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Planning Planting Beds
On this page find examples showing how to divide a vegetable garden bed into equal-area planting grids and allocate vegetables so they have the recommended amount of space to grow, including:
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- Allocating space in garden vegetable beds with different shapes.
- Combining equal-area grid blocks to accommodate the space needs of larger vegetable plants.
- Reserving space for easy garden plant care and harvesting in a vegetable garden.
- Examples of plantings in beds of various shapes and sizes.
Bed Dimensions and Shapes
The beds in your vegetable garden may be square, round, rectangular, or triangular, as shown in the examples below, or irregular in shape.
Combine the beds shown to fill larger areas, create L- or T-shaped layouts, or long, narrow rows. For example, square 4-ft. (1.2-m) beds can be combined to make a rectangle 4 x 8 ft. (1.2 x 2.4 m).
Each bed has been divided into roughly equal areas for ease of use with spacing diagrams [see Grid-Planting Diagrams].
Beds and Planting Spaces
Garden beds are more than defined areas for planting vegetables. They also distinguish corridors for working in the garden, movement of wheelbarrows and carts, and places to sit or stand. The best beds have centers that are no farther from the bed’s edges than the gardener can comfortably reach, and most paths should be at least 2 ft. (60 cm) or wider.