Modified SFG Beds-First time

Brand new to SFG and gardening in general.  Unfortunately I need to use what I have readily available to me, which is a 10 by 18 raised bed (among 19 other raised beds in our community) and a 6 by 10 bed in my back yard.  I have severe food allergies and react to all pesticides and fertilizers, so I have difficulty finding safe food, which is why I really want to make sure I do this right.  Can you please provide feedback?  I am planning on a trellis for the melons and the peas but I am not sure if I have one for each, if they will be supported enough.  Also, I am in NC, and our winds are usually SW or NE, so I am not entirely sure if I have this the way it should be.  I tried to space in various plants to help with pest control, but I am not sure if I did it right.  Thank you so much for your help.

The red in the larger plan is a walkway

" />
" />

Welcome Kimmiess, I'm sure some one will be helping you shortly

Welcome from Maine.
Unfortunately I can't make out your garden plan.  Its too small for me to read and clicking on it doesn't enlarge it on my computer.
Maybe someone else can help you.

Sorry, I have never uploaded anything here.  Try these and see if they are any clearer.  Thanks

[img][/img]

[img][/img]

Hi, kimmiess and welcome!

My first thought is that you have plants grouped next to each other where one is likely to shade it's shorter companion.  Take borage, for instance; borage grows HUGE, and you've got quite a few in a row.  Do you really need that many?

Also, check the growth habits of the particular variety of vegetable or herb before planting them.  You may be able to mitigate the shading issue by selecting varieties that are similar in size, etc.

HTH & good luck!   

kimmiess, Welcome to the Forum from California! Two years ago I was new to the Forum and to gardening. Being on this Forum has taught me so, so much.

You have 2 wonderful large areas for gardening. I tried using a magnifying glass to read what you hope to plant in the larger plot, but I could only make out a few names. In the smaller plot I can read strawberries, carrots, garlic, herbs and melons (on the right). A lot of borage!! Maybe more than is needed for attracting pollinators and for color spot??

Mel Bartholomew recommends beds no wider than 4 feet, with only a 2 foot reach from any out side walkway. Otherwise, a person has to put a hand or foot on the ground in order to reach farther. I would recommend making a 2' isle in the first 6' x 10' box, effectively dividing it into two 4' x 6' beds. You will be able to reach everything within 2'. In the second 10 x 18 foot plot (drawn as 11 x 18), it's good that you are considering walkways (or are they already created?). A 2 foot isle down the middle on the long direction will make two 4' x 18' plots. Then, making two 3-foot pathways across the short directions will then give you a total of six 4' x 4' plots. It means you can have room for 6 trellises for melons, winter squash, pole beans and peas, snow peas, cucumbers, etc. It's hard to give up square footage for isles but it makes it so, so much easier to tend to everything.

Are you going to can the carrots? If not, you can plant one or two squares every 2 weeks for fresh carrots throughout the season. Same with lettuces and radishes. You asked if the trellises could support the melons and peas. The ones made from EMC and trellis netting (as shown in the book All New Square Foot Gardening, 1st or 2nd Edition, by Mel Bartholomew) are strong enough to hold cantaloupes, winter squash and small baby watermelons. The standard is to put the trellises on the north side. I have mine on the west and south sides , being aware of what other plants are around and what their sun needs are. I don't have much option due to the small back yard arrangement.

Please feel free to ask questions. We are here to help. If you are able to make the font larger for the large plot, it will be easier for folks to give you feed back on your planting.

sanderson wrote:...  You asked if the trellises could support the melons and peas.  The ones made from EMC and trellis netting (as shown in the book All New Square Foot Gardening, 1st or 2nd Edition, by Mel Bartholomew) are strong enough to hold cantaloupes, winter squash and small baby watermelons.    ...

+1  

That is how I made my trellises and they are about to start their 5th season, with no hint of wearing out.  I have used them for tomatoes, beans, cukes, tiger melons, and sugar baby watermelons.  Of course the bindweed loves them as well.....

To help read Kimmie's plans: click on where it says "Click to see full-size" and then press "Ctrl" and "+" (at the same time) to enlarge your viewing area.  When you want to shrink it back, press "Ctrl" and "-".  A handy tip I learned from my 75 yo mother, LOL!

mollyhespra wrote:Hi, kimmiess and welcome!

My first thought is that you have plants grouped next to each other where one is likely to shade it's shorter companion.  Take borage, for instance; borage grows HUGE, and you've got quite a few in a row.  Do you really need that many?

Also, check the growth habits of the particular variety of vegetable or herb before planting them.  You may be able to mitigate the shading issue by selecting varieties that are similar in size, etc.

HTH & good luck!   

Thanks for the feedback.  This is exactly what I need being that I don't have all my seeds yet and I know very little about some of this.  The only reason I planned  borage was bc it helps pests.  That is essentially the only reason why....Do you know how many I would need for such purposes and for how their effects would last?  And how much space should I allow?  Are there any other plants that would be smaller, but better at that?

Goosegirl wrote:

sanderson wrote:...  You asked if the trellises could support the melons and peas.  The ones made from EMC and trellis netting (as shown in the book All New Square Foot Gardening, 1st or 2nd Edition, by Mel Bartholomew) are strong enough to hold cantaloupes, winter squash and small baby watermelons.    ...

+1  

That is how I made my trellises and they are about to start their 5th season, with no hint of wearing out.  I have used them for tomatoes, beans, cukes, tiger melons, and sugar baby watermelons.  Of course the bindweed loves them as well.....

How many plants can they support?  I have six foot planned for melons, but not sure if one that large can support six...and I have one large one planned for peas, but they would not be as heavy.  Thanks!

Hi Kimmieess.  I'm Marie.  I THINK I'm your Regional Host...  Are you in Mid-South?

Welcome to the forum!

You may want to consider alternating heavy with light on the trellis.  Not only does that spread the weight a bit, it also confuses bugs.

On your borage - it's also a medicinal herb...  You can use the dried leaves for tea.  And the leaves, stem, & flowers are good in salads from what I've heard.  I'll be growing some myself this year.  :-)

Well, I can only tell you what I've done in my garden: 2 plants, total, spread out so that they're roughly equidistant.

I don't know how well they've deterred pests, but the pollinators LOVE the flowers.

After the first year, when the Borage I planted over-ran my SFG, I now grow them off to the side, one in a foundation planting, and then I just let a volunteer grow in the opposite corner of the garden where the prickles won't get me too badly.

Yes, I said prickles.  The leaves are quite prickly.  I, personally, would not eat them raw in a salad.  Raw eating is reserved for the flowers.  More about consuming borage: http://www.rootsimple.com/2011/03/borage-its-whats-for-dinner/.

That's true, Molly...  Didn't think about that! 

kimmiess : hithere:and good luck in your new gardening endeavors.

What the size of your squares in the 6 x 10?  Are they 12" square? Is it just the graph that makes them rectangles but not squares?

Kelejan

Molly, Thanks for the Cntr +/- way to enlarge an enlarged photo.

Kimmeiss, I know a 4' wide EMC trellis does fine. I don't know if the top bar of a 6' wide one won't bow down.

You're welcome, Sanderson, but it's not just to enlarge an enlarged photo.  It zooms in or out of whatever you've got up on your screen. Try it with just this post and you'll see what I mean.  Very handy when you're trying to read an article that's in a teeny tiny font.


Gotcha! Made you look!!!

Wow! Just tried it.