Many people turn to urban gardening when things are uncertain in the city. Why wouldn’t you? Food from urban gardens is cheap, wholesome, and easily available. It’s enjoyable, good for morale, and exercise.
You can have an urban food garden even if you live in an apartment. Here is a list of the top 10 fruits and vegetables that, with some effort and care, you should be able to cultivate successfully in your urban garden.
Tomatoes
Stephanie Suesan Smith, master gardener from livingboosts.com, recommends tomatoes as one of the best fruit to grow for urban gardening, “Millions of people put months of effort into growing juicy, flavorful tomatoes”.
Tomatoes are widely consumed fruit, and may be found in various dishes, ranging from stews and soups to the ketchup that tops your burger bun. They should have a spot in your rooftop or backyard garden.
These plants are heavy feeders and need a good amount of fertilizers during their growth stages. These plants are prolific producers, easy to maintain, and, best of all, they taste wonderful, both fresh and preserved. You can freeze, sun-dry, or eat them raw.
Peppers
Are you looking for a staple herb to grow and use in your stuffing and spice blends? Peppers offer a diverse assortment of vegetables that might meet both needs. To add soups or stews, make dried chili powder or freeze bell peppers.
Both hot and sweet peppers thrive when grown in containers. Hot peppers especially do well in containers. In five-gallon containers, peppers are often transplanted rather than directly seeded since they need warmth and full sun.
Cucumbers
You can guarantee a never-ending supply of cucumbers by growing them inside. To stay healthy, they do require plenty of water and sunlight. Although most cucumber varieties grow well in pots as long as they are at least 5 gallons in size, keep an eye out for varieties that are better for containers.
Bush cucumbers are developed to have shorter, bushier vines, making them ideal for containers and balconies.
Broccoli
Despite having little calories, broccoli is a nutrient powerhouse your body requires. It is a good source of fiber and the vitamins B6 and C. It’s an excellent option, whether cooked or served raw in salads and slaws.
But it also makes a fantastic crop for urban gardens since it makes fermented broccoli. Once fermented, you have a long-lasting vegetable choice that goes well with sausage and can be added to soups, sandwiches, casseroles, and other dishes.
Gooseberries
Another kind of green fruit that may be grown as a bush or trained to grow on a trellis is gooseberries. The plants are self-fertile; therefore, you only need one plant to yield fruit. The little green berries can be either sweet or sour.
To prevent birds from devouring the gooseberries before you can collect them, it’s a good idea to cover them with bird-proof netting.
Basil
Basil is a hard leafy herb with a strong flavor. Fresh basil adds the ideal finishing touch to many different recipes, including pasta, salad, and many more. Additionally, making a proper pesto sauce is quite simple and goes well with both chicken and pasta.
Basil can be grown in small to medium-sized pots by thinly scattering 10-15 seeds per pot and covering them with a fine layer of soil.
Grapes
Green grapes can be cultivated in various kinds on a trellis or pergola. Thompson seedless grapes are excellent for creating raisins and for nibbling.
Cotton candy grapes are another delicious alternative; their flavor is reminiscent of a sweet confection. Full sun is ideal for grapevine growth, and regular pruning is required to keep vine size under control.
Beans
Beans are simple to cultivate from seed; you may either choose a variety that can be eaten fresh, like green beans or try growing your own from a dried bean in your pantry. Bush beans are often smaller and don’t need trellising, whereas pole beans will climb a trellis or fence to use vertical space.
The bush beans will grow more successfully inside containers and require less space. Lighting is another factor to take into account because green beans require at least six hours of sunlight each day.
Avocados
Avocados are one of the most visually appealing green fruits, and they appear especially lovely on the tree. They not only have a wonderful appearance but are also rich in nutrients like folate, vitamin C, potassium, and monounsaturated fat.
Although certain types may withstand colder temperatures, warm tropical or subtropical conditions are optimum for avocado tree growth. You can grow a dwarf kind of avocado tree in a big container if you don’t have enough space for a full-sized avocado tree.
Onions
Have you ever attempted to prepare your favorite dishes without a sprinkle of onion powder? Onions provide a great little nutritional boost in addition to adding flavor to almost every meal you can serve. However, they also don’t significantly increase the calorie content.
You can wait for the entire onions to form before using them, or you can utilize the young onion greens right away. Just be cautious not to harvest every green leaf while the bulb is still growing.