[MAK]

I copied my old dad , used books and followed the instructions on seed packets etc to grow my veg. However last year the methods and results that my neighours had made me think that maye I am not planting veg as I should.
The 3 neighbours are all over 80 and that makes me think that they must do things correctly.
Theirs sons spread cattle muck early in the year and turn  the ground over a months or so after. They plough up 4 lines into arretes and then sow seed after the 14th May or whenever the moon tells them.
They DO not sprinkle seed in fine rows and never seem to thin out - not even lettuce or carrots. They will pul up swedes and turnips to thin out but then nip the long root and few leaves of each and transplant. they gave me a bundle and the sweded ( orange) and turnip ( white) transplanted OK.
Today I sowed more carrot but not in a thin line but 3inch and along a raised line. My hope is that I too get long but dense rows of carrots,beans,lettuce,parsley,spinach etc and maximise the crop for land and work. No thinning out.

Anyone else ignore the sow thinly or "space every x cm" instructions on seed packets? 

[deepinthewoods]

absolutley, theres lies, theres damn lies, then theres the lies on seed packets.

[suziequeue]

absolutley, theres lies, theres damn lies, then theres the lies on seed packets.

Oh - I never knew that


Good one to know. What's the biggest lie then? (presumably it's "sew thinly?.....)

[YorkshireLass]

I'll let you know in a few months!


Having dabbled in square foot gardening - that taught me just how big foliage gets (half my crops shaded each other out), I tired to visualise that instead of measuring. I don't do measuring.
Oh, and allow for some not germinating.


No that much has sprouted yet!


I thought root veg didn't transplant well in general?

[MAK]

Root veg - I thought they did not transplant too.
Nip main root and 2-3 leaves ( almost stalks left) water in and they grow really well.
Beetroot are sold on the market here and is transplanted!!!! I would never have thought that they would transplant.

Square footage - it makes sense that plants in the middle of a square won't get much llight. The rows of my neighbours seem to be all east-west. Same as mine now

[deepinthewoods]

who ever came up with the idea that you can grow three tomato plants in a 20l growbag needs shooting imho. and cucumbers for that matter.
i dont grow carrots in rows, i grow them in clumps, ready for pulling as bunches and i dont thin them, just grab a handful as needed, its always worked for me, and doesnt attract fly.
i grow beetroot the same.
i dotn thin parsnips either and dont sow till may, 

[MAK]

deepinthewoods - you sound like my my kind of veg grower !  time is the key word and digging,sowing, planting out, watering and harvesting all take longer when one plants as per seed packet. Waste of manure and good digging too.
picking beans from a clump is a pain but a fork full of carrots is fine by me.

[suziequeue]

Wowza - this is exciting. 


I have an idea to dig some big deep holes in my heavy clay soil with the shove holer and fill it with fine compost/sand and grow clumps of carrots in that. I'm planning to do that this year with courgettes

[deepinthewoods]

that will work fine sq, and if you do it often enough itll sort your clay out for you too,

[suziequeue]

Yes - hopefully after a few years the holes will coalesce