Block Planting

[EmmaLou]

Hi everyone!

I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice on block planting. I have a half plot and want to make the most of the space I have. The beds are 430cm x 130cm.

??? I am just a little confused of the spacing I should be using. I read that carrots can have their space reduced from 30cm to 20cm, but I wasn't sure what I could do with my other veg.
Heres my planting list:

Bed 1
Onions
Garlic
Bed 2
Peas
Runner Beans
Broad Beans
Bed 3
Savoy
Radishes
Brussels
Bed 4
Cauliflower
Sprouting Broccoli
Kohl Rabi
Bed 5
Potatoes
Bed 6
Carrots
Spring Onions

Do you think I am giving myself enough space to grow all these things? We are feeding 2 adults and 1 three year old.
I read the past threads on square foot gardening, but couldn't find much about the spacing between plants.

Many thanks!

[EmmaLou]

[fbgrifter]

ok here goes...in a square foot you can grow:

9 dwarf beans
8 climbing beans
16 beetroots
1 broccoli/calabrese
1 cabbage
16 carrots
1 cauli
4 swiss chard
1 sweetcorn
2 cucumbers
1 aubergine
4 lettuce
16 onions
4 parsley
8 peas
1 pepper
16 radishes
9 baby spinach

courgettes and non trailing squash need 3sq feet but you only need 2 plants for your family
pumpkins need 5 sq ft

not sure about the others.
not sure that potatoes would be great in a block

[MikeB]

The square foot gardening site is,

http://www.squarefootgardening.com/

I'm trying sfg myself this year so if I can help just ask.

[EmmaLou]

Thanks for the list fbgrifter - very helpful! Do you follow this method yourself?

Mike B - good to know someone else doing this. We will have to compare notes on how things have worked out!

Just found this on the squarefootgardening website:
"Depending on the mature size of the plant, grow 1, 4, 9, or 16 equally spaced plants per square foot. If the seed packet recommends plant spacing be 12 inches apart, plant one plant per square foot. If 6 inch spacing; 4 per square foot. If 4 inch spacing; 9 per square foot. If 3 inch spacing; 16 per square foot."

Makes sense!  :)

[sussexcliff]

With raised beds, you can always plant closer than 'they' recommend.

And there's more,
- underplanting, sowing fast small plants underneath slow-growing stuff, eg. lettuce under brassicas, and
- intermixing, apparently squashes will grow up sweet corn and sunflowers and that all three can be in the same bed together.

But I'm new to all this so don't take it as read.
Cheers
Cliff

[EmmaLou]

Thats very interesting sussexcliff, I did think about that side of things, but I'm not sure I'm brave enough in my first year to take on so much!  :D I'll see how I get on and I might get a bit more adventurous next year.  :)

[fbgrifter]

On my first plot i used the sfg approach.  I like it but find that using individual 4sft beds uses up too much space (on paths).  I have now taken on a second plot.  I still use block planting / sft technique but the beds are 1mx5m (and it feels good to be metric again). 

A note on underplanting....use caution.  Lettuces arn't supposed to grow well with brassicas (according to bob flowerdew) and the lettuces i planted under squashes and pumpkins encouraged mildew.  I'm very fond of companion planting and tend to underplant with sweet alyssum, nasturtiums or poached egg plants.

also like I previously posted, i'm not sure potates would be easy to havest in a block.  i'm growing them for the first time this year, but using a row system.

hope that helps

[supersprout]

There's an excellent table for planting veg in beds in Joy Larkcomb's book 'Beds', showing number of plants/metre and planting distances. I photocopied and laminated it so it could live in my gardening bag for reference.

[moonbells]

I have grown lettuce with brassica and the only thing that happens is that the lettuces bolt and the brassicas get leggy while trying to grow over the lettuces.

Not doing it this year!

moonbells