Seed Bed?

Steven34

Hello. I am making part of my garden into an allotment..I am planning the beds and my thoughts are 4ft Wide x 10ft Long. 3 main bed. 1 permanent bed for rhubarb and strawberries. I have read a lot of books and they all mention a permanent seed bed? Would I have use for this if I have a greenhouse? What exactly would I sow direct outdoors? .what size bed is best? Raised or ground?. I mentioned my beds..im not actually having raised bed..im am.just putting strips of timber in the ground to define where I am growing..thanks

Ceres

If you are raising seeds in the greenhouse there is no need to have a dedicated bed for this outdoors. Also, if you are sowing veg seeds outdoors, it is normal to sow them where you intend to grow the plants to maturity. I've been growing things for decades and I've never had a special part of the garden just for seeds.

LeifUK

It sounds a bit like my veg bed.

4 ft might be a bit wide. You need to make sure you can reach all of the bed without walking on it. As for sowing, you might try sowing in modules. It has the advantage that seeds can be started in the greenhouse, away from birds, and protected from wind and frosts. You then put the plants out when they outgrow the modules. Another advantage is that you free up the beds, so you can grow pak choi in the bed while beetroot is growing in modules. Similarly you can grow early crops in the beds, then follow on with courgettes and beans in summer.

Oh and I have problems with birds, so I have to net the beds. I use fine netting over carrots to exclude carrot fly.

Fairygirl

I can only think that you might use it for annual flowers (for cutting) or something you'd sow direct, perhaps for a succession of some plants that you'd then transplant like lettuce,  but I can't see any major advantage to having a permanent, separate area unless you have a big enough garden. 

Steven34

That's great..Thanks for the advice. I assume 4 beds would be enough at this size if I chose to go ahead? Family of 3 so don't want loads. I will be using the other part of the garden as a mini orchard for dwarf fruit trees.

Steven34

Fairygirl you are always giving me advice...thank you. Maybe I should get you over and so you can help me lol

Fairygirl

I'd agree with the others Steven - who have also given great advice 

Leif's right about the width of your beds - you want to be able to reach the middle easily. I only grow what I can eat and my daughters don't eat as much veg as I do so it's mainly salad and tomatoes (which have to be undercover here) . I don't want my entire garden to be a veg plot either so it's about getting a balance. Start with what you really need - you can always add another area if you feel it's necessary  

 

Steven34

All the advice is great peeps and a big thank you to u all. I hope to have it all in place in summer do I can turn the soil in Autumn and grow this time next year. I still have a lot of work to do but I like to plan ahead so I know where I am going .

Fairygirl

Planning can be a lot of fun Steven 

Green Magpie

Four feet wide sound fine to me. You shuld be able to reach the middle from either side quite easily. Some of my beds are four feet, some four and half, and the latter are a bit of a stretch but still manageable, and I'm an average sized female.