Raised bed sowing

bertiewhite

I've built some raised beds this year for the 1st time ever, having used traditional beds before and want to grow the same crops.

Noting that crops can be sown closer together in raised beds, I have placed onion sets in a grid system but wondered how I should sow seeds such as carrots that are traditionally sowed in rows?

Should I still sow them in rows but closer together and thin out if necessary?

How about leeks? Is it better to plant in cells and then transplant into the beds in a grid arrangement?

unrecordings

I tend to stick with rows/grids as it's easier to water efficiently (and looks neater)

bertiewhite

unrecordings wrote: »

I tend to stick with rows/grids as it's easier to water efficiently (and looks neater)

How do you grow small seeds such as carrots in grids though? Do you just pop a single one in a hole?

Mojisola

bertiewhite wrote: »

I've built some raised beds this year for the 1st time ever, having used traditional beds before and want to grow the same crops.

Noting that crops can be sown closer together in raised beds, I have placed onion sets in a grid system but wondered how I should sow seeds such as carrots that are traditionally sowed in rows?

Should I still sow them in rows but closer together and thin out if necessary?

Think about how you're going to weed between the carrots - it's easier to have them in rows.

As well as a simple grid pattern, with crops like onions and beets you can plant three or four at each station and leave a bit more space between them to facilitate weeding.

Do you know the trick with carrot sowing to add some radish seeds to the row - the radishes come up faster than the carrots and mark the rows so that you can safely weed between them before the carrots are showing?

Raised beds do lend themselves to a stale seed bed system and it's also useful to mulch heavily to keep the weeds down.

-taff

You could take a look at square foot gardening too.

bertiewhite

I'm aware of the radish trick, except I've never had much luck with Radishes - they always seem to go really woody.

I'm also aware of the square foot bed method but again, my question is "how do you actually sow the seeds".

With most seeds, they are big enough to sow individually either in cells and then transplant or directly into the ground. Carrot seeds are much finer though and can't be easily transplanted (am I right on this?) which is why I was asking if the only way of sowing them is by scattering them, either by broadcast sowing or in rows?

Mojisola

bertiewhite wrote: »

I'm aware of the radish trick, except I've never had much luck with Radishes - they always seem to go really woody.

Harvest them before they go like that.

Carrot seeds are much finer though and can't be easily transplanted (am I right on this?) which is why I was asking if the only way of sowing them is by scattering them, either by broadcast sowing or in rows?

You're right - carrot seeds need to be sown directly.

If you broadcast sow, weeding with be a nightmare - you'll probably end up pulling up young carrot seedlings with the weeds.

Sow in rows so that you can weed between the rows.

It could be worth trying a wider row of carrot seeds but that does mean you have to do more hand weeding of individual weeds within the rows.

bertiewhite

Thanks for your input, everyone - it's made it a bit clearer.

It's raised another question about square foot gardening. Can anyone suggest a year round plan at all? ie. - Sow xxx in March/harvest in June then replace with yyy to harvest in Sept then replace with zzz to go through the winter etc. etc?

I'm also dying to try straw bale gardening this year

Thrice

I bought a DK book called All you can grow in 1sqm (or similar, I'm not at home to check!). That has been very helpful, they give lots of suggestions as to what to grow when, what grows well together, and how to plant more than one crop per year.

I watched a YouTube channel last night, something like Self Sufficient Me. Australian guy that grows in round raised planters. He grew carrots in one and just used his finger to do a swirl from the centre towards the outside of the container, and put the seeds directly into the soil then flattened the swirl rows in on top. If you can search YouTube you'll find it. Seemed really helpful x

Thrice

All you can eat in 3 square feet, it won't let me edit my post above x

-taff

Have a look in the library or google for succession sowing. Any good veg book will give you ideas for that.
If you were worried about actually sowing the seeds, probably easier with carrots to sow in a row, for the weeding, plus, as they grow, if you find too many growing together you can thin them and eat them. If you cant remember where you've sown them, a line of sand on them or to the side of them will show you [not builders or sharp sand though, too salty]
Or lay a small length of bamboo or similar.