##What are Multiplants?

Multiplants are the only exception to the "one seed per block" rule.
Multiplants are the practice of planting many seeds in one block, known as the "
multiplant block". Depending on the plant being grown, anywhere from 3-15 seeds a
re sown in one block with no intention of thinning. Multiplant growing saves time
, greenhouse space, and is the most efficient way to grow certain crops. The con
cept is to clump the crops together for ease of seeding, transplanting, weeding,
and harvesting and marketing. You will do the same amount of work for one block
, except you will be growing 3-15 plants. These specific crops can grow in bunche
s in the same density per square foot as they would grow in a row. The onion is t
he classic example, and the model crop for the multiplant grower. If you were to
grow large bulb onions in a row, you would need to plant one every three inches
in a row, growing one foot apart from the next row. That would give you a total o
f 4 plants per square foot. With multiplants, you would seed one block with four
onion seeds and place them every foot in a row, one foot apart. They will gently
push apart from each other, creating large, healthy, blemish-free, bulbs. They ge
t their space around them, and it makes for easy weeding. However, they do need t
o be transplanted sooner due to the increased competition for the limited space
inside the block, and they need more water and be buried deep in the soil. Seedi
ng multiplants is most accurately done by creasing your seed packet and tapping
the right amount in a measuring spoon or a seed spoon, and then dump them in the
block. The crops that have done the best in multiplants are onions, scallions,
shallots, leeks, beets, spinach, pole beans, peas, corn and parsley. Crops that a
re normally bunched for market can now be bunched in the field, like scallions a
nd beets. Crops that are rarely transplanted like spinach, beans, corn and peas c
an now be efficiently transplanted for a super early crop. Being the first in the
neighborhood with sweet corn and peas will do wonders for your gardening reputat
ion or market share! In addition to these favorites, Europeans have successfully
grown broccoli, cabbage, turnip, cucumber, and melon, but we have not had that g
ood luck ,or trying it would not fit our farm model. Make sure to read your seed
package for proper spacing and then equate the same amount of plants for the re
commended number of seeds per block given here.
Multi-Plant Blocks
* 3 seeds / block: cabbage, cucumber, melon, peas
* 4 seeds / block: beet, broccoli, corn, leek, spinach, turnip
* 5 seeds / block: bulb onion, shallots
* 12-15 seeds / block: scallion onions
Note: Start all seeds in the 1 1/2" or 2" blocks. Cucumbers and melons started in
the 3" blocks.