Pack a lot of food into your garden with vegetable varieties designed for small spaces. Most grow well in containers, too.
Growing your own food in a small garden or a pot on a deck is easier than ever, thanks to new, compact plant varieties. “One of the major trends we’ve seen in the past few years is breeding for small spaces,” says Diane Blazek, executive director of All-America Selections, an independent organization that tests new vegetable varieties in trial and display gardens across North America and makes awards for any that exhibit new or improved characteristics.
When planning your diminutive food plot, remember that most vegetable plants grow best in full sun, six or more hours per day. Read the seed package or plant tag carefully to learn how to space, water, and feed your edibles and in what season they grow best. Some veggies, such as lettuce, kale, and peas, prefer cooler weather, while others, like melons and tomatoes, require warm conditions to thrive.
AAS bestows awards for national and regional winners. Most of our vegetable selections below are national winners; regional winners are identified as such. For specific growing instructions on these and other great plants, see the AAS website: all-americaselections.org.
Courtesy of All-America Selections
Plant: Mascotte bean
Exposure: Full sun
Days to Maturity: Seed, 50; transplant not recommended
Size: 12 to 16 inches tall, 8 to 10 inches wide
Award Year: 2014
Notes: Compact bush bean with 5- to 6-inch pods. For a continuous crop, sow seeds every two weeks until July.
Courtesy of All-America Selections
Plant: Artwork broccoli
Exposure: Full sun
Days to Maturity: Seed, 85; transplant, 55
Size: 31 inches tall, 8 to 10 inches wide
Award Year: 2015
Notes: Harvest the first head when its stem is about an inch long. Harvest side stems when 6 to 8 inches long, multiple times depending on growing conditions.
Courtesy of All-America Selections
Plant: Katarina cabbage
Exposure: Full sun
Days to Maturity: Seed, 55; transplant, 45
Size: 10 to 15 inches tall, 6 to 8 inches wide
Award Year: 2016
Notes: 4-inch cabbage heads with sweet flavor mature 1 to 3 weeks earlier than other varieties. After harvesting the main head, leave the stalk to grow smaller side heads.
Courtesy of All-America Selections
Plant: Thumbelina carrot
Exposure: Full sun
Days to Maturity: Seed, 55 to 77; transplant not recommended
Size: 6 to 8 inches tall, thin to 2 inches apart
Award Year: 1992
Notes: Sweet-tasting mini-carrot grows only about the size and shape of a golf ball. Produces well even in heavy soils.
Courtesy of All-America Selections
Plant: Hansel eggplant
Exposure: Full sun
Days to Maturity: Direct sowing seed not recommended; transplant, 55
Size: 24 to 26 inches tall, 18 inches wide
Award Year: 2008
Notes: Almost seedless mini eggplant has tender, non-bitter skin. Harvest fruits when 3 to 10 inches long. Other minis include white-skinned Gretel and Fairy Tale, white with purple stripes.
Courtesy of All-America Selections
Plant: Antares fennel
Exposure: Full sun
Days to Maturity: Seed, 68; transplant 58
Size: 24 inches tall, 4- to 5-inch bulbs
Award Year: 2017
Notes: The edible bulb boasts a sweet licorice/anise flavor and ornamental fronds. Slow to bolt in heat. Grow it to attract and feed swallowtail caterpillars and pollinators.
Courtesy of All-America Selections
Plant: Prizm kale
Exposure: Full to part sun
Days to Maturity: Seed, 50 to 60; transplant 35 to 45
Size: 15 inches tall, 10 to 12 inches spread
Award Year: 2016
Notes: Ruffled green leaves on nearly stemless stalks grow best in cool weather; frost enhances the flavor. Simply snip leaves off; the plant grows new ones.
Courtesy of All-America Selections
Plant: Konan kohlrabi
Exposure: Full sun
Days to Maturity: Seed, 50; transplant 42
Size: 16 inches tall; 4- to 6-inch bulbs
Award Year: 2016
Notes: Upright shape and diminutive form allow this disease-resistant kohlrabi to fit into small spaces and containers.
Courtesy of All-America Selections
Plant: Sandy lettuce
Exposure: Full to part sun
Days to Maturity: Seed, 30 to baby leaf stage, 50 to maturity; transplant not recommended
Size: 10 inches tall, 10- to 12-inch wide heads
Award Year: 2015
Notes: Exceptionally disease resistant and slow to bolt, Sandy can be grown as baby leaf lettuce or full size heads. Beautiful as an ornamental in cool-season planters or beds.
Courtesy of All-America Selections
Plant: Lambkin melon
Exposure: Full sun
Days to Maturity: Seed, 75 to 85; transplant, 65 to 75
Size: 9 to 12 inches tall, 6 foot spread; can be trellised
Award Year: 2009
Notes: Two- to 4-pound melons with a delicious sweet flavor mature quickly in containers or in garden soil.
Courtesy of All-America Selections
Plant: Red Kingdom mizuna (Japanese mustard)
Exposure: Full sun
Days to Maturity: Seed, 50 to 60; transplant, 35 to 45
Size: 8 inches tall, 8 to 10 inches wide
Award Year: 2016
Notes: Violet-red leaves not only taste flavorful and mild, they’re gorgeous additions to containers or a landscape. Slow to bolt and high yielding, the leaves may be harvested three to five weeks after sowing or grown longer.
Courtesy of All-America Selections
Plant: Pretty N Sweet pepper
Exposure: Full sun
Days to Maturity: Seed, 105; transplant 60
Size: 18 to 20 inches tall, 18 to 24 inches wide
Award Year: 2015
Notes: More than 100 dainty orange, red, and yellow fruits per plant are as pretty as they are sweet—hence the name! It’s earlier, more prolific, and sweeter than other small varieties.
Courtesy of All-America Selections
Plant: Patio Choice Yellow tomato
Exposure: Full sun
Days to Maturity: Seed, 65; transplant 45
Size: 15 to 18 inches tall; 18 to 20 inches wide
Award Year: 2017
Notes: One plant can produce more than 100 mild-flavored bright yellow cherry tomatoes. Great for hanging baskets.
Courtesy of All-America Selections
Plant: Bopak pak choi
Exposure: Full to part sun
Days to Maturity: Seed, 60; transplant 45
Size: 14 inches tall, 10 inches wide
Award Year: 2015 Great Lakes, Mountain/Southwest, Northeast Regional Winner
Notes: This Asian veggie performs best during cool seasons. Compact variety may be harvested tiny or grown to full size for use raw or cooked.
Courtesy of All-America Selections
Plant: Sweet Baby radish
Exposure: Full sun
Days to Maturity: Seed, 40 to 45; transplant not recommended
Size: 10½ inches tall, 14 to 18 inches wide
Award Year: 2016 Great Lakes, Southeast Regional Winner
Notes: Judges loved the uniform size and crispy, crunchy, slightly spicy flavor. Rosy peel outside opens to pale purple to white or white with violet streaks inside.
Plant: Patio Pride pea
Exposure: Full sun
Days to Maturity: Seed, 40; transplant not recommended
Size: 6- to 8-inch plants with 10- to 12-inch vines; may be trellised
Award Year: 2017 Southeast Regional Winner
Notes: This compact pea matures quickly, producing 30 pods per plant. Sow seeds every two weeks during the coolest months of spring and fall.
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