Right, after spending half the night last night moving little boxes around in Excel to get some kind of plan together I thought I was going to go mad :)
I know about rotation, about avoiding disease, about companion planting, about what we actually want to grow.
The thing I can't find out anywhere is just how much space for each thing. I have no idea about yield, and how much to plant. Also, not sure about how long things will take and what should follow what in the same bed, and just how to stagger the planting so it isn't all ready at once!
I know a lot is trial and error, and this year will be a lot of trial and a lot or error I would think - but, we have about 14 beds of 10'x4' (or we will have eventually when they are cleared).
Does anywhere have a nice little table of veg, putting in times, growing times, estimation of yield?
Thanks!
PS Dragging dh up there now for an hour or so (I think thats all he'll put up with he he do all the ladies here have husbands that slowly disown them? ;D)
There are tables in amongst these sites handy to keep in your favourite files, I believe the second site is our Gavins and its a cracker ;)
http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/
http://www.keirg.freeserve.co.uk/diary/default.html
Nattyem, I am by no means an expert, but this is what I've done for my first year's plan:
As far as space went, I used Gavin's site for spacings for plants, wrote it all down in a little notebook and converted it all in to my excel plan. As I am growing in beds and not in conventional rows, I have shrunk a few of the spaces between rows, only time will tell if that is a good or a bad idea.
I'm really not sure of yields for some things, but somewhere I saw yields for spuds quoted as - first earlies 400 - 750g per plant, and maincrop 1.5kg per plant, I guess this assumes no virus or slug damage. Other things I have no idea on.
I'm just growing loads of the things l like and use like spuds and onions, and sweetcorn and beans, and a few of some other things, and I'll record everything I do and if I have to go to the supermarket for veg, then I'll know to plant more of whatever I'm short on next year. Good luck :)
If you're interested, I can try to email you my little excel plan. I made the cells in to squares, and made one square = 10 sq cm.
Moggle could I be cheeky and have a copy too please as I haven't a clue about excel, not even sure if I have it on my PC ??? ;D
yes please!
I've PMd you my address.
thankyouthankyouthankyou
Nattyem, will try to remember to send the plan on monday, I doubt if will provide all the answers, but it might help (I hope :))
Roy, pm me your email address and I can send you through the plan too
Quote from: Moggle on January 29, 2005, 15:25:22
I'm really not sure of yields for some things, but somewhere I saw yields for spuds quoted as - first earlies 400 - 750g per plant, and maincrop 1.5kg per plant, I guess this assumes no virus or slug damage. Other things I have no idea on.
Was at Potato day yesterday and did the potato quiz. There was a bloke who got 370lb of spuds out of one plant. :o ::)
QuoteThere was a bloke who got 370lb of spuds out of one plant.
Wow!
Nattyem and Roy, I have emailed the plan through, hope it got through all your spam filters :)
Got it Moggle thanks, but I can't open it, it says "Windows cannot open this file", it needs to know what programme created it.
Doh! ??? thats me stumped ::)
A pox on Windows, Microsoft and Bill Gates! >:(
Roy it's an Excel file, and should theoretically give you no problems. If you still have probs I can try to send again from my hotmail.
Moggle
Thanks Moggle got it! Wow, you've gone to town! Its a great help thank-you :)
Glad to help Nattyem! I definitely had too much free time on my hands when I did that late last year ;D
Moggle I think I need to instal excel to be able to open it, :P so sending it through Hotmail won't help (I don't think) ??? other than that I need an ounce of computer technology to get the necessary patch or gizmo to make it work, :'( which I don't have. ::)
Thanks for trying. ;D
roy, you should invest a little time to get excel then, it's worth the effort.
nice work, moggle :)
Why give microsoft more money? Download Openoffice (www.openoffice.org (http://www.openoffice.org)) for FREE, the spreadsheet part will open an excel file. :)
I could always post some printouts Roy.
Glad you like it Svea, hope it helps.
You've inspired me. I measured my (soon-to-be) bigger veg patch yesterday and spend a few happy hours with paper, pencil and ruler, even working out proper spacings and how many plants I'll need.
So far I've placed the courgettes, sweetcorn, and four spuds. But I think I might have to move them again. It's all so complicated.