Spacing in beds

[Annpan]

Last year I followed advice on packets of seeds regarding spacing and ended up with too much bare soil in-between plants - allowing too many weeds to get through

Now when I see in some of those lovely organic gardening books the plants all seem to be growing very close together, squeezing more in the space and reducing the weeds.

So how do I work out how close to really plant the seeds in beds? I am thinking this year I will do half of what the packet says...

[Clara]

I think you're about right with half. I think on seed packets the row spacing allows you enough space to pass between them but see as that isn't an issue in beds another approach is needed.
I tend to take the between plant spacing (because that is the space they actually need to grow) and stagger that so you have a sort of x formation repeated through the bed (does that make sense?).

[Millymollymandy]

It depends - with spuds I give them much more spacing both between plants and between rows, otherwise (1) I can't earth up cos there isn't enough soil and (2) I can't walk up and down the rows to water and pick off colorado beetle if necessary. Even so the top growth still touches the next row!

Parsnips I never do the plant two seeds together then 8" space - what a waste if both germinate! I plant a seed every 4" or 5" and its never been a problem if they all germinate.

Other things I play by ear and when I've got more experience I know how much space to leave. I find it easier spacing things out more so that I can get in and hoe in between rows. I leave spaces for walking along the rows every so many rows of veges.

[Annpan]

well, I think my carrots last year said to plant them 4inches apart, but unless the carrots are 4 inches wide I think that is a bit of a waste of space... I do most weeding by hand, so access with the hoe doesn't really apply.

Now if I plant every 2 inches that should be fine.... but... if I plant every inch then I can thin them when they are baby carrots, leaving half too grow on further....

descisions, descisions...

Thanks for your thoughts guys.

[Millymollymandy]

I thin out carrots but they always end up in bunches really close together and it's never been a problem! Ignore the 4" rule!

[Odsox]

Carrots are funny things, plant them too close and they twiddle round each other and are a right pain to harvest. But recently I have multiple sown some 3 or 4 together in clumps and they are just fine ... no twiddling.
When you sort out your new polytunnel with deep raised beds you can grow things very close as the roots can easily grow straight down and don't compete with each other so much ... of course you could always do deep beds in your veg garden as well.
Best thing to do is plant them as YOU think is right, if they turn out OK then YOU were right, if they struggle a bit then learn by your mistake and space them wider next time

[Annpan]

The tunnel arrived today OH has tomorrow off weather dependant we could have it up by the weekend

I do have deep beds in the veg plot... so I can plant nice and close.... oh goody....less weeds more grub

[Mal]

So jealous of the polytunnel. Soooo jealous.

[Elizabeth]

I plant by thinking about the size the veg is going to be (hope to be!) at harvest time and then allowing a little soil around it.

This works for most things but not Spuds.

[godfreyrob]

On my site I have planting spaces for the different types of veg growing - raised beds (closer together), traditional rows and multi-sown. Just select the veg from the database list...
http://www.thevga.co.uk/the_shed/sindex.cgi
Raised beds do allow for closer planting - but make sure the soil is well fed as over a few seasons it can get exhausted.

[Odsox]

Just select the veg from the database list...
http://www.thevga.co.uk/the_shed/sindex.cgi

That's a useful site you have there Godfreyrob and one that I have bookmarked for future reference.
Nice to see that I live in Hardiness Zone 10

[Green Aura]

Have you seen any of the John Jeavons books - can't remember what they're called. He uses different sized honeycomb grids to plant so they're all much closer together than an conventional gardeners suggest. I tried it last year with onions and brassicas. I got 100 (50 each red and white) in a 1.2mx1.2m bed and they grew just fine - not huge but just the right size to use 1-2 per meal.

The cabbage and kale seems to have grown really well too - we're still picking them.

[Big Al]

Last year I followed advice on packets of seeds regarding spacing and ended up with too much bare soil in-between plants - allowing too many weeds to get through

Now when I see in some of those lovely organic gardening books the plants all seem to be growing very close together, squeezing more in the space and reducing the weeds.

So how do I work out how close to really plant the seeds in beds? I am thinking this year I will do half of what the packet says...

Sorry not going to be much help as this is my first "proper" year at self suff in the fruit and veg garden [ seasonal and home grown produce... sod the banana trials] but I will be using every spare inch of land and noting the results. My idea is that the seed companies want you to experience perfect F&V so they give the optimum space, water, feed requirments etc so you get good crops and go back and buy more seeds next year. My plan is likely to include massive feeding and intense raising of food crops in my 4 raised beds of 4.8m x 1.2m. I'll let you know how I get on.

Hardiness zone 8a.....

[Annpan]

This has turned into an interesting little discussion... I have 10 (2.4mx1m) so far, but we will eventually have many more, 24 ideally, so I guess space isn't my biggest worry, it is more of a permaculture idea of using the foliage to keep down the weeds, thus less work and more food for me.


Looks like I am on the tip of a 7b zone there's clearly no hope......

[Enormous Sage]

Sorry not going to be much help as this is my first "proper" year at self suff in the fruit and veg garden [ seasonal and home grown produce... sod the banana trials] but I will be using every spare inch of land and noting the results. My idea is that the seed companies want you to experience perfect F&V so they give the optimum space, water, feed requirments etc so you get good crops and go back and buy more seeds next year. My plan is likely to include massive feeding and intense raising of food crops in my 4 raised beds of 4.8m x 1.2m. I'll let you know how I get on.

I look forward to hearing how you get on with this. I experimented with this type of thing to start with, by plating in "grids" rather than rows.
Some things it worked well for (leeks in particular and the Chard I planted went crazy), but other things seemed to flop, but I don't know if that's the soil I used or what.

I followed the directions on the packs and my veggies seemed to be spaced a lot further apart than most of the veg I saw on allotments or in shiny books.
I didn't thin plants out so much last year and beetroots seemed to work as well as they ever had, I had "clumps" of them growing in fact. I take the view that nature would be able to work round whatever clever system I had, and if there were too many plants in a small space, the weaker ones would fizzle out.