Milenka,

I used 24" spacing on ours. Initially I wanted to do 36", but space was at a premium. We're happy with the 24" - it's plenty of room to move around/crouch down/etc.

{{gwi:1260133}}

I would get as close to 3' as you can. When the plants are grown, some tend to spill over the sides.

I have 3' between the beds I built last year but only have about 31" with the row of beds I added this year. I was aiming for 3' spacing on my 3 main aisles but only have 2' between beds in an aisle.

Mostly, make sure you have plenty of room to maneuver your wheelbarrow or garden cart between the beds. If there's a chance you need to mow anything around them, be sure you leave space to pass the mower.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tales of a Transplanted Gardener

I say 3ft at the very least, more if you have it. You won't be disappointed.

Why do you think you need less?

Gumby who thinks those who have less, haven't yet done a harvest with 2ft. But then if you're growing onions it should work, well until you kneel down.

I have 2.5 feet between my two traditional gardens and it is just enough room to allow the lawn mower to pass in between.

I ended up spacing my SFG with 4.8 feet in between as this allowed three 4x4 boxes to be aligned at the foot of my traditional garden. I find the extra space so much easy to maneuver around. I expect plants to hang over the edge as they grow too.

I would advise allowing as much space as you can.

Here is a link that might be useful: GrafixMuse's Garden Spot

The width of a patio block 18 inches. Perfect 48 inch by 48 inch garden squares can be made because the narrow side of a patio block is 6 inches. So 8 6 inch sides make one 48 inch or 4 foot side. I leave the kitty corner squares with no patio block (saving the cost of two blocks) giving me extra 18 inch by 18 inch gardens I used for plants I have never experimented with before. I just hop over them or go another path. I used only the blocks to define the garden. No wood raised sides. That garden was years ago when I was a 100 pound teen. Now a days I had a few bucks for wood sides this time. Knowing how the plants like to wonder out of their boxes sometimes by 18 inches on each side of a path and pumpkin vines like to walk right down the middle of the path and wanting room to sit on a turned over bucket and play in the garden... I went with 40 inch paths. As I get older my paths may get wider and my beds taller. The less far to reach down to work with them. And narrower. 4 feet wide on the 8 foot long gardens is getting to be a farther reach. I'm thinking in a few years 3 feet wide gardens with a flat edge to rest on while working with the plants.

Thank you all so much for the advise and your grafics. I want to take as much space to grow veg as possible that is why i was thinking on living 2 feet betwing beds , I have a little house so like sqftsteve said: "space was at a premium " that is my situacion .
But then I am thinking... if you use trellis, veg. still grow out of the beds?

Thanks again to all.

Only enough space to walk. It might be the width of my rake, or width & 1/2. If they spill, they spill.

This is last year -the first year with this garden and I overcrowded a bit...

They started out nice & neat (I'm quite sure there's 3' between the boxes, if not, it's close)

Even if I had a proper trellis for the cukes, the zucchini, tomato and beans are creeping over.

I think when the plants grow taller the space will feel smaller as well.

In reality, you can make them narrower if you want and I'm sure it will do just fine, but now is your opportunity to make it a little more ideal. 3' sounds like a lot of space when you're looking at empty ground, but it shrinks quickly.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tales of a Transplanted Gardener

I went 2 feet and can barely get a wheelbarrow down there with the bucket hanging over the beds. It's tight but works well for me as space was definitely an issue. Go with as much as you can.

3 feet works well for me. I can get around with everything grown up and mow between the beds.

Well, as space was an issue with me, my spacing is just about 15 or 16 inches(!!). Yes, very tight. But the chicken wire enclosures that surround each box now help keep the growth from spilling onto the "walkway" (and I use that term loosely). We're doing a major overhaul on our backyard and garden for next year and I'm planning on spacing the boxes just wide enough to get the mower between. Unless we go with something other than grass between the boxes, then all bets are off.

Here is a link that might be useful: Luke's SF Victory Garden

LIke most people I leave slightly larger than a mowers width. Because the garden is in the front yard. I have a few veg on tellis. But I allow my pumpkins,cuccumbers,squash, and cantelope send their feeders as far as they want in between the boxes. I just re-route them around the boxes.

From my experience and to my way of thinking, I am much happier with a narrower bed and more room in the walkway, esp. at harvest time.

As for fitting a mower between the beds, me thinks that is mistake #2. Mowers spread more weed seeds, not to mention the other drawbacks of growing grass right up to your beds. Besides removing water and nutrients from what you are trying to grow, grass creates a breeding/hiding place for so many other things to give you troubles. Slugs and other bugs hide in the grass only to feed off your garden plants.

Don't forget the roots of the things you are trying to grow WILL stretch beyond the bed frame, some for 10ft. or more. I think you are much better off with a mulch or something to keep the weeds down but feed the earthworms in the walkways.

Experience is THE Best teacher.
JMMO - Just My Meaningless Opinion,
Gumby - who thinks grass is a perennial weed that invades his vegetable garden.

I agree with Gumby regarding grass. If it weren't for my son (3 years old now) and my wife's continual reminder ("He needs someplace to run around!") I would have removed all of my grass and replaced it with garden and pathways!

Mowing is a chore, IMHO, and the more obstacles you have to mow around, the bigger the chore becomes. (And don't get me started on the line trimmer, what a wasted effort that is!) Mulch is very good. If you have a tree service nearby, ask for the wood chips. Lay down some cardboard or newspaper and lay the wood chips over the top. No fuss (once it's down), no weeds, no mowing, and it should last several years (it won't tie up nitrogen and stunt your plants - the wood chips are NOT incorporated into the soil), also it will retain moisture and not take up any water from the soil. Your plants roots (especially larger plants) will probably find their way under it eventually, and have no competition there (as they would with grass).

Grass and vine weeds from a previous owner are my sworn enemies!!! 4 years of trying to completely remove the vines, and they keep sprouting up everywhere. Persistance will eventually pay off, but I am losing patience!

eaglesgarden :) thanks for the mulch advise, sounds great i am going to do it .
To all of you great pics and advise ! very much appreciated. Now i am going to have more confidence on what we are doing when we bouild the beds :)

ours is about 3ft. i like it that way, the wheelbarrel thingi we have can fit, and the mower can fit. plus when your on your knees, you have plenty of room! ~Medo