Size Matters (New Plot to dig)

[DarkCrow]

Hi All

I'm just about to dig my first plot this w/end and wonderd what would be an ideal size for a new grower of potatoes/garlic/onions, i have the luxury of being able to expand later on but don't want to make a rod for my own back so to speak when i'm just starting out.

Cheers

[Hazel at the Hill]

Hi DC & welcome to the vine.

I'd make each bed not wider than 4' so that you don't have to tread on the growing area - you can reach from each side. Length of your beds is up to you - mine are 16' long, which does mean a bit of a trek round from one side to the other, but it does maximise the area that I have for growing.

[HeyWayne]

As Hazel has already said - the main thing to consider is being able to reach the mioddle comfortably. Length is down to you.

Start small - and as you say, you can expend at a later date.

Ground's a bit hard here at the minute what with all this cold weather and all.

[Hazel at the Hill]

Ground's a bit hard here at the minute what with all this cold weather and all.

Zen Master of the Understatement!

[Alison]

Re size of beds etc, I agree with the 4' width limitation, mine are all this size and 10' long (I would find longer than this a pain to walk around and they also are a nice size to weed etc in a sensible length of time and therefore I feel I've made some progress). As to how much space you need, a lot of it depends on how much you eat of the various products. I grew a single 4 x 10' bed of onions last year, a couple of 4' rows of garlic and 4 full beds of tatties. I'm cutting down on the tatties this year as have far to many and won't get them all eaten before they spoil in the spring but there are only two of us and we eat lots of rice / pasta too.

[DarkCrow]

Ground's a bit hard here at the minute what with all this cold weather and all.

Thanks guys, I'm hoping for some rain to soften things up or my dig maybe waylaid

[Hazel at the Hill]

Thanks guys, I'm hoping for some rain to soften things up or my dig maybe waylaid

Temps above freezing would be a start round here!

Can you pop your location in your profile? It'll help us when we try to advise you...

[DarkCrow]

Temps above freezing would be a start round here!

Can you pop your location in your profile? It'll help us when we try to advise you...

Sorry, thought i had. Ashford Kent

I'll try again

[Pumpkin Becki]

DC, we have raised beds on our lottie.
They are 1.8m long x 0.9m wide. We've left 0.75m between each bed to allow room to kneel comfortably between them, and don't forget to allow for wheelbarrow access along at least one side.

[Pumpkin Becki]

Also, with all that space, maybe you could consider keeping some chickens, some bees, or maybe a cow?

[DarkCrow]

Also, with all that space, maybe you could consider keeping some chickens, some bees, or maybe a cow?

LOL Thanks for the info Mum already has chickens. Bees!! Hmmm food for thought, but a cow is a bovine too far!!

[Pumpkin Becki]

LOL Thanks for the info Mum already has chickens. Bees!! Hmmm food for thought, but a cow is a bovine too far!!

You can never have too many chickens!

[DarkCrow]

DC, we have raised beds on our lottie.
They are 1.8m long x 0.9m wide. We've left 0.75m between each bed to allow room to kneel comfortably between them, and don't forget to allow for wheelbarrow access along at least one side.

I'm not adverse to that idea, what did you use for the "walls" of you beds?

[Pumpkin Becki]

I'm not adverse to that idea, what did you use for the "walls" of you beds?

Gravel boards with posts at each corner, and in the middle of the lengths for extra support. We made them extra tall so we can add boards should we want to at a later stage.

[RedThorn]

Try keep your beds the same size so that your netting frames can be transferred as you rotate your beds through the years. A lot of the pre-made frames are 6ft by 4ft, but if you make your own, you're not restricted to this.

As to the walls for the beds, gravel boards, decking planks, scaffold boards etc work well. Decide on a size and build it up one bed at a time. That way, you have a definite sense of accomplishment and can easily see the fruits of your labour.

Get the chickens penned on the sections you want cleared and they will do most of the work for you too