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Diamond Pattern Planting?

I was reading somewhere that diamond pattern planting utilizes more space as opposed to the traditional single row planting. Is this good for all types of plants or just specific ones. This is my first year of growing an organic garden and I would really like some just all around tips about organic gardening. I've exhausted youtube, monkeysee, expertvillage, and typical video hosting sites. I'd really like to stick with heirloom seeds. Another quick question. Are all heirloom seeds "true to type"? Thanks for any and all help

Public Comments

1. Diamond Pattern planting is good for some, but not all, vegetables. I use that method for lettuce, cabbage, parsnip, beet and rutabaga but when I tried it for corn it was a miserable failure. Other plants it works with are peppers, tomatoes and okra. You just have to make bigger diamonds for them. Another method I have used with success for some plants is Wide Row planting. It works well with garden peas, turnips, mustard, chard and several other crops. It is an intense planting in a wide row, up to 4 feet wide, that can be harvested from each side. I increased my production from the same area by many times what I would have harvested from two single rows in the same space. All heirloom seeds are grown from plants that have been bred to produce true-to-type. Unless they are grown with another variety of the same type to cross with they should produce seeds that also grow true. For this reason I grow only 1 variety of okra, corn, summer squash, winter squash and watermelon. Since my neighbors may grow a different type I hand pollinate most of my crops. This lets me pollinate with the correct pollen to keep them true. After pollination I seal the female blossoms to prevent access by roving bees that might contaminate my seeds, since I save seeds for the next season. Good luck and enjoy!