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sheisaeval_gw

Critique my tenative garden plans!

sheisaeval
11 years ago

I have these 4 boxes tentatively planned right now. I'm pretty sure the one for tomatoes and the one for strawberries will be the same but not sure about the other boxes yet. I haven't even filled out all the green ones because I wasn't sure if some might need a larger space and/or maybe I'll grow more varieties for certain vegetables or maybe add some other vegetables that's easy to grow here. (I'm in Texas aka hot hot summers)

For the tomatoes I'm planning to make tomato cages out of remesh. I'm planning to maybe stake the peppers. For the Cucumbers, snap peas, and eggplant - I'm planning to make a trellis but using two stakes on both sides and tying twine between them. I gave the summer squash so much space because I've heard they have huge leaves and takes up a lot of space.

I will also probably do more than a foot between boxes obviously, more like 2-3 but I just wanted to fit them all on one screen.

Any ideas/critiques?

Comments (18)

  • n1111z
    11 years ago

    Been doing SFG for a few years. Your tomatoes are about right (for indeterminates). You'll have to keep them pruned though. Would expand the cucs at the expense of the herbs. With this plan you won't get many cucs. Cucs only grow 2-3 feet high on the trellis. Your zuc and squash will explode in middle to late summer, be ready. Carrots will mature early, do successive plantings. Snap peas will need very high support and burn out by June 1 in Dallas. SFG is all about personal preference and experimenting. Good luck!

  • sheisaeval
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    How many squares do you recommend for the cucumbers? Thanks!

  • n1111z
    11 years ago

    Have planted 2 per in the past but this year i'm cutting down to one, they get really thick and always fighting cucumber beetles.

  • sheisaeval
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    I've updated my plan a bit. I expanded the beds to 8x4 instead and for the green box I'm thinking about trying the three sisters method. Any other recommendations?

  • n1111z
    11 years ago

    That looks pretty good, my beds are also 4x8. I have two foot spacing to leave enough room for walking, squatting etc. I make trellises out of rebar and electrical conduit, pretty inexpensive.

  • yolos - 8a Ga. Brooks
    11 years ago

    My cucs growig up a trellis were over 6 feet tall.

  • thegreatcob
    11 years ago

    the green and blue bed need lot of work,
    green bed the plants are to crowded and there are not enough corn plans for good pollination.
    looks like you try to do a modified three sisters on green bed.
    hope you enjoy the mess

  • sheisaeval
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    I've heard you can do two three sister mounds in an 8 by 4 box so how would you change it? Any suggestions would be helpful to improving the blue and green boxes as well. How many sq feet would you suggest for each vegetable?

  • sheisaeval
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    I've heard you can do two three sister mounds in an 8 by 4 box so how would you change it? Any suggestions would be helpful to improving the blue and green boxes as well. How many sq feet would you suggest for each vegetable?

  • thegreatcob
    11 years ago

    where did you hear it.
    since to grow corn successfully you need min of 16 plants.
    also 8 squash plants is way to many
    the peas will be done long before they even can climb the corn
    I done they 3 sisters in square foot spacing several ways the diagram I posted in vegetable forum is one few success ways to do it with tame vegetables.

  • kathyb912_in (5a/5b, Central IN)
    11 years ago

    I think you're getting close on your blue bed. :) You may want to do some research on succession planting to get more variety in there. For example, cilantro does well in cooler weather and will bolt when it gets hot. So maybe you could grow it in the spring and fall, and put your basil in there during the heat of summer. That would free up an extra box for something else. Also, you've got a mix of annual and perennial herbs in the herb section; are you comfortable with keeping the perennials where they are in future years? Just something else to consider.

    For the green bed, you may want to do a bit more research before diving into the Three Sisters. I tried it myself in my early gardening days, to no avail, and having researched it now that I have more experience, I've learned that it's one of those things that sounds a lot better in theory than practice. But if you do want to try it anyway, just to experiment (because, after all, experimenting is half the fun :)), definitely do some more reading on corn first -- since it's wind pollinated, corn needs to be planted in large blocks. Four plants on each end of the bed won't give you much, if anything at all; you'll be wasting those eight squares. So my suggestion for the green bed is to dedicate the bulk of it to either corn OR squash, and put up a trellis on the north end of the bed for some pole beans.

    Good luck!

  • n1111z
    11 years ago

    You're getting lots of good advice. My garden plan now is completely different from its first year. Each year you will change it based on previous years' successes and failures. My garden now is completely different from its first year. However the first year I still had plenty of produce and lots of fun.

  • sheisaeval
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    I've tweaked my plans a bit, any further recommendations and helpful hints?

  • thegreatcob
    11 years ago

    sheisaeval I've heard you can do two three sister mounds in an 8 by 4 box so how would you change it?
    where have you heard this ?
    let me guess the forum on squarefootgardening.org
    if am correct no wonder your plans are so bad. those people could not plan themselves out of bag.

  • kathyb912_in (5a/5b, Central IN)
    11 years ago

    Sheisaeval, I think your latest version looks good. Try it, see how it works, and make adjustments for next year. And report back and let us know whether you were able to get any corn. The opportunity to experiment and try new things for yourself is what makes this such a fun hobby ... and exactly how we turn ourselves into more experienced gardeners. If it works, great! If it doesn't, it's solid information you didn't have before as to what works for you, in your garden. And you had fun trying something you really wanted to try. Win, win. :)

  • blindingbrown
    10 years ago

    I did a 3 sisters in an 8x4 bed and it worked great. I put the corn down the middle like you have, and the peas at the short ends of the beds. The squash was all over.

    Would have gotten more corn.... except the racoons beat us to it. But it pollinated and grew well.

  • sheisaeval
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    blindingbrown, how many corn plants did you plant? and how many per square foot?

  • blindingbrown
    10 years ago

    I don't remember exactly, but I think the corn was 6-9 inches apart in any direction.

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