With good planning, a raised bed can be used all year round. There are even some vegetables that can be harvested in winter. Below you will find out what to plant in the raised bed in spring and how best to get your raised bed ready for the start of the season.
What should a raised bed be planted with in spring?
Planting a raised bed in spring begins after the Ice Saints around mid-May with heavy-feeding plants such as cabbage, cucumbers, zucchini, radishes and tomatoes. In the following years, medium-consuming plants such as fennel and carrots are suitable, followed by low-consuming plants such as peas and lettuces.
Creating the raised bed in spring
Compost raised beds are best planted in the fall so that they have time to settle over the winter. They are then filled with soil in the spring. You can also create raised beds that are only filled with soil in the spring, shortly before sowing. Instructions for creating a raised bed as well as all important information can be found here.
Caring for the raised bed in spring
Compost raised beds are, as I said, filled with soil in spring. Then you can start sowing straight away. If you still have plants from the previous year, you should harvest them (e.g. chicory) or chop them up and mix them in.
When can the raised bed be planted in spring?
The Ice Saints are usually used as a guideline date for the start of sowing. It is very unlikely that there will be another freeze after mid-May and so the young plants and seeds are safe. However, the season can start earlier on your raised bed if you protect the plants appropriately, e.g. using a cold frame attachment (€33.00 on Amazon) or frost protection films.
Which plants go into the raised bed in spring?
Most plants are planted in spring and harvested in summer. Therefore, in the case of layered raised beds, it is less the time of year that plays a role in the selection of plants than the crop rotation: a cycle of three to four years must be taken into account, which provides for a change from heavy-feeding to medium-feeding to weak-feeding plants.
In the first year, heavy feeders such as cabbage, cucumbers, zucchini, radishes and tomatoes are grown. Here you will find the complete list of heavy-feeding plants for raised beds.
In the second year, predominantly medium feeders are planted, as heavy feeders would thrive poorly due to the lower nutrients. These include, for example, fennel, onions, broad beans, carrots and various herbs. You can find an extensive list here.
In the third year, priority should be given to planting weak feeders such as peas, salads and cress. The fourth year can be used as a rest year and for growing green manure.
