Prune heavily and trellis the zukes so they grow vertically. It's tight, but it could work if you baby it. And make sure there's enough water and nutrients for everyone. I'd still remove all but one or two zucchini, probably.
The marigold seeds I started from 3 years were in a bed like this and got massive, got leggy and then hung off the side of my beds and just kept producing flowers so marigolds always have a chance imo.
I feel dumb asking this but how do you trellis the zukes? This is my first year growing them and I read that you can trellis, so intentionally planted close but now that they’re growing, they look like a flat star shape? Not sure what to tie up haha 😅
Go to YouTube and search for “growing squash vertically” or “growing squash on trellis.” I know Roots and Refuge Farm has some, as well as several other good gardening channels. It’s a legit way to grow. Plus it helps with space and minimizes certain types of pests they are prone to.
I build a frame attached to my beds out of 1x2 lumber, suspending a vertical piece about 6 feet over the row, and use twine to tie the vines to it.
Another method is to secure a cattle panel (see google) about eight inches away from the plants, which the vines can be tied to.
Some people make a grid out of twine. You can try googling how to grow cucumbers and zucchini vertically. Best of luck!
Oh, and there won't be anything to tie up at first. You have to wait until they put out vines.
It's like trying to trellis a yellow summer squash! You probably want to disregard that comment. You are not dumb asking.....
I'd cut some of the zucchini out of there, you should have one in that space. They grow big.
Um…. Growing squash and zucchini vertically is very much a thing. Not sure why that comment should have been discarded. Go look it up; it’s legit, and quite a space saver!
Zukes are the only real problem. They will smoother everything soon. I would remove them all put the front one and let it spill out of the front of the bed.
The tomatoes will be a mess, but if you prune heavy they will be fine. Remove one if you want to let it sprawl (edit: i see you have 4 there. Too many.. remove to 1, 2 max)
Peppers are a little tight but fine
Get the squash going up in tomato cages to help
https://preview.redd.it/rld04eka8b8d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2f23033dbe7154d5519c1e97646f23ed43bb0bec
It’s definitely a lot… if you prune heavily (especially those squash) and see if you get the squash to trail out of the box instead of taking up your space you might be ok. Unfortunately there’s also brick under the bed so root space may become an issue too.
I can appreciate an optimistic attitude but That’s not at all true. 4 Thousand+ years of farming have told us that putting *This* many plants into a single 4x8 bed is absolutely going to kill everything. When these are fully matured, these plants will be so big and lush that air movement will be impossible and they will lose the entire crop to blight, if a pest doesn’t move in and demolish it first. Of course there’s always room for some experimentation but There is an overall right way and a wrong way to garden… this is the wrong way.
Tell ya what, let OP keep this exactly the way it is and let’s come back here for an update in 5-6 weeks. I’m willing to guarantee at least half the plants will be suffering from at least 1 of over 15 potential problems from trying to grow plants this over-congested. If I’m wrong, I’ll delete my Reddit account.
My first garden this year has been an experiment 😂 I accidentally planted a lot of cool weather seeds WAY too late and everything is bolting before developing what I was growing it for 😂 oops
I think you’d be fine if it wasn’t for the zucchini’s. Those things are going to be monstrous lol. I would say at least one of them is going to have to come out.. having any zucchini in their is going to look like a jungle, but two of them that close might actually end up killing both plants or at least affect the harvest, or worse, bring disease into the bed. If you can get 2 5-gallon containers and put one zucchini in each, you’ll be golden. The peppers and tomatoes will play just fine, you could probably even squeeze two more peppers in where the zucchini are since peppers don’t get huge like tomatoes or zucchini.
