This will be the 1st year for me to start a REAL vegetable garden. I've only done container plants as I live in an apt complex. The complex also has garden plots that I will be trying out for the 1st time. I signed up for a 5x5 area. I'm wondering what veggies would be ideal for this type of space? Here is a list of veggies I'd LIKE to plant.
1. Tomatoes
2. Green and yellow wax beans
3. yellow cucumber
4. Red bell peppers
5. A few sunflowers???
I would like to plant some lettuce as we are big salad eaters, but someone told me I could do this easily in containers. Good idea?! Any advice on this would be great! Thanks!!!
-
rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 25279
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
5X5 isn't a ton of space. I'd forget about the cucumber which could about use up that much by itself. Here's one thought: plant one sunflower smack dab in the middle of your bed. Then plant a triangle of three tomatoes around it, remembering to allow plenty of room for them to get big. In between each two tomatoes, but farther out towards the outside of the bed so they can still get sun, plant a bell pepper. Put a row of beans along one outside edge (remember you still have to get to things and you are trying not to have some plants shade others out). Then fill in spaces with a couple basil plants, some marigolds and nasturtiums and a few chives or onions. The marigolds and nasturtiums will make it look pretty, but they are good companion plants that help keep pests away as do the chives or onion.
The lettuce can go in containers, but for many of us it's almost too late to plant lettuce, which doesn't like hot weather. Try it in a container, watering very frequently and in a not full sun spot and/or with shade cloth over it.
The lettuce can go in containers, but for many of us it's almost too late to plant lettuce, which doesn't like hot weather. Try it in a container, watering very frequently and in a not full sun spot and/or with shade cloth over it.
Thanks so much for the tips!!! A friend gave me advice on using the "squarefoot gardening" way of planting too. Planting things in 1x1 squares, like you would in a raised garden. Does that sound like a good idea? I might just upgrade to a 10x10 space if its getting too tight. I mainly want spinach, tomatoes, and those round yellow cucumbers (lemon cucumbers???). Here in the NW we don't hit summer hot weather until after July 4th. Its a bummer for us summer lovers, but maybe a good thing with the lettuce?! 
I also grow those "round yellow cucumbers". Yes, they are called lemon cucumbers. I don't find they take up a lot of space because I always train them up a fence. Tomatoes I train likewise, but they still tend to sprawl all over everything.
If you find you don't have room for everything, you can always try planting lettuce and spinach in the fall after you have pulled up your tomatoes and beans and other warm weather crops.
If you find you don't have room for everything, you can always try planting lettuce and spinach in the fall after you have pulled up your tomatoes and beans and other warm weather crops.