If you had 1 raised bed, what would you plant?

[Minamoo]

After an unbelievably productive weekend, I emptied out 3 daleks full of compost onto the raised beds in my garden, forked it in, and planted all the lovely veg plants I got at the allotment plant sale on Saturday. I now have broad beans, courgettes, sweetcorn, 1 marrow and 1 pumpkin, 12 tomato plants, 5 calabrese & some purple kale and put in runner bean, pea and ruby chard seeds. My beds at the allotment are mostly full of soft fruit and rhubarb. I now have 1 6'x4' raised bed in the garden at home and 1/2 a raised bed at the allotment that don't have crops in. So I was hoping that someone may have suggestions on what I can pop in? The stuff at the allotment needs to be very low maintenance and survive me only being able to go to the lottie every other week. Stuff for at home can be high maintenance/need frequent harvesting. Any suggestions gratefully received!

[tel]

Allotment= brassicas,next year shallots and onions and parsnips
Home= french beans,salad stuff,outdoor toms,and carrots if it hasn't been manured recently.

[Minamoo]

I've put compost on but the compost has the chicken bedding in it so I assume that wouldn't work for carrots either?

[cazp]

I've put compost on but the compost has the chicken bedding in it so I assume that wouldn't work for carrots either?

Not sure about carrots abd manure, but I've grown carrots in tubs of multi purpose compost before with no problems, and last year I grew parsnips in holes in raised beds filled with mulitpurpose compost and they were fine too. I did manure the beds with shop bought manure early this year and have planted carrots in, so yet to see if they will fork!

As Tel says - salads great for the home raised bed. Would also suggest suggest french beans if you can put a trellis up, also celery, perpetual spinach and rocket and spring onions.

[rustylady]

How about something for winter harvesting? Leeks, savoy cabbage, Purple Sprouting Broccoli for next spring.

[Snadger]

I would plant allsorts of everything in small pockets within the bed............as I do with most of my stuff!
Monoculture is for farmers...........

[shona_b]

For the allotment bed I would go with brassica's - red cabbage, brussels, kale etc as don't need frequent tending. Also perpetual spinach and chard is low maintenance and beetroot would also be OK as can pick some small and a couple of weeks later there will be largers ones for picking. Leeks can also go in now and for later in te year you could over winter some japanese onions and garlic?

[Minamoo]

Thanks for the awesome ideas! I'll pop some beetroots in at the lottie. That should fill the half bed and I love beetroots. There's a thin long bed as well which I will put the carrots in. The seed packets are a bit old so don't know how many will germinate but I'll plant full rows without spaces and just see what comes up.

I picked up some leeks and have just popped them into one spot of the raised beds at home as they're more like grass still. When they get bigger and a bed frees up I'll move them over.

I got 5 brocolli plants but nobody seemed to have psb at the lottie. I love the stuff though so I'll try and track some down. I've put in a row of mangetouts (got plantlets for very cheap) and will plant up the rest with salad leaves. I think I have some perpetual spinach seeds so I'll pop them in too. Also took your advice on French beans and put them in at the end of the row of runner beans. My beds are looking wonderfully hodgepodge! And of course...the ruddy slugs are back. GRRR!!!

[Two_Sheds]

nobody seemed to have psb at the lottie.

Really? Or have they just finished and been pulled up? PSB is an allotment staple, a must-have

[marcofez]

I have asparagus in my raised bed at the lottie!!

[Minamoo]

Really? Or have they just finished and been pulled up? PSB is an allotment staple, a must-have

I meant seedlings. I love it but didn't have time to sow anything from seed this year. All my PSB bolted and ended up being fed to my very happy chickens but it hasn't put me off.

I have asparagus in my raised bed at the lottie!!

That's what I would have loved to put in my raised bed at home but I gathered it was too late in the season? I will do it next year though. It is my all time fave veg.