[Lenny59]

Hi all......Just been reading that you can space veg closer in raised beds.....I have put my sprouts and cauli's at the advised distance on the seed packet (2 ft approx).....My beds are 30cm deep so could I have got away with a closer spacing....say 18 inch ??

[GrowHappy]

I look forward to reading the responses from the experts but, as a newbie, I can let you know that planting things too close together in raised beds is not the best idea. I have successfully interplanted multiple species but I planted my cabbages and brassicas at half the recommended distance and lost many of them.
I shall be using interplanting next year - rather than reduced distance planting.
At the end of the day - the plant will grow as large as the space in which it is free to grow. Reduce that too much and you get a smaller yield.

[Jay Dubya]

Hi, i space my brass. 1ft. appart both ways in 4ft. wide beds 4 across the bed. You will get a little smaller veg but in my case with only the two of us we don't want large cabbages, small and sweet. Sprouts don't work in beds, the ones in the middle don't grow so i found that if you can't grow them on the flat in rows, you can grow them in a row down the side of the bed on the shade side so you don't shade the other crops in the bed and this works very well, but to grow close spacings you must keep up the fertility in your bed by mucking regularly.

[mumofstig]

This year i am growing the smaller varieties that they say can be planted closer together any way.  Last year i tried tundra cabbage at closer spacing, and it didn't really work, as the leaves were touching and they just didn't have room to grow properly....a few were ok but most looked very sad specimens with no proper heart.  To be honest I'd forgotten how very big winter cabbage can grow, and can only recommend 2 rows in a 4ft bed..probably not what you wanted to hear
See what other peeps have to say

[Ice]

Just had the last of my Hispi cabbages and they grew ok at 10" apart.  If you plant them really close you can remove every other one and eat as spring greens.  As others have said, keep up the soil fertility and plant smaller growing varieties closer together.

[Muddylou]

This is my first time growing Brassica's, I have raised beds which I've covered with debris netting. When I first planted cabbages (derby day and greyhound), broccoli (callabrese)  , swedes and cauli's, I got carried away and planted far to much at the same time. I planted around 15" apart.
I now have lots of really big everything, so much so that I've had to raise the netting and when I water with the hose, the water just lands on leaves as I can barely see any earth in between the plants. I'm obviously happy in one way but I should have planted much further apart than 15". I had my mate look at them and he said the hearts hadn't formed properly yet.  

 

[mumofstig]

Just had the last of my Hispi cabbages and they grew ok at 10" apart.  If you plant them really close you can remove every other one and eat as spring greens.  As others have said, keep up the soil fertility and plant smaller growing varieties closer together.

That's the point i was trying to make Ice:.....normal spacing for larger/normal varieties, closer spacing for the smaller types.  

[Lenny59]

Thanks for all the advice......I really love Cauli's and sprouts so I want them to be plants I am proud of (Sad I know)....I will stick with the 2 ft apart as it says on the seed packet for this year and see how it goes...

[Bozwell]

Pointed cabbages might be better if your tight for space. the recomended spacings are much less for this kind.

[Jay Dubya]

Hi, i think it depends on your beds fertility, i grow Tundra at 1 ft. and the're great, i also think that the leaves touching is a bonus it supresses the weeds. Caulies on the other hand need a lot more space or you will get small curds and need regular feeding.