Have a Small-Space Garden? Try Dwarf Vegetable Varieties

Pin It

Chris McLaughlin, contributor

8 users recommend

Cherry tomatoes are miniatures of their cousins and grow well in containers.

 

Photo by Bucklava under the Creative Commons Attribution License 2.0.

Add Comment
Print

Depending on how small your garden space is, you'll be able to grow many or any of vegetables in their regular size. Using vertical gardening techniques such as trellises or pruning will help you grow some traditional varieties. But keep your eyes open for miniature (dwarf) vegetable varieties that become available in your area.

By no means am I suggesting that dwarfs are the only types that can be grown in a small-space garden. In fact, if you want naturally compact snap beans, all you have to do is to look for the bush as opposed to the pole varieties. But planting some miniature or dwarf versions of these plants just might give you the room that you need to squeeze in more vegetables. I just happen to have handy some dwarf-sized vegetable suggestions.

Dwarf Tomatoes:

• Early Girl Bush - 4" fruit; 63 days to harvest
• Better Bush Improved - 4" fruit, 68 days to harvest
• Small Fry - 1" fruit; 72 days to harvest
• Yellow Canary - 1 1/4" fruit; 55 days to harvest
• Red Robin - 1 1/2" fruit; 55 days to harvest
• Tiny Tim - 1" fruit; 45 days to harvest
• Patio Bush - 3 oz fruit; 65 days to harvest
• Cherry Gold - 1" fruit; 45 days to harvest
• Window Box Roma -  2" - 2 1/2" fruit; 70 day to harvest
• Pixie Hybrid II - 2 oz fruit; 52 days to harvest

Dwarf Cucumbers:

• Bush Pickle - 4" fruit; 45 days to harvest
• H-19 Little Leaf - 7" fruit; 60 days to harvest
• Bush Crop - 6" - 8" fruit; 55 days to harvest
• Spacemaster - 7" - 8" fruit; 60 days to harvest
• Salad Bush - 8" fruit; 57 days to harvest

Dwarf Peppers:

• Mirasol (hot)- 3" fruit; 90 days to harvest
• Jingle Bells (sweet) - 1 1/4" - 2" fruit; 60 days to harvest
• Bull Nose Bell (sweet) - 2 1/2" - 3 1/2" fruit; 55 - 80 days to harvest
• Albino -  2 1/4" fruit;75 - 80 days to harvest
• Baby Belle - 2" - 2 1/2" fruit; 68 days to harvest

Dwarf Pumpkin:

• Munchkin - 3" - 4" fruit; 100 days to harvest
• Baby Boo - 2" - 3" (white) fruit; 95 days to harvest
• Pumpkin Hooligan F1 - 3"- 4" wide; 90 days to harvest
• Mini Jack - 2" - 3" fruit; 95 days to harvest
• Lil Pump-Ke-Mon - 5 1/2"  fruit; 100  days to harvest

Dwarf Melons:

• Sugar Baby (watermelon) - 6 - 10 pounds; 85 days to harvest
• Minnesota Midget (cantaloupe) - 1 - 2 pounds; 60 - 75 days to harvest
• Golden Midget (watermelon) -  3 pounds; 70 days to harvest
• Yellow Doll (watermelon) - 7 pounds; 68 days to harvest

Dwarf Summer Squash:

• Gold Rush (zucchini) - 8" fruit; 55 days to harvest
• Peter Pan (scallop) - 4" fruit; 49 days to harvest
• Sunburst (scallop) - 2" - 3" fruit; 60 days to harvest
• Dwarf Summer Crookneck - 10" fruit; 50 days to harvest

Dwarf Eggplant:

• Fairy Tale - 4"-6" fruit; 63 days to harvest
• Orlando - 4" fruit; 60 days to harvest
• Bambino (Baby Bell) - 1" fruit; 50 - 60 days to harvest
• Bride Asian - 8" fruit; 75 days to harvest

Of course, there are so many more dwarf or miniature vegetable varieties out there. C'mon and add to the list ~ share with us your favorite mini-veggies!

Add Comment Print

Let's take a field trip to FineGardening.com

Back to List

Raised Beds for Your Garden: Framing Materials