Grow Your Own Magazine

How quickly does P/S Broc grow? I was wondering if I could grow my Toms and Q's in the same raised bed as my P/S Broc.
The raised bed is 2m x 1m.
All ideas greatly appreciated as I'm running out of room!

__________________
Always aim for the best result possible not the best possible result

Hmmm, interesting question - and a common problem. Where on earth am I going to put my runner beans???

Anyway, my first impression is that it is not an ideal combination, but let's think about it...

Can you tell us how old/ big your plants are at the moment, and what varieties you are growing? What's the soil like, too.

P.S. Broccoli (the winter and spring version) ends up as a large plant - could be four foot high and three foot wide. There are varieties which mature earlier than the others, so that could be a crucial aspect - those which will be ready before Christmas are going to be pretty big plants by Autumn and your tomatoes might still be growing. Will there really be enough room?

I reckon that if you are growing early maturing tomatoes - small, early sown varieties like sungold and gardeners delight - and late maturing PS Brocc, you might be ok. The tomatoes could be harvested by the end of July and the broccoli will not be spreading its wings too much by then, you hope.

Bear in mind that the two plants like particular things:

PS Broccoli - slightly alkaline soil, very firm, balanced food with an emphasis on nitrogen.

tomatoes - neutral soil, high potash requirement for flowers and fruits.

If you have to feed the tomatoes, it might cause problems in nutrient uptake in the broccoli, I suspect.

It's a bit of a gamble, but if its the only possibility standing between the plants and the compost heap, perhaps you should give it a go!

Thanks Cutecumber, following your advice I think i'll scrap that idea and find somewhere to give the P/S a bed of its own!

__________________
Always aim for the best result possible not the best possible result

I'm growing p.s.b , early in pots to transplant to the beds later in the season when i have a little more space to join my in situ plants

__________________
Vegmonkey and the Mrs. - vegetable gardening in a small space in Cheltenham at www.vegmonkey.co.uk