and the commitment is massive. Urban gardens aren’t a fair-weather affair, but rather, involve constant upkeep, attention and problem solving to make work.
If you’re not yet sure whether urban gardening is for you, then start small and compact to test whether you find it an enjoyable, fulfilling activity or one wrought with stress and headaches.
Cultivating a small herb garden at home, on a windowsill, balcony or patio, is the perfect place to start, and will give you a flavour of things to come.
Read: The IDEAL Kitchen Garden: How To Grow Your Own Herbs At Home.
CROP ROTATION
If you do catch the gardening bug (not real bugs, though you may well need to protect against them at some point), it’s time to consider a larger project. Once you have decided your location as well as what to grow, you can start planning your garden beds. Whilst once upon a time, urban gardening and allotment use involved a three or four year rotation system to ensure the soil’s diversity, avoid pests, and maintain your crop’s overall health, these days, many choose a more freeform affair.
Though it’s a complex subject matter and hinges on your chosen produce, generally speaking, each year sees separate beds dedicated to three or four subgroups of vegetables. Here’s a fairly standard breakdown of four plots, divided according to preferred soil conditions:
- Potatoes, tomatoes and peppers
- Beans and peas
- Brassicas and leaves
- Root vegetables and onions
Each year the beds change accordingly, to ensure the diversity of soil, though some crops, like rhubarb and asparagus, are perennial, and grow all year round. Because each crop requires a different pH level of soil (more of that later) rotation is a wise move.
You can decide between raised beds, which are more eye-catching but also more prone to drought; or sunken beds, which are optimal to use in very dry areas given their gathering moisture properties. Your garden beds should be separate from each other and properly organised according to crop so that you make the most of the space that you have.
The gardening pros over at Harper Nurseries suggest investing in the best urban gardening gear is essential, and recommend that if you were to choose just one type of bed, then raised wooden containers are a safe all rounder, as they are ‘’known to be frost-proof, which boosts plant growth, especially in chilly areas.’’ In the UK, with urban gardeners often contending with the elements, this will be reassuring.
TEST YOUR SOIL
Without the right soil, no plants will grow, and it can be frustrating finding out that your soil is not good enough after you have already planted your seeds. To prevent this, you must test your soil to avoid disappointment later.
Consider factors such as the soil pH, whether there are risks of contamination nearby and whether it possesses the appropriate nutrients to support your crops. Most garden centres sell pH testing kits cheaply – above 7.0 pH and your soil is alkaline, below and it’s acid. Generally speaking, 6.5 is the ideal pH for all-purpose growing.
When the pH is very acidic (below 5.0 ish), most nutrients in the soil become unavailable to crops. Many keen urban gardeners remedy acidic soil by adding lime to it. On the flip side, a soil which is too alkaline causes certain nutrition deficiency in crops, too. Adding an acidifying element, like sulphur or iron sulphate, can remedy this.
CONSIDER TRANSPLANTS
Transplants essentially mean that you are removing a plant from its roots to a new location. Though cultivating a crop from seeds can be satisfying and therapeutic, and the range of produce available to you is wider, transplants often produce more predictable results, and are more resistant to bugs. That said, they can introduce weeds to your garden.
Should you opt for transplants, it’s essential that you ‘harden’ them when introducing the plant or crop to your garden. Most transplants have been grown in highly managed conditions, such as commercial greenhouses with temperature controls, and placing them in your garden may bring about temperature fluctuation, shock and wilting. To harden your transplants, gradually expose them to cooler, drier conditions before planting them properly in your urban garden.
ENJOY THE CULTIVATING AS MUCH AS THE HARVEST
Urban gardening is as much about the journey as the destination, with many gardeners citing the mental health benefits as the key driver of their devotion. Though the harvest can be hugely satisfying, with food picked straight from the ground tasting wonderfully fresh, there’s also huge joy to be found in the journey itself.
For more, check out these 5 IDEAL ways gardening can help your mental wellbeing.