How big is 2.5 rods?

[sparrow100]

I second what Thelma Sanders says - I had one bed that was 1.6m wide and I really struggled to reach the middle.

With only a 1/4 plot, would having a dug over area be better than the raised/defined bed method? That way you wouldn't need to have space for set paths.

And as to your original question, personally I'd have a small greenhouse instead of a shed, with a trunk for a small amount of garden tools.

[Kristen]

I don't think the paths are a problem / "loss". Plants growing next to the path have more room, so perform better, and raised-bed spacing, given that the bed is only 4' wide, tends to be tighter than a plot which is "all just rows", so I reckon its much-of-a-muchness.

[Nicola.P]

I second what Thelma Sanders says - I had one bed that was 1.6m wide and I really struggled to reach the middle.

With only a 1/4 plot, would having a dug over area be better than the raised/defined bed method? That way you wouldn't need to have space for set paths.

And as to your original question, personally I'd have a small greenhouse instead of a shed, with a trunk for a small amount of garden tools.

I was thinking of having the beds as dug over areas rather than raised.
I do have an ok sized garden (but with 4 rabbits so growing there isn't an option) but I was going to get a small.greenhouse to have at home as it will be easy to keep the rabbits out of that, I can then move the plants to the allotment when they are big enough.

[alldigging]

I don't think the paths are a problem / "loss". Plants growing next to the path have more room, so perform better, and raised-bed spacing, given that the bed is only 4' wide, tends to be tighter than a plot which is "all just rows", so I reckon its much-of-a-muchness.

I have seen a picture on FB of a plot that is mostly grass paths. huge great wide massive paths. And now they've filled their plot (maybe 25% grown on for crops) they're after another plot to mow.

Some paths are too big!

[Nicola.P]

I still want some pathways between the sides of the beds but for example rather than having 2 x 6ft long beds end to end with a 1ft path between the ends, just having the bed be one long 13ft one (but still an ok width to reach the middle from both sides)

[Martin H]

I was thinking of having the beds as dug over areas rather than raised.

That's what I do on my allotment. When I set it up I followed some RHS advice and made 54 inch wide beds (1.4 metres) with 15 inch paths (40 cm). But really the beds are just a bit too wide for comfort and the paths just a bit too narrow. But the system works fine; the soil ends up mounded on the beds because of the mulches etc and because the paths are compacted.

You can get the idea from this picture (last May):

[Thelma Sanders]

On my small plot, I don't have raised beds and my paths are narrow, I just find keeping to paths is better for the soil, than walking between rows of crops The wood holds mypex in place on the paths rather than being sides of raised beds and are easy to move if I decide to alter the bed layouts.



The grass path you can see divides one plot from the next.

[Kristen]

Some paths are too big!

yeah, there is that

Central path in my plot is wide-ish:



My "Beds" are 4', and the paths are enough to get a barrow down and be able to kneel in, albeit at somewhat of an angle.

The beds are (deliberately) long, but I do have to walk to the end to get to the other side. I need the exercise! but it might not suit everyone. (The beds are only recently "framed" with wood, they used not to have any sides)

[Nicola.P]

yeah, there is that

Central path in my plot is wide-ish:



My "Beds" are 4', and the paths are enough to get a barrow down and be able to kneel in, albeit at somewhat of an angle.

The beds are (deliberately) long, but I do have to walk to the end to get to the other side. I need the exercise! but it might not suit everyone. (The beds are only recently "framed" with wood, they used not to have any sides)

Those are the sort I am thinking off. Long so I don't waste growing space on a path between ends but narrow enough that I can reach from the sides.

Oh I wish the paperwork would hurry up, I am dying to be let loose on it with some string and a tape measure.