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Quick question about sowing amounts. (Just curiosity really)

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  • #1

    Quick question about sowing amounts. (Just curiosity really)

    For those who grow in average size polytunnels or greenhouses, when you sow seeds, roughly how many of each thing do you grow?

    Like the title says, I'm just curious as to the amounts of each thing people grow, not how many different things they grow.

    I sometimes have visions of people with huge numbers of tomato plants or many multiples of cucumbers just bursting out the doors but maybe the reality is much less.
    Last edited by gardening_gal; 16-04-2014, 03:25 PM.
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  • #2
    Regarding tomatoes, I sowed all I had left over from last year, so 12 San Marzano 2 and 10 Sweetbaby (Cherry), I don't need that many but as they were a year old I though some may not germinate . . . I'll only use a couple of the Sweetbaby but will use maybe 6 or 7 of the plums . . . the rest will be given to family.

    I have an 8' x 6' greenhouse.

    I've also sowed 5 Cornichons, 2 or 3 of these will be going to the allotment.
    My allotment in pictures

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    • #3
      I usually grow approx 50 toms, planted approx 15inch apart in a staggered double row. We do eat them everyday and I make sauces, ketchup, chutney or dry them for use later in the year. I haven't bought a tin of tomatoes or pasta sauce for years. 3 cues are enough for us though and my kids eat them for snacks most days. My GH is usually full to bursting... I grown in an 8x20 and a 8x12. Pics are last years at the time of planting in the borders.

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      • #4
        I tend to workout what we need and then sow a couple extra to guard against bad germination.

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        • #5
          I grow 7 toms and 2 cucs in my 8x6 GH plus a couple toms on my kitchen window sill that mount keep us in salads, pickles, and over roasted toms.
          Location....East Midlands.

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          • #6
            Originally posted by Potstubsdustbins View Post
            I tend to workout what we need and then sow a couple extra to guard against bad germination.
            I'm the same. I have a Cropping Diary (actually a Spreadsheet) of how many of each variety of all my veg plants that I sowed last year (and previous years) along with comments like "Too Many/Few" and "Tasted Lovely/Foul", and I raise that number of plants this year (and I sow a few Extras to guard against failures - they become give-always if they all grow)

            I grow 18 Tomato plants (6 each of 3 varieties) in the greenhouse and that is more than we need, including having enough for large BBQ parties on some/most weekends. We don't eat a lot fo them during the week, and we don't "process" any of them (except that excess might be combined with Courgette excess and frozen for adding to Winter stews and the like)
            K's Garden blog the story of the creation of our garden

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            • #7
              I grow in an 8 x 6 plastic greenhouse - 5 toms down each side and 2 at the end of the path. Plus 2 cucumbers in pots in the far corners.

              In the 6 x 6 glasshouse I grow 4 toms down one side and 1 at the end - and 5 or 6 peppers/chillis in flower buckets on the staging, the other side of the greenhouse.

              In the mega cloche I grow 6 small bush plum toms.

              I always sow how many seeds I want plus 1 or 2 just in case.............if there are extras at planting out time they go to friends and family

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              • #8
                I have a 20' by 10' tunnel and tend to grow about 15-20 tomato plants, a couple (tops) of cucs, 7 peppers, 7 chillies, 3 aubergines, 2 melons, a few sweet potatoes etc etc. I find that you don't actually get a bigger crop with more plants if they're all squashed in.

                Some of us live in the past, always talking about back then. Some of us live in the future, always planning what we are going to do. And, then there are those, who neither look behind or ahead, but just enjoy the moment of right now.

                Which one are you and is it how you want to be?

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by Alison View Post
                  I have a 20' by 10' tunnel and tend to grow about 15-20 tomato plants, a couple (tops) of cucs, 7 peppers, 7 chillies, 3 aubergines, 2 melons, a few sweet potatoes etc etc. I find that you don't actually get a bigger crop with more plants if they're all squashed in.
                  That's the size I have and I'm amazed you fit all that in. Clearly I need to be rejigging. Although to be fair, I don't think you could get the same amount grown in containers that you could in the ground?

                  Thanks for all the replies, I think it's interesting (and helpful as a loose guideline) to see what others grow.

