[Eblana]

I am relatively new to Allotment growing and have had a bit of a disasterous year so far, mind you it is amazing the difference a couple of days of sunshine makes - everything that has managed to survive looked much happier last night and my 6th attempt at carrots actually germinated over the past couple of days

Due to water logging on my plot I am mulling over the idea of raised beds - some would be 4 x 16 and others would be 7 x 16 (the deep gravel pathways that are already on my plot limits the sizes I can use!) but I am not sure if this will prevent me from growing potatoes in the future.  If I do put in raised beds how do I arrange the potatoes in them so that I can earth them up?

[TerryB]

If you don't want to walk on the beds, they should be no wider than 4ft.

2 rows of potatoes down the length of a 4ft wide bed or 4ft rows every 2ft, which ever you wish.

[arugula]

Our early potatoes are in part of a raised bed (rather than a deep bed) which is 4 foot deepwide by about 20 feet long but that is irrelevant here. The potatoes are arranged in 9 rows each 4 foot long. It works well.



Clarify measurements.

[BabbyAnn]

my plot is at the bottom of a hill and in 2007 I was wading ankle deep in water - so my entire plot is now divided up into raised beds (about 6-8 inch high) and has truly been tested this year and passed 

The maximum width is ideally 4 feet - the idea is that when you stand on the path you should be able to reach to the middle.  However, reach is one thing but being able to balance and plant stuff, weed etc is a totally different thing.  So my beds are in fact 3 feet wide.  Lengthwise ... the idea is that you don't walk ON the beds so imagine having to walk round the beds.  The longer the bed, the further you have to walk down one path and then up the next.  Between 5 and 10 feet long are about comfortable to cope with

In terms of growing potatoes - they get a little squeezed in but that isn't a problem - 2 rows down the length with about a foot between the rows but when I plant the seed spuds, I make a point of alternating where each spud goes so that 2 seed potatoes on different rows are not next to each other

[Eblana]

Thanks folks for the advice on the raised beds, great to hear that raised beds help with waterlogging   I did notice that some of the neighbouring plots had raised beds that looked to be one scaffold plank long by a half one wide which I believe is 8 x 4, so I will check my measures and see how I can fit them in (will save on trying to cut Scaff Planks).

Is it better in terms of water runoff to have all the raised beds the sameway or to alternate them.

I will try alternating the rows of seed spuds and see how they do.
 

[TerryB]

Hi Eblana
I don't think it makes much difference which way you put your beds.

Instead of just putting in single beds like an "l" you will  get more planting area by joining them together in a "U" formation or an "E" formation.
It means more walking around the beds but helps a lot with some crops.

Example;-
Growing Squash in the upright of the E and onions in the horizontal beds.
As the Squash grows it can roam between the onions. 

[starry]

Hi I have a very sandy soil so no water logging, but when it rains as I am on a bit of a slope everything was washed down hill so I put in raised beds and have planted  both main crop an earlies in my beds and don't have any problem earthing up and have plenty of spuds   

[Trillium]

As said, there is soil for earthing up, but you can also put down a thick mulch of straw, shredded leaves, compost, etc. All will benefit your raised beds.

[Eblana]

Hi Eblana
I don't think it makes much difference which way you put your beds.

Instead of just putting in single beds like an "l" you will  get more planting area by joining them together in a "U" formation or an "E" formation.
It means more walking around the beds but helps a lot with some crops.

Example;-
Growing Squash in the upright of the E and onions in the horizontal beds.
As the Squash grows it can roam between the onions. 

Brilliant idea - will get the pen and paper out over the weekend and see what I come up with.  Thanks everyone for your help with this I really appreciate it.

[Goosegirl]

The advantage of raised beds on soil that gets waterlogged is that the beds dry out quickly but there is water beneath for the roots.