Historic Gardening Series Segment #1 Wide-Row Planting

According to the garden bulletin "Wide-Row Planting: The Productive Miracle" by Dick Raymond: "wide-row planting is simply a matter of broadcasting seeds in bands anywhere from ten inches to three or more feet wide" (1). The benefits of wide-row planting are many. Here are just a few to mull over. 

First, wide rows contain more plants than regular rows, so production per square foot is increased. 

Second, wide-row planting saves the gardener time when weeding and harvesting because you have so much growth directly in front of you and out to each side. This means you will spend more time actually weeding and harvesting and less time moving up and down rows. 

Third, you save space when you plant in shorter rows as opposed to longer rows, which is helpful if you are trying to grow as much as possible in a small space.  

And finally, planting in wide rows produces shade, which in turn retains moisture in the soil so plants and the soil they are planted in do not dry out as quickly. 

Although wide-row gardening is rewarding and convenient, not all plants should be planted in wide rows. Raymond states plants such as beans, beets, cabbage, and carrots will do well in wide rows, while plants that love large amounts of sun and heat, such as corn, tomatoes, and peppers do better when they have plenty of room to grow. 

Works Cited

Raymond, Dick. "Wide-Row Planting: The Productive Miracle." Garden Way Publishing Bulletin A - 2. Garden Way Publishing, Pownal, VT. Copyright 1977 by Storey Communications, Inc.