garden5
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 3062
Joined: Fri Aug 07, 2009 5:40 pm
Location: ohio

Well, after looking at my tomato troubles, namely green shoulders and anthracnose, I'm starting to believe that 1 ft. plant spacing may work OK for hybrids, but heirlooms need their space.

Also I think part of the low production of my squash plants is due to to many plants too close together.

Well, at least the peppers don't seem to mind being crowded too much. :roll:

tedln
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 2179
Joined: Thu Jun 25, 2009 6:06 pm
Location: North Texas

I purposely planted my summer squash really crowded in the spring. My intent was to pull the weaker plants leaving the stronger plants properly spaced. They looked so good as they grew, it was difficult to choose the plants to sacrifice. I did sacrifice some, but not as many as I should have. My plants produced well early in the season, but slowed down as the space for each declined with growth. I finally pulled all of them and replanted the beds for a fall crop. I tried to plant the fall plants wisely, but I already had a handful of seed and didn't want to put it back in the packet. Once again, I have a lot of very nice plants putting on leaves. I just hope I am able to thin them properly. It takes will power.

Ted

garden5
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 3062
Joined: Fri Aug 07, 2009 5:40 pm
Location: ohio

I know exactly where your coming from, Ted. Mine did the same thing: they produced well until the growth started coming on.

I always say that I'm not gonna crowd, but then I do. When time comes to this, I always contemplate expanding the garden to host the thinnings.

Cerbiesmom
Senior Member
Posts: 145
Joined: Thu May 13, 2010 5:39 pm
Location: Sugar Land, Tx

I had space in the corner of my new garden, so I planted a yam yesterday. I know it won't have enough room, but my trellis is empy bc my cucumbers bit the dust.

User avatar
lakngulf
Greener Thumb
Posts: 1294
Joined: Mon May 10, 2010 4:34 pm
Location: Lake Martin, AL

You would think the problem of planting things too close would be bad enough. Each year I have some volunteer flowers to come up in my garden, and I have a habit of leaving some in the rows. Seems my PETC--aholic problem has also led me to be a LETC--aholic. Seems I "leave everything too close" in my garden as well. This is a variation of Ted's inability to thin properly, and I think we should have a whole series on that. Take a look:

[img]https://i854.photobucket.com/albums/ab104/lakngulf/Aug_2010/Aug_2010042.jpg[/img]

In contrast, my wife does a much better job spacing and thinning in her herb garden. Perhaps she could be a resource person for one of our meetings....on second thought, she might want us to change our habits:

[img]https://i854.photobucket.com/albums/ab104/lakngulf/Aug_2010/Aug_2010048.jpg[/img]

garden5
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 3062
Joined: Fri Aug 07, 2009 5:40 pm
Location: ohio

Yeah, I had a bunch of tomatoes come up in the squash patch......of course, I let them grow. I agree that it's bad enough to not plant things too close, let alone reduce what's already too close.

User avatar
Duh_Vinci
Greener Thumb
Posts: 886
Joined: Sat Apr 11, 2009 9:58 pm
Location: Virginia

I love this thread! Love the jungles you guys have!!!

I'm D, and I too am no stranger to some dense planting:

[img]https://drphotography.smugmug.com/photos/626177009_wkdX6-O.jpg[/img]

This year wouldn't be much different :lol:

Regards,
D

Dixana
Greener Thumb
Posts: 729
Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 11:58 pm
Location: zone 4

*cough* I'm Dix and I am a tomato addict.

I have enough room for about 15 plants.....but I started seeds for 20 varieties anyway. I have to account for a few not germinating right?
Well.....they all came up! :shock: So I spent all yesterday making 56 paper pots so I don't have to kill off any seedlings....
Now I think I might need a couple more growlights too....

User avatar
GardenRN
Greener Thumb
Posts: 1102
Joined: Wed Jan 12, 2011 10:01 am
Location: Chesterfield, Va

garden5 wrote:I always say that I'm not gonna crowd, but then I do. When time comes to this, I always contemplate expanding the garden to host the thinnings.
HAHA! I know how the rest of this story goes! :) You expand the garden to host the thinnings and then the following year the expanded area becomes a permanent part of the garden. Which needs an expanded addition for thinnings....which at the end of the year becomes....

