Does size matter?

[womble]

I recently read about a man who was able to grow £669 worth of fruit and veg on his balcony that measures 9x6ft, in just one year!

Yeah

£669 ($1068 Canadian) worth of food grown on this patio, balcony and windowsill — City Farmer News

Looking at his maths, I think he may have over stated the worth of the stuff he grows.

But, little matter, he's done a marvellous job of it.

I've always said, it's sometimes much easier to grow food well on a smaller patch. As it gets bigger, you start to leave more space between things and not give quite the level of attention you would to a much smaller area.
You also grow things that take up alot more room and are usually really cheap to buy in the shops.

You grow what you can with the space. So he's grown all your high cost, high productivity fruit and veg, exactly as it should be done. But what's he planning to do with all the compost?

[Aberdeenplotter]

simple message from Grampian District Association of the National Vegetable Society, if you haven't got a plot, you can grow it in a pot. For pot read anything that can hold soil or compost and has free drainage.

[coreopsis]

I'd agree with Bren.
My growing space falls into the smallest from all categories.Having small space made me to change my attitude from "what do I wantto grow" to what am I going to eat.Smaller plot is easier to manage.Of course that I'd like to have more growing space (I'm seedaholic&groundaholic) but I don't need it and I wouldn't manage it just on my own.

[Paulottie]

To access the value on your produce by what you save at a supermarket is deceptive. You need to factor in the time it take to raise seedlings, protect your crops, harvest, store and preserve; But vitally it misses the priceless joy and satisfaction of growing it.

Like a waistband, the veg patch started small and just kept expanding into middle age. One modest bed and an old greenhouse in ten years or so have turned into 600+ sq yards and four glasshouses. Including some for bartering, my family of four can be practically self sufficient on that much land. That is a lot of work, dependent on your circumstances and far too committed for everyone. To begin it is best to be in control of your enthusiasm and really enjoy tending something smaller rather than become swamped and disheartened. Success spurs you on and experiance makes you more efficient.

[stella]

I also read about a lady in London that had a balcony so full of fruit and veg that she was able to feed herself most of the year. One point to remember though is the extra weight caused by so much water laden soil has to be supported

[frogga]

Size is a good thing, however if you dont use all of it, its pointless, smaller and well used is the best, only expand when really needed.

[Alison]

Size is a good thing, however if you dont use all of it, its pointless, smaller and well used is the best, only expand when really needed.

But who is to define what is well used? I COULD grow a guaranteed crop on my whole plot but I wouldn't find that a good use and much prefer to experiment in some areas which often results in failure, but so long as I have enough other stuff growing elsewhere I don't see it as pointless but others will have a different view.

[Jeanied]

I'm lucky - I have two half plot allotments which total one full one.
That has given me enough space to grow fruit trees as well as have a few compost bins.
I grow more than enough to keep myself, friends and family provided with veg - maybe not all year round but there is usually something of interest.
However the rent is fairly expensive - so if I had to I'd make do with pots in my small back garden and only grow the fruit and veg that is extra special when you grow it yourself - things like strawberries and tomatoes, and for winter the spectacular black kales.

[northmaid]

Like Jeanied, I'm lucky to have two half plot allotments which has given me the opportunity to make space for a little wildlife pond, have more fruit growing area and to grow flowers as well as veg. The outside space I have is just about right for me; the one thing I wish was bigger though is the greenhouse, mine's just 6 x 8 and not big enough for all the lovely varieties of tomatoes and chillies I want to try.

[T8Ter]

I do all my growing in the garden, the space of which allocated to my veg and greenhouse is a strip 12m x 2.5m. I grow all my veg in 4 raised beds (2m x 1m each) and have a 10ftx 6ft greenhouse for my tomatoes/chillies/cucumbers etc. Having said that I have planted soft fruit bushes and trees in the border around the garden, some a lot closer than recommended but I keep the trees pruned to a size that suits and get a great crop of apples,cherries and plums along with lots of gooseberries, raspberries and black/redcurrants. The one big difference I find when growing like this compared to on the allotment I previously had is that the type of crop I plant is far more considered.

[frogga]

Alison, you throw in a very valid point, I grow in my garden, 2 patches of 7m x 6m and both are fully utilised between March and November, with just 1 being used over the winter for brassicas. I have purchased a polytunnel to erect next march, hopefully in time so it doesnt get blown away or damaged, and I am looking at what can be grown in it, and looking at ways to improve the crops I get from the land available.

[Loudbarker1]

I have abut 45 sq metres and a few old fruit trees inherited - 2 plums, one apple, 2 pears. Teh aim si to have a bit of something every day. I fail - we have a qute a lot in summer and autumn, and miss out more in spring and winter, but there's always somethign growing. At th emoment we have swedes, leeks and perpetual spinage, with kale and cabbage coming on for the hungary gap. Overwintering broad beans plantd out two weesk ago under cover.