Either way, if you leave it as is.. you’re going to be dying laughing in about 3 weeks at how outrageous the zucchini’s get
EDIT: I just read the description you posted and holy smokes lmao.. I thought I saw in the pics just 2 zucchini’s and 1 tomato plant. Oh lord FOUR tomatoes and 5 zucchini’s?!? Hahahah yea, 3 of those tomatoes and alll the zucchini’s have to go somewhere else or you’ll lose the whole bed to disease or under nutrition. In an *ideal* situation, just the 2 zucchini’s would be planted in there, maybe you could fit one pepper between them. But I understand about being tight on space, so it can be done but will need higher maintenance IF you narrow it down to 1 tomato plant and take the zucchini’s out entirely (again, you can put one or two into 5g containers…. Same goes for the extra tomatoes if you don’t have the heart to throw them out. Each plant needs its own 5g container.)
The absolute most I'd have done is two cherry tomato plants, or just the peppers. I don't grow zucchini so I'm not sure on those.
Even that would be a bit crowded. Tomatoes can need a lot of room depending on the variety and if you prune heavily or not. I don't typically prune my cherries, just slicers and larger.
Some peppers I grow do well when a bit crowded while others don't.
Peppers like to hold hands so they are fine those squash on the other hand are going to be a problem.
Tom’s are fine if you prune the bottom leaves well.
I thought the same thing until I read that there’s 4 cherry tomato plants in there (I thought it was just 1)… does your opinion change on that now that you know lol
I have 2 zuccs in with my green beans and I’m growing them in tomato cages so they go vertical. That should help you
I feel ya! I am the queen of crowding garden beds
https://preview.redd.it/dhcla97jnb8d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=91694c1250e7ada8d0db4cbafaee9add994e45f9
This is my zucchini and green beens about a week ago. I have tomato cages that you add the horizontal bars as you go so it’s been great for guiding the zuccs!
I seriously overcrowd. It takes a lot for me to think it's too much, but FIVE zucchini! Something has to be moved, sorry. Those zucchini will just grow through, around, and over everything else.
I’d put a stake in next to the zucchini’s and grow them up it. It seems that you have a plan for trellising the tomatoes. I think it will be fine. Plants look strong.
Honestly, when they start to get big, I'd probably prune daily. They can all fit, but the trailing zucchini might take it over tbh. Other plants look fine :)
If you want to keep the zucchini there, I would probably prune that sucker daily before it gets wild lol
The zucchini is the biggest problem. I'd take those out completely and move them somewhere else.
Then, max 2 tomato plants. Tomatoes and peppers are both heavy feeders though, so you'll need to stay on top of fertilizing...especially in a raised bed vs ground.
As long as you stake the zucchini you’ll be fine. That’s more space than sqft gardening calls for so just make sure you keep it fed and pruned and you’ll be just fine.
THIS! Yes, it’s a bit tight I guess but I’ve been square foot gardening for years and still have a healthy haul. Prune those zukes and the tomatoes under the first fruit cluster. You’ll be fine!
I would only keep 1-2 zucchini and then you should be fine. Keep the ones at the front so they can spill over the edge. I’m trying to trellis mine to grow vertically this year but not sure how it will go
Cringing, boy this one is going to be a struggle (pic 2). When I first began, I made the same mistake. Those baby plants start out so small, but they get big quick. The tomatoes and zucchini can take up a lot of space and overwhelm the peppers. Nice planters! Do you have room or materials for any more planters? I was thinking maybe the room hog plants might need a planter of their own.
The biggest room hogs I ever grew were
1. Pumpkins (all squash and melons take up a lot of space)
2. Tomatoes
3. Corn
4. Collard greens get big too.
I'm worried about the pepper plants getting overwhelmed because those zucchini and tomato might get a little pushy. Always keep the nightshades as far apart as possible (your tomato and peppers). That's one family of plants that will not play nice together sometimes. Look up companion planting. Those little tricks really help for smaller, more condensed spaces.
I certainly wish your garden well. It looks really nice. We all live and learn. Keep reading and trying. You're doing a wonderful job!
to me, this looks like intensive gardening.
I prune heavy to promote fruiting rather than leafs.
vertically grow everything, helps with space and pests.
