Is this planting plan okay?

I am planning to plant my new garden today. Here is what I have figured out for my plan. I have one 4 ft. square box.

North Side is the back

broccoli broccoli cauliflower cauliflower
beet carrot beet bean (bush)
carrot chard carrot beet
lettuce spinach scallion spinach

I was going to put a small (spacemaster) cucumber in the box but I couldn't figure out where it would go best (and what to eliminate) so I think I am going to put that in a pot. (Would you take that option?)

Additionally, I believe I read in the book that you can plant a fast growing crop in with a long growing crop. In my case, I believe I can put some radishes in with the broccoli and cauliflower. Wish I could put beans or spinach there as I prefer them but I don't think that is viable.

I think I read in the book or on this forum that it's possible to plant radishes and scallions together for that same reason. Given they are each so densely planted, I couldn't quite figure that out though. Seems like you would be planting them on top of each other.

Would people please chime in on the plan and include faults and recommendations please.

Thanks very much!

Looks good! The cukes should do nicely is a bucket!

cheyannarach wrote:Looks good! The cukes should do nicely is a bucket!

Thanks. Should I put a tomato cage in with it for support? Or just let it drift out and about. I have Spacemaster and Bush Champion to attempt.

I like your plan, and radishes with the broccoli would be OK, but I would omit the center four radishes so you leave that area free for the broccoli. I would put the cucumber in a pot or elsewhere. My thinking on mixing radishes and scallions would be the same as your thoughts.

I have my vining cucumber in a 4.5 gal self watering bucket. It is doing great, got a half dozen off and another dozen will be picked within days. It takes a lot of water and I give it a shot of compost/worm tea every two weeks.

cpl100 wrote:

cheyannarach wrote:Looks good! The cukes should do nicely is a bucket!

Thanks. Should I put a tomato cage in with it for support? Or just let it drift out and about. I have Spacemaster and Bush Champion to attempt.

You could do it either way, I would let them drift out and about

chjbr63 wrote:I have my vining cucumber in a 4.5 gal self watering bucket. It is doing great, got a half dozen off and another dozen will be picked within days. It takes a lot of water and I give it a shot of compost/worm tea every two weeks.

Self watering bucket? Sounds wonderful but what is it please?

My spacemasters grew about 4 feet tall last year. They will need a trellis or a lot of space.

camprn wrote:My spacemasters grew about 4 feet tall last year. They will need a trellis or a lot of space.

Could I use a wire tomato cage instead? Don't have a trellis set up and wasn't planning to put one up yet. Hmmmm, not sure how I would trellis a pot, anyway.....

cpl100 wrote:

chjbr63 wrote:I have my vining cucumber in a 4.5 gal self watering bucket. It is doing great, got a half dozen off and another dozen will be picked within days. It takes a lot of water and I give it a shot of compost/worm tea every two weeks.

Self watering bucket? Sounds wonderful but what is it please?

Short answer is, 4.5 gal bucket with a wick sits inside 5 gal bucket. Waters plant from the bottom. In the heat of the summer I would have to water twice a day, now every two days or more. They are very easy and cheap to make. I wish I could take credit for the idea but I just modified what I found on the net. I'm going to take some pictures tomorrow and will post them. If you like what you see I can PM you how to make or if a few others are interested I will do separate post with the instructions.

chjbr63 wrote:

cpl100 wrote:

chjbr63 wrote:I have my vining cucumber in a 4.5 gal self watering bucket. It is doing great, got a half dozen off and another dozen will be picked within days. It takes a lot of water and I give it a shot of compost/worm tea every two weeks.

Self watering bucket? Sounds wonderful but what is it please?

Short answer is, 4.5 gal bucket with a wick sits inside 5 gal bucket. Waters plant from the bottom. In the heat of the summer I would have to water twice a day, now every two days or more. They are very easy and cheap to make. I wish I could take credit for the idea but I just modified what I found on the net. I'm going to take some pictures tomorrow and will post them. If you like what you see I can PM you how to make or if a few others are interested I will do separate post with the instructions.

So, I have seen a few of these on the net but never with instructions I could completely follow. I take it you fill the 5 gal bucket with water and then it waters the plant which is in the 4.5 gal. bucket. Also, I have yet to determine where people get these cheaply. I once asked at an ice cream place and their price was $5 for the bucket. Is that cheap?

