Grow a 4-Hour Food Garden With These 7 EASY Crops!

4-Hour Food Garden: High-Yield, Low-Effort Crops for Any Space

Author

Ark
June 08, 2025

Want to grow your own food but worried about time, space, or whether it’s worth the effort? Last year, I grew 500 kg of food in my backyard, averaging just 4 hours a week. Whether you have a small balcony or a large backyard, this high-yield, low-effort system can produce an abundance of fruits and vegetables. In this article, we’ll cover the seven best crops to start with to maximize your time, space, and savings at the supermarket. Stay tuned for a follow-up on designing your garden using permaculture principles.

1. Herbs

Herbs are a fantastic starting point for any garden. They’re easy to grow, require minimal time, and save you from paying exorbitant prices for a few sprigs at the supermarket. Most herbs suit any garden size—balconies, small backyards, or large plots.

Tips for Growing Herbs:

  • Prioritize Perennials: Start with perennial herbs like rosemary or thyme, which don’t need replanting each year. Once mastered, try annuals like basil, coriander, or dill, which are slightly trickier but still rewarding.

  • Sun vs. Shade: Sun-loving herbs need at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily, while shade-tolerant ones, like parsley, thrive with less. Parsley can even handle full shade.

2. Leafy Greens

Leafy greens like silverbeet, lettuce, kale, and rocket are perfect for gardens of all sizes. They provide regular harvests over long periods without taking up much space, reducing waste and fridge clutter since you pick only what you need.

Tips for Growing Leafy Greens:

  • Choose a Shady Spot: In warm climates, place greens in partial shade to protect them from intense heat.

  • Avoid Summer Planting: Unless you’re in a cold climate, wait until cooler months to plant seedlings to ensure better establishment.

  • Harvest Smart: Wait until plants are large enough, then pick outer leaves first, taking no more than a third of the plant at once.

3. Berries

Berries—strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, mulberries, and Cape gooseberries—are nutrient-dense, easy-to-grow perennials that yield heavily in small spaces. They’re pricey at stores, especially organic, making them a cost-effective choice.

Tips for Growing Berries:

  • Contain Growth: Raspberries and blackberries spread via suckers. Dig them out where unwanted or use root barriers to control spread.

  • Understand Life Cycles: Know when to prune or replant. For example, strawberries fruit best in their first two years, so divide or replant from runners afterward.

  • Space Considerations: Strawberries suit pots or vertical planters for balconies, while mulberries and blackberries need more room and suit backyards.

4. Cucurbits

Cucurbits like pumpkins, zucchinis, and cucumbers are spatially efficient when grown vertically. Cucumbers and zucchinis yield abundantly all season, while pumpkins store well for winter.

Tips for Growing Cucurbits:

  • Try Varieties: Experiment with local seed varieties to find what grows best and suits your taste.

  • Trellising Strategy: Use frames or string for cucumbers and zucchinis, or steel mesh for pumpkins to support their vines.

  • Space Needs: Cucumbers work in pots on balconies with a trellis, but pumpkins and zucchinis need backyard space.

5. Nightshades

Capsicums, eggplants, and tomatoes are heavy-yielding crops that save money, as they’re often expensive to buy. While eggplants and capsicums are relatively easy, tomatoes can be challenging due to pests, diseases, and maintenance needs.

Tips for Growing Nightshades:

  • Start Early: Sow seeds in pots or trays to extend the growing season, transplanting when soil reaches around 20°C.

  • Feed Heavily: Place in sunny, fertile spots with compost, as nightshades are nutrient-hungry.

  • Space Planning: Best for small or large backyards, though large balconies can support them in pots with regular fertilizing.

6. Root Crops and Alliums

Beetroots, turnips, spring onions, garlic, and leeks are great choices. Beetroots, turnips, and spring onions grow quickly and fit small spaces, while garlic and leeks take longer but are low-maintenance and costly to buy.

Tips for Growing Root Crops and Alliums:

  • Start in trays: Sow multiple seeds per cell for beetroots, turnips, and spring onions to save space; they’ll push apart as they grow.

  • Space Allocation: Spring onions suit any garden, turnips and beetroots are great for small backyards, and garlic/leeks need larger plots due to their 5–7 month growth cycle.

7. Fruit Trees

Fruit trees like apricots, plums, apples, pears, lemons, and figs are long-term investments that massively boost yields. For example, a single small plum tree yielded 20 kg of fruit in one season, using minimal ground space.

Tips for Growing Fruit Trees:

  • Choose Climate-Appropriate Cultivars: Select varieties suited to your climate for best results.

  • Use Strategically: Follow permaculture principles to create microclimates, like shade or windbreaks, for other crops.

  • Space Considerations: Best for backyards, though lemons can grow in pots. Prioritize other crops for small balconies.

Get Started with Your 4-Hour Food Garden

These seven crops—herbs, leafy greens, berries, cucurbits, nightshades, root crops/alliums, and fruit trees—are perfect for a low-effort, high-yield garden. Tailor your choices to your space and climate, and you’ll be amazed at how much you can grow with just 4 hours a week. For more on garden design using permaculture, check out our next article. What are your favorite low-maintenance, cost-saving crops? Share below!

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