Planting in rows?

[libbyloulou]

Don't know if this as been brought up before but, i'm a little confused.
If we went by the book for example,i.e. onions, plant say 6inch apart, but the rows are planted 12inch apart.why? if it is good enough to plant 6 inch one way, why not the other ? which i do anyway, i can understand leaving room to hoe, but why so big a gap? i'm sure someone on here will give me a reasonable explanation.

[jacob marley]

Don't know if this as been brought up before but, i'm a little confused.
If we went by the book for example,i.e. onions, plant say 6inch apart, but the rows are planted 12inch apart.why? if it is good enough to plant 6 inch one way, why not the other ? which i do anyway, i can understand leaving room to hoe, but why so big a gap? i'm sure someone on here will give me a reasonable explanation.

Hi Libbyloulou

the main reason as i see i for growing rows of plants 12 inches apart is so that when you hoe or weed them you need somewere tou walk unless you practise the art of Levitation very dificult i personaly leave enough room to get my rotavater in between the row it makes life a bit easier i hope this explains it for you jacob

[Mrs Dobby]

Hi libbylou!

The spacing could be to allow easy hoeing, or it could be that the rows are spaced that far apart so that their is sufficient moisture or nutrients for the plant to be able to grow properly, or it could be that to put them any closer could result in poor air circulation and potential mildew problems, but there will be some reason that I'm sure another more experienced grape will be along to provide us with shortly!

You can plant closer, if short of space and not planting massive amounts they you could plant in blocks! Basically instead or planting in rows spaced at x distance between plants and y distance between rows, you plant in a block with the same distance (x+y/2) on each axis from the other plants, if you see what I mean?

[rustylady]

I think it's mainly because of the traditional way of growing things in rows with space to walk between for hoeing, weeding and harvesting. Nowadays, especially with raised beds (or level beds come to that) more people are planting in blocks. This way you can put the plants at the shorter spacing, and simply leave enough space between beds for cultivation and harvesting. Works for me, anyway.

[libbyloulou]

Sorry, done it again i have raised beds, so i don't need that mad spacing do i, ? should of said this before

[Snadger]

If I was a seed merchant and wanted no come-backs about my seeds I would try and work out the optimum spacing between plants and rows.
I would experiment with different widths until by making rows any further apart I recieved no gain in crop...this would be my suggested row spacing....like wise with plant spacing.
I as a consumer realise that if I use the recommended spacing my crop will flourish. If I reduce the spacing the crop will not reduce proportionately ie. if I drop the row spacing from 12" to 6" my crop will not halve, but will depreciate to some extent within the row!
I garden on a 'bed' system and through experience I know what row and plant spacings I can get away with. I am prepared to accept a smaller crop per row to give me a bigger overall crop per square metre/yard!

[JennieAtkinson]

With onions I plant in blocks - say three rows - and then leave a space. It means I can weed by hand in that I have somewhere to stand and I get more crops in the space.

[Flummery]

I do somethinhg similar to Jennie. I have little 'paths' here and there which are well trodden by July at which point I put brassicas in there - kale and purple sprouting are my faves. The ground there is well trodden and by then the early crops have made some room so I can still get in and weed. Snadger is right (as usual!) in that your decrease in crop is made up for by the fact that you get more overall. I also believe that if you grow with permanent beds and paths rather than in traditional rows across an allotment, roots can still take nourishment/moisture from soil below the paths in the case of deep rooted plants, so they are not too deprived by being put in close to the bed edge and you can therefore plant a few more. (Flipping long sentence!)

[Alice]

If you're growing in raised beds Libbyloulou then you can ignore the stories about spacing between rows. Just leave the plants enough room to grow in and sufficient space that you can get your hand in between the rows for weeding. I have a great long handled rotavor thing I bought in the Pound shop, so I make sure I leave enough space to draw that through between the rows.