Square foot or rows?

[ColourMeSurprised]

Hi! So I've just ordered three of these guys, though I'm planning on using them outside as raised beds as I don't have a large greenhouse.

I was hoping to have a go at square foot gardening, but their dimensions aren't exactly ideal. At 2 feet 8 inches by 1 foot 9 inches, I'd have to either cut the blocks smaller or give them extra room and potentially waste space.

If it were you, would you attempt the square foot method here, or stick to rows?

[veggiechicken]

What are you going to grow in them? Somethings are better suited to blocks than other.

[ColourMeSurprised]

I haven't yet planned what's going where, to be honest. I have a couple of small ground-beds too (one 2x4 feet and one 1x3feet) that I'll use and possibly extend, and I'm planning to get my paws on some containers at some point too.

I know that I definitely want to grow:

Kale
Courgettes
Swiss chard
Lettuce
Carrots (atlas)
Spring onions
Raab 60 days (broccoli-ish thing that I got last year but haven't attempted yet)
Maybe some spuds in an old bin that I don't currently have a use for.
Strawberries

But as I said, I'm not decided on what's going where yet. Basically I'm just wondering if I can get away with cutting "square foot" down to "square 10.5 inches". Also I'll almost certainly add more to that list as things occur to me.

[Thelma Sanders]

I wouldn't use the square foot system to a smaller scale - it's very short on space as it is

I courgette plant would take up the whole of your smaller bed or one of those growbags

[ColourMeSurprised]

I've had success with two courgette plants to a grow bag before, so I'd be happy to assign one full bed/bag to those. As for the others - what if I was to divide one into three sections, each 10.5 x 21 inches, and plant those blocks using the square foot gardening principle? Using things like spring onions, radishes and carrots that should work, no?

[Penellype]

I have 3 of these which I use in my friend's greenhouse - they grew cracking tomatoes last year. I grew spuds in one of them and they grew really well until the rats dug them up and ate them

I would agree that they are the wrong shape and size for square foot gardening - I grew things in rows. You might find them a bit shallow for swiss chard which has quite deep roots.

[ColourMeSurprised]

Ahh, glad to hear they've worked well for you! How many tomato plants did you grow per bag?

Okay, I've made a plan for rows (with the exception of one, to which I've assigned two courgette plants). I've planned the swiss chard for the ground plot - thanks for the advice Penellype.

Here's a copy of the design. Any thoughts/advice?

http://oi58.tinypic.com/mcx6op.jpg

[TrysHard]

Just ordered 6 of these bad boys signed up for the Marshalls newsletter and got 10% discount - dam this forums I said no more garden stuff this month!

[FlawlessVictory]

Just ordered 6 of these bad boys signed up for the Marshalls newsletter and got 10% discount - dam this forums I said no more garden stuff this month!

It's been the exact same way for me... constant sales and offers! My bank balance hates me... but my seed box loves me!

[Penellype]

Ahh, glad to hear they've worked well for you! How many tomato plants did you grow per bag?

Okay, I've made a plan for rows (with the exception of one, to which I've assigned two courgette plants). I've planned the swiss chard for the ground plot - thanks for the advice Penellype.

Here's a copy of the design. Any thoughts/advice?

http://oi58.tinypic.com/mcx6op.jpg

I think your design looks fine. I grew 3 tomatoes in each of 2 of the bags, with a row of herbs in front (basil, parsley). The other bag was on course for a good crop of Sarpo Mira potatoes (8 seed potatoes) before the small furry critturs intervened. I found bits of several large potatoes as proof that they had grown well!

[ColourMeSurprised]

I think your design looks fine. I grew 3 tomatoes in each of 2 of the bags, with a row of herbs in front (basil, parsley). The other bag was on course for a good crop of Sarpo Mira potatoes (8 seed potatoes) before the small furry critturs intervened. I found bits of several large potatoes as proof that they had grown well!

Thanks! Ahh, see I'd really like to grow tomatoes too, but now lack the space :/ Tempted to try two in a shop-bought growbags. I tried 3 plants in one of those last year, but only one showed any signs of life XD Any suggestions as to the best type to grow outdoors in the Midlands of UK? I can start them off in a blow-away greenhouse, but they won't fit in there once they start getting taller.

It's good to know that they seem to work well, anyway!

[Bigmallly]

Any suggestions as to the best type to grow outdoors in the Midlands of UK? I can start them off in a blow-away greenhouse

How to grow tomatoes (without a greenhouse!) | The Eden Project Blog

[ColourMeSurprised]

How to grow tomatoes (without a greenhouse!) | The Eden Project Blog

Ahh, thank you!

[Bigmallly]

I'm sure there are plenty more varieties can be grown outside. I've had good success with both Roma & Outdoor Girl. The only thing I found was to be aware of blight on outdoor grown toms.

[Penellype]

I've grown all of the following outside in Yorkshire:
Sungold - large cordon, orange fruit, excellent taste and early cropper
Shirley - cordon, medium sized red, excellent taste but not as prolific as Sungold
Totem - bush, medium sized, early fruiting but not as nice as Shirley
Bajaja - bush, red cherry with hundreds of small fruit, not great flavour
Chocolate Cherry - cordon, purple fruit which are large cherry sized but tend to stay greenish, flavour not great
Tumbling tom red - hanging basket type, very poor flavour and didn't do at all well.

I'm going to try Garden Pearl and Balconi red and yellow this year.

Tip - buy a blowaway greenhouse cover and 4 sturdy 6ft stakes. and hammer the stakes into the ground around your tomatoes, then hang the cover over the stakes to give protection from late frosts and wind chill until the weather has warmed up. I find this works well, and saves leaving the plants in pots getting taller and taller, risking damaging flowers and baby fruit when planting out.


I've put this one over half a cold frame. Photo taken 3rd June 2013.