Moving from containers into the ground!

[annpatalexa]

Hello everyone,

For the past few years I've done a container garden on my boyfriends patio. This year I have a side yard with lots of sun and I'm trying to figure out how to arrange a real garden.

I am planting:

4-5 colors of tomatoes (4 heirlooms and 1 unknown seeds that were given to me)
Multicolored bell peppers & Gypsy Peppers (all sweet)
Pak Choi
Purple Carrots & other multicolored carrots
Petite Yellow Watermelon and Queen Anne's Pocket Melon
Zucchini and Squash
Kohlrabi
Cucumbers
Asparagus

The area is broken up into three squares 42 inches by 42 inches.

I've been told that this is an over whelming amount to for a first time ground garden. But most of these I had great luck with in containers. Only new additions are the more exotic: Kohlrabi, Pak Choi and melons and carrots.

So my question. I know that tomatoes and peppers in ground need 1 square foot per plant, but is it OK to plant multiple types (and colors) of tomatoes next to each other? I know peppers and tomatoes should not share space.

[PaulF]

I know square foot gardening has some popularity and maybe you can find space for some of the items you have listed. Peppers will do nicely with a square foot. Depending on the variety of tomato I think you will not have enough space for five plants. I have been growing heirloom/open pollenated tomatoes for many years and all of those plants have needed a circular space at least three feet in diameter. The melons, squashes and cukes even if they are bush or pygmy types will spread considerably. Any way you can find more room or maybe you could grow some in containers and some in ground. I might suggest starting a little less aggressive the first year to see how it goes. Most of all, have fun with it.