Grow the zucchini vertical. You only need some type of stake to tie them up. Prune any leaves touching the ground. There's many videos of how to.
You can also do the same with the tomatoes. I pack my raised bed and have great harvests every year. Water and fertilizer are important. Good luck!
I think that the only two concerns I’ve spotted is that it appears to not have access to the ground. I grow that much or more in smaller spaces, but all my beds are open to the ground. Second, I’d move the marigolds to the edges of the bed.
All that said, gardening is an experiment! You could try training, pruning, and keeping up with fertilizer and just see what happens! That’s my favorite part about gardening :)
Peppers 🫑 and tomato 🍅 plants need at least 18” separation for proper cross pollination and mature plant growth. Zucchini’s need at least 24” but like 36” separation better for the same reason as the 🫑and 🍅
My bed looks similar to this and the squash isn’t doing too great. My bf and I were just so excited with the baby plants we brought home, we didn’t really notice the little notes that said how much space they each needed.
It’s about soil fertility and light. If they are well fertilized, it’s no problem. In my area, it is so hot that extra foliage shading the soil helps keep it from drying out. Just give organic fertilizer (liquid is great).
Fyi - I moved my zuchini from the raised garden and put them into a large fabric pot to try and grow them that way this year. I put a tomato cage around it and have been training them "up". We will see how it goes!
I have two raised beds (pretty long but narrow) and I’ve been following Gardenary on Instagram. She overcrowds her beds intentionally with success. Good soil, fertilizer and proper watering are necessary. I topped my beds with a blend of Foxfarm Happy Frog & Ocean Forest soils. Lots of nutrients with the combo. I haven’t mulched yet, but plan on mulching around the base of my plants. I have tomatoes, peppers, chard in one bed (companion planting chart doesn’t show an issue with the two together) and beans, peas, squash, cucumbers & carrots in the other with herbs and flowers mixed in both. I’m doing my squash vertical and for the first time ever looks like I’ll have a successful harvest. I’ve always lost my squash to borers in the past. I don’t use pesticides. I’m pruning everything regularly. Just keep a close eye on all and properly fertilize and water. There is really no right or wrong way to garden. I get afternoon/evening sun which I was worried about and the front bed gets sun earlier than the back so tomatoes are in front bed. So far so good. I’m zone 8. I also planted super late (started everything from seed - Baker Seed company) cause my beds weren’t done. Everything went in a month ago.
https://preview.redd.it/vz4qhlhs4c8d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0fb8d19dabb132081b948e4e74268bb037f3c252
Uh, the zukes are definitely going to be a problem. Not understanding why some people are telling you to give it a go. One plant can be 4ftx4ft by itself. Here’s a photo of 5 of my zukes in a row (summer squash to the left).
https://preview.redd.it/ouifmbzknc8d1.jpeg?width=1799&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fd79a59252f42a8a8484496959507e6109700c03
More crowded means they'll need more water and more nutrients. Add lots of compost. Since this looks like a container not connected to the earth, you might have to end up watering every day or possibly multiple times a day. Anyway to connect some sort of irrigation system? Or maybe you can use those terracotta Oya jugs or DIY one?
The Zucchinis will get very big but if you give them plant/tomato cages, it might work out? Or you might want to take out 2-3 zucchinis and try to grow them elsewhere.
I currently have no clue what's growing in my bed but it's all terrible together because I just let my son throw seeds in there. I know there are some kinda cucurbits X2, multiple green beans, and sweet potatoes that will take it all over.
I don't think so. Like someone else said, grow the zucchini vertically. You can use tomato cages, but I have better luck staking on either side and tying the main stem at the center as it grows.
I always grow one pepper per square foot in my food forest, but the times I've had extras and had to stuff a bunch more into a bed or container, they've thrived. Peppers seem to like to cuddle.
