[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_team_member _builder_version=”3.0.91″ image_url=”http://gardenculturemagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/GC-stamp-sticker.jpg” background_layout=”light” name=”by Mike Nivato & Tammy Clayton”]
This article was originally published in 2014, Garden Culture Magazine,
Issue 2 where it appeared under the title, “Grow Your Own: Mini Vegetables”.
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Call them whatever you want… small is the new big. Miniature, midget, baby, or dwarf – diminutive vegetables are available in stores throughout the world. The number of different types are literally growing too.
WHAT ARE MINI VEGETABLES?
Mini vegetables are bred to mature at a smaller than average vegetables, or are normal sized, but picked prematurely. They are available as seed, seedlings, or cuttings in most gardening stores or online. Mini veggie gardens are a sustainable food source that can be grown virtually anywhere. These gardens can produce enough vegetables to help feed a small family, and they can be grown without the use of pesticides. They are even easy to plant and grow, needing only a little strategy, and maintenance to keep them growing.
WHY MINI VEGETABLES?
In the old days, the purpose of growing big vegetables was simple: feed as many people as possible. Now, in our society of abundance, people choose mini for a number of reasons. Size: big vegetables are crude on the plate, clunky, and sometimes hard to handle.
Taste: some mini variants simply just taste better than their larger cousins. Efficiency: lot’s of people are more conscious about waste. Why throw half of what you buy in the trash?
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider _builder_version=”3.0.91″ /][et_pb_slider _builder_version=”3.0.91″ show_arrows=”on” show_pagination=”on” show_inner_shadow=”on” header_text_align=”left” custom_button=”off” button_icon_placement=”right” show_content_on_mobile=”on” show_cta_on_mobile=”on” show_image_video_mobile=”off” header_font=”Special Elite|||on|||||” header_font_size=”24″ header_text_color=”#000000″ body_text_color=”#000000″ header_level=”h6″ body_font_size=”13″] [et_pb_slide _builder_version=”3.0.91″ heading=”Cherry Tomatoes” use_background_color_gradient=”off” background_color_gradient_start=”#2b87da” background_color_gradient_end=”#29c4a9″ background_color_gradient_type=”linear” background_color_gradient_direction=”180deg” background_color_gradient_direction_radial=”center” background_color_gradient_start_position=”0%” background_color_gradient_end_position=”100%” background_color_gradient_overlays_image=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on” background_size=”cover” background_position=”center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_blend=”normal” allow_player_pause=”off” use_bg_overlay=”off” use_text_overlay=”off” text_border_radius=”3″ alignment=”center” child_filter_hue_rotate=”0deg” child_filter_saturate=”100%” child_filter_brightness=”100%” child_filter_contrast=”100%” child_filter_invert=”0%” child_filter_sepia=”0%” child_filter_opacity=”100%” child_filter_blur=”0px” child_mix_blend_mode=”normal” background_layout=”dark” header_font=”||||||||” image=”http://gardenculturemagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/grow-mini-vegetables-indoors-cherry-tomatoes.420.png”]
Bio: A cherry tomato is a very small variety of tomato.
Cherry tomatoes range in size from a thumb tip up to the size of a golf ball. It’s easy and simple to grow cherry tomatoes indoors. The tomatoes are sweet, juicy, and versatile.
You can start picking your tomatoes in 60-65 days.
- pH: 5.9 – 6.5
- Humidity: 40 to 80 %
- Light Hours: 12-16 hours per day
[/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide _builder_version=”3.0.91″ heading=”Baby Cauliflower” image=”http://gardenculturemagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/grow-mini-cauliflower-indoors.png” use_background_color_gradient=”off” background_color_gradient_start=”#2b87da” background_color_gradient_end=”#29c4a9″ background_color_gradient_type=”linear” background_color_gradient_direction=”180deg” background_color_gradient_direction_radial=”center” background_color_gradient_start_position=”0%” background_color_gradient_end_position=”100%” background_color_gradient_overlays_image=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on” background_size=”cover” background_position=”center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_blend=”normal” allow_player_pause=”off” use_bg_overlay=”off” use_text_overlay=”off” text_border_radius=”3″ alignment=”center” child_filter_hue_rotate=”0deg” child_filter_saturate=”100%” child_filter_brightness=”100%” child_filter_contrast=”100%” child_filter_invert=”0%” child_filter_sepia=”0%” child_filter_opacity=”100%” child_filter_blur=”0px” child_mix_blend_mode=”normal” background_layout=”dark” header_font=”||||||||”]
Bio: Here’s one of those veggies that you can harvest large or small, and maintain great flavor. Cauliflower ‘Freedom’ was aptly named, but there are improved versions like Bishop available.
You can start harvesting 2-4″ (5-10 cm) heads in 60-70 days from seeding with the right hybrids.
