newbie with new plot

[stevieboard3]

i've just built a raised bed of 4m x 4m in the back of my garden and have just started sowing seeds.I have loads of already started seeds in the house(our dinning room is a giant greenhouse now!)But whenever try and plant them out they seem to just wither away?So have now planted seeds direct.How many rows would you put in this size bed?So far have 2 x carrots 2x lettuce and 2x brussels also have 4 spud bags growing,a giant box full of garlic and about 30 beans growing all around the fence of the garden.
any advice much appreciated.

[binley100]

Hello and welcome.......carrots don't like being transplanted or perhaps it's a little too soon to put them out.
I'm sure a more knowledgeable grape will be along soon to help.

[gigleypants]

Hi and welcome to the gang ... the 1st rule of thumb is grow what you will eat ... sorry but dont work in meters feet and inches here but I do know you must take notice of the spacing between the plants ... in my 1st year I planted cabbages and left only 2-3" between them in the end they were fighting for space and light and the crop was really ruined ... carrots need to be thinned out ... dont be afraid to lol take out any weak ones this way you will get nice big ones ... as for your seeds maybe a coldframe would help you ... raise the seeds inside and when about an inch or so move them out to the cold frame this way it will stop them going leggy and get them used to the drop in temp gradually so they will not wither and die ... the only other advice I would say is if planting out early warm the soil with fleece first and then cover to avoid and frosts ...

what ever you choose to do just enjoy and have many years of happy growing

Gigleypants

[chris]

I'd suggest avoiding stepping on the soil in the raised beds too, you don't want to compact it down. Use a plank or similar to distribute your weight.

[womble]

I'd suggest avoiding stepping on the soil in the raised beds too, you don't want to compact it down. Use a plank or similar to distribute your weight.

I was going to suggest making permanent paths through the bed, because one of the reasons for having a raised bed is to not step on it.
But that would work as well.

[Patchninja]

It sounds as if the plants just had too much of a shock going from house to bed in one go. You need to harden them off gradually.
Ditto about no walking on the raised bed.

[elsie-scot]

welcome to the vine

If doing a raised bed, you can plant things slightly closer together - have a look at a thread on square foot gardening for some discussion on closer spacing - http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ing_44388.html
or you could plant in traditional rows, but space between rows just needs to be same as space between plants in row. Just need to make sure you can reach plants, without standng in raised bed - path or plank as said earlier

It's been a cold winter, so a lot of things are slower and later than the packets say. And it is a big shock for seedlings to go out from a house to overnight outside

[Nicos]

Hi there- and welcome to the Vine!

[HeyWayne]

Welcome aboard stevie.

One thing to be wary of with carrots is that whenever you move them - be that thinning out, or transplanting, you will attract carrot fly. Moving the foliage draws out the scent and carrot fly are like sharks with blood - they can smell it a mile off.

There are ways of deterring/avoiding carrot fly - either raising the plants, or providing a barrier higher than their reach (I think 18 inches/450mm is quotes as a minimum) I have successfully grown carrots that have been transplanted, but you have to be careful not to disturb the 'tap root' so I started mine off in toilet roll centres and then planted the whole thing into plastic tubes stood up in an old wheelbarrow. If I'd have watered them properly they would have been great I'm sure, but they were smaller than I'd hoped - so this year I'm plugging the hole at the bottom of the wheelbarrow.

I'd agree that it may be that you haven't 'hardened off' the plants before transplanting to their final position.

I think sprouts like a nice firm ground to grow in - they can get a bit top heavy, especially when you start harvesting from the bottom, so make sure they're firmed in nice and snug.

What beans do you have round the garden? I haven't even sown any yet as it's a little early - especially for French beans. Plenty of Broad beans growing though.

Get some piccies up of your raised bed and there will be plenty of more knowledgeable Grapes along to help advise and encourage.

Good luck.

[taff]

beans don't like the cold at all, so you may lose some of them until the frosts have passed.
Have a look at your seeds and work out which ones are hardy and which ones aren't or ask anyone here

[ginger ninger]

Hello and welcome to the vine stevieboard3.

[Fred Perry]

My Wife filled a raised bed with shredded paper, kitchen waste, raw horse manure and garden soil, waited a couple of weeks then put her toilet roll peas in, round the outside and across the middle.
We put in stakes about 1m high round outside an strung the stakes very roughly about 100mm,then put fleece around the whole lot.
Last year we had fantastic crop of early peas with no peaworms.
Lernt me lesson..try anything once and dont argue with the boss.
All the best to all,
Fred P

[gojiberry]

Welcome to the vine Stevie, nice to see someone just down the road.
Once you have decided on what you are going to grow, then decide if they are better off being direct sown or started off in pots.Carrots definitely direct sown, lettuce sown little and often and sprouts in a small seed bed. A 4m row of lettuce is going to give you one hell of a glut of lettuce. For a row of sprout plants you will need about 8 plans at approx 2' spacing so a small seed bed to start seeds off and then transplant when big enough.

Ian