Small Space Gardening in Spain

I would say that 99% of households have some kind of plant in their house whether it is a flower to decorate or a herb to use in the kitchen or a full scale vegetable patch. We hope to look at here at different plants that can be grown here in Spain and the different conditions ie in a finca or on a terrace. 
Gardening in small spaces

  This is my fifth attempt at writing this article. Every time I started I realized that there is a whole books worth of information that I could have written. So I’m going to keep it as concise as possible as I realize that you probably don’t want to be bogged down in detail. Basically all vegetables can be grown in pots providing they’re big enough. Having said that there are certain vegetables that aren’t worth growing if space is limited. I would steer clear of most root vegetables and stick with fruiting varieties like tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, courgettes and a variety of salad crops. 

Getting started

 One of the disadvantages of growing in pots is the initial cost of buying the things you’ll need. You can minimize this by using all sorts of containers like old buckets, drainpipes cut to size, old waste paper bins, old car tyres and basically anything that will act as a pot and has drainage. Unless you have a compost heap which is highly unlikely on a terrace then your most expensive outlay will be for compost. Other than a few bamboo canes for support and a watering can there is not mulch else you need to get started. You can always add the items you think you need later on.                                                                       

 What to grow

 A lot will depend on what you like to eat, there is no point growing a vegetable you don’t like even if it grows well in pots. If all I had was a terrace to grow my vegetables on these are what I would choose. A few cherry tomatoes, they don’t take up much space and there are certain tumbling varieties that can be grown in hanging baskets. A couple of salad tomatoes varieties like “marmande” or “raf”. These can grow quite large but are worth growing for their superior flavour. Two or three peppers, the varieties are not as important as allowing them to mature to full ripeness on the plant. An aubergine, a couple of courgettes and lots of lettuce and other salad crops like rocket and leaf beet (sometimes called perpetual spinach). These would form the mainstay of my terrace plot and would provide me with more than enough produce for endless summer salads and ingredients for pasta sauces. For a bit of variety I would grow a few fennel bulbs, some beetroot and if space permitted me some french beans.                                                                

   How to grow

 To make life easier, get yourself down to a good garden centre in one of the inland agricultural towns. There you’ll be able to buy the plug plants that will get you of to a flying start. They’ll have been grown in polytunnels which means they are a good few weeks ahead of anything that you can grow from seed at home. At the same time sow some seeds of your own in modules or three inch pots. Sow them at fortnightly intervals, that way you’ll have a regular supply of plants throughout the season. When you plant out your seedlings or plugs make sure the compost in the pot is level with the top of the root ball. If it’s too low in the pot the damp compost will rot the stems, too high and the roots will be exposed. This is a general rule for most fruiting bushes like tomatoes and peppers. Stake the plants with bamboo or cane and tie the seedling loosely to the stake. When you give the plants their first watering, some of the compost will settle. If this happens add a little more to the pot.

If you choose to sow some seeds there are a couple of rules that should be followed. Water the compost before you sow the seeds. This is particularly relevant for small seeds like lettuce and tomatoes that can easily be disturbed when you water. Try using a household spray mister instead of a watering can.                                                      

Large seeds like beans, peas and courgettes should be sown about an inch deep in the pots, small seeds can either be sown just under the surface or on top of the compost then covered with either vermiculite or a very fine layer of compost. Always keep the seeds moist but not waterlogged which can lead to rotting. When the seedling have developed a good root ball and the compost holds together when you lift it out of the pot they are ready for transplanting to larger pots. The size and shape of pot that you need will depend on the vegetable but if you can give your plants a minimum of 8 inches of depth then you won’t go far wrong.

When to grow

 A good indicator of when you should start planting and sowing is when the garden centres start to sell the plants. If you’re a regular to the garden centre keep an eye out for what they are selling and growing. I usually buy a few plants when they are new in then start to sow some seeds at the same time. Seed packets are obviously the most accurate indicator but they are still only a guide as the weather and temperature will affect germination. I always sow a few trial seeds a month before and up to a month after the seed packets recommend it. When august and July come around the temperatures are often too high to keep the compost moist enough for germination unless you have a very cool shaded outbuilding, garage or basement. In any case you might have too many jobs in the garden to worry about seeds. I have to water my pot grown veg twice a day and then there is the harvesting of the crop and of course cooking and eating it.                                                    Back to top

 Looking after the crop

 Most, but not all vegetables are annuals. That is they flower, fruit then die. You can prolong the length of their season by regularly picking the fruit. The more you pick the more flowers they make and the more fruit they produce. This is a very general rule as all plants have their own needs. If your growing in pots it’s important to keep the compost moist, water little and often. A tomato will split its skins or develop blossom end rot if it is subjected to lots of water after the compost has been allowed to dry out. The first courgettes should be picked when they are about the size of your middle finger but if you choose to grow squashes its better to leave just one or two on the plant to let the plant put all its efforts into producing large fruits. Pot grown plants will also need regular doses of a good organic fertilizer like comfrey tea. Because the plants roots are restricted within in confines of a pot they will quickly use up all the nutrients in the compost necessitating the need for a fertilizer.                                                                            

I would recommend having a good book handy for reference purposes. The vegetable and herb expert by Dr. D G Hession is a classic for allotment gardeners if you ignore his indiscriminate recommendations for using chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Another great book is the “veg patch” by the river cottage team. Definitely one for the organic gardener.           

 Summing up

 I hope that I have managed to inspire you to grow your own veg on your terrace or patio. I’ve tried not to go into too much detail as I find it can be off putting to novices. I think you’ll learn more from experience than from anybody telling you how to do it. My advice is to start off small and expand as you get more confident. I guarantee you’ll be hooked.