Spacings

[BumbleB]

How important is it to stick to quoted spacings between veg plants? If plants are planted closer together will this result in smaller plants or will it cause plants not to grow or die?

I am thinking about beans, courgette, sqaush
also
spring onions, carrot, beetroot - can these be transplanted if crowded?

[Two_Sheds]

spring onions, carrot, beetroot - can these be transplanted if crowded?

not really. Carrots (or anything with a taproot) definitely not.

It's much better to sow thinly in the first place.

[zazen999]

Beans, I grow closer than the spacings, but I grow in a staggered double row with some to one side of the cane/string and some to the other. Dwarfs are grown much closer so that they resemble a hedge and have string and cane 'boxes' around them to hold them all up.

courgettes and squash, very important as they grow really big....I pop these on the ends of rows or on corners so they can spread onto the path.

springs, beetroot and carrots; I grow in small clumps and they push each other apart - you can harvest some and leave the others to grow on. As long as there is room on the outside to let them push each other apart it works well.

[Two_Sheds]

How important is it to stick to quoted spacings between veg plants? If plants are planted closer together will this result in smaller plants

Yes. but sometimes you want smaller plants, eg with lettuce or chard perhaps, for cut-and-come-again.

If you grow brassicas too close, they just won't produce... they are greedy and don't want to compete with anything else for water and feed.

[DaveInBraknell]

Hi Bumble,

My experience and reading seem to indicate that if you grow your plants too close together they'll be smaller. Ie smaller carrot roots, smaller cabbage heads et al.

Now this might be an advantage for example if your a small family (2-3 people) having a 5lb Savoy coming out x5 might be a bit much. So you could plant them closer to make it more manageable.

In short, plants would be smaller if planted closer, but you can use this to your advantage.

Dave

[BumbleB]

Oh thanks everyone, it will be interesting to see how they all do. I have given what space I have, suppose its a learning curve really. My carrots in the ground have not done much yet but I have some in a long pot that are quite close together.