[Gareth J]

sorry, just to explain. My Grandfathers vegetable garden were made up of large square beds victorian style and every bed was planted with veg rows in perfectly straight lines.  I wanted to see if my plan was ok for variety and season so that I could have veg ready to eat for as much of the year as possible 

[Paul Plots]

Sounds good to me Gareth.

I think it's very much about keeping on top of sowing and planting out that counts not so much about whether things are in straight long rows, squares or random patches.

The weather always adds another random factor - when to plant out what. 

Successional sowing is good for keeping some crops ready to harvest over a longer period. Planning how you use the space (something I am terrible at... so always need more!) is a really good idea once you have decided what you want to grow.

The one thing I am sure about is that there is no one foolproof way of doing anything. What works well for some of us is a disaster for others. I guess that's maybe why growing veg is such an interesting challenge. 

Here's wishing you luck, success and enjoyment!!

[gobs]

sorry, just to explain. My Grandfathers vegetable garden were made up of large square beds victorian style and every bed was planted with veg rows in perfectly straight lines.  I wanted to see if my plan was ok for variety and season so that I could have veg ready to eat for as much of the year as possible 

Of course it is. I just pointed out, what I think to be too much to consume - one needs preserving/storing there: cukes, courgs and beans are very prolific -, might think of planting something else instead of a few of those.

Square bed arrangement is said to minimize wind damage, but apart from the layout the successional sowing, Paul mentions, is also very important in maintaining a continuous supply. While brassica and most roots are there all year round, thinking of a 3/4 year rotation, you will need to use a lot of things from store in the winter.

[AnneB]

I did have all my plans sorted.  However, MrB has bought me a subscription to the Heritage Seed Library as a present, and I must now choose my choice of 6 varieties from their catalogue.

Plans all up in the air, but another catalogue with lots of goodies to consider......... :happy:

[arugula]

Lucky you, a nice problem to have.

[New shoot]

I think 5 courgettes may be over egging it a little unless you really really like them.  If you are doing a row or a bed for these and the squash, I would reduce the courgettes to 3 and grow more squash as you can store these and they are a lovely standby to go to over winter.

To avoid wasting ground and keep the plot full, I use module trays and sow beetroot (3 seeds per cell), spring onions (6 or so seeds per cell) and similar quick maturing crops like lettuce and salad leaves.  I do a tray of each every couple of weeks and plant them out whenever a space comes clear that I don't need for another crop straight away.  Don't thin - just plant the clump out about 30cm apart.  Works really well for me 

This is beets to give you an idea

[Yorkie]

What size modules do you use, Newshoot?  (How many to a full seed tray?).

[sunshineband]

That's the same as I do New Shoot, and given how dry things were during the spring, it got over the issue of poor germination in the ground too.

I sowed carrots in the same way: Autumn King. They are a bit thick and stumpy but not fanged

Yorkie, I have 24 cells per tray.

New Shoot's might be different of course

[New shoot]

I think I had 15 cell trays last year.  They got well used and fell apart in the end.

Salvaged some trays of 6 cells from work.  One of my suppliers uses them as packing round planted containers, so sorted for next season.  They are 1/2 seed tray size 

I've grown turnips the same way, but not tried carrots ...........  yet 

[sunshineband]

I did carrots that way on the recommendation of one of my plot neighbours, who direct sows very little.

She says it gives her better control over conditions for the seedlings.

The only downside for me  is that I have to remember to plant them out (carrots I mean) before they get too long or danger strikes 

[savbo]

I think I had 15 cell trays last year.  They got well used and fell apart in the end.

fed up of disintegrating cell trays, I bought a few of the 20-pot trays from As*a - little shuttle trays with 1.5" pots. Lovely to work with, obviously not quite as many to a tray and they're not a standard size so don't fit in seed trays...

[New shoot]

I've been very jammy with the 6 cell ones I have salvaged Savbo.  They are fairly rigid black plastic and the supplier keeps on sending in planted containers packed round with them.  Some get squashed beyond use, but I'm massing up a nice little stack 

I was cursing the flimsy green tray inserts I had last year by the end.  Your shuttletrays sound a much better option 

[DD.]

I use this type, they're really sturdy, so sturdy in fact, you don't need to put them into a seed tray!


seed tray inserts

[sunshineband]

I never knew you anyone did put these in seed trays --- I've always used them 'bare' as it were 

Live 'n' learn 

[shokkyy]

It occurs to me that if I did that with my carrots, I could put little clumps of them all over the place instead of having them concentrated in one or two big rows, which just might mean one or two of them escape the attention of the mice