There are a few important details to consider when planting the raised bed. In addition to choosing a location, it is important to pay particular attention to choosing the right neighbors and crop rotation. You can find out which plants feel particularly comfortable in raised beds and when what is planted here.
Which plants should you plant in raised beds?
In a raised bed, heavy feeders such as tomatoes, cucumbers or potatoes are planted in the first year, medium-feeding plants such as carrots, fennel or spinach in the second year and weak feeders such as lettuce, peas or bush beans in the third year. A clever mixed culture helps to ward off diseases and pests.
These plants feel at home in raised beds
In principle, almost all plants can be grown in raised beds. However, overgrown plants or those that need a lot of space are less suitable. Deep-rooted plants can only be grown in appropriately deep raised beds. Raised beds are primarily used for growing vegetables, as their height makes them ideal for back-friendly harvesting. Strawberries and all kinds of strawberries are also often planted in raised beds. Planting flowers is less common but still possible.
What should you pay attention to when planting a raised bed?
With a raised bed, it is important to pay attention to crop rotation so that the nutrient supply decreases with each year. Therefore it is grown as follows:
- Heavy eater in the first year
- Medium consuming plants in the second year
- Weak eater in the third year
- In the fourth year there may be a break with green manure
Below is a table with a selection of vegetables, fruits and flowers for the first, second and third years. Herbs are almost always medium or low-energy and are therefore mainly grown in the second or third year. Nevertheless, it makes sense to plant a few isolated herbs between the heavy feeders in the first year as they ward off pests (see below).
Heavy feeder in the first year
| Vegetables | Fruit | Flowers |
|---|---|---|
| Artichokes | Strawberries | Chrysanthemums |
| Aubergines | Melons | Geraniums |
| Cucumbers | Rhubarb | Sunflowers |
| Carrots | Fruit trees | Tulips |
| Potatoes | ||
| Types of cabbage | ||
| Pumpkin | ||
| Leek | ||
| Peppers | ||
| Radish | ||
| Beetroot | ||
| Celery | ||
| Asparagus | ||
| Spinach | ||
| Tomatoes | ||
| Zucchini |
Medium consuming plants in the second year
| Vegetables | Fruit | Flowers |
|---|---|---|
| Chicory | Strawberries | Dahlias |
| Chinese cabbage | Gloxinia | |
| Broad Beans | Snapdragons | |
| Endives | ||
| Fennel | ||
| firebean | ||
| Vegetable onion | ||
| Carrots | ||
| Kohlrabi | ||
| garlic | ||
| Leek | ||
| Chard | ||
| Parsnips | ||
| Radicchio | ||
| Beets | ||
| Black salsify | ||
| Spinach | ||
| Runner bean |
Weak food for the third raised bed year
| Vegetables | Fruit | Flowers |
|---|---|---|
| Bush beans | Azaleas | |
| Peas | Begonias | |
| cress | Petunias | |
| Salad | Primroses | |
| Pansies |
Ward off diseases and pests on the raised bed with mixed culture
If you combine them cleverly, you don't have to worry about diseases and pests. Here is an overview of a few sensible combinations for your raised bed:
| Name | Acts against | Good neighbor for |
|---|---|---|
| Basil | Mildew, whitefly | Cucumber, zucchini, tomatoes, onion |
| Broad Beans | Potato beetle | Potatoes |
| Garden cress | Aphids | Radish, lettuce |
| Kamillie | Leek Moths | Leek |
| Nasturtium | Aphids | Potatoes, tomatoes, runner beans |
| garlic | Gray mold, mildew | Cucumbers, carrots, strawberries, tomatoes, salads |
| parsley | Snails | Strawberries |
| Rosemary | Carrot fly | Carrots |
| Tomato | cabbage white butterfly | cabbage |
| Tagetes | roundworms | Potatoes, tomatoes |
| Chervil | Ants, snails, lice, mildew |