Plant spacing

Spacing is important for plant welfare and performance and worth considering every time you sow seeds or plant out. It’s easy to get wrong because it’s hard to believe how much a tiny seedling or plug plant will grow. The ‘rules’ are based on three fundamentals – gardeners’ convenience, basic plant needs and ultimate size. Starting with the first, you need access to your plants. Widely spaced rows enable you to get in and pick, while there should always be enough room to fit in the blade of a long-handled hoe for weed control. When sowing seeds, imagine your difficulty thinning or pricking out tiny seedlings growing too close together.

Each plant needs enough light, water, air, nutrients and support to grow, and good spacing ensures these. Seedlings that are too close together weaken, as they all stretch towards the light, but well-spaced seedlings exposed to gentle breezes form sturdy stems. Air movement is also crucial for reducing fungal problems. So do follow spacing instructions and measure as you sow and plant, for results to make you proud.