Raised bed for vegetables

stardrops42

Hi

I have just made a raised bed for veggies (well ok OH made it;)) and now I'm deciding what to plant where. The problem is the bed is only 8' x 4' and if I space things out at their proper spacing I will get hardly anything in it! I know that you can plant things closer together in a raised bed but how close? If the spacing is 12" apart for example can I put them 6" apart in a raised bed? Or will it depend on what it is that I'm planting?

Sorry to sound stupid but as you can tell I've never done this before:o

Thanks in advance

Michelle

Kimitatsu

What is it that you want to plant? Its difficult to advise without that

stardrops42

Kimitatsu wrote: »

What is it that you want to plant? Its difficult to advise without that

Yeh I suppose that might help:o:rotfl:

I want to plant onions, potatoes, garlic, spring onions, beetroot, lettuce, rocket, sweetcorn. I have already made 2 wigwams at one end for mange tout and french beans. Not much really

Thanks

SaverSueG

Hi there.

Sweetcorn are big I wouldn't plant at less than 12 inches apart. They need to be in a block for pollination try 12 plants at 4 x 3 taking up 2ft at one end. You can probably grow some lettuce in between and round the edges as they don't mind a bit of shade. Start the sweetcorn off in modules (now-ish but keep them inside till mid may).

Potatoes I'd put in pots not in the raised bed. Use 3 to a 12" pot, first earlies (we grow Arran Pilot can't beat it for taste). Don't worry if they aren't chitted, plant them now.

Garlic, Spring onion don't need much space but you are probably too late for garlic this year.

I grew Mange tout one year, my OH has refused to eat them ever since!!! They produced a HUGE crop and grew like mad to over 6ft!. Put them at the right end of the bed so they don't cast shade over everything else!

Beetroot can go quite close about 4 - 6" you will get a cluster from one seed if you choose normal varieties. I love the white ones personally.

Lettuce choose loose leaf rather than hearting they can be sown quite close and crop individual leaves as you need them.

Good luck and have fun!:j

ALIBOBSY

Well we did squeeze our sweetcorn in the raised bed a little closer than the 12 inches, but not alot. Say instead of 3 in a line accross the width of the bed we went to 4, so maybe 8 inches apart ish?
But although really tasty the yield for the amount of space and time they take up in a bed is pretty low. Each plant will only produce 1-2 cobs in the year. Given your lack of space I am not sure I would bother with sweetcorn.

However if you do try the 3 sisters style of planting which is what we did. You grow the sweetcorn with beans growing up them and squashes (pumpkins/courgettes etc) underneath, each helps support and feed the others. So increasing the yield for that area of ground.

There is lots of sites with advice about square foot gardening which may be helpful to you. By splitting you bed into squares you can plan and maximise the yield.

Avoid maincrop potatos as they take too long, take a lot of space, high risk of blight and are so cheap to buy anyway. But a few earlies for new potatos are yummy and easy to grow either in the bed or even easier in a container-doesn't have to be specially bought either.

Salad are a good bet as well perhaps one tomato say a small bush cherry one like pearl or the old standby gadeners delight, this could even be in a pot or grow bag.
Plenty of cut and come again salad leaves. so easy to grow and keep sowing.
A row of beetroots where the thinings are taken to add as leaves to your salads is good, carrots can be grow to be little and sweet and there are also many smaller or even globe shaped varieties, interplant with spring onion another quick grower as it puts off the root fly with the smell. Herbs are also a good bet both in pots around the bed or interplanted around the veg, many herbs grow easily and cheaply from seed and strong smelling basil and coriander put off alot of bug trying to sniff out veggies they can eat so double winner.

Peas are brill, we are putiing loads in this year as most of ours were eaten out of the pod last year-the kids ate them like sweets lol.

Another quick crop is radish or pea tops. Plus if you can try to find a spot or pots for a few strawberry plants-warm and ripe straight from the plant mmmmmmmmm.

Good luck and enjoy planning, each year you learn a bit more about what works best for you and your plot (no matter how big or small). All part of the fun.

ali x

evie451

Dont worry about things too much stardrops its all a bit of a learning curve with raised beds. Although i am not very experienced i agree with Saver Sue and Ali the sweetcorn is not one for you if you are tight for space it really doesnt produce a lot, although the taste is lovely....I have done the 3 sisters approach and it was a great thing, the peas climb up the sweetcorn and the squash planted underneath shades the ground for less waterloss and suppresses the weeds you do have to time it right though as peas grow really quick and sweetcorn less so start the corn off first if you go for it!

I am thinking i will forgo the corn this year and just do the peas and courgettes together.......Just have a go and see what you like eating...

SuzieMum

I am loving the idea of growing peas up sweetcorn and squash underneath! Thank you!