When planting a raised bed, various things have to be planned: which plants get along with which neighbors, in which month something will be grown and which plants are heavy feeders and which are weak feeders. Find out how to plant your raised bed below and get a sample plan.
How do I create a plan for planting a raised bed?
A plan for planting a raised bed consists of crop rotation and plant neighbors. In the first year, mainly heavy feeders such as cabbage, chard and cucumbers should be grown. In the second year, middle feeders such as carrots, onions and fennel follow. In the third year, low-eating foods such as beans, peas and salads are used. The fourth year serves as a rest year and the cultivation of green manure.
Crop rotation and good and bad neighbors
When growing a raised bed, there are several things to consider, such as crop rotation and which plants get along well. For example, cabbage does not get along at all with other types of cabbage and onions. So you shouldn't plant these next to each other. Cabbage and cucumbers, on the other hand, have a positive effect on each other's growth. Here you will find a comprehensive overview of good and bad neighbors. When planting a raised bed, it is particularly important to pay attention to crop rotation. To do this, you need to know which plants are heavy feeders and which are weak feeders, because the cultivation plan depends on that:
- In the first year, mainly heavy feeders are planted.
- In the second year it is the turn of middle-eaters.
- In the third year only weak eaters should be placed.
An example plan for planting the raised bed in the first year with heavy feeders
- Cauliflower, broccoli or other cabbage
- Chard
- Spinach
- Radish
- cress
- Zucchini
- Potatoes
- Carrots
- Cucumbers
A complete overview of all heavy feeders as well as their sowing and harvest times can be found here.
Of course you can also mix in a few mid-dinner foods, such as:
- Onions
- Leek
- Beans
- parsley
An example plan for the raised bed in the second year
- Carrots
- Onions
- Fennel
- Parsnips
- garlic
- Celery
- parsley
All medium feeders as well as their sowing and harvest times can be found here.
Example plant for raised bed in the third year
In the third year, mainly weak feeders should be grown. Although you can mix in a few moderate eaters, you should completely avoid heavy eaters. These would certainly hardly thrive in the nutrient-poor soil. Therefore, grow:
- Beans
- Dill
- Peas
- Strawberries
- cress
- Salads
- Summer flowers
The Fourth Year: The Year of Rest
In the fourth year you should let your raised bed settle down and grow green manure. Examples of green manure include phacelia, buckwheat, mustard and yellow lupine. In order not to lose a whole year, you can also carry out green manure in the fall. Lupins, phacelia, clover, winter rye and mustard (among others) grow even at low temperatures and can therefore be sown wonderfully in autumn. Before flowering, the plants are mowed or shredded manually and left on the raised bed so that they rot there and thus supply the raised bed with nutrients.