Terrace gardens are an urban staple for people who love a touch of green in their homes. You may find them on patios and rooftops, but most commonly in the backyards with a bit of space. These gardens enable you to grow your veggies and fruits in areas with space constraints, most of them extending vertically and less laterally. Terrace gardens don’t usually have to exist on slopes but can include establishing tiny vegetable, flower, or fruit plantations on containers
A terrace vegetable garden is simple and easy to maintain, doesn’t demand too much water, and is less susceptible to pest and disease attacks. The reason is that these gardens are miniature and manageable, and since they supply fresh food, they’re worth investing some time and resources. Starting one isn’t some legwork but a breeze if you have the acquaintance and resources. Here’s everything you should know about establishing and maintaining a vegetable terrace garden.
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Containers to Use in a Terrace Vegetable Garden
Terrace vegetable gardens offer more versatile growing options, and any container can be as suitable and efficient. However, it’d help to consider the few essential aspects for seamless plant growth and management, including porosity, weight, and drainage capacities. You don’t want your containers to stay waterlogged or weigh too heavy. Also, they need to retain less heat and be food-safe and durable. With so many container options available, you’re spoilt for choice. Here are the best containers to use for your terrace vegetable garden.
Coconut Fiber Containers (Coco Fiber Pots) – These containers have it all; they’re porous, lightweight, and food safe. They’re also biodegradable and environmentally friendly, but their only shortcoming is that they don’t last as long as plastic and metal containers. You may need to buy coco fiber pots if you don’t know how to create DIY versions.
Soft Wooden Plank Containers – These containers are also ideal for a terrace vegetable garden since they’re easy to assemble and manage. You don’t need professional carpentry prowess to drive in nails and join wood planks to form box containers. Besides, it’s pretty easy to keep them in shape and maintain.
Plastic Containers – Plastic containers come in various shapes and sizes and last longer than the rest. They’re also cheaper and readily available. The good thing with plastic containers for terrace gardens is that there are no suitable shapes and sizes only if you use the correct depth. And if you need good drainage, you can still create a few holes at the bottom to prevent waterlogging. However, darker containers aren’t suitable since they absorb heat. Plastic, as you know it, can retain heat that needs expulsion. Hence it’s always good to be conscious.
Metal Containers – Metal containers are also suitable for terrace vegetable gardens since they’re sturdy and durable. However, their lifespans can be short-lived, especially if they come in contact with dirt and moisture too often. Thicker types usually last long but can be too heavy to hang in vertical terrace gardens. However, you can still wrap their inner sides with polythene to prevent direct contact with corroding dirt and water.
Concrete or Brick Linings – these containers are static and in situ; moving them can be some leg work since they aren’t portable. But you’re good to go once you decide on the best position to fix them, with no plans to relocate them. They’re also simple to build, and maintaining them is quite a breeze. However, it’d help to make them more expansive and deep to facilitate root movements and growth.
Remember, please don’t limit yourself to these container options since you have numerous go-to alternatives tailored for your gardening needs. Your old broken buckets, old sacks, dented kitchen pots, and UV-treated grow bags can be ideal. However, ensure that they don’t insulate the heat and allow for good drainage by poking holes at the bottom to drain excess water.
What Plant Types Should You Grow on a Terrace Vegetable Garden?
Since you’re growing vegetables, most plants should be leafy or fruit-bearing. You can also produce a few tubers on deeper soil profiles and guarantee plentiful harvests. You can plant these vegetables by transplanting seedlings or starting from scratch by sowing seeds. Here are the best types of plants to grow in a terrace vegetable garden.