It's how my 144 sq ft garden expanded into 2000 sq ft. lol. :roll:

DoubleDogFarm
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 6113
Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2010 11:43 pm

and then 4000 sq ft. :shock:


Eric

Dixana
Greener Thumb
Posts: 729
Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 11:58 pm
Location: zone 4

4000 sq ?!?!?! Make some room I'm packing my bags :lol:

DoubleDogFarm
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 6113
Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2010 11:43 pm

Well, I lie, it's closer to 3800 and change. :lol:


Eric

User avatar
GardenRN
Greener Thumb
Posts: 1102
Joined: Wed Jan 12, 2011 10:01 am
Location: Chesterfield, Va

Don't think I can make it to 4000 Eric! I have exactly half of my suburban yard turned into garden. Not counting what is taken up by greenhouse. If I go any bigger the kids won't have any room to play and there won't be room for the deck I am hoping to add this fall. From here we can only go up! Which, by the way, is a thought that never leaves the back of my head. lol

petalfuzz
Green Thumb
Posts: 632
Joined: Sat May 31, 2008 3:37 pm

rleigh78 wrote:Wow, this is my very first post here, but I'm totally a member of this group. This is my first real garden, and so far things are going okay. But I have NINE tomato plants in a 4'x8' bed. Something tells me there should be less in there...
My bed is 4' x 10' and I squeeze 10 plants in. They actually seem to do fine. Am I in denial? Maybe I haven't hit bottom yet!!

User avatar
lakngulf
Greener Thumb
Posts: 1294
Joined: Mon May 10, 2010 4:34 pm
Location: Lake Martin, AL

petalfuzz wrote:My bed is 4' x 10' and I squeeze 10 plants in. They actually seem to do fine. Am I in denial? Maybe I haven't hit bottom yet!!
It is good to see that we are getting an early start on our membership drive and there is almost a demand for more help. Yes, petalfuzz, you are in denial, however that is 4 square feet per plant. Are you SURE that you only have 10 plants? What about those "well this is just a small one" plants that you have near the edge?

I have a new "almost finished" greenhouse this year for starter plants. But WOW look at all that space that I could be growing early tomatoes and squash. The poor little starter plants are having to elbow for room in the walkway. Maybe a subgroup is needed, PETCNG....Plants Everything Too Close iN Greenhouse

garden5
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 3062
Joined: Fri Aug 07, 2009 5:40 pm
Location: ohio

Petalfuzz, Don't feel too bad. In an area like that, I would typically have 20+ tomato plants or probably 30-40 peppers.......as you can see, I'm one of the regulars here :lol:.

User avatar
kimbledawn
Senior Member
Posts: 225
Joined: Thu Jul 09, 2009 10:18 am
Location: Memphis

Petalfuzz has 40 square feet and only has ten plants. Can I sqeeze some of my plants in your space? :D I NEED MORE SPACE!!!! tHEN I NEED MORE PLANTS!!!

Susan W
Greener Thumb
Posts: 1858
Joined: Mon Jul 06, 2009 2:46 pm
Location: Memphis, TN

Let me introduce myself. Susan. I didn't realize my problem was severe, took me away from other duties, and shared by others.

I have always had a bit or more of gardens, depending on location etc. With deck have more containers. Last season played with more in containers and wanted to try different lavenders in them. When at the garden center have to get more than just one lavender plant. One herb lead to another and more pots, more dirt. The in ground flower beds neglected. More pots, more fussing over them. Thinking I need to sell some, and did get a restaurant.

This season? In a farmers market (starts end of April), restaurant, more plants, more dirt, more pots. Was working part-time at Walgreens and now on an extended leave. Am dropping a couple of my 18th c events this season for this addiction.

A big problem, or not, is family and friends encouraging this! I was at an artists/crafts opening last night, visited with friends (I am a weaver on my other side). I know crafts people are just as addicted and off center as gardeners, so their encouragement may not be totally rational!

Going to check my basil plantlets I rolled back outside again (had to stay in for a week). I still have new empty plastic pots in the living room. The horror! I promise to move and fill them when the weather is good to go (2 weeks).

Thanks for listening, and hopefully chuckling!

tedln
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 2179
Joined: Thu Jun 25, 2009 6:06 pm
Location: North Texas

I wasn't going to post in this thread "again". I posted last year and hoped I could just sit back and laugh at the people who are cursed with this affliction this year.

Our daughter told me late last year that she and her neighbors decided I needed to expand my garden. I didn't take her suggestion seriously and didn't expand it, I just planted thicker than last year. I hope she and her neighbors are happy having caused me to succumb to my affliction again.

Ted

ruggr10
Green Thumb
Posts: 352
Joined: Sun Dec 26, 2010 2:53 pm
Location: Brunswick, Maine

This is the greatest forum topic ever!

Last year was my first year with a real garden as we bought a house with a backyard.

Now, I've decided 4 raised beds is not enough, I need 6-8 more. (Of course hauling the loam that I need to order with a wheelbarrow is a great workout!) My wife HAD a spice drawer which is now a seed drawer. If I find something different and/or weird, I have to try it. Farmers Markets are the worst because I'm always bringing seedlings home with every trip in the summer.

I do like the idea of covering every inch of dirt with plants. I didn't do that last year and it seems like I shouldn't, but after looking at your pics I may have to copy.

I use our toddler as the excuse for all of this, but I can't help it.



Return to “Vegetable Gardening Forum”