Limited garden space to grow leafy greens and vegetables? Expert reveals three essential edible plants you can grow in pots

Are you looking to start growing your own food but don't have the space for a greenhouse or an allotment? Don't worry, these three edible plants can be grown in pots and are perfectly compact.

Whether you're starting a vegetable garden as a beginner or looking for ways to save money when gardening, growing food in pots is low-cost and won't take over your entire outdoor space.

It can feel impossible to want to grow your own food when you constantly need small garden ideas, but pot-friendly plants are certainly the answer. And this one gardening expert has shared his favourite species to get you started.

Top 3 foods you can grow in pots to save space

Aside from learning how to make your small garden look bigger, finding smart new ways to work in compact gardens can save you so much space and money. Pots are great for this very reason, and finding plants that prefer growing vertically is also key.

Garden design expert and influencer Ish on Instagram @Gardening.with.ish, shares his favourite tasty yet compact edible plants.

He says, "Growing your own vegetables and leafy greens can be incredibly rewarding, and it doesn’t have to be expensive either. The average is around 1-2p per seed. And of course, space doesn’t have to be a problem, you can always pot them up."

1. Tomatoes

Once you know how to prune tomato plants, caring for the delicious fruit couldn't be easier. They grow upwards and really don't take up much space, just make sure you learn how to ripen green tomatoes before you start removing them from the vine!

"Now tomato plants can get quite tall, but get them to a height you’re happy with and pinch out the top, and instead of upwards they grow out sideways. Which helps you put this in a much smaller space and still gives you all that amazing tomato fruit," explains Ish.

He points out that tomatoes love a lot of heat, but you don't need a gigantic greenhouse to accommodate that. "Simply get one of the smaller compact models and they’ll still absolutely thrive!" adds Ish.

2. Spring onions

Spring onions are incredibly simple to grow at home, especially if you're a rookie gardener looking for some easy gardening tips. You can grow them just as good as the supermarkets without much hassle.

Ish says, "I’ve popped these spring onions in individual seed trays and they’re absolutely thriving. When they get to about 30cm long, you can eat them, but if you want that slightly thicker bulb, pot them in a reasonably sized pot so they have more space and nutrients."

3. Spinach

If you're looking to try out some succession planting or grow species that stick around all year, salad leaves like spinach are a fantastic choice.

"Now, if you buy spinach from the supermarkets, it can be quite expensive, but for the price of one seed which probably works out about a penny, you can grow your own spinach plant," says Ish.

He recommends placing your plant on the windowsill and making sure you regularly pinch out the exterior leaves.

"You can eat these leaves straight away and the inside will start to grow more all throughout the season, giving you a continuous flow of spinach all year round," Ish explains.

Shop pot planting essentials

If you're looking for other ways to transform your garden on a budget, why not try reusing household waste in your garden? You'll be surprised by just how many things you can recycle that will help you with your day-to-day gardening tasks.