Plant Spacing in Raised Bed
Comments (16)
dave1mn2
16 years agodave1mn2
16 years agoRelated Discussions
Spacing for raised bed garden
Comments (9)Is 5 or 6 hours direct sunlight a day not enough for tomatoes? Maybe this is more of what was causing my problems last year rather than the soil. That would depend on the type of problems you had. Normally 6 hours of high quality sun light (9am - 3pm) would be ok, not ideal, but ok. But given the times you listed you are missing out on the most intense, full spectrum part of the day. Even on the equinox in mid-June, unless you are living near the equator (we really need to know your location or at least your gardening zone), you will only be getting 4 hours of normal intensity, full-spectrum sunlight. The rest of the time it will be much weaker. Maybe if I have leftover soil I will get some potted plants going as well. Container plants are best grown in a soil-less potting mix, not garden soil. Plan on this year being one of experimentation and learning. Take good notes so that next year you'll have a much better picture of what and how much can be grown in your space. And also use the time to explore options for increasing the sun exposure, especially the morning sun or other possible locations for the garden. Good luck. Dave...See MorePlant Spacing in raised beds?
Comments (6)Really depends on what you are trying to accomplish and how much watering you want to do. If your aim is to grow sheer quantity, then closer spacing is the way to go. Google "Square Foot Gardening" or "French Intensive Gardening" and you will have a wealth of information. However, if you are looking for fewer, larger veggies, then give them space. This also helps if you don't want to have to water them constantly. Closer spacing means more watering and more fertilizing. Give the roots room to expand, and they are alot more "self-sufficient". For instance, in the Square Foot Gardening guide, spacing is as follows (per square foot): Tomatoes: 1 / ft2 (or 12" between plants) Broccoli: 1 / ft2 (or 12" between plants) Onions: 16 / ft2 (or 3" between plants) Lettuce: 4 / ft2 (or 6" between plants) Carrots: 16 / ft2 (or 3" between plants) My spacings are as follows: Tomatoes: 48" between plants in a row, about 5' between rows Broccoli: 36" between plants, about 2.5' between rows Onions: 3" between plants, and 18" between rows Lettuce: 6" between plants, and 24" between rows Carrots: 3" between plants, and 18" between rows Large plants like tomatoes are planted down the centre of a 4' wide raised bed, with a 1' path between each 4' bed. Broccoli, kale, cabbage, cauliflower, etc. are all planted in raised rows, about 1.5' wide and with 1.5' in between each row. Small items such as spinach, lettuce, onions, carrots, etc. are planted in 4' wide raised beds, but are planted the "short way", or 4' rows laid across the bed. These short rows are planted 18-24" apart, depending on the plant. The key difference here is that with square foot gardening (or intensive) you can get alot more in the same amount of space. For instance, you get 4x as many onions in the same space with SFG. But, I will bet you that they probably 1/2 the size as the ones that are given the extra room. Additionally, with the method that I use (often termed "extensive-traditional") there is alot less irrigation required. If you have the room try both methods. I'm sure you will find the system that works best for you....See MoreCan I plant six tomato plants in a 4x8 raised bed
Comments (14)I, too, plant even more than you--- 12 plants in a 4 x 6 bed. That's only 2 sq feet per plant, but it works. It works because my soil is dug very deeply (18") It is heavily composted, and I am religious about tying them up in a basket weave pattern of support (google it). Yes, it is a jungle by the end of the season, but I can reach everything, and my tomatoes are never sunscalded because there is more than enough shade from all the leaves!! Gardening is about experimenting with what works for you! You have had advice from both sides of the aisle on this one, so plant them, and then you will know how comfortable you are doing the same thing next year!!...See Morespacing and tying tomatoes in raised beds
Comments (6)Make no mistake that those boxes, even filled with soil, can't tip once they are filled with bushy 6'-8' tall indeterminate tomato plants and a thunderstorm or high wind comes along. It has happened to all of us at one time or another. Those plants will create a solid wall of wind resistance that can lay the whole thing over ripping the roots out in the process if the boxes are just sitting on the surface and aren't staked down as well. Indeterminates will work fine in that space if you do some pruning to control their bushiness or use big heavy duty cages to keep them somewhat contained. Otherwise they will quickly overflow the sides and block the walkways between each box. 2' wide boxes are pretty narrow. To avoid that problem, grow determinate varieties. If you decide to stake the plants rather than use FW or big cages then you can either drive the 6 foot stake down into the ground inside the box and tie the plant up to it or drive it in outside the box against the outside wall and plant the plants closer to that back wall. That way the stake supports the plant tied to it and helps stabilize the box bed itself. OK? Dave...See Morevtguitargirl
16 years agodrtluvr_in_z6
16 years agobarrie2m_(6a, central PA)
16 years agorexx
16 years ago
ddsack
16 years agoI have some 4'x8' beds in which I can grow 5 tomatoes along one edge, either trellised on a cattle panel or tied suspended from an overhead board wired to tall T-posts. The unused side of the bed is used for something short, like peppers, bush beans, eggplant, broccoli etc. Since I do very little pruning, except for stray lower suckers, I wouldn't double up my rows in one bed, too big a tangle and hard to get in to pick the tomatoes in the middle. If you plan to grow only to a central stem and prune heavily, you could do it.
Tomatoes sharing beds with eggplant and hot peppers from last year.
yardenman
16 years ago
disneynut1977 ~ Melissa
16 years agobluemater
16 years agoI have a 3X5 bed and plant 6 indeterminate heirlooms and I get good yield but also sucker a lot to control for growth...I also use Gardener's Supply red mulch which does help stimulate growth and improve yield.
Depth of soil is very important too...my bed is a good 30" deep at least and I add lots of new organic matter every spring and also in the fall so it can "rest" over the winter (besides using good organic fertilizer during the growing season)...I also mix in gel crystals to absorb excess water and have 1/4" drip emitter tubing snaked throughout the bed to irrigate when necessary but I find that with my soil being so deep I rarely have to add water -- it's almost like dry farming, which improves the flavor of the 'maters...
Here is a link that might be useful:
rexx
16 years agoWow. 30" is deep. I have about 9" above ground and another foot of native soil with compost turned in below.
Looks like I have erred on the side of caution with my spacing. You can see that I have three plants in 24 square feet -- with cages directing the plants out of the box.
Powdery mildew and bacterial speck have vexed me for the past three or four years.
bluemater
16 years agopenserosa
15 years agojwstell42
15 years agopenserosa
15 years ago
bigdaddyj