I have raised beds that go East/West in the long direction. I plant North/South so I can have lots of short rows of different veggies. I tried both ways and haven't really noticed much of a difference. They seem to grow equally as well on either end and I put short plants together in the same bed so none get shaded.
Clare

{{!gwi}}

Mine are sort of in between ...more east to west but truthfully with the sun and heat we have, a little shade isn't a bad thing,....I always use those shady spots for things like lettuce pr carrots or things that don't like the summer sun/heat.

I've always heard north to south.

Thank you for your ideas.

I should have added, that my garden is in the Great Lakes area - north of Lake Erie.

ole joyful

I'm in South Texas, and my garden is laid out north to south, with the taller crops planted on the west side to block at least some of the really hot afternoon sun. I guess that is not your criteria, though. ;)
Wanda in South Texas

Here is a link that might be useful: My Blog - The Bee Hive

Wait until we get rain and the snow is gone!
But seriously, it may depend on the wind and exposure to heat/wind/and other elements--like Hail.
This state is a challenge.

No garden for me, I live in a condo.
Boooooooooooooooo!

That said ... last year my rows of tomatoes, after staking, then taller stakes added and more strings between, grew to as high as my neck (I'm about 5' 9") ...

... and early on the branches stuck out between the rows (40" apart) so far that one had to navigate between the rows with care ...

... then later grew so close together that it was hard to even see down between the rows.

The garden was planted on what was, till about three years ago, a barnyard.

ole joyful

I always planted mine n-s as well oj...and I am also in the great lakes region,only east of you about 5 hours.

Hi Ont gal,

Thanks for the info.

Is that 5 hours by sun time, or driving time?

o j

ahh oj,5 hours driving for sure

Interesting question. I never thought of it making a real difference. All gardens I've seen and been involved in seem to go for the longest rows and not care about direction unless you're on a hillside. Around here and on the farm, they pretty much went that way too. They'd plant a certain way for hillsides but otherwise, git the machiniery moving as fast as yer kin doit! And often they'd have a path around the edge of the field of course that they'd do last to cover the turnaround areas but fields next to each other could easily face different directions.

Never thought it would make any difference. I would guess that the sunlite is more important during the later morning to late afternoon anyway too. I'd also think the prevailing winds might make more difference wouldn't it? I'm no gardening expert so it's guessing and asking!

Have been kicking around the idea of some raised up "square foot" gardening. It would be fun to do and nice to have some truly fresh things. But I'm also wondering about the wildlife helping themselves!

I've always heard north to south, but at my old place they were east to west and we always had great gardens. We are finally going to start a garden at the new place this year after going 2 years without one, concentrating on other home jobs the first 2 summers. We are going to do a "lasagna" style in our huge back yard by putting down lots of newspaper and heavy duty cardboard from a furniture store, then covering it with black dirt, planting it, then mulching it heavily. At the old place, we had the soil nice and healthy and never tilled it. We just brushed the mulch away, planted it, replaced the mulch and then added new mulch. I hope to get the new garden established in the same way. The mulch wicked away excess moisture when we got too much rain and held in moisture when we had drought. I rarely had to water. It did occasionally attract garter snakes which didn't bother me too much as long as they left the area when they noticed me. We also had lots of toads and that didn't bother me unless I unwittingly touched one without seeing it first. They feel creepy but I like them.

Anyone else with some useful ideas to offer?

ole joyful

I have always heard north to south, but I have planted both ways and usually like the east to west as that is the longest way and I would not have to turn my tiller around so often. So whatever works best and for your area. I am in central Indiana and right now too much rain for garden!

Sue

Our rows go north to south. We definitely didn't plant by the moon this year, but plan to next season.

Now I have compartments built on the side of a hill, so it doesn't matter.

When we use to have a big "regular" garden, then we planted N - S. I always made sure that the taller things were on the farther eastern side of the garden. Everything seemed to get sun all day.

Have a great gardening season!