[Casey76]

OK, next silly question...

Is it better for beds to go East/West or North/South?

The veggie garden runs East/West.

Second question, which is related to the direction... bed size.

Which do you thick would be better???

East/West beds


North/South beds

[Yorkie]

I try to make sure that crops of any height run north-south to minimise shading.

I've not given much thought to actual beds direction though.

[mumofstig]

I don't believe t makes much difference, so I'd go with the N/S beds cos it gives you lots more growing space 

[Beetroot Queen]

Most of our beds run east west but that is purely because the plot is on a slope and thats the way they laid without too much issue.

I dont think it matters that much everything grows just as well as others on our site with beds the other way. Personal choice seems to be the main reason, no logic or reason seems to have been involved.

[snow white]

Mine are East West and I have no problems.  But mine plot is long and the long side faces East West.  Also last year my beds were 1.2m wide and 5m long.  They were too wide.  This year same length but only 1m wide.  I wanted to be able to reach the bed from the sides without stepping on the beds.  I do have little arms, but it is worth seeing what is a comfortable reach for you.  I also had membrane deviders so I can alter the widths as I see fit.  Wouldn't want it longer than 5m.   

[rowan57]

Mine go from side to side, mostly…. The occasional up and down though…. Not the foggiest which direction the plot faces. Having said that, NO shade, so direction should make little difference.

[gavinjconway]

I dont think it makes a huge difference as you get shading on NS as well as EW..

I see it looks like you want pathways all round your beds? My feeling is that it wastes valuable growing space. I have a centre path and then plant in patches off that. Then use scaffold planks to walk on so I don't have beds or pathways.

[Casey76]

Thanks all.  Who knew there would be so much planning involved with a garden!

Gavin, at the moment limiting the growing space would probably be a good thing.  This is the first year I'll have grown in the actual ground (rather than in pots or the occasional raised bed) and I don't want to  over face myself

The only thing I have to work around are the raspberries... but I'm thinking I might leav them until next year now, until I can find my way around the veggies first!

[snow white]

I dont think it makes a huge difference as you get shading on NS as well as EW..

I see it looks like you want pathways all round your beds? My feeling is that it wastes valuable growing space. I have a centre path and then plant in patches off that. Then use scaffold planks to walk on so I don't have beds or pathways.

I beg to differ.  I don't need to have any row spacings, just plant spacings, therefore I can cram in more plants.   For example, my onions will have even spacing of 10cm all round, no need to have 23cm between rows.  But I guess it is all down to personal choice.  Listen to every ones advise, then pick your own way.

[gavinjconway]

I dont think it makes a huge difference as you get shading on NS as well as EW..

I see it looks like you want pathways all round your beds? My feeling is that it wastes valuable growing space. I have a centre path and then plant in patches off that. Then use scaffold planks to walk on so I don't have beds or pathways.

I beg to differ.  I don't need to have any row spacings, just plant spacings, therefore I can cram in more plants.   For example, my onions will have even spacing of 10cm all round, no need to have 23cm between rows.  But I guess it is all down to personal choice.  Listen to every ones advise, then pick your own way.

Snow White, I dont see what you are differing on... everyone has row and plant spacings - even you... you say 10cm x 10cm for the onions.. the one 10cm is row spacing.. I dont have beds just many many rows also crammed in..

[Trillium]

The 'professionals' insist north-south is the best for maximum sun, but frankly, anything works that will give you the needed results in your particular location. I have beds in both directions and both do well. Mostly it depends on what you fill them with, ideally, loose friable good stuff in whatever combination you can manage.

Generally, spacings of veg within the beds is a bit tighter since the roots can penetrate deeper with minimal sideways competition.  That was the whole point of raised beds - to pack in more in a smaller space.

[Aunt Sally]

I beg to differ.  I don't need to have any row spacings, just plant spacings, therefore I can cram in more plants.   For example, my onions will have even spacing of 10cm all round, no need to have 23cm between rows.  But I guess it is all down to personal choice.  Listen to every ones advise, then pick your own way.

Unless you are growing in 3 ft wide beds with paths between you need to have enough space between rows to walk through to weed and water.

[Yorkie]

Thinking of something like peas, if you grow them on an E-W row, then one side will never get sun.  The other side will get full sun - unless there's another row immediately in front of it, in which case it will be shaded by that.  If the gaps between the rows are greater than the height of the front rows then there's no problem, but for something like peas then it's quite significant.   If the rows are N-S then both sides of each row get equal amounts of sun.

[Snoop]

One of the books I read suggests N-S for summer crops, E-W for winter crops. But given that you have to rotate, that's pretty difficult to keep to.

I used to have my main patch aligned N-S but then changed it to E-W to see if things would cope better in wind (usually comes from the W). It's true about one side of double rows of things not getting as much sun, but to be honest I haven't noticed any difference in cropping.