Growing vegetables
bulkerb
Posts: 258
Morning my fellow gardeners here's my story.
I work as a gardener been doing it full time for about a year and love it. Trouble is I have only ever dealt with flowers shrubs etc, I now do work in a garden where I must plant vegetables and I think I may have mucked up already on my first try.
I have raised beds which are around 15 long a metre is wide and raised by around 6 inches, I dug them all over last winter digging in well rotted horse manure then covered each bed with old polythene to keep them warm and weed free.
I have just planted broad bean plug plants about 7 8 inches high 12 inches apart and 2 feet between rows because I had plenty of space and only 17 plants to start with.
I now know that's to far apart can a I dig them up and start again or should I just put sticks and string round to support them. Also should I have put netting to protect them from pigeons advice welcome also planted cauliflowers similar planting.
Hinesight is a wonderful thing cheers im a silly old fool
Posts
That spacing sounds fine to me Bulkerb. Mine are a little bit closer, but what the heck - they'll need room to grow.
I would put canes and string around them to give them some support in the wind, just in case - but spring planted broad beans are usually fairly sturdy plants.
Pigeons don't bother my broad beans, but they may well be after your cauliflowers - what is certain is that the Cabbage White butterflies will be trying to lay eggs on them and the caterpillars will decimate them, so I would protect them from the butterflies with fine gauge netting and that'll keep the pigeons off too
As for being a silly old fool - you'll fit in well here
Good luck
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I am a silly old fool who repeatedly grows broad beans too close. The result is that mouldy diseases like chocolate spot spread more easily. Your beans will stay healthier if they're well spaced out, with more air circulating between the plants.
You done good!
You can always grow a small crop like salad leavesin between the rows if there's enough space, or just a few lettuces from plug plants.