Most efficient layout? How do you lay out your plot?

[dilettante]

I really want to make the best use of the space I've got on the plot, and make life easy by having equally sized beds, raised or otherwise. Apparently my plot gets extremely wet over winter, hence the previous tenants dug trenches around the beds in the worst affected area, and mounded the earth up. It doesn't make much sense to me to make wooden raised beds if they'll be standing on boggy ground for several months, even though I think they look nice.

I'd like to trial a dig vs a no- or minimum-dig system, so will need fairly narrow beds, as opposed to great big ones you walk on, with narrow paths (18 inches, maybe) between, that run the length of the plot, so I can test the ideas out in similar conditions.

I'm wondering though, if I'm being daft, and giving up too much space to pathways?

There's got to be a balance between efficiency and enjoying the plot as a place to be (I will plant flowers around the plot, and I wonder if I might find a bunch of long rows to be too boring? But saying that, I want to grow as much of my own fruit and veg as I possbly can? What do you all do?

I know my ideas will probably change next year. Maybe I should just do half the plot as these rows, and the rest leave as the semi-raised beds they are now?

Getting my allotment has lead to lots of late nights thinking about how best to run it.

[Bigmallly]

Personally, I think one of the main things is to make the most of the much needed sunlight. Make sure tall plants are at the back of a South facing plot so as not to cast shadows. After that, it's whatever works for you.

[Martin H]

I'd avoid doing anything too permanent for the first season in case you completely change your mind.

I've divided my plot into equal size no-dig beds with narrow paths around them. The beds started as 54 inches wide with 15 inch paths, but the paths have got slightly wider and the beds slightly narrower over the last couple of years because it was all a bit tight and too much of a stretch.

It works for me, I won't be changing, I'll just try and build up fertility by mulching.

Here's a bed that I tidied up on Tuesday to show the idea.

[veggiechicken]

I don't know how long your beds will be but you'll have to walk from one end of the plot to the other to get to the next row. I'd want a path at the half way mark to cut across.

[Guest]

Even with a well laid out plot, many will still find ways and means to squeeze in more. As previously said work it for a year and get a feel then make more permanent changes. I used to have skinny paths but they are soon lost once plants are established and wider paths do make for a nice gardening experience. There is nothing worse then turning to weed one bed and being attacked by foliage and canes in another all at the same time.

[sparrow100]

Like Martin says, unless you're 100% sure of what you want to do it helps not to make permanent decisions in the first season. Skinny paths are fine if you weed standing up (I do) but if you like kneeling they will probably need to be wider. My plots are on a slope, which I have terraced a bit. On one plot I have long beds (4-5m) and a path down the middle, which works for me. On my other plot, which only falls by about a metre I have gone for the traditional look. It's edged, but only the saffron has a raised bed of its own.

As for flowers, I have them at the ends of my beds, at the foot of climbing beans and dotted about amongst the shorter crops. I think it looks good and it brings in the pollinators.

These are my before and after shots, though both plots have work still to do on them. My first plot grew a few sqm when the hedge was cut back and it was no longer in permashade.

[spamvindaloo]

Imagine yourself working on your plot (close your eyes if it helps), what will you be doing?

Will you be wanting to get a wheelbarrow down those paths and around the corners? (most of us do). How will you plant/weed/tend the beds - standing/squatting/kneeling? My back precludes me bending over too much and my knees aren't too fond of squatting so I like to kneel next to a slightly raised bed. If you are kneeling, how much room will you need - a gorilla like BM will need more room to squeeze his legs in than a little chicken like VC so you need to design the plot to fit you. I'd say don't skimp on the paths and if you find a couple of square feet that you think you've wasted, stick a pot/planter on it.

As others have said, place tall plants (trees, raspberry canes etc) so they don't shade your plot (or your neighbours). If you do want to do something fairly permanent in your first year (shed base, trees etc) make sure it will fit in with whatever else you might imagine yourself doing in the future - my shed is in the northern most corner at the back of the plot so isn't going to get in the way of anything or shade anybody else's plot

[Roysy]

I agree, do not plan anything permanent yet. I have kept changing my plot around and now have 5 large areas, (on a five year crop rotation plan) separated and bordered by paths made from weed suppressing membrane. This is expensive but it easily rolls up allowing me to remodel the plot as necessary. I have been using the same membrane for the last 3 years and is still in good condition. Instead of having distinct small beds I widely space between different crops according to the expected size of the mature plant and effectively have narrow paths between crops from these wider spaces to allow for weeding.

My advice would be the same as everyone else. Think of what you would like to grow, keep it simple, consider the light conditions and just have fun. As you experiment you will develop your own ways of doing things which will be remarkably different from your initial thoughts.

[alldigging]

Everything digs up and moves ok apart from prickly things (Cos it hurts) and asparagus which hates moving. It's just hard work.

Get the tomatoes to the sunniest side of the plot.

[muddled]

My plot is thick clay. Boggy in winter/spring. Parched concrete in summer.

I've got one half 'lazy beds' (raised but without wooden sides). I dug down a spades depth for paths and piled that soil on the beds to raise them.
I then filled the path trenches with woodchips...nice to walk or kneel on, less mud and weeds.
The beds started out rather narrow but then I moved the soil from two into the middle which one big fat bed for potatoes.

As I cleared each bed this autumn, I heaped on a good foot deep of manure/straw. Whenever I want a wider or narrower bed I just move the dirt about a bit and top up with manure again.

I found that the beds that ended up on top of a previous woodchip path have the best drainage and yet retain moisture in dry weather. They are kind of stabilized I suppose.

On the other side of the plot I have the wooden edged beds.
These, I find, harbour far more slugs. The six inches nearest the wood get really dry and is wasted because nothing grows there.
However, these beds are useful for 'creeping' crops like strawberries and also for crops with specific soil requirements or that need secure netting.

At the southernmost end there is a narrow strip where all the stones have been duped by generations of gardeners! Here I grow my herbs, self seeding annuals, horseradish (in drainage tubes) and mint confined in a box.

The northernmost end is home to my plum tree, blackcurrant bushes, apple tree and tiny frog pond.

Wherever I feel the soil needs a good rest for that season is where I put my sheet of black plastic, edged with tree branches and filled with woodchips....that's my 'patio' for that year.

[Sarico]

All the above suggestion are good. The best thing to do is not rushing. I wanted to do raised bed and I bought for my old plot about 50reclaimed scaffold board and then I dint like the beds. I mean looked nice but I didn't enjoy set space. My new plot Is 7.5 m wide and 25 m long and so far I have a central path and the beds will be big as much they need. The bed were 8ftx4ft but I grow more potato then onion so the potato bed was full and the onion was empty. The way I have my plot now if next year I'm lucky to have extra potato I will make an extra row and just make the path a bit away. weed membrane is easy to move for the side path.