My First SFG Layout - comments requested

12 years ago

Hi everyone - I've built my first SFG and am about to plant some seedlings as soon as the weather permits. I picked up the SFG book after I already started, so unfortunately it's not exactly as I would like. For instance my "Mel's mix" is not exactly the same formula because I had already installed a yard of half soil/half compost mix in my bed. I'm going to take out some of that though, and add in as much peat moss and vermiculite to try to balance it out to the 1/3 ratio some more.

My garden is 4x8 and I built an 8' long x 5' high trellis for the beans, tomatoes and cucumbers which are all in the back row. My challenge is sunlight - I indicated the exposure direction in my diagram but it's really more of an angle - East is more like NE and West is SW. This means I get most of my sunlight in the afternoon - from around 1-2pm onwards. I know this isn't ideal, but I had some success last season with tomatoes and cucumbers. Hoping that the raised bed will help them even more.

Where I wrote "I, II, etc" means I'm going to do staggered planting times so I harvest - probably 2 weeks apart.

Any suggestions or tips are much appreciated! My main concern is that I've waited a bit too long in the season already. It's not too late to plant carrots, radishes, lettuce, etc right? I live in the Northeast.

Also, I may cut down to 3 tomato plants if this is too crowded (planning on doing a significant amount of pruning). Also any suggestions for the "? squares are appreciated!

Thanks!

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Comments (3)

cindy_eatonton
12 years ago
Ambitious plan! I love the drawings.

I don't know what zone you are - but unless you're way south - you may as well plant all your peppers at the same time - they ripen as they do and if you keep them picked, will keep bearing peppers until temps or conditions shut them down. Mine get very tall and need staking - but I grow a lot of heirlooms.

Another zone issue - sugar peas hate heat. You may find that planting this late that you might get more production from pole beans in their space.

If you're using height for choosing where to locate plants - the carrots are likely to be less tall than the chard or even lettuce. Perhaps swap carrots and radishes with lettuce? And move chard back a row? If you cut a leaf or few at a time with chard, it will keep producing through the season.

I like to interplant herbs between lettuces. Dill looks so pretty between plants.

For empty spaces - I love beets, but they aren't everyone's favorite. Bush beans can be a nice addition - they are very easy to grow and improve your soil.

Good luck with the garden and welcome to the life. (It becomes obsessive for some of us.)

Cindy
wannabeturk
Original Author
12 years ago
Cindy - thanks for the tips! I'm definitely going to take your advice on switching around the carrots/lettuce and also to alternate the herbs.
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rain1950
12 years ago
You can increase yield by interplanting. Plant the radishes near the peppers and tomatoes. The radishes give protection to the plants and will be mature long before they need the room. Now you have those extra spaces for other crops.

You can read about companion plantings at the attached link. You may be able to also plant the herbs with the other crops to protect and at some time enhance flavors.

Here is a link that might be useful: Companion planting