Various things need to be planned when planting a raised bed: which plants get along with which neighbours, what is planted in which month and which plants are heavy feeders and which are weak feeders. Find out below how to plant your raised bed and get a sample plan.
Lettuce and summer flowers are weak consumers and are suitable for cultivation in the third year
Crop rotation and good and bad neighbors
There are several things to consider when growing a raised bed, such as crop rotation and which plants get along well. For example, cabbage does not get along with other types of cabbage and onions at all. So you should not plant them next to each other. Cabbage and cucumbers, on the other hand, have a beneficial effect on mutual growth. Here is a comprehensive overview of good and bad neighbors.
When planting a raised bed, it is particularly important to pay attention to the crop rotation. To do this, you need to know which plants are heavy feeders and which are weak, because this is what the cultivation plan is based on:
- In the first year, mainly heavy feeders are planted.
- In the second year it is the turn of those who consume medium amounts.
- In the third year only weak feeders should be planted.
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 and their sowing and harvesting times can be found here.
Of course you can also mix in a few medium eaters, such as:
- onions
- leek
- beans
- Parsely
A sample plan for the second year raised bed
- carrots
- onions
- fennel
- parsnips
- garlic
- celery
- Parsely
All Mittelzehrer and their sowing and harvesting times can be found here.
Example plant for the raised bed in the third year
In the third year, mainly weak feeders should be grown. Although you can mix in a few medium eaters, you should completely avoid heavy eaters. These would certainly not thrive on the nutrient-poor soil. So build:
- beans
- dill
- peas
- strawberries
- cress
- salads
- summer flowers
The Fourth Year: The Rest Year
In the fourth year, you should let your raised bed rest and grow green manure. Phacelia, buckwheat, mustard or yellow lupine are used as green manure. 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) also grow at low temperatures and can therefore be sown wonderfully in autumn. Before flowering, the plants are mowed or manually shredded and left on the raised bed so that they rot there and thus provide the raised bed with nutrients.