Ideas please? What to grow in raised bed.

[1Bee]

I have a spare raised bed and I'm not sure what to plant/sow in it. I use it as a hardening off space and somewhere to nurture things in modules until I can plant them out, but now it's empty. I've given it a good weed and topped it up with MPC and now I'm not sure what to grow there. I haven't got anything big that needs planting out still, as far as I can think.

It's about 90cm x 90cm and has got an old topless cold frame on the back two thirds of it (the top broke a few seasons back). I've sowed a few beetroot in the front section.

Access to it isn't that easy, and it's partially shaded by a really badly placed bronze fennel that I'm too fond of to cut down. So anything that needs a lot of reaching and fiddling with isn't going to work well. Last year I optimistically tried some tomatoes in it, but realistically tomatoes outside are never going to work here.

The first year I grew dwarf french beans in it, and harvesting them was such a horrific process I haven't grown them anywhere since. I have a problem with my lower back that only bothers me if I bend and reach without having a spare hand to brace myself. As far as I can see, harvesting french beans needs about 3 hands and had me nearly crying with pain!

I'm stumped. But I hate to see productive space standing empty...

[veggiechicken]

Grow roots, like carrots. You can leave them alone until you need to gather a bunch - or some other root veg.

[Penellype]

I was thinking carrots (VC beat me to it) or perhaps some brassicas like kohlrabi or turnips. For either I'd put a net over the top of the frame.

[nickdub]

I'd vote for winter squash/pumpkins as you bung them in and only need to harvest them when they're grown - only problem is, unless you can cadge some plants, its a next year suggestion, as you'd need to begin you're growing campaign in pots a bit earlier int he year, then plant them out around now.

[1Bee]

Thanks guys. I don't know why I didn't plan ahead.... squash would have been perfect. But yes, if I net it, roots would be fine. Awkward for weeding (perennials make their way through) but I could handle it.

Thank you!

[veggiechicken]

Hoe between rows as the seedlings germinate.

[Chestnut]

Stuff like beetroot, turnips, swede should all be ok to sow now. You could also try direct sown runner beans, or if you have a bit of spare cash you might be able to buy squash or pumpkin seedlings online or at your nearest garden centre?
Otherwise, wait a month or two and sow spring cabbages?

[SarrissUK]

Maybe a salad bed with lots of stuff for salads? There's lots of stuff you can sow for salads, like peas (for pea shoots), rocket, beetroot, raab (delish!).