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Garden Layout: Go by "expected" size, or the size now?

U

UltraZelda64

I had my garden plant layout planned based on plant type and the average height given on Chileplants.com. However, I just received the plants today, and I'm wondering if my layout is okay... some plants are actually quite short, which I expected to be larger. Would it be a good idea to go through the trouble of measuring each plant and re-plotting the garden? The thing I'm most concerned about is taller plants shading smaller ones. For example, the smallest plant of all I have received is the Antillais Caribbean, which according to the site is supposed to be one of the taller plants. If I plant it where originally intended, at least unless it picks up speed and grows like hell, I'm thinking it might be overshadowed by the one beside it.

By the way, 27 of them are various chinenses (different habs, nagas, scorpion, fatalii, etc.), while the last 3 are jalapenos, if that matters.

What do you guys think?
 
I'm not completely sure, but I think it's around 16". Around 21" between rows. And as the recommendations say on the chileplants.com site, I'm planning on planting them in "staggered formation" (zig-zag), I'm thinking it might help prevent plants blocking light from each and making accessing each plant easier.
 
your zig-zag layout is good you should be fine, thats pretty much how my layout is, no need to adjust in my opinion, the plants will take care of themselves as far as light, those that need to get taller will, some of my best plants are doing better in more shade anyway :D
 
WickedMojo said:
your zig-zag layout is good you should be fine, thats pretty much how my layout is, no need to adjust in my opinion, the plants will take care of themselves as far as light, those that need to get taller will, some of my best plants are doing better in more shade anyway :D
Click to expand...

+1 here, zig zag seems to work really well for me, spacing at about 18" or so, and now that i think about it some of my best plants in years past have been in the shadier (sp?) portion of the garden too...wonder if there is something to that....hmmmm

BTW what part of ohio you in? Cincinnati area here
 
I'm in Alliance (Stark County).

I've got a lot of work to do today to make the second garden suitable (damn weeds keep popping up, which I pulled like a dozen times already, and I need to soften/turn the soil)... should've done it by now, but every time I plan on it the weather just doesn't want to cooperate. Now, I realized... with around 30 plants, in tiny pots, it's gonna take a lot of work just to make sure they all stay moist... time flies. It's kind of funny, because the wait seemed to take forever.
 
The only suggestion I can think of is to plant your tallest/fastest growing plants on the North side of your plot. Combined with the slight angle of the sun, this should prevent any drastic shading.

Good luck!
 
Well... the only problem with that is, because I didn't personally raise these plants from seed, I have no idea which ones are actually the fastest growing. Just that some are bigger, some are smaller, which might tell some, but not a whole lot (who knows, some of the small ones might just explode once I put them in the ground). Also, my garden is kind of weird, and set up in a specific way for my crappy yard: the tallest plants are set to be on the east side of the garden, because the garden is located directly beside the house's west side. Meanwhile there's a giant bush that I hate (damn bird magnet) just a few feet north of the garden, and the plants will get full afternoon sun... but indirect light most of the rest of the day because of the house.

After some extra thought, I think I'll just keep my current layout... I think the spacing and zig-zag layout should make up for and growth/height differences between plants. At least, I hope...
 
Phadrus On Fire said:
The only suggestion I can think of is to plant your tallest/fastest growing plants on the North side of your plot. Combined with the slight angle of the sun, this should prevent any drastic shading.

Good luck!
Click to expand...

+ 1 Very good info!!!
 
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