Spacing & Planting Beds

Crop Planting & Soil Preparation

When you sow seeds, you are giving them life. But just like people need their own room to live comfortably, plants also need personal space. If they grow too close, they fight for sunlight, water, and nutrients. If they are too far apart, space gets wasted.

That's why correct spacing and bed preparation is so important.

🌱 1. Why Spacing Matters

Here's why proper spacing is crucial:

  • Prevents overcrowding and competition.
  • Improves air circulation → fewer diseases.
  • Makes irrigation, weeding, and harvesting easier.
  • Gives each plant enough sunlight to grow strong.

👉 Note:

Wrong spacing = stunted growth, fewer fruits.

📏 2. General Spacing Guide for Common Crops

Follow these spacing guidelines:

  • Leafy Vegetables (Spinach, Coriander, Methi): 2–3 inches apart.
  • Root Crops (Carrot, Radish, Beetroot): 4–6 inches apart.
  • Pulses (Beans, Peas): 6–8 inches apart.
  • Fruit Vegetables (Tomato, Brinjal, Chili): 1–1.5 feet apart.
  • Climbers & Gourds (Pumpkin, Bottle Gourd, Cucumber): 2–3 feet apart, with trellis support.
  • Grains (Wheat, Rice, Maize): 6–9 inches between rows.

👉 Rule of Thumb:

Bigger the crop, bigger the space.

🌿 3. Types of Planting Beds

a) Raised Beds

Beds are made 6–12 inches higher than ground.

  • Width: 3–4 feet (so you can reach from both sides).
  • Best for vegetables like tomato, spinach, chili, beans.
  • Advantages: Better drainage, easier to manage in small gardens.

👉 Common in terrace/backyard gardening.

b) Flat Beds

Soil is leveled, and crops are sown directly in rows.

  • Best for large fields and cereals like wheat, maize, mustard.
  • Cheaper and less labor than raised beds.

c) Ridges & Furrows

Soil is raised in long ridges with furrows (channels) between.

  • Best for crops like potato, onion, sugarcane.
  • Furrows are used for irrigation, ridges protect roots.

d) Pits

Pits or holes are dug for fruit trees like mango, guava, banana.

  • Size: 2–3 feet deep, filled with soil + compost before planting.
  • Spacing: 10–15 feet between trees.

🌍 How to Choose the Right Bed?

Select based on your space and crop needs:

  • Small home garden/terrace: Raised beds (3–4 ft wide).
  • Field crops (grains): Flat beds.
  • Vegetables needing irrigation: Ridges & furrows.
  • Fruit orchards: Pits with proper spacing.

🧑‍🌾 Tips for Planting Beds

Follow these for best results:

  • Beds should run north to south → sunlight spreads evenly.
  • Keep paths (30–50 cm wide) between beds for easy movement.
  • Add mulch (straw, dry leaves) on beds → controls weeds, saves water.

✍️ Practical Exercise for You

Try this simple activity:

  • Make a small raised bed (3 ft wide × 6 ft long).
  • Sow spinach on one side (close spacing) and tomato saplings on the other side (1 ft spacing).
  • Observe after 3 weeks — spinach will form a thick green carpet, tomatoes will stand tall with enough space.