What to plant where?

Ok folks, we are newbies but full of enthusiasm! Can any of you help me and my family of Greenhorns out?

My box is 3 feet wide by 12 feet long and 6 inches deep. I'll have it located running parralell to the rear wall of my home (pics are coming soon). I'd like to plant Squash, Zuchini, Cucumbers, String Beans, Peas, Melons and other climbing veggies in the row closest to the house because I'm going to put a netted trellis up there for them to grow on. Should I plant them in any type of specific order that would make it easier to tend to them? The other sqft rows will be used for other veggies. How about some recommendations as to what to plant and where to plant them. We'd like to grow various peppers, tomatos, broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, onions etc... I'd really like to grow some sweet potatos, anybody know how to make that work? Anyone have any recommendations as to what to plant where?

Congrats on starting your garden! Not sure what zone you are in; but it is getting late for peas and onions this spring; although you can do peas late in the season for fall. I have not tried squash and melons in an SFG but would be cautious about making sure they are well separated to avoid cross-pollination. Maybe put a tomato plant between them? Peppers were among my best producers last year (my first); I did jalapeno, banana and bell peppers and plan on adding a habanero this year. Kale and Swiss chard did well all season long. Again, the cole crops are probably too late for this spring, but you should be able to get lettuces in. Check the regional forums for your zone, they could probably give you more specific advice for your areas.

Hey herblover that's exactly the type of advice that I am looking for, thanks!
Any other planting tips and advice are greatly appreciated.

I've got three rows of 12 one square foot sections. Does it make sense to plant the climbers in the back, non climbers in the middle and smaller plants up front? Does anyone know if that makes it easier to tend and harvest?

You know, I probably posted this in the wrong section. Could a moderator place this over in the General SFG section please?

I guess you can tell that I am a noob here! I hadn't gone through the general SFG forum. Now that I have I realised I'll find a lot of what I was asking about right here. Thanks for the tips!

Do not let your melons intermingle with your cukes or your squash or the melons will be bitter if their blossoms intertwine.

Yes, I would put the smaller crops in the front, mid-sized in the middle and of course, your trellis crops at the rear to get the most sunshine available.

Oh! Thanks for posting that! I am just planning my gardens and had melons right next to cucumbers. I'll have to change that.

Hi Ages, I'm thinking about your box being three squares deep with the back of it being up against the wall...

Will you be able to reach across all three squares to those vine crops in the back? They do need some management so access is important. Have you thought about placing the box a foot or two away from the wall so that you can access the plants from behind?

Just a thought.

Happy gardening.

Claire

My boxes are also 3 x 12. Definitely wouldn't want to have to reach all the way across to tend...mine are perpendicular to my house, so I can reach from all sides when the greenhouse plastic comes off after last frost. Prior to that, I have to scrunch my way down a 1 ft path with low sloping plastic. Sometimes I send my 4 yr old down to do those tasks for me!

quiltbea wrote:Do not let your melons intermingle with your cukes or your squash or the melons will be bitter if their blossoms intertwine.

This only applies if you are saving seed to replant. No problem growing them together-- melons and cukes are in the same family, and since they need a similiar growing environment it makes sense to grow them together. The only problem I can foresee is they are susceptible to the same diseases, so growing them together might increase the possiblity of disease.

Here's a link to a great publication for Texas gardeners:
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/publications/guides/E-502_home_vegetable_guide.pdf

You will note that it's way too late for cool season veggies (broccoli, cabbage, onions, etc.) but just the perfect time for the warm season ones. But you can grow the cool season varieties this fall/ winter with protective covers. I'm in the same zone as you and grew lettuce, chard, bunching onions, broccoli all winter with just throwing a cover over them during the severe freezes.

Oh, almost forgot. Sweet potatoes take up a huge amount of room. With the size of your garden, you'd need to dedicate over half of it just to sweet potatoes. You might want to delay those until next year when you have more room. (You do know SFG is an addiction and you'll keep adding boxes, don't you?)

Or you can grow them in containers: http://urbangardencasual.com/2008/06/23/ugc-reader-question-can-you-grow-sweet-potatoes-in-a-container/

Good luck on your new endeavour. I find gardening so rewarding.