What's the optimum spacings for veggies in containers?
05.09.2023 - 16:55
/ verticalveg.org.uk
One thing I sometimes grapple with is how far apart to space seeds and plants in a container. Should I follow the guidelines on the side of the seed packet – or can veg in containers be grown closer together? After playing around with different spacings, I ‘discovered’ some general rules of thumb.
The spacings depend on whether you are sowing leaf, root, or fruiting vegetables – and what size of veg you want to grow – as summarised in the table below:-
Explanation
Most leafy crops – salad leaves, kale and chard – and a few leafy herbs like coriander, can be sown nearly touching for microgreens (harvested very small), or a bit further apart for baby leaves (as small plants with true leaves). For full sized leaves, the seeds need to be sown at the distance recommended on the seed pack, or close to it. Alternatively, it’s possible to sow close and then ‘thin out’ (remove) some of the seedlings. This gives the remaining plants the space they need to grow to full size. And the ‘thinnings’ are usually tender and tasty!
Some root crops – like beetroot, turnip, spring onions / scallions – can also be sown nearly touching for microgreens (many root crops can be eaten as microgreens but not all – check first!), or a bit further apart (say 3cm / 1 inch between seeds) for baby roots. As with leafy veg, they need approximately seed packet spacings to grow full sized roots. One strategy that can work well is to sow for baby roots, then to thin to let the remainder grow larger.
Most fruiting veg on the other hand need plenty of space. This is because a squash plant, for example, needs to grow to almost full size before it can fruit. For this reason, it’s best to sow fruiting veg at, or close to, the spacings recommended on the seed packet.
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