hellothere123
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Vegetable garden layout help?!

Hello all! I’m just looking for your ideas on how you plant your garden. I live in Saskatchewan Canada and was told to run the rows North-south instead of east-west. Just so they all get the same amount of sun.
Also what do you plant going west to east if you do plant in a North-south rows?
I did peas/beans/carrot/lettuce/radish/potatoes/corn

The peas shaded the crops in the middle from late afternoon sun but the peas also got too much sun and e burnt out too quick.
I’m thinking of doing corn all around next year to block some of the hot summer sun.
Any ideas that you’ve used are helpful. I know about companion planting but looking more for what layout works best for you.
An example is my pumpkin/watermelon/cucumbers weRe planting in separate areas, but next year will be planting closer together since they need an abundance of water so I may as well group them in the same area. Thanks for your replies!

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applestar
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Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

Hey, welcome to the forum! This is a super interesting question considering where you are. I don’t have an immediate answer, but would like to explore the implications:

- how long is your growing season and how many hours in a day as season progresses?
- isn’t the sun pretty low in the sky even when daylight is long? Meaning shadows are longer than if the sun was directly overhead as closer to the equator?

— Given these assumptions questions, I think N-S rows makes sense since the sun must come up from way NNE and set NNW when days are longest? Whereas E-W rows would shade each other?

- it seems to make sense to plant tallest crops in the N ends and shortest crops at the S ends of the rows.
- if above supposition is correct, then it would seem to make sense to have pretty wide spacing between rows as well.... Hmm.

hellothere123
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Yes most of what you say is true. And thanks for the reply.
I’ve read that planting in north south is the best direction but looking to see what is planted in these rows. Kinda like a garden layout. I’m just curious and looking to see what experiences you’d had.
I think the idea for the pumpkin patch and cucumbers makes sense.
I also like to put the carrots and lettuce in the middle so they get some shade from the taller plants.
We get big winds at times so I’m thinking of surrounding the garden in corn for next year.

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Gary350
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Location: TN. 50 years of gardening experience.

There has been several research studies done on north south rows vs east west rows. My brain is on auto delete so bad I don't remember much details I wish I had a link for you to read. I think Nova TV show did the best research. East west rows plants only get sun on the south side. North south rows plants get sun on both sides. Farmer that plants 2000 acres will see a $20,000. increase in profit for north south rows. Home gardener that plants small garden will never notice their crop is 2 bites larger with north south rows.

Vanisle_BC
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Location: Port Alberni, B.C. Canada, Zone 7 (+?)

I guess in farming, with large areas under a single crop, research in row orientation vs yield could give a clear answer. In gardens with mixed crops in close-spaced groups and short rows the heights, seasons and heat/light needs of different plants may suggest 'custom' patterns that don't follow a simple rule. (@Hellothere123; you're already recognizing this). And - haha - the orientation of my yard and garden are NW-SE by NE-SW. What a dilemma; diagonal rows in my raised bed? My brain hurts! :).

hellothere123
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I need a wind barrier so I’ll try wrapping the garden in corn until my shrubs grow bigger.
I guess the easiest way is plant some rows dis way and some dat way and see how it works😁

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applestar
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Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

Remember that corn will need to wind pollinate — how big a perimeter are we talking about? I have had pretty good success with triple Concentric circles approx 6-8-10 feet diameter in my Spiral Garden — I did help them along by leaning the stalks in and shaking to dis-eras the pollen inside the circles.



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