How much veg can I put in a 6'x6 veg patch?

[Albanach]

I've dug over a patch of grass approximately 6'x6' which I believe used to be covered by a green house given the amount of glass and metal clips i found in the soil. I dug out about the height of a garden spade and layered it with the turf side down and then broke the earth down and I will dig it over this weekend when I add some compost from my sister in laws garden. When I dug it over there was a layer of rocks about the height of a garden spade deep which I just left as we are only renting the house and it seemed like too much work to do given that we are only going to be there for one growing season.

So will these rocks be ok and not affect plant growth if there is about a 1.5 feet of soil above them?

Also I plan on growing 2 courgettes, 2 butternut squash, peas, cabbage, spring onion, leaf beet, coriander, parsley and sage. Is this too much or could I sneak in some strawberries as well?

[rinabean]

I can't visualise the space so I can't say if all that would fit, but just be aware that courgettes and butternut squash plants are HUGE - however most of the plant is vines and doesn't need your prepared soil, it can just go all over a lawn. I'm assuming that the 6x6 is just what's dug out and there is more garden around it? You might get away with strawberries because the strawberries ought to be finished by the time the squashes get huge. I'm not sure if the strawberries would tolerate being covered up, though, so I would dig them up and leave them in containers after you've harvested them... but in that case it would be easier just to grow them in containers from the start, I think.

Pea roots are quite deep, so if 1.5 feet of soil is a problem for anything it'll be those (but 1.5' seems enough to me). I would also recommend growing the sage in a pot instead of the patch because it will want to be drier than everything else.

[Albanach]

The patch is surrounded on 2 sides by concrete, 1 side a shrub border (note that there is a brick foundation separating the border and the veg patch so there are no root systems in the plot) and the last side grass. I plan on planting the courgettes and squash plants on the grass side so the shoots can lie on the grass and the peas on one of the concrete sides so harvesting is a bit easier. I recently cut some branches of one of the overgrown shrubs in the garden and am planning on using 3 or 4 of the branches with a hand like structure for the peas to climb on to.

Cheers for heads up on the sage!

[Bigmallly]

I recall a conversation with TS about growning courgettes & squash and she showed a cracking photo of squash growing up a trellis type support, just a thought.

[Potstubsdustbins]

For those who don't do imperial its about 3.3 square metres, so not a huge space.

With regards to your planned planting your going to have to be a bit selective to get that lot in. For instance grow tall peas so that you get more crop for the space used. Use the four corners for your squash & courgettes and let the plants grow away from the bed.

The depth will be fine but I would use some NPK neutral fertiliser prior to planting.

Finally have you thought about containers for your sage, corriander, parsley, spring onion and strawbs, all those will grow well in containers and if you move they go with you.

Colin

[Albanach]

With regards to your planned planting your going to have to be a bit selective to get that lot in. For instance grow tall peas so that you get more crop for the space used. Use the four corners for your squash & courgettes and let the plants grow away from the bed.

When you say tall peas is this a variety or is utmost a case of having something tall for them to climb?

The depth will be fine but I would use some NPK neutral fertiliser prior to planting.

Do I do the fertiliser when I am digging in the compost or when I am planting out the seedlings?

Finally have you thought about containers for your sage, corriander, parsley, spring onion and strawbs, all those will grow well in containers and if you move they go with you.

I had thought of containers for the coriander and parsley but not the sage or spring onions. What size of containers should I be looking at for the herbs? Should they bs kept separate? The strawberies are an after thought as they are in ALDI?!

Basic questions but total beginner! Cheers!

[Potstubsdustbins]

I grow Kelvedon Wonder peas a shortish variety at about 2ft where as Alderman grows a lot taller so more crop for the same space.

Fertiliser I would dig in some growmore or blood fish and bone before planting.

Pots for the herbs I would grow them in 'cut flower' buckets one plant per pot. If you have to buy them Morrisons sell them for 99p for eight just put a hole in the bottom for drainage.

I grow spring onions in troughs 6" deep x 6" wide by about 2` long. If you plant them spread thinly in
3" pots before transferring to the trough, you can sow every couple of weeks you will then have a supply right through summer/autumn.

Strawbs 3 to the same type trough or 3 to a large hanging basket.

Hope this helps Colin

[Albanach]

I just got home and its actually 7' by 8' - 6' by 6' earlier was a guesstimate

Will this make a difference?

Cheers for the tips/ideas!

[taff]

have a search through the threads ofr square foot gardening, sounds like it might be ideal for you.

[Newton]

54 growing squares as opposed to 36 .....lots of difference if you can reach the middle

[Albanach]

I grow Kelvedon Wonder peas a shortish variety at about 2ft where as Alderman grows a lot taller so more crop for the same space.

Checked the pea seeds and they are conveniently Kelvedon Wonder so happy days.

Unfortunately came home to find the plastic greenhouse on its arse and the seed trays all over the shop but not too worry it will just be a lucky dip veg wise.

Cheers for the search tip taff.

[KierlynRaya]

I keep bricks on the entire bottom shelf of my pop up greenhouses and touch wood, no flying so far. Would offer more advice, but complete beginner also!

[Albanach]

I keep bricks on the entire bottom shelf of my pop up greenhouses and touch wood, no flying so far. Would offer more advice, but complete beginner also!

Aye - I put 4 more rocks inside plus a concrete type roof slate and tied it to a down pipe!

I hope this works here is a picture of the plot (the sticks on the RHS are for the peas to climb up) and also a picture of the ample supply of wild garlic that's in the garden.





The place was wrecked by the previous tenants who didn't have any bin collection so burnt their rubbish in the fire in the house and then dumped the ashes in the garden along with all their other rubbish. So far we've found radiators, toilet cisterns, iron pipes, roof slates, smashed glass, glass bottles etc etc etc but it's starting to look a lot better.

[zazen999]

Checked the pea seeds and they are conveniently Kelvedon Wonder so happy days.

Unfortunately came home to find the plastic greenhouse on its arse and the seed trays all over the shop but not too worry it will just be a lucky dip veg wise.

Cheers for the search tip taff.

That's why we call them blowaways
and
That's also why I am doing a 'which seedling is this?' quiz on my teachers course on thursday....the amount of times we see 'what is this' on here after blowaways have blownaway...I thought I'd get a student to randomly sow seeds in pots and put no label on them and then get the teachers to work out what was in them.

Unless you can reach the middle of that bed from the 3 sides, I'd consider putting a few stepping stones in there, and don't grow in rows - grow in blocks....see the photo for why...

[Albanach]

I've got some old concrete tiles which will work really well as stepping 'stones' in the middle. Love the idea of growing in blocks!

Should I give the peas a start in the propagator or sow them direct?