That is the general idea, if you like I can workup some detailed instructions for you. That price is OK, but I get mine FREE. Just asked the bakery dept at your local grocery store. I got 50 buckets in about 2 months in sizes 3.3, 4.5 and 5 gal. They are food grade and real easy to clean.

cpl100 wrote:

camprn wrote:My spacemasters grew about 4 feet tall last year. They will need a trellis or a lot of space.

Could I use a wire tomato cage instead? Don't have a trellis set up and wasn't planning to put one up yet. Hmmmm, not sure how I would trellis a pot, anyway.....

I garden my tomatoes in large flower pots because black walnut trees too near. I use 4 ft. fencing with 2x4 grids cut and shaped into cylinders and closed by folding the cut ends back on the other end. Circumference depends on size of pot. Great climbing space, stable bottom for my traditional flower pot shaped containers, and enough room for a hand to fit in to pick. Just pass the larger fruit up and out.

I have a cucumber growing in a 5 gal bucket which I got at Home Depot for $2.48 and I have it climbing up a tomato cage and it's working nicely.

cpl100 wrote:I think I read in the book or on this forum that it's possible to plant radishes and scallions together for that same reason. Given they are each so densely planted, I couldn't quite figure that out though. Seems like you would be planting them on top of each other.Thanks very much!

I'd try planting them in a checkerboard pattern, at 25 or 36 per square. It does sound intriguing. The radishes are done quickly, and the scallions stay small for quite a while.

songstriss wrote:I have a cucumber growing in a 5 gal bucket which I got at Home Depot for $2.48
and I have it climbing up a tomato cage and it's working nicely.

Good going!
re 3-5 gallon buckets: All ours have FS (foodstorage) in them. Icecream store had none; and the Bakery said theirs comes in huge! sacks instead. Loews Homer-bucket was cheapest at $4 two month ago, so I decided to wait. HD was even more. - Does HD have them at your cost certain times of the year?

$2.50 is the price for the regular Homer bucket. The food grade is something I just recently saw and cost much more.
I am using the regular buckets.

Kay

walshevak wrote:$2.50 is the price for the regular Homer bucket.
The food grade is something I just recently saw and cost much more. I am using the regular buckets.

Hi Kay,
Aside cost, the other reason I hesitated buying Loew's Homer-bucket was a weird odor from it; & something inside me said Wait. - After reading here, I just checked with a Survival-forum, where someone is employed in making such Plastics for various applications including the drug industry. He said: "High-Density PolyEthylene (HDPE) or PolyEthylene High-Density (PEHD) is a polyethylene thermoplastic made from petroleum. Molding requires melting plastic up to 500 degrees F. This may 'sanitize' the plastic, but watch out for the additives ... used to make the product. What ever you store in the buckets could absorb it and you end up with contaminated food.
The big number 2 you see as the recycle logo has nothing to do with what it should store." - Now I don't know what to think. - Kay, what do you think?
Edit:
Think I'll try all the Donut stores, bakery inside the Grocers, Independent sandwich shop, Denny's, I-hop, etc. next. As they are glad to get rid of them, somewhere we must be able to get them even free

Too late to worry about it now. All the tomatos and peppers are planted in them.

What about plastic flower pots. Are they the same type of plastic?

Kay

walshevak wrote:Too late to worry about it now. All the tomatos and peppers are planted in them.

What about plastic flower pots. Are they the same type of plastic?

Plastic flower pots are made from any of 4 or more materials:
polyethylene,
polypropylene,
polystyrene, and
a combination of all three called Thermoplastic. This one falls apart quick, which means it can be recycled easier.
Read more: What Kinds of Plastic Are Plant Containers Made of? | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/info_12010405_kinds-plastic-plant-containers-made-of.html#ixzz21ztzyYsx
How long a plant needs to be in contact with those materials before harmed? - No idea.

Firehouse Subs "sells" their pickle buckets for a $2.00 donation to your local fire dept. Don't know if you have them in your area, but they are a chain started and run by former firemen.

Kay

walshevak wrote:Firehouse Subs "sells" their pickle buckets for a $2.00 donation to your local fire dept. Don't know if you have them in your area, but they are a chain started and run by former firemen.

Thanks. By checking here: http://www.firehousesubs.com/Find-Location.aspx - found they are located in Ut, Nev., Co. & Ca. may be useful to someone else. - And because I am starting to explore another income-source, yesterday I became very concerned over this PLASTICS-issue. However not wanting to derail this thread, I am now researching this intensely. Thank you again for your responses.

Firehouse subs are also in Virginia and NC. I've been to their shops in both states.

Kay

your plan is OK. you just change some thing according to their growth. Take garden maintenance tips for maintain your plants.