[littlelisa]

Hi all

Well, I went a bit crazy ordering seeds off ebay, so have a whole pile of things to plant over the next month or so. But each packet seems to have hundreds of seeds, MUCH more than I can possibly grow! I have a half-plot (5 rod), which is divided into three areas of about 10 x 3 m.

The first area I've weeded and dug, and planted with about 6 x 6 rows of potatoes and 10 x 6 rows of onions. There's a third bed on there, haven't quite decided what to put into it - maybe some broad beans and lettuce.

The second area still needs digging and weeding, and I'm hoping to plant up about four beds - maybe two of brassicas and two of other vegetables (keen on sweetcorn, peas, some strawberries, and then leafy stuff for salad and stirfry, oh and some spring onions).

The third area is heavily overgrown, and I'm thinking of doing a sheet-mulching approach - lots of manure under dark sheeting, and planting through the mulch some squashes, butternut, melon, cucumbers and courgettes.

Am I being overambitious?

What I'm wondering is:
- do you start off many more seedlings than you intend to plant out in the end? What sort of ratio?
- I don't have a greenhouse or anything - is it ok to start off seeds in little seed trays on my home balcony and then plant out at the allotment?
- can anyone else with a half-plot tell me what sizes of beds they do, and what sort of numbers of plants per kind of vegetable they plan on?

L

[crowndale]

My plot is 90x15 but the growing space is nearer 60x12 (feet) with a space for a small asparagus bed as well.  got a fruit tree, shed and huge greenhouse on the top 30 feet!

I always buy more seed than I need, over grow the seedlings and end up giving a load away.  On my sixty feet i have 6 'beds' (not set in stone yet), one for peas/beans etc, two for spuds but in fact I'll only need 1.5 of them, but also got sweetcorn and stuff to go on after the earlies are up, got one bed for onions/leeks but think I'll need a bit more space, one for brassicas but also need more space for those and one which is going to be redundant which was going to be carrots etc but its so stony I've decided to only grow those at home as I'm fortunate to have the space.

within each 'bed are different varities though, it'd be easy if it was only one type of pea or one type of broccoli!  and some go in later and are harvested at different times, so this year really is experimental for me. already I think that next year I'll go with 4 beds not 6, but will wait and see how it all pans out this year.  oh, and I have some space on my compost heap for courgettes too.

[crackedflowerpots]

sow your seeds , any extras will be a good way of introducing yourself to neighbouring plotholders and next year you might get the favour returned and end up growing stuff you never thought of! good luck  

[Bombers]

I have to agree with cracked flowerpots, this morning I walked on to our site, and was greeted with offers from 3 or 4 other plot holders. However, being a newbie I do feel that my half plot is rapidly becoming too small!
I think you need to start with just the things you want to eat, then start experimenting. I am trying to succession sow brassica's and root vegetables, to give me a bit more space.