I'm planning the Spring garden. Last year I kept each crop separated with it's own plot and I didn't get into companion planting all that much. I dabbled when I planted onions in-between rows of spinach and lettuce last year, but that was about it and that was mostly due to space constrictions. I'm feeling a little more confident in my abilities this year and I'm taking a slightly more fluid approach. Instead of creating boxes of 3' x 2' for each vegetable I'm creating zones of happily co-habitable veggies. The precise layout of those plantings will be established as I go.
I made a list of all the veggies I want to plant for the spring:
I have four zones laid out so far.
Lettuce, carrots, radish and cauliflower will take over in the end of the far bed. There are some garlic and shallots overwintering there, so smaller lettuces will get planted in-between those.
At the other end of that bed I'll put in broccoli and onions. Although when it comes down to it I will probably intersperse the cauliflower and broccoli.
In the center bed I've got kale, celery, onion and arugula.
And over on the other side of the apple tree are two proposed new beds. I'm thinking they will be slightly smaller than the existing beds and I'll claim one for Spring with spinach, leek, chard and cabbage.
The couple stragglers from the list are peas and potatoes. The peas will go in the same place as last year, along the side fence, but I am planning on a lot more vines! I'd like to get a couple other varieties and get peas growing along the entire length of the fence.
The potatoes I am going to try growing in a stack. You start at ground level and as the potatoes start to grow you pile on more dirt and increase your stack height. When the potatoes peek through that level you add a little and so on. Until at harvest time you have four feet of vertical potato rewards. You can make the stack out of old tires or, the method I'm thinking, with a few posts some chicken wire and burlap. Does anyone know if that will work too?
That's the plan so far. I think adding two smaller raised beds is doable this year as my priority is really to put a low fence around the front yard. In doing this I will add usable landscaping/gardening space around the perimeter of the yard where I can do some more fruiting shrubs, sunflowers, corn and ornamentals.
I made a list of all the veggies I want to plant for the spring:
- Onions
- Potatoes
- Lettuce
- Radish
- Kale
- Spinach
- Leek
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Carrot
- Peas
- Chard
- Cabbage
I have four zones laid out so far.
Lettuce, carrots, radish and cauliflower will take over in the end of the far bed. There are some garlic and shallots overwintering there, so smaller lettuces will get planted in-between those.
At the other end of that bed I'll put in broccoli and onions. Although when it comes down to it I will probably intersperse the cauliflower and broccoli.
In the center bed I've got kale, celery, onion and arugula.
And over on the other side of the apple tree are two proposed new beds. I'm thinking they will be slightly smaller than the existing beds and I'll claim one for Spring with spinach, leek, chard and cabbage.
The couple stragglers from the list are peas and potatoes. The peas will go in the same place as last year, along the side fence, but I am planning on a lot more vines! I'd like to get a couple other varieties and get peas growing along the entire length of the fence.
The potatoes I am going to try growing in a stack. You start at ground level and as the potatoes start to grow you pile on more dirt and increase your stack height. When the potatoes peek through that level you add a little and so on. Until at harvest time you have four feet of vertical potato rewards. You can make the stack out of old tires or, the method I'm thinking, with a few posts some chicken wire and burlap. Does anyone know if that will work too?
That's the plan so far. I think adding two smaller raised beds is doable this year as my priority is really to put a low fence around the front yard. In doing this I will add usable landscaping/gardening space around the perimeter of the yard where I can do some more fruiting shrubs, sunflowers, corn and ornamentals.
I read that instead of tires (who knows what leeches out of a tire!) you can just use wood. Start with 4 tall stakes and nail some 1x4s to it. As it grows, keep nailing 1x4s. I don't see why your way wouldn't work. I had a mini potato experiment last year but it failed horribly. I hope yours works out so I can learn from you!
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