TINO: Whether you're designing a garden or planting veggies,
it's all about space.
So how far apart should your plants be?
Now, everything that you chuck in your garden
has a certain habit and growth rate.
And when you buy seeds or a new plant,
the label will give you the height and the width of the plant
when it reaches maturity,
which gives you an idea of how much space it needs.
It's pretty simple, really.
All plants need enough room for their roots and their leaves
so they can maximise growth.
We all know how big cabbages can get - huge.
So it's pretty easy for us to imagine
the size that many veggies and herbs will get to when they're fully grown.
If you're planting seedlings and you want a top-quality harvest,
follow the spacing instructions on the label.
This will ensure that you get quality over quantity.
It's telling me that these swedes are best planted 20-25cm apart.
Now, I know the label said 20-25cm,
but swedes are big, so I'm being a bit cheeky
and I'm planting them at 30.
Now, whereas your swedes need a lot of space above the ground,
your carrot needs deep space vertically below the ground,
but not so much horizontally.
And when it comes to pumpkins,
some cultivars may have different size fruit,
but all of them are gonna scramble and need heaps of space.
If you're growing from seed, like me,
you can be a bit more liberal with your sowing.
The correct spacing for these carrots is 30cm between the rows,
but only a couple of centimetres between each of the plants.
But the good thing about sowing a little bit more thickly
is you get the added bonus of thinning out,
so, therefore, a couple of extra harvests.
Now, if it's ground covers you're after,
it's best to choose plants that are fast-growing and naturally dense.
Like this Iberis sempervirens here,
a tough little ground cover that spreads to about 70cm.
And because of its density, it acts like a really good weed suppressant.
And it holds these blooms for a very long time
so you can be enjoying them season after season.
Marjoram has a low-spreading habit
that gets to about 50cm.
In this situation, it's planted with creeping thyme
and alpine strawberries to create a herb lawn.
Now, normally, we give our plants plenty of space,
but here we pack them in a little bit closely together
so they can grow into each other.
Effectively, it's creating a living mulch
that's suppressing weeds and helping to protect the ground.
But the best thing about a herb lawn is they taste great,
and they smell...amazing.
If you're wanting to create dense plantings using shrubs,
then think carefully about what you're trying to achieve.
Do you want a thick hedge to create a boundary,
or are you after a screen
to allow a certain amount of light and views through?
These Camellia sasanquas were planted about 10-15 years ago as a screen,
whereas these were planted last season.
And as you can see, they haven't really grown into themselves yet.
Good plant spacing means better long-term outcomes
than if you were to pack your plants together for an instant display.
And you use less plants.
Murraya exotica 'Hiko' is a classic hedging plant
with glossy green foliage
and a beaut citrus blossom scent.
Stock like this at around 15cm high are a good way to start
when you're planting a large quantity.
Plants this size are not only cheaper but they actually transplant better
rather than a big expensive plant that's been mollycoddled in a nursery
and suddenly has to deal with the shock
of a drastic change in conditions.
The 'Hiko' will grow to about 2.5 to 3 metres high,
with about a 1.5- to 2-metre width.
I want the hedge to only get to about 2 metres high
so I'm gonna plant them a little bit denser,
and due to the competition, it'll reduce the vigour,
and therefore the overall height of my hedge.
I've spaced these about a metre apart,
which should mean that they get to about 2 metres
in about four to five years.
Those of you who are a bit further north,
you may expect that to happen just a bit quicker.
As your hedge grows, pruning out the tops
will maintain a consistent height
and encourage bushier vertical and bottom growth.
The denser you make your plantings, the more competition there is,
so therefore more maintenance, more water and fertiliser inputs,
and a higher chance that your plants may not look their best
because of the extra competition for space and resources.
This is often why you might see a hedge of plants
doing really well for a while, and then a couple die off.
The back section of this Camellia sinensis hedge is struggling
due to the root competition
and the shade cast by these feijoas behind.
If you've got a situation like this,
you may want a few extra plants to fill in the gaps
as well as adding more water and food to this area
so all your plants have an equal opportunity to thrive.
It's best to consider all of these factors before you plant.
So whether you're just after healthier plants
or higher yields in your veggie garden,
or you just want that plant to grow into the spot that you bought it for,
think about how you space your plants.
Follow the guides and you'll have great success in your garden.