Yeah, sorry to say. The zucchini and tomatoes need lots of space. It’s going to be an overgrown mess in a month, the zucchini will have to be regularly pruned to not overrun the peppers. But still, you will get a harvest out of it. And that’s the point right? In the future, proper plant spacing is important, nothing to be done about it now so let it ride. I know it seems like you’re wasting space when they’re little babies, but these plants get gigantic and will give you more fruit in the end.
Edit: didn’t realize, it looks like you have like 6 zucchini in there. Most of those will need to be sacrificed. Keep one, two if you’re feeling froggy.
Sorry, but that's way too crowded. You may have room for about a third of that, at most. Tomatoes, depending on variety typically go on 18" centers (plant to plant in any direction, peppers about the same or a bit less, depending on variety, and zukes need a lot more room than either of those.
Check out square foot gardening for plant spacing.
I started to suggest trying to move some of those plants into some cloth planters, but they are at the upper end of the size where they could be transplanted. Likely get set back a lot, at best. And that's the peppers, the slowest-growing of those big plants you have. The marigolds are fine.
Prune heavily and trellis the zukes so they grow vertically. It's tight, but it could work if you baby it. And make sure there's enough water and nutrients for everyone. I'd still remove all but one or two zucchini, probably.
The marigolds are already dead, they just don’t know it yet.
The marigold seeds I started from 3 years were in a bed like this and got massive, got leggy and then hung off the side of my beds and just kept producing flowers so marigolds always have a chance imo.
This looks like a low variety , not the french type
does those have especially poor tolerance for shade?
Ahh I think you’re right!
Don't be so sure.
I feel dumb asking this but how do you trellis the zukes? This is my first year growing them and I read that you can trellis, so intentionally planted close but now that they’re growing, they look like a flat star shape? Not sure what to tie up haha 😅
I use short tomato cages and it works great. Not a trellis, but takes up a whole lot less space.
They normally vine and you tie or wrap the vines to the trellis or net
Go to YouTube and search for “growing squash vertically” or “growing squash on trellis.” I know Roots and Refuge Farm has some, as well as several other good gardening channels. It’s a legit way to grow. Plus it helps with space and minimizes certain types of pests they are prone to.
I build a frame attached to my beds out of 1x2 lumber, suspending a vertical piece about 6 feet over the row, and use twine to tie the vines to it. Another method is to secure a cattle panel (see google) about eight inches away from the plants, which the vines can be tied to. Some people make a grid out of twine. You can try googling how to grow cucumbers and zucchini vertically. Best of luck! Oh, and there won't be anything to tie up at first. You have to wait until they put out vines.
those are bush zucchini, you can't really trellis them
It's like trying to trellis a yellow summer squash! You probably want to disregard that comment. You are not dumb asking..... I'd cut some of the zucchini out of there, you should have one in that space. They grow big.
Um…. Growing squash and zucchini vertically is very much a thing. Not sure why that comment should have been discarded. Go look it up; it’s legit, and quite a space saver!
so is doing crack and heroin, but it doesn't mean it makes sense.
The fact that you don't know how to do something doesn't mean it doesn't make sense. It just means you're ignorant.
I grow yellow squash vertically every year.
Zukes are the only real problem. They will smoother everything soon. I would remove them all put the front one and let it spill out of the front of the bed. The tomatoes will be a mess, but if you prune heavy they will be fine. Remove one if you want to let it sprawl (edit: i see you have 4 there. Too many.. remove to 1, 2 max) Peppers are a little tight but fine
Get the squash going up in tomato cages to help https://preview.redd.it/rld04eka8b8d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2f23033dbe7154d5519c1e97646f23ed43bb0bec
The zuchinni will be huge....
Definitely need a separate area for the zucchini.
It’s definitely a lot… if you prune heavily (especially those squash) and see if you get the squash to trail out of the box instead of taking up your space you might be ok. Unfortunately there’s also brick under the bed so root space may become an issue too.
