Uh-oh, I'm lost in Maths!

[Maddiesaur]

Alrighty.. We've now prepped a large portion of the allotment, I even got so organised that I took measurements of the beds! I'm a bit stuck now though, in planning what and (specifically) how much to grow in the space. I have a rough idea of the veggies I'd like to grow, I've the seeds for them and I've even sown some in milk cartons and such on windowsills so far.. but I haven't a scoobies of how many will be needed to feed us, fill the space, not over crowd etc. My maths is truly terrible, it isn't a subject I get on well with at all.. any tips? Two beds will be square foot gardening style, with all the salady stuff, shorter, faster growing things that we'll probably munch while at the allotment or on a day to day basis, so that isn't an issue.. but I've a couple of beds for things like peas/beans, potatoes, courgettes and such that I don't want to overcrowd but do want a good yield from.

Anyone up for a bit of a challenge and helping form at least a rough guideline on how to make the next step - the sowing of and then planting out of the veggies we'd like without over-doing it/under doing it?

My last frost date is a week or two into May, so I've not rushed into doing anything major and have taken the time to tidy up the plot.. but a week of fairly decent weather, rapidly growing seedlings and the realisation that it's already Easter has sent me into full-blown plan mode lol.

[RaptorUK]

Best I can do is tell you/show you what I did . . .

I used Google Sketchup (free version) and drew out everything I was planning on growing into their own squares defined by plant spacing an row spacing . . .



. . . then I drew out my plot to scale and the path and beds I had planned . . . then it was just a case of copy and pasting the plants and arranging them . .



it's then easy to see how many will fit and rearrange if needed.

I'm sure many will consider it overkill but next year will be a breeze to sort out my crop rotation

[Bill HH]

When all else fails use the Bill Harborne no maths method. Imagine how big the final plant will be and then space out accordingly. Or sneak into someone elses garden and copy what they do. or look at some you tube vids about the plants you are growing.

Being short of space I always tend to cram too much in and every year i promise that i wont but I still do, it inevitably leads to poorer crops.

[bearded bloke]

Have you seen this thread ..... http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ing_44388.html ... full of useful info

To get an idea of how much per square click the link in the first post,scroll to page 18 & onwards

[Two_Sheds]

I haven't a scoobies of how many will be needed to feed us

I don't do measuring.

I work out what I eat: say, 2 lettuce a week during the summer months (20 wks). 20 x 2 = 40 lettuce plants

It's not exact, & you'll have some losses and perhaps you won't fit in everything you grow, but it gives you a vague plan

[Maddiesaur]

You guys are all awesome, thank you so much I do like the "Bill Harborne no maths method" - sounds exactly the sort of method I need to follow, lol!

It's silly things like beans and peas that throw me. I see some planting an orderly line of one pea plant every 12 inches and -strictly- peas. I see others planting an assortment of peas and beans here and there in a roughly straight line, in amongst each other. I have a bed that is 4.3 m x 2m, for example, that I want to use for me peas and beans (at the back) and something like onions and beets in the front.. Trying to work out how many seeds I should sow and whether these four things would be suitable bed companions is a nightmare lol

[Two_Sheds]

It's silly things like beans and peas that throw me.

imo, you can never have enough of either. I grow 100s of plants of each, freezing the peas & drying the beans

[Maddiesaur]

That is what I thought Two Sheds. Everyone likes fresh, sweet, peas, I can't imagine they'd go to waste at all.. are they okay to plant in with Beans? Runners and Broads, all up the same bamboo and twine contraption ?

[Maddiesaur]

When I picture the bed in the height of summer, I see a large mass of tangled green pea and bean leaves and shoots, keeping allotment neighbours kids busy picking whatever they can find.. might not be orderly but to me that says happy and healthy

[bearded bloke]

What will make life easier for you come picking time is to use not only green podded plants but coloured varieties as well,yellow & purple bodded,maybe some borlotti makes the frame interesting & the dinner plate as well
Oh also think about putting in some mangetout,they will finish as the longer bean pods become ready

[Maddiesaur]

Thanks bb! I've been gifted a few different varieties and have a couple yellows in there at least and my Mum sent up some Mangetout in the post last week, so I'm going to get some of those started in the next week or two.. I'll have a look out for some purple varieties too, thanks

[Alison]

What will make life easier for you come picking time is to use not only green podded plants but coloured varieties as well,yellow & purple bodded,maybe some borlotti makes the frame interesting & the dinner plate as well
Oh also think about putting in some mangetout,they will finish as the longer bean pods become ready

It's a pain if you mix mange tout and peas close together as it's difficult to work out which is which until the mangetout have gone over or you eat stringy pea pods. You can get some that will work as both but I find the specific types much better. Even when I grew yellow coloured mangetout near green peas it was far more difficult than I expected. I do grow sweet peas with my beans though as they look so pretty.


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[bearded bloke]

Yay Alison,sweet peas no garden is complete without some

See your point about peas & mange tout,never gave that a thought as I grow them separately

[veggiechicken]

I don't grow many peas, just mangetout. They seem less wasteful. Even with ordinary peas I eat the slim pods as I'm too impatient to wait for the peas to form.
Same with broad beans - I eat the pods when young.

[Scarlet]

Same for me...love broad beans in the pod. Shelling peas for a family takes so long they never get that far. Pea shoots or me every time.