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by gardening_gal View Post
                    I don't think you could get the same amount grown in containers that you could in the ground?
                    I reckon you could, but I think it is "easier" to get close to maximum yield in the ground, and needs more attention-to-detail to get that in containers. But that's just me ... I've done both, and I now grow direct in greenhouse soil/borders because I find it easier - with the minimal amount of effort I'm able to put in I get a fairly decent result
                    K's Garden blog the story of the creation of our garden

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                    • #11
                      I grow in pots in my 8 by 6 greenhouse and overdid it last year: 7 toms, 3 cucumbers, 3 melons, 3 aubergines, 3 hot chillies,7 sweet peppers. Poor plants had to strain too much for the light and the friars hat chilli ended up 6 ft and no fruit.
                      Will cut down this year but it's really hard to throw heathy seedlings on the compost although I always try to give them away.This year I have sown few spares.eg 1 pot 2 seeds of each type of cucumber and will get rid/ give away the spare.Tomatoes are the worst to over sow as they germinate so well. I used 6 cell trays with several seeds in each cell, thinning to 3 plants per cell before potting on.still lots for family and friends.
                      Gardening forever, housework whenever!

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                      • #12
                        I have a bad habit of over sowing, we eat maybe 2 or three lettuce a week but I sow a whole tray of them, I suppose in my mind i am still thinking we have two children at home. I am trying hard to sow more thinly it makes thinning out so much easier and they do better. I have 12 tom plants and three cucumber, more than enough for two of us and to give away. If i sow into plugs or small pot/trays there is a fear some wont come up and that the gaps are somehow a mocking judgement on my skills, so I plant 2 or three per station and have too many.well I have overcome that fear at last and just sow one per station, if i have gaps so be it. I planted some radar onion sets back in November in the ground and one has died, I try to ignore the gap it offends me but I refuse to do anything about it, its sort of a mental test lol.
                        Last edited by Bill HH; 19-04-2014, 09:16 PM.
                        photo album of my garden in my profile http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...my+garden.html

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                        • #13
                          It's my first year with a tunnel, so will judge come autumn if I've overdone it - probably yes!

                          We have a 24' x 8' tunnel, and I've planted up...

                          12 tomato plants, some vines, some bush type.
                          6 cukes.
                          3 gherkin types.
                          5 courgettes.
                          1 marrow.
                          3 melons.
                          3 pumpkins.
                          2 butternut squash.
                          12 chilli plants.

                          I had a similar quantity all on their third true leaf three weeks back, then we had a -9C frost completely out of the blue, killed the lot. Started over again, cheated and bought a few seedlings from local garden centre too. So we shall see how that lot gets on.

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                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Doive View Post
                            It's my first year with a tunnel, so will judge come autumn if I've overdone it - probably yes!

                            We have a 24' x 8' tunnel, and I've planted up...

                            12 tomato plants, some vines, some bush type.
                            6 cukes.
                            3 gherkin types.
                            5 courgettes.
                            1 marrow.
                            3 melons.
                            3 pumpkins.
                            2 butternut squash.
                            12 chilli plants.

                            I had a similar quantity all on their third true leaf three weeks back, then we had a -9C frost completely out of the blue, killed the lot. Started over again, cheated and bought a few seedlings from local garden centre too. So we shall see how that lot gets on.
                            Put the courgettes outside, they get HUGE in a tunnel and don't need it. Same for the marrow and IMO the squash. Also, 6 cukes is a lot, I find one plant gives me enough to be giving them away and only grow two as they're totally different varieties.


                            Sent from my iPad using Grow Your Own Forum

                            Some of us live in the past, always talking about back then. Some of us live in the future, always planning what we are going to do. And, then there are those, who neither look behind or ahead, but just enjoy the moment of right now.

                            Which one are you and is it how you want to be?

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                            • #15
                              I planted 4 cucumber plants that I grew from seed the year before last. One died within a couple of weeks, then a couple of weeks after that another one popped it's clogs.

                              The remaining two grew well and we got very tasty (as opposed to shop bought tasteless!) cucumbers off them but there wasn't enough. We eat a lot of salads/side salads in the summer months and the cucs went within days.

                              This year I've got 8 seeds in and have just noticed 6 of them have sprouted so hopefully it's cucumbers galore this summer.

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