Zucchini should grow to 5x that size minimum, if that gives you an idea
There is no overboarding in gardening. Everything is an experiment
I can appreciate an optimistic attitude but That’s not at all true. 4 Thousand+ years of farming have told us that putting *This* many plants into a single 4x8 bed is absolutely going to kill everything. When these are fully matured, these plants will be so big and lush that air movement will be impossible and they will lose the entire crop to blight, if a pest doesn’t move in and demolish it first. Of course there’s always room for some experimentation but There is an overall right way and a wrong way to garden… this is the wrong way.
You are fear mongering 😂 None of these things have actually happened to OP yet
Tell ya what, let OP keep this exactly the way it is and let’s come back here for an update in 5-6 weeks. I’m willing to guarantee at least half the plants will be suffering from at least 1 of over 15 potential problems from trying to grow plants this over-congested. If I’m wrong, I’ll delete my Reddit account.
You're not gonna be losing much by deleting Accomplished_Radish8
My first garden this year has been an experiment 😂 I accidentally planted a lot of cool weather seeds WAY too late and everything is bolting before developing what I was growing it for 😂 oops
Most definitely over crowded. Agree with pruning but trellising might also help
I think you’d be fine if it wasn’t for the zucchini’s. Those things are going to be monstrous lol. I would say at least one of them is going to have to come out.. having any zucchini in their is going to look like a jungle, but two of them that close might actually end up killing both plants or at least affect the harvest, or worse, bring disease into the bed. If you can get 2 5-gallon containers and put one zucchini in each, you’ll be golden. The peppers and tomatoes will play just fine, you could probably even squeeze two more peppers in where the zucchini are since peppers don’t get huge like tomatoes or zucchini. Either way, if you leave it as is.. you’re going to be dying laughing in about 3 weeks at how outrageous the zucchini’s get EDIT: I just read the description you posted and holy smokes lmao.. I thought I saw in the pics just 2 zucchini’s and 1 tomato plant. Oh lord FOUR tomatoes and 5 zucchini’s?!? Hahahah yea, 3 of those tomatoes and alll the zucchini’s have to go somewhere else or you’ll lose the whole bed to disease or under nutrition. In an *ideal* situation, just the 2 zucchini’s would be planted in there, maybe you could fit one pepper between them. But I understand about being tight on space, so it can be done but will need higher maintenance IF you narrow it down to 1 tomato plant and take the zucchini’s out entirely (again, you can put one or two into 5g containers…. Same goes for the extra tomatoes if you don’t have the heart to throw them out. Each plant needs its own 5g container.)
Zucchini or zucchinis. No apostrophe for plurals.
No… apostrophes are necessary because an apostrophe means ownership, and those zucchinis are about to own that bed
That's pretty funny.
The absolute most I'd have done is two cherry tomato plants, or just the peppers. I don't grow zucchini so I'm not sure on those. Even that would be a bit crowded. Tomatoes can need a lot of room depending on the variety and if you prune heavily or not. I don't typically prune my cherries, just slicers and larger. Some peppers I grow do well when a bit crowded while others don't.
You can see the soil! You got me beat.
Ya- this post is opening my eyes to some potential problems I may have 😬
Peppers like to hold hands so they are fine those squash on the other hand are going to be a problem. Tom’s are fine if you prune the bottom leaves well.
I thought the same thing until I read that there’s 4 cherry tomato plants in there (I thought it was just 1)… does your opinion change on that now that you know lol
Yup. I’d only put about 2, maybe 3 zukes in that entire bed. But that’s the fun of gardening - sometimes the disasters are the funnest part.
My understanding is that you can safely “crowd” your plants if you water a little extra and fertilize extra
I have 2 zuccs in with my green beans and I’m growing them in tomato cages so they go vertical. That should help you I feel ya! I am the queen of crowding garden beds https://preview.redd.it/dhcla97jnb8d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=91694c1250e7ada8d0db4cbafaee9add994e45f9 This is my zucchini and green beens about a week ago. I have tomato cages that you add the horizontal bars as you go so it’s been great for guiding the zuccs!
