So today I was out back staring at my tilled up piece of land and am suddenly concerned it isn't big enough..... My old garden consisted of plots alongside buildings (house and garage) which I built up lasagna style and required pretty much no care aside from watering. Our new house has a large enough yard to allow me a big square but how much space am I really going to need? I'm second guessing myself and would like any advice/comments would be welcome!
The original plan: about 10 x 12 space currently tilled. Planting about 14 tomatoe plants (5 different kinds) beans and peas (bush variety 8 total) carrots, and 10 pepper plants (all bell my chili's go in a container due to previous problems with cross pollination) My lettuce and spinich also go in containers so they can be moved if it gets too hot.
I've been toying with the idea of some yellow squash and zuchinni but have never grown them before...... and the kids want pumpkins too but dear lord how much room do they need????
So anyway can you masters out there help me out with a plot idea? I'm really feeling like a noob with an old fashioned rectangle. One other thing is my peas and beans were always a vine type with a trellis leaned on the garage, anything I should know about the bush kind?
Last year my garden was 10x15 and I planted...6 tomatoes, 3 peppers, 10ft row of beans, 10 ft row of carrots, 4 hills of cucumbers, 3 hills of zucchini/summer squash, 5 ft row of spinach, 2 1 ft rows of peas. Oh yes I devoted 5 ft x 5 ft for a watermelon.
You can save space on the squashes if you use a tomato cage...then they don't take up too much room.
Personally, I am going to do more tomatoes this year so I am expanding. They need at least 1.5 feet between them..peppers do too.
I would plant a whole row of bush beans if you want a decent yield.
Good luck!
You can save space on the squashes if you use a tomato cage...then they don't take up too much room.
Personally, I am going to do more tomatoes this year so I am expanding. They need at least 1.5 feet between them..peppers do too.
I would plant a whole row of bush beans if you want a decent yield.
Good luck!
It will never be big enough!!
I think you've set yourself out a good sized, manageable plot for the first year; you don't want to be overwhelmed. If you want to throw in one pumpkin plant, that may well be enough, and the seem to come on a little later in the year so pair them with lettuce that is going to keep the shade mid-summer when the pumpkin's leaves are out. I found last year it was really easy to tuck my squash plants in & around everything else.
Save the experimenting for next year, this year just focus on having a great & producing garden
. And get the kids to help! Free labour plus every kiddo loves gettin' a little muddy 
.
I think you've set yourself out a good sized, manageable plot for the first year; you don't want to be overwhelmed. If you want to throw in one pumpkin plant, that may well be enough, and the seem to come on a little later in the year so pair them with lettuce that is going to keep the shade mid-summer when the pumpkin's leaves are out. I found last year it was really easy to tuck my squash plants in & around everything else.
Save the experimenting for next year, this year just focus on having a great & producing garden
. And get the kids to help! Free labour plus every kiddo loves gettin' a little muddy .Gardens are like greenhouses, whatever size you are certain you need double it if you can. I give my production tomatoes 4 ft between plants and 5 ft between rows and I barely have enough room to move between them. Those I just want to try out are staked 2 ft apart and pruned. Mellons, squash and cucumbers need a lot of room, and things like brussels sprouts, cabbage etc get bigger than you would think. There are always new varieties you want to try, and your eating habits will change. I bought a new freezer to fill and empty every year, and I was digging brussels sprouts out of the snow for new years dinner this year. Nobody around here much liked brussels sprouts until I grew a few plants. This year I have to cut back on some stuff to make room for more. Luckily I was not thrilled with beets last year so I don't have to grow them again.
Some plants like lots of sun, some like just a little sunlight. Orient your plants to allow the taller plants to be in the back of the plot with the lower growing plants in the front of the plot as the sun progresses across the sky each day. Determine which plants will benefit from a little shade for protection from the hot sun. Lettuce for example will grow longer with out bolting (producing flowers or seed head and stalk) if protected from the hot sun. Tuck those plants into areas where they get a little sun, but not all day.
In order to best utilize your space, plan on growing as much as possible vertically with their feet in the soil and their heads in the sky. Tomatoes, peppers, pole beans, summer squash, corn, eggplant, and cucumber do well growing tall. Plan to use as many cages or supports as possible to raise the elevation of your garden.
Ted
In order to best utilize your space, plan on growing as much as possible vertically with their feet in the soil and their heads in the sky. Tomatoes, peppers, pole beans, summer squash, corn, eggplant, and cucumber do well growing tall. Plan to use as many cages or supports as possible to raise the elevation of your garden.
Ted