We recently looked at the benefits of wide row planting in the home vegetable garden and now it’s time to look at single rows which is one option when planning your garden space this year.
Benefits of single row planting…
- Tall plants like corn fare better in single rows. I hear that tomatoes are a much better single row than wide row crop, although single rows haven’t helped me much with tomatoes. Carrots always work better for me in single rows. Any plant with large sprawling vines such as cucumbers and squash are best planted in single rows.
- I personally think single row gardens look cooler and are more soothing – for some reason there’s something so chill about being able to walk between rows of growing veggies. I know that aesthetics is a lame reason to plant in single rows, but if your goal is a charming old fashioned and tidy looking garden then single rows might be the way to go. I like tidy. If I had all the space in the world in my dream garden plot along with more time to water and weed (and maybe a garden helper) I might plant mostly single rows.
- Your back may suffer due to wide rows. Depending on how wide your blocks are, you may have to lean over a considerable amount of the time to pull weeds, catch pests or harvest. If you have knee or back issues I highly suggest single or double row planting – or better yet raised beds or try vertical planting.
Technically there’s also double row planting, but the benefits are mainly the same as wide row (i.e. helpful from a space perspective) – just on a smaller scale. The one benefit double rows have over both single and wide rows is your ability to run a soaker hose down the middle of the rows which is an efficient way to water. You can also dig a shallow furrow in between double rows when you’re planting, then run water down said channel to water.
There’s also block gardening which is pretty much like wide row gardening (in fact often now these styles are used interchangeably) but the blocks are a very specific size and the same distance across in both width and height. To learn more read the classic Square Foot Gardening. Overall most home gardeners I’ve met use a combination of various planting styles but one style tends to take the lead.
What method do you like best? Single rows, wide rows, ft. by ft. blocks or a mixture.
[image via stock.xchng]
Post from: Blisstree