Weedwhacker said: Welcome to NGA @abalko
Could you clarify what the plants in your diagram are?
On the top row there appears to be 2 squares of bell peppers, then an open square, a jalapeno plant, then dill-cucumber-dill-cucumber ?
The 2nd row isn't quite so easy for me to identify - the 3rd and 4th squares appear to be bunching onions? What are the first 2 and the last 2 squares? (the last 2 appear to be either lettuce or cabbage)
Also, what are the 4 squares of leafy plants between the potatoes and summer squash?
Other than those unknowns, the only actual problem that I see is with what I'm assuming are cucumbers on the top row - even bush-type cukes will spread outside a 1 square foot area, unless you plan to grow the vines up a trellis (which works very well, but you would probably want to locate the trellis on the north side of the bed so the vines aren't shading your other plants).
Happy gardening!
sallyg said: I also think the space allotted most of those thing is too small, and most will be crowded into each other, and may not all survive/thrive.
Is that two cabbages, or two lettuce squares? If letttuce, ok, but if cabbage, those wide and thick leaves will push into the others.
Zucchini? will not be confined to a 2 by 2.
Potatoes stems are sort of floppy, they will outgrow the space, and you must allow for having to dig up the taters and put the dirt somewhere else temporarily while you do that. Also, digging them so close to the peppers will probably disturb the pepper roots.
Red radishes, in your location, it's getting too hot already. You can try them, you must fertilize and water well for fast growth. They will be done in 2 months and their spot can be used for something else.
PS we visited Greer and think it's a great town!
sallyg said: I also think the space allotted most of those thing is too small, and most will be crowded into each other, and may not all survive/thrive.
Is that two cabbages, or two lettuce squares? If letttuce, ok, but if cabbage, those wide and thick leaves will push into the others.
Zucchini? will not be confined to a 2 by 2.
Potatoes stems are sort of floppy, they will outgrow the space, and you must allow for having to dig up the taters and put the dirt somewhere else temporarily while you do that. Also, digging them so close to the peppers will probably disturb the pepper roots.
Red radishes, in your location, it's getting too hot already. You can try them, you must fertilize and water well for fast growth. They will be done in 2 months and their spot can be used for something else.
PS we visited Greer and think it's a great town!
sallyg said: When you grow these plants, you'll get a much better feel for the size of each.
I don't so square foot gardening per se, but I 'think' the spacing in these last two diagrams is workable*. You will be sure to water and fertilize as those plants are competing with each other for all of that, with such close spacing.
*Except the watermelons- here's the description for Allsweet in Burpee
25 pound watermelon? That would be as big as the whole space allotted for the entire plant! Realize, it takes a LOT of plant mass to gather the sun energy and water to pump up a fruit that big. Burpee says " Mature spread 72 - 96 IN". 72 inches is SIX FEET. They give a lot of growing detail. It says Space groups 5-7 feet apart each way. That means, on group of 2 or at most 3 watermelon seedlings planted close together is THE ONLY thing that will be growing in one of your beds, and if the 4 by 4 it WILL overflow. What's around those beds, can it grow across some lawn?
I think you can do just one square of parsley and have plenty- unless you are a huge parsley user or want to feed parsley caterpillars.
Peas are a spring/fall crop and you may be past the window for those already. Radishes, definitely try those this fall, they do well for me as a fall crop.
Cabbage, too, really a fall crop unless you have plants to put in now. I think cabbage and kale will do really well for you this fall and may live all winter. The lettuce, too may have a hard time in heat.
Here's my bottom line:
First diagram- Separate the pepper plants, I'll OK them having one square foot each if you separate them by putting something small and short lived in between, that would be cilantro, radishes or green onions. Peppers are like little trees so there is 'some' room around them for things OK with a little shade and gone by the time peppers are big. Peppers and tomatoes will be growing until frost. Carrots, 16 per block sounds pretty tight but you can try. Maybe 9 per block is better.
Cucumbers are OK, but have to climb something. They will die mid-late summer and you can plant cabbage for fall there. Potatoes, not this year. Zucchini, have to have half that 4 by 8, or the whole 4 by 4, and you can try spring crops around them, and maybe fall crops after them (they often die by late summer too) Mint, in a pot and use that space to help spread the rest.
Second diagram- Carrots, 16 per block sounds pretty tight but you can try.
Strawberries 4 per block also tight, Next year you will have a solid mass of strawberries.
Third- Watermelon no. The rest, ok, but your timing may be off. (lettuce, green onions, peas being cool weather crops)
(The park in the middle of Greenville, where the river runs through, is really lovely!)
sallyg said: When you grow these plants, you'll get a much better feel for the size of each.
I don't so square foot gardening per se, but I 'think' the spacing in these last two diagrams is workable*. You will be sure to water and fertilize as those plants are competing with each other for all of that, with such close spacing.
*Except the watermelons- here's the description for Allsweet in Burpee
L
25 pound watermelon? That would be as big as the whole space allotted for the entire plant! Realize, it takes a LOT of plant mass to gather the sun energy and water to pump up a fruit that big. Burpee says " Mature spread 72 - 96 IN". 72 inches is SIX FEET. They give a lot of growing detail. It says Space groups 5-7 feet apart each way. That means, on group of 2 or at most 3 watermelon seedlings planted close together is THE ONLY thing that will be growing in one of your beds, and if the 4 by 4 it WILL overflow. What's around those beds, can it grow across some lawn?
I think you can do just one square of parsley and have plenty- unless you are a huge parsley user or want to feed parsley caterpillars.
Peas are a spring/fall crop and you may be past the window for those already. Radishes, definitely try those this fall, they do well for me as a fall crop.
Cabbage, too, really a fall crop unless you have plants to put in now. I think cabbage and kale will do really well for you this fall and may live all winter. The lettuce, too may have a hard time in heat.
Here's my bottom line:
First diagram- Separate the pepper plants, I'll OK them having one square foot each if you separate them by putting something small and short lived in between, that would be cilantro, radishes or green onions. Peppers are like little trees so there is 'some' room around them for things OK with a little shade and gone by the time peppers are big. Peppers and tomatoes will be growing until frost. Carrots, 16 per block sounds pretty tight but you can try. Maybe 9 per block is better.
Cucumbers are OK, but have to climb something. They will die mid-late summer and you can plant cabbage for fall there. Potatoes, not this year. Zucchini, have to have half that 4 by 8, or the whole 4 by 4, and you can try spring crops around them, and maybe fall crops after them (they often die by late summer too) Mint, in a pot and use that space to help spread the rest.
Second diagram- Carrots, 16 per block sounds pretty tight but you can try.
Strawberries 4 per block also tight, Next year you will have a solid mass of strawberries.
Third- Watermelon no. The rest, ok, but your timing may be off. (lettuce, green onions, peas being cool weather crops)
(The park in the middle of Greenville, where the river runs through, is really lovely!)
Weedwhacker said: Your watermelons will need a LOT more room than you show on your plan; here's an article from the Old Farmer's Almanac that may be helpful: but
This sort of sums it up: "Watermelons need A LOT of space—up to 20 square feet per plant."
abalko said: I just reposted the plans. Does it mean that one watermelon would basically take 1/2 my bed?
RpR said: Unless you are going to trim continually, and have a strong cage, a healthy tomato needs 9 feet square; Potatoes planted that close together produce smaller potatoes (how deep will you plant them?)
Are these raised beds or in ground beds.
The TV gardens that have these wonnderful idyllic gardens are tended continually in soil that is worked to perfection by more than one person.
