This is my overly ambitious garden layout. Hopefully it should link to the graphic in my Google docs. If not, let me know. Each bed is 12'x4' and there are 40 beds. That ends up being 1920 square feet of actual gardening space in a total garden space of 54x54'.
L feels that, if we practice some intensive gardening methods, we can grow all or most of our food in a garden this size. I hope I'm safe in my assumption that that's measuring the entire garden?
The plan easily breaks up into either 4 or 8 ... oh, heck, even 40, but that's overkill ...separate plots for crop rotation. I'm still trying to figure out how to organize it. L suggested strongly that we plant squash on the outside of the bed, so we might do Three Sisters hills.
I also need room set aside for perennial herbs and fruit.
It's not linking for me :-(
ReplyDeleteHmmm .... I can't get the graphic to open, either. Can you open the spreadsheet?
ReplyDeleteno spreed sheet or graphic just a x that I can't get to open or link to anything..
ReplyDeleteCan you open it at the direct link: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B21ib05DBfXcV1dEUWdGODBhLVE/edit
ReplyDeleteI definitely did it right. I don't like Google's new system for files/graphics on blogs.
Try the direct link in my response to Farmgal. Grr. This should work.
ReplyDeleteIt opens to a page that loads black and white squares and then blinks out saying error and then says to refresh to fix, but it did the same thing 3x over and nothing changed. Is it just the squares or do you have details in there?
ReplyDeleteNo details yet. Just wanted to show the basic layout ... I'm starting to realize that I rely a LOT on the feedback I get from you guys. :)
ReplyDeleteThe spreadsheet is where most of the information is.
I don't know what's going on. Even logged out of Google, I can get it to open with the direct link, but there should be a graphic imbedded in the post. :( Is there some trick I'm missing for how to imbed graphics now?
I did get the spreadsheet to open with the direct link. Wow that is going to be a lot of work. Are you going to do raised beds?
ReplyDeleteCan you copy the spreadsheet and put it into the blog itself?
ReplyDeleteI could open the spreadsheet from your link in your blog. I did the three sisters last year for the first time. It was very cool - but remember to plant all of your squashes a good distance from each other as they cross polinate very easily.
ReplyDeleteIf I put hills all around the garden, and keep one type of squash per side, I wonder if that will work?
ReplyDeleteSorry dear, the only way you can get clean seed for keeping on those squash is to use a either a pollinating cage, and or pick and self pollinate and then tape your flower shut to keep out any other way..
ReplyDeleteI would put one or two seed cages on that to do list before the season really hits, thankfully you just need to pick your best plants and once you get the ones you want started, you can use and reuse the cages with different plants, as long as the "keepers" are clearly marked, part of a good reason to stagger plant as well.
A book for your collection, Seed to seed.. its a must to me..
on the other hand to be far, I have kept back seeds from a awesome plant/producer from my mixes and planted out gen one, two and in some cases three before the mix's get to the point of huh on shape, color or flavour..
The mixed ones still work great for feeder crops for critters.
If you're not saving seeds ... then cross polination is not an issue as the plant will produce true. However, the seeds will not be true. Unfortunately, the distance between plants is substantial, as pollinators can fly a long distance. Maybe if you had them in separate beds in different areas of your yard, that might be sufficient.
ReplyDeleteWell, we're going to have to balance cost and work. It has taken me a while to understand double digging vs tilling (they ARE different), and my first thought was to pile compost on top of cardboard (which we'll have plenty of). However, it's one thing to read that you put 12-18" compost on top of the cardboard, and it's quite another to do the math. A 50x50' garden with 12" compost requires 93 cubic yards of compost .... which would cost about $1300. (Although when I do the calculations, it helps to calculate 12 inches compost and not 12 feet ....)
ReplyDeleteSo I'm leaning towards double digging as many beds as we can, starting obviously with those plants that need to go out first, and mixing 15-20 cubic yards compost into the soil. It will cost us about $14 per cubic yard, plus we'll need to drive out to the landfill (an hour away) to get it. As Mr D was reminding us last night, NO one is going to deliver out to our place.
So I'm assuming that will make kind-of-raised beds.
I'll have to figure out how to keep the seeds true. One of the reasons I paid extra to have almost entirely heritage seeds was so that we don't have to buy them every year.
ReplyDeletePerhaps I can stagger plant the squash so that they don't flower at the same time.
I also can't see your file :( Re: seed saving, there are several families of squash - you can grow one type from each family (maximo, mixta, pepo, moschata - plenty of info on the net ) and they will *not* cross polinate with one another - so you can save seed for the future. The following year, you can try different members of the families until you find what is suited to your garden, and what your family likes best. You might want to consider how you might fence/install season-extending row covers and access the beds for adding soil and ammendments in the future, and if you will want animals to have access to glean from harvested areas (solar electric netting?)
ReplyDeleteWell, if that's the case, I have:
ReplyDelete- Boston Marrow (maxima)
- Butternut (muscata)
- Birdhouse (lagenaria)
- Zucchini (pepo)
And yes, the birdhouse is for making dried birdhouses! :D
My first visit! Interesting site.
ReplyDelete