On Sun, 11 May 2008 10:29:10 -0700, Billy <wildbilly@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>In article <_aadnXd3pukgoLvVnZ2dnUVZ_q7inZ2d@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>,
> "Him" <hfh1@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>
>> Hi group. NJ zone 6 here. For the past several years I have gotten
greedy
>> and end up planting my plants way too close together. The peppers in
>> particular don't like this, end up tall with small peppers if any. The
>> tomato patch was so crowded they could not get picked and spoiled.
>>
>> This year I have vowed to reform. Now, how crowded is safe? I don't
have a
>> lot to work with. I have two 10 by 12 plots seperated by a 3 ft wooden
>> walkway.
>>
>> I plan to dedicate one entire side to tomatoes. How many and what
>> configuration would you suggest? Any ideas for the peppers on the
other
>> plot plus other stuff like squash, peas, greens?
>>
>> Thanks for your ideas.
>
>Follow recommended spacing for peppers but remember, pepper plants like
>to hold hands (leaves of mature plants should just touch). This will
>also block sunlight to the ground, discouraging weeds. Investigate
>companion planting and you don't need to grow in rows, beds are more
>effective for preventing weeds.
Every year, my garden is looking more hodge-podgey, stuff growing kinda
wherever I can stick something in. I'd still like to have the space
somewhere to try Bill's broadcast method. That sounds way easy.
>I'll second Charlie's recommendation of John Jeavon's "How to Grow More
>Vegetables Than You Ever Thought Possible On Less Land Than You Can
>Imagine".
The *only* problem I have with the biointensive method, as espoused by
Jeavons and others, is the double diggy thingie. That is just too
damned much work. I think doing the lasagna thing and loosening the
soil in reverse, by building *up* is much easier, though it will take a
bit longer. Len, in Oz, has a great idea for doing this. Check this
out, if you haven't.
http://www.lensgarden.com.au/straw_bale_garden.htm
>If you don't want to make new paths in your garden right away (4' wide
>plots mean that you only have to reach 2' to weed or harvest), you might
>use 2'X 2' stepping stones, to avoid compacting the gardens soil.
Good idea.
>At recommended spacing for caged tomatoes, you could potentially grow
>30 tomato plants. Do you need that many? Are you canning? A couple of
>cherry tomato plants would keep you in salad and a half dozen others for
>sandwiches.
>
>Save some space to try something different.
>
>Have fun:-)
Charlie
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