Looking for vegitable suggestions and feedback

17 years ago

Hello, everyone! Along with so many other Americans, i'm finally starting a raised bed veggie garden this year, and i'm looking for suggestions on what grows well in the Pacific Northwest, along with general feedback.

By the end of next weekend, i will have (4) 4x8 beds to fill. I thought i would plant 4 different kinds of tomatoes at the center of each bed (i'm wild about tomatoes), and then fill in the ends with other kinds of veggies. I wouldn't mind one area for a cutting flower garden as well, but maybe i should wait on that till i get more skilled.

I'm not sure how much things will spread, so i've got only a bare bones outline that i'm hoping you all can comment freely on and help me fill in. I've never done a veggie garden before, and i'm nervous.

Any suggestions?

Also, is it too late to direct sow seeds at this point, or must i purchase babies?

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Comments (3)

jwstell42
17 years ago
Which direction is north / south etc?

How are you supporting your tomatoes? Or are you letting them sprawl? (Not recommended with your spacing)

The reason I ask, is generally you want your taller veges to the north, shorter to the south, so if in your diagram above, North is up, then I would put the tomatoes at the top, and either cage or trellis them... etc..

People differ greatly on how they space their tomotoes depending on how they prune them. I use a mix of CRW and Texas Tomato Cages, and dedicate a 2X2 to each tomoto - and I don't prune. Just to give you one persons experience with tomatoes! (They are one of my favorites aslo! Growing 7 varieties myself this year.

As far as your other veges, I have not grown most of them (although this year I'm trying strawberries).

Lettuce and spinach I did "try" last year, but not successfully - so I wouldn't be a good one to offer advice on those.

Anyway, welcome to veggie gardening! And good luck.
estreya
Original Author
17 years ago
Good grief! I should know better than to leave out information like North/South. :)

These beds are dead south, and will get a lot of sun all day. But it didn't even occur to me that having the tomatoes in the center would effectively shade whatever is planted on the north side of the beds. I though it would have such visual appeal to have the highest thing in the middle, but it seems i've learned my first lesson.

There's a person on my local Craigslist who sells very strong cages at $12.00 each, supposedly stronger than the ones that can be purchased in the market. I was just going to order four of those, though i haven't done so yet.

From a visual standpoint, i'm wondering if i can just have the four tomatoes in two of the beds, leaving the other two tomato free?

Food for thought ... literally!
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jwstell42
17 years ago
If you follow my spacing, yes, you could do two tomatoes to each bed on the north side. Or if you are a real tomato lover like me, you could do two tomatoes in every bed :) Using the top 2 X 4 area for two tomato plants, and the bottom 6 X 4 for the rest of your veggies.

But again, it all depends on the person :)

Also as far as the strawberries - something to consider - They are a perennial, and will come back for 3-4 years from what I read, so wherever you choose, try and pick a place that you would be fine with the following year as well.