by Joyce
How do I work efficiently with stand up box gardens?
+5
I just moved into a new home and one of the reasons I purchased this home was 2 quite large stand up box gardens,I would say about 5' by 5'. I am a long time gardener who had very large gardens that grew potatoes to corn. I want to plant these efficiently but avoid overcrowding. I would like them to contain salad ingredients, beets and chard as the staples. What about rigging something for a row of peas to climb on. I would love some suggestion on how I can plant these boxes efficiently to obtain maximum results.
Suggested Project Book
Plant lettuce in front row. Than stand up peas and carrots. Back row could be radishes. The other box plant peppers and maybe patiotomatoes. If you like lavender is a great filler. At the end of your growing put them in Sachs and keep you linen closet smelling nice. Thing is the lavender need a small cage. It tends to spread. It's also a butterfly attractor.
I think the first question that needs answering is how you are going to garden in the center of the 5' by 5' area if it's a stand up garden? Will you have to climb into the garden to reach the center? My vegetable garden is 3 ft X 20 ft rows so I can reach into the center of the row without stepping in the row.
Peas are easy just put in pole and run stringers to top for vines to climb on or use chicken wire. The main thing is to arrange veggies so they can get max. sun so they'll produce here are various layouts https://morningchores.com/vegetable-garden-plans/ garden planner guide https://www.gardeners.com/how-to/kitchen-garden-planner/kgp_home.html bunch of sites/info. on raised bed gardening https://www.google.com/search?q=gardening+in+raised+beds&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS750US750&oq=gardening+in+raised+beds&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i61j0l4.10491j1j9&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 I would consider planting some flowers maybe in pots around beds to draw pollinators,adding Beneficial Nematodes to soil to control pests,Live Lady bugs and Praying Mantis egg cases. Beneficial bugs for pest control https://www.arbico-organics.com/category/beneficial-insects-organisms
I agree, you would have trouble reaching the center at five square feet. Most plants will do okay a bit closer together than they say as long as they have plenty of depth for the roots and the soil is healthy. I bought a string fence type betting that I put between stakes on my garden for pole beans to climb and it has lasted about four years, I will have to replace it next spring, I think my dogs were a little rough on it, they like to pull the lower leaves off. They are pretty cheap and you just need steaks high enough for the peas, beans, whatever to climb. I don't know if they are strong enough for squash or cucumbers, mine climb the chain link fence on the back and one side of the garden.