Leaf and Fruit Vegetables – Vegetables are the sought-after plants grown on terrace vegetable gardens and are super easy to maintain. These plants proliferate quickly but can be more susceptible to diseases and pests. Hence, it’s best to plant resistant varieties, treat the soil, or spray with pesticides to keep them in perfect shape. The best vegetables you can grow on a terrace vegetable garden include:
- Lettuce
- Tomatoes
- Beans
- Cucumbers
- Green onions
- Eggplants
- Peppers
- Radishes
- Squash
- Okra
Tubers and Root Vegetables– Tubers need thick soil profiles, depths, and perhaps, more expansive spaces. Some can be vined, demanding sprawling areas, and therefore require a proper judgment. Pots and containers with profound depths are usually the best for plants like potatoes and root vegetables, including carrots, onions, beet, turnips, and rutabaga. Other root vegetables that grow best in terrace gardens include radish and ginger celery roots.
Irrigation and Water Systems for Your Terrace Vegetable Garden
Watering your terrace garden should always be a priority to maintain osmotic pressures, invigorate growth and keep plants healthy. And as much as you provide adequate water to the root, it shouldn’t matter which method you use. Regardless, some irrigation methods can do more harm than good if you aren’t keen enough, so it helps to be more mindful. Here, you need to channel your wit and get creative with your watering plans. Here are the best irrigation methods for your terrace vegetable garden.
Drip Irrigation – Drip irrigation is usually the most efficient and ideal watering method for every agricultural project. More specifically, this method should be your go-to option for your terrace vegetable garden since it prevents waterlogging despite watering the root precisely. Therefore, try getting creative and see what works best for you. Using a pressure regulator, you can pipe your water and create holes or emitters at precise spots. You can also go the minimalist way by using inverted coke bottles with two poked holes – a tiny one at the bottle top to drip water and an expansive one at the bottom for water refills.
Sprinkler Irrigation – Although sprinkler irrigation waters the entire root area or garden, it can sometimes be wasteful if you aren’t keen enough. However, portable sprinklers are always ideal than in-ground permanent ones, primarily if your gardening containers lay close and compact. The best way to guarantee the most out of this irrigation method is using it on sandy soils with the inherent ability to absorb water quickly. loamy and clayey souls retain water for as long as the sun’s heat can evaporate it, hence impracticable.
Hoses – Watering using hoses with nozzle attachments and watering cans – Watering using hoses and watering cans can be pretty daunting since you need to be around doing it yourself. However, they’re also efficient since you can judge the amount of water your plants need without wasting it. Some soil types can be quickly absorbed while others can get waterlogged easily; hence, using that judgment can prevent overwatering and under-watering.
Avoid splashing water from far distances since it erodes the soil, loosens it, and exposes the roots. The force can be damaging, sometimes pulling off plant stalks of the roots, interfering with bud development, and retard growth. That mainly happens when using watering cans and hoses with nozzle attachments, so it helps to pull them closer to the plants’ bases.
Sunlight Requirements for Terrace Vegetable Garden
Sunlight isn’t adversity to your terrace vegetable garden plants. Most Plants require about 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight daily. It’s okay to be concerned about direct scorching sunlight on young plants, but you should judge how they respond to the heat. Sometimes, soft shading can be necessary, particularly for a few plant varieties, and rightly so. Capsicum, for instance, requires less direct sunlight, so it’s best to assess your other plants’ needs to channel the suitable sunlight amounts for optimal growth.
You can also judge by how the sun hits your terrace garden to determine the shading requirements. Gardens on rooftops face no obstacles, including trees and shrubs, compared to those on the backyard or patio. Therefore, you can provide a slight shading to conserve water and facilitate absorption with time. However, it’s good to remain more conscious by observing how much impact it has on your plants and water conservation plans. If they pan out well, you can continue shading your plants for a healthier and more vigorous terrace vegetable garden.
Conclusion
Terrace vegetable gardens do well in tight spaces and help offer a patch of green in urban areas having less or no land to till. These gardens are also easy to manage and maintain and drive people head over heels. They’ve since become an urban staple amid the concrete age, supplying fresh and healthy garden food. However, a terrace vegetable garden won’t flourish without proper containers, irrigation methods, or plant variety selections. Besides, it helps to be more conscious of these gardens’ sunlight requirements for healthy plants and vegetables.