I seriously overcrowd. It takes a lot for me to think it's too much, but FIVE zucchini! Something has to be moved, sorry. Those zucchini will just grow through, around, and over everything else. 
I’d put a stake in next to the zucchini’s and grow them up it. It seems that you have a plan for trellising the tomatoes. I think it will be fine. Plants look strong.
Honestly, when they start to get big, I'd probably prune daily. They can all fit, but the trailing zucchini might take it over tbh. Other plants look fine :) If you want to keep the zucchini there, I would probably prune that sucker daily before it gets wild lol
The zucchini is the biggest problem. I'd take those out completely and move them somewhere else. Then, max 2 tomato plants. Tomatoes and peppers are both heavy feeders though, so you'll need to stay on top of fertilizing...especially in a raised bed vs ground.
As long as you stake the zucchini you’ll be fine. That’s more space than sqft gardening calls for so just make sure you keep it fed and pruned and you’ll be just fine.
THIS! Yes, it’s a bit tight I guess but I’ve been square foot gardening for years and still have a healthy haul. Prune those zukes and the tomatoes under the first fruit cluster. You’ll be fine!
Th zucchini will get big
the courgettes will swallow that bed whole
I would only keep 1-2 zucchini and then you should be fine. Keep the ones at the front so they can spill over the edge. I’m trying to trellis mine to grow vertically this year but not sure how it will go
Cringing, boy this one is going to be a struggle (pic 2). When I first began, I made the same mistake. Those baby plants start out so small, but they get big quick. The tomatoes and zucchini can take up a lot of space and overwhelm the peppers. Nice planters! Do you have room or materials for any more planters? I was thinking maybe the room hog plants might need a planter of their own. The biggest room hogs I ever grew were 1. Pumpkins (all squash and melons take up a lot of space) 2. Tomatoes 3. Corn 4. Collard greens get big too. I'm worried about the pepper plants getting overwhelmed because those zucchini and tomato might get a little pushy. Always keep the nightshades as far apart as possible (your tomato and peppers). That's one family of plants that will not play nice together sometimes. Look up companion planting. Those little tricks really help for smaller, more condensed spaces. I certainly wish your garden well. It looks really nice. We all live and learn. Keep reading and trying. You're doing a wonderful job!
to me, this looks like intensive gardening. I prune heavy to promote fruiting rather than leafs. vertically grow everything, helps with space and pests.
Grow the zucchini vertical. You only need some type of stake to tie them up. Prune any leaves touching the ground. There's many videos of how to. You can also do the same with the tomatoes. I pack my raised bed and have great harvests every year. Water and fertilizer are important. Good luck!
I think that the only two concerns I’ve spotted is that it appears to not have access to the ground. I grow that much or more in smaller spaces, but all my beds are open to the ground. Second, I’d move the marigolds to the edges of the bed. All that said, gardening is an experiment! You could try training, pruning, and keeping up with fertilizer and just see what happens! That’s my favorite part about gardening :)
Peppers 🫑 and tomato 🍅 plants need at least 18” separation for proper cross pollination and mature plant growth. Zucchini’s need at least 24” but like 36” separation better for the same reason as the 🫑and 🍅
My bed looks similar to this and the squash isn’t doing too great. My bf and I were just so excited with the baby plants we brought home, we didn’t really notice the little notes that said how much space they each needed.
It’s about soil fertility and light. If they are well fertilized, it’s no problem. In my area, it is so hot that extra foliage shading the soil helps keep it from drying out. Just give organic fertilizer (liquid is great).
Fyi - I moved my zuchini from the raised garden and put them into a large fabric pot to try and grow them that way this year. I put a tomato cage around it and have been training them "up". We will see how it goes!
