Planning next year's garden

15 years ago

Hi there - I have a couple of square foot beds and have had mixed success - think I need to adjust a few things. Right now I'm thinking about next year's garden and wondered if you could take a look at my plan and see what you think. My main garden has been an 8x8 raised bed that I inherited, and I haven't really used SFG principles there, except for growing tomatoes vertically and spacing them closer than in a traditional garden. The timbers are rotting, so this fall we'll need to take it apart and rebuild. I would welcome any and all ideas or suggestions about organization of the plants.

I should say that originally my grid showed all the squares, but I merged the cells to make it easier to read. So where it says 5 tomato plants, that's one per square - 10 broccoli is one per square for 10 squares, etc.

Thank you!

Pat

Here is a link that might be useful:

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Comments (13)

sinfonian
15 years ago
Hmm, I'm not exactly sure which way is north, but I'm assuming up is north as that's standard...

First off, shading. Plants usually don't like to be blocked of all sun. Tomatoes will shade just about everything in your garden so I'd place them as far north as possible. Other plants that shade tremendously that I didn't know about until I experienced it this year are broccoli and cauliflower. Who knew that cauliflower have tennis racquets for leaves? They will shade out most of what you're growing, so put them together in their own bed and they'll be happy (put broccoli to the south, they're smaller).

The other comment I'd make is spacing. Tomatoes especially need more space than 1/SF unless you're doing Mel's method of pruning down to a single vine, which I didn't. I actually put two in a 2 SF SWC but they're taking over everything around them, which is fine for me as I expected it and gave them room to expand. It can work to have them tight, just be careful.

Hope that helps.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sinfonian's garden adventure
penserosa
Original Author
15 years ago
Thank you for your reply, Sinfonian! (Are you a musician?)

Sorry, I didn't include directional info. Actually, it's the reverse - South is at the top, North is at the bottom, West is at the right and East is at the left. Maybe I should rotate the pic!

I didn't know cauliflower leaves where big, so I'm glad you mentioned it. I have been pruning my tomatoes to 1-2 stems so I think that will work. I know over at the tomato forum, they seem to prefer more distant spacing with big cages, but I don't have a big enough yard for that.

Pat
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m_lorne
15 years ago
Pat,

Looks like you have a good plan going there, with a few modifications. Have to agree with Sinfonian with the cauliflower. The leaves on one plant can easily cover 4 square feet. The broccoli, while not as bad, will provide a good deal of shade as well. I would consider putting your cauliflower and your broccoli in their own beds.

Also noticed you have a pumpkin growing in one square. Well, keep in mind that for some varieties, the pumpkin vine can grow between 20 and 40 feet long. You can "trellis" them in a manner of speaking, but then you end up with a virtual tree. If you have space to let it run (like across the lawn, over the patio, through the hedge, around the car, etc. etc.) then by all means.
ccaggiano
15 years ago
I put a pumpkin plant in and end square at the front of my bed. I let the vine grow alongside the bed then tucked it around the back of the bed. I can live with this vine.

But the other pumpkin plant I have is another story. I gave it around six square feet. It has grown through the fence into the front yard in one direction and is taking over my squash and zucchini's on the other side.

Those vine are monsters!!!
penserosa
Original Author
15 years ago
Thank you m_lorne and ccaggiano for your replies.

I was so excited to post my plan that I forgot a few things, and also I had trouble formatting my document to let me add things after I made the grid. One thing that doesn't show is the chain link fence on the west and south sides. So that pumpkin will be able to climb along the fence.

Based on the advice given so far, I think I'll move the broccoli to its own block and give the beets and beans more sun that way. Maybe I can do the same with the caulifower.

Honestly, I'll have so much more growing space using this plan, I'm having trouble thinking of stuff to grow! I've never tried melons or cucumbers, might just do that somewheres.... :-)
engineeredgarden
15 years ago
Hey Pat, i'm growing watermelons, cantaloupes, cucumbers, and winter squash on trellises - and I absolutely love it! They are doing better than expected. I have got all kinds of pics that you can look at, if you need them. Just let me know. Take care

EG
penserosa
Original Author
15 years ago
EG, I would love to see pics of your winter squash in particular. I have one pumpkin plant now and could still put some netting on the trellis frame behind it. Thank you!
sinfonian
15 years ago
I too had more space than I needed. Not enough to grow tons of different plants but more of the same if I could keep up with it. Hehe tough to eat that much produce if you're never home.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sinfonian's garden adventure
engineeredgarden
15 years ago
Penserosa - the winter squash have just recently been tranplanted into the garden, and haven't really started to run yet. When they do - i'll be glad to take a picture for ya.

EG
oregon_veg
15 years ago
I agree with m_lorne,
If you want big pumpkins, I'd allow more space.
Especially if you want ones like this.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:1279428}}
sinfonian
15 years ago
Sorry, just reread the thread and no, alas I'm not a musician, I make too much to do something that crazy with my talent. I was in a misic fraternity in college. I set up an email right after and the name stuck.

And oh yeah. If I didn't mention my broccoli and cauliflower will go in their own bed or should I say are since I'm fall planting them with peas in the back trellis.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sinfonian's garden adventure
engineeredgarden
15 years ago
Sinfonian - you really nailed that one. I am a musician, and don't play anymore in public - because playing for a bunch of drunks til 2 am, then having to load your stuff back up - finally getting in the bed at around 4 am is for the birds. Especially for $50 to $100 a night.

EG
penserosa
Original Author
15 years ago
So what do you guys play? I'm a singer/piano player and I teach elementary school. Remember your general music teacher? That's me.

Planning next year's garden

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