Row Spacing

[MarkHackwell]

Now this is going to sound a right stupid question but here it goes anyways I am currently making a vegetable plan and reading the packets of seed some say leave 18 inches between rows and some say leave 24 inches between rows. My Question is that say I have a row of Cabbages and then a Row of Cauliflowers Would I leave 2ft one side of the Cauliflowers and 2ft the other side before planting another crop or would I leave 1ft either side and that would then count as 2ft? I have a feeling I may have been wasting space all this time and want to hear other opinions

[Penellype]

I tend to cram things in closer than the packets say anyway as I don't want huge veg. However, I always take it that if the spacing says 2ft apart, that means 1ft from the edge of the bed and 2ft from the next plant, and if the next crop is 1ft apart I'd leave 18 inches between the bigger and smaller one, if that makes sense. I suppose what you are doing with each plant is drawing a circle round it with the diameter of the spacing on the packet and putting your plant in the middle. As long as the circles don't overlap, thats the correct spacing.

[MarkHackwell]

I tend to cram things in closer than the packets say anyway as I don't want huge veg. However, I always take it that if the spacing says 2ft apart, that means 1ft from the edge of the bed and 2ft from the next plant, and if the next crop is 1ft apart I'd leave 18 inches between the bigger and smaller one, if that makes sense. I suppose what you are doing with each plant is drawing a circle round it with the diameter of the spacing on the packet and putting your plant in the middle. As long as the circles don't overlap, thats the correct spacing.

Yeah that does make sense, It just feels as if every year I am wasting space :S I think I will do your suggestion but also might need to cram some stuff in.

[Snadger]

Whats a row?

[Bigmallly]

If it says 2ft, I would take it as centre of plant to centre of plant.

[MarkHackwell]

If it says 2ft, I would take it as centre of plant to centre of plant.

The problem I have is if I put a cabbage row and Cauliflower row then they will be out as the cabbages will be 18 inches apart in the row and the cauliflowers will be 2ft apart in the row.

What I was going to do was do it as a circumference of 2ft so for cauliflowers 1ft either side, cabbages would be 6 inches either side? and if I had another row of them then leave the other spaces Or would that not be enough space :S Sooo confused :L

[MarkHackwell]

Whats a row?

:L Im all confused myself, I call my row a line :P

[Martin H]

What I was going to do was do it as a circumference of 2ft so for cauliflowers 1ft either side, cabbages would be 6 inches either side?

Yes, if you mean diameter, this is right. So you should put 2 rows of caulis 2 feet apart, with 2 feet between each plant in the row. 2 rows of cabbages would be one foot apart, with one foot between each plant in the row.

Then, to your original question, if you had a row of each, the rows would be 18 inches apart. There would be 2 feet between caulis within their row, 1 foot between cabbages in their row.

I wish I'd drawn it now...

[MarkHackwell]

Yes, if you mean diameter, this is right. So you should put 2 rows of caulis 2 feet apart, with 2 feet between each plant in the row. 2 rows of cabbages would be one foot apart, with one foot between each plant in the row.

Then, to your original question, if you had a row of each, the rows would be 18 inches apart. There would be 2 feet between caulis within their row, 1 foot between cabbages in their row.

I wish I'd drawn it now...

Lol, I was trying to do it in a Spreadsheet and was going round and round in circles (excuse the punt). I think pen and paper it is! Thanks for clearing that up think I will have to try drawing it out and see what I come up with. Soo with a row of Brussel Sprouts next to Kale it would be 18 inches apart, Brussels sprouts, 2 foot space then another Brussels Sprouts row? Correct?

[Martin H]

No idea. What are the recommended spacings on your varieties of sprouts and kale?

[Bigmallly]

I think you are making it more difficult than it needs be Mark.

[Martin H]

Here's what I meant:



So if one veg has rows x apart, and another veg has rows y apart, and you want to grow them next to each other, use the average of x and y.

Simples!

[MarkHackwell]

I think you are making it more difficult than it needs be Mark.

That doesn't surprise me atall, im thinking about it too much or trying to put too much in too little space. Wondering if all the spaces are really too much worrying about?

[veggiechicken]

If you stagger the plants within the rows you can plant more closely together (I think)
Caulis at 2' spacing would be planted at 1',3', 5',7' and so on in the first row and at 2', 4', 6' 8' etc in the next row. Your rows could be closer together as the 2' circles would be offset.
You plant on a diamond pattern so that the centres of the plants are 2' apart on the diagonal!.
Plant like a 5 on a domino instead of a 6

Don't ask me to draw it - I understand it in my head but not on paper.

[Martin H]

Don't ask me to draw it - I understand it in my head but not on paper.

At your service...