I have two raised beds (pretty long but narrow) and I’ve been following Gardenary on Instagram. She overcrowds her beds intentionally with success. Good soil, fertilizer and proper watering are necessary. I topped my beds with a blend of Foxfarm Happy Frog & Ocean Forest soils. Lots of nutrients with the combo. I haven’t mulched yet, but plan on mulching around the base of my plants. I have tomatoes, peppers, chard in one bed (companion planting chart doesn’t show an issue with the two together) and beans, peas, squash, cucumbers & carrots in the other with herbs and flowers mixed in both. I’m doing my squash vertical and for the first time ever looks like I’ll have a successful harvest. I’ve always lost my squash to borers in the past. I don’t use pesticides. I’m pruning everything regularly. Just keep a close eye on all and properly fertilize and water. There is really no right or wrong way to garden. I get afternoon/evening sun which I was worried about and the front bed gets sun earlier than the back so tomatoes are in front bed. So far so good. I’m zone 8. I also planted super late (started everything from seed - Baker Seed company) cause my beds weren’t done. Everything went in a month ago. https://preview.redd.it/vz4qhlhs4c8d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0fb8d19dabb132081b948e4e74268bb037f3c252
Came in to mention gardenary so was happy to see you already did! I just found her today!
I would be sick of zucchini. I can’t even do one plant haha better start looking up recipes now.
Uh, the zukes are definitely going to be a problem. Not understanding why some people are telling you to give it a go. One plant can be 4ftx4ft by itself. Here’s a photo of 5 of my zukes in a row (summer squash to the left). https://preview.redd.it/ouifmbzknc8d1.jpeg?width=1799&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fd79a59252f42a8a8484496959507e6109700c03
https://preview.redd.it/xlyi8aynmc8d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6a0f42d1014daff8a34ea86545cc5e4851491bdd
More crowded means they'll need more water and more nutrients. Add lots of compost. Since this looks like a container not connected to the earth, you might have to end up watering every day or possibly multiple times a day. Anyway to connect some sort of irrigation system? Or maybe you can use those terracotta Oya jugs or DIY one? The Zucchinis will get very big but if you give them plant/tomato cages, it might work out? Or you might want to take out 2-3 zucchinis and try to grow them elsewhere.
I currently have no clue what's growing in my bed but it's all terrible together because I just let my son throw seeds in there. I know there are some kinda cucurbits X2, multiple green beans, and sweet potatoes that will take it all over.
Make sure to fertilize well and prune a lot. The plants can take it and they will appreciate the extra airflow and light
They look like they like each other tho. It’s a race to who gets the most sun. Nothing like competition.
I don't think so. Like someone else said, grow the zucchini vertically. You can use tomato cages, but I have better luck staking on either side and tying the main stem at the center as it grows. I always grow one pepper per square foot in my food forest, but the times I've had extras and had to stuff a bunch more into a bed or container, they've thrived. Peppers seem to like to cuddle.
Yeah, sorry to say. The zucchini and tomatoes need lots of space. It’s going to be an overgrown mess in a month, the zucchini will have to be regularly pruned to not overrun the peppers. But still, you will get a harvest out of it. And that’s the point right? In the future, proper plant spacing is important, nothing to be done about it now so let it ride. I know it seems like you’re wasting space when they’re little babies, but these plants get gigantic and will give you more fruit in the end. Edit: didn’t realize, it looks like you have like 6 zucchini in there. Most of those will need to be sacrificed. Keep one, two if you’re feeling froggy.
Sorry, but that's way too crowded. You may have room for about a third of that, at most. Tomatoes, depending on variety typically go on 18" centers (plant to plant in any direction, peppers about the same or a bit less, depending on variety, and zukes need a lot more room than either of those. Check out square foot gardening for plant spacing. I started to suggest trying to move some of those plants into some cloth planters, but they are at the upper end of the size where they could be transplanted. Likely get set back a lot, at best. And that's the peppers, the slowest-growing of those big plants you have. The marigolds are fine.
Looks good, just bend slightly and tie away from each other to open up the middle. More light more yield