- pH: 6.5 – 7.0
- Humidity: 50 to 60%
- Light Hours: 16 hours a day
[/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide _builder_version=”3.0.91″ heading=”Mini Iceberg Lettuce” image=”http://gardenculturemagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/grow-baby-vegetables-indoors-iceberg-lettuce.png” use_background_color_gradient=”off” background_color_gradient_start=”#2b87da” background_color_gradient_end=”#29c4a9″ background_color_gradient_type=”linear” background_color_gradient_direction=”180deg” background_color_gradient_direction_radial=”center” background_color_gradient_start_position=”0%” background_color_gradient_end_position=”100%” background_color_gradient_overlays_image=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on” background_size=”cover” background_position=”center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_blend=”normal” allow_player_pause=”off” use_bg_overlay=”off” use_text_overlay=”off” text_border_radius=”3″ alignment=”center” child_filter_hue_rotate=”0deg” child_filter_saturate=”100%” child_filter_brightness=”100%” child_filter_contrast=”100%” child_filter_invert=”0%” child_filter_sepia=”0%” child_filter_opacity=”100%” child_filter_blur=”0px” child_mix_blend_mode=”normal” background_layout=”dark” header_font=”||||||||”]
Bio: Waste is a big problem with full sized head lettuce. Mini Iceberg Lettuce is tennis ball sized, producing the perfect salad for one. Growing lettuce in the indoor garden is very simple. It’s one of the most common hydroponic crops around.
Enjoy garden-fresh salad in 65 days.
- pH: 5.5 – 6.0
- Humidity: 60 to 80%
- Light Hours: 16 hours a day
[/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide _builder_version=”3.0.91″ heading=”Mini Cabbage” image=”http://gardenculturemagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/grow-mini-cabbage-indoors.png” use_background_color_gradient=”off” background_color_gradient_start=”#2b87da” background_color_gradient_end=”#29c4a9″ background_color_gradient_type=”linear” background_color_gradient_direction=”180deg” background_color_gradient_direction_radial=”center” background_color_gradient_start_position=”0%” background_color_gradient_end_position=”100%” background_color_gradient_overlays_image=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on” background_size=”cover” background_position=”center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_blend=”normal” allow_player_pause=”off” use_bg_overlay=”off” use_text_overlay=”off” text_border_radius=”3″ alignment=”center” child_filter_hue_rotate=”0deg” child_filter_saturate=”100%” child_filter_brightness=”100%” child_filter_contrast=”100%” child_filter_invert=”0%” child_filter_sepia=”0%” child_filter_opacity=”100%” child_filter_blur=”0px” child_mix_blend_mode=”normal” background_layout=”dark” header_font=”||||||||”]
Bio: Don’t want aging cabbage hanging around in the fridge? Great tasting, tight 6″ (15 cm) diameter heads on mini cabbages like ‘Gonzales’ provide just enough for serving one or two people. A surprising addition to the hydro garden that does well.
Seed to harvest in about 66 days.
- pH: 6.5 – 7.0
- Humidity: 50 to 60%
- Light Hours: 16 hours a day
[/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide _builder_version=”3.0.91″ heading=”Mini Romanesco Broccoli” use_background_color_gradient=”off” background_color_gradient_start=”#2b87da” background_color_gradient_end=”#29c4a9″ background_color_gradient_type=”linear” background_color_gradient_direction=”180deg” background_color_gradient_direction_radial=”center” background_color_gradient_start_position=”0%” background_color_gradient_end_position=”100%” background_color_gradient_overlays_image=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on” background_size=”cover” background_position=”center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_blend=”normal” allow_player_pause=”off” use_bg_overlay=”off” use_text_overlay=”off” text_border_radius=”3″ alignment=”center” child_filter_hue_rotate=”0deg” child_filter_saturate=”100%” child_filter_brightness=”100%” child_filter_contrast=”100%” child_filter_invert=”0%” child_filter_sepia=”0%” child_filter_opacity=”100%” child_filter_blur=”0px” child_mix_blend_mode=”normal” background_layout=”dark” header_font=”||||||||” image=”http://gardenculturemagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/romanesco.jpg”]
Bio: Not a new development, Romanesco is a 16th-century Italian hybrid that is uniquely beautiful on your plate. A cauliflower – broccoli cross with incredible flavor for eating raw and lightly cooked. You can harvest individual florets, or the whole head in 75-100 days.
- pH: 6.0 – 6.8
- Humidity: 50 – 60%
- Light Hours: 16 hours a day
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Baby Eggplant
- pH: 6.0
- Light Hours: 16 hours a day
Baby Peppers
- pH: 5.8 – 6.3
- Light Hours: 16 hours a day
Baby Corn
- pH: 6.0
- Light Hours: 16 hours a day
Baby Spinach
- pH: 6.0 – 7.0
- Light Hours: 16 hours a day
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Mini Cucumber
- pH: 5.5
- Light Hours: 16 hours a day
Mini Pak Choi
- pH: 7.0
- Light Hours: 16 hours a day
Mini Watermelons
- pH: 5.5 – 6.5
- Light Hours: 16 hours a day
Mini Pumpkins
- pH: 5.5 – 7.5
- Light Hours: 16 hours a day
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