garden plan: bed #1

This will be the first of my garden planning posts done by each individual bed. The beds are 15 feet long and 30 inches wide, and there are a total of 17.

This first bed will have a trellis, the main crops being pole beans and peas. Camie doesn't like beans, so I'll plant about 2/3 of the bed in peas. The peas will be planted in one row down the middle of the bed, and will be sown directly on March 15, which is the date I'm guessing the soil will be workable. The beans will also be planted in a single row, on April 26, which is the last frost date.

I will also be planting some secondary crops in this bed. At the same time I plant the peas, I will sow radish seeds on either side of where the beans will grow, and spinach seeds on either side of where the peas will grow. These are both very quick-growing plants that will make use of the space on either side of the main crops.

Peas are more of a spring-time crop, and could be done producing by mid-late summer. I'm not exactly sure what to expect, but I have some options in mind if they run out of steam with some room left in the growing season. I could do late-season plantings of fava beans, green onions, or lettuce greens.

Peas and beans, which are in the legume family, replete soil nitrogen. Next year, this bed will be planted with nitrogen-loving plants: lettuces, greens, brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, kale, brussels sprouts.) This is part of the crop rotation.

Bored, yet? I know, it's a long post - but there's so much info. Lastly (I promise) are the varieties I'll be planting. The numbers refer to the FedCo catalog.

Pole Beans: Kentucky Wonder (285KW) and Gold of Bacau (284BO)
Peas: Sugarsnap (839SO) and Oregon Giant (818GT)
Spinach: Olympia (2512LY)
Radish: Easter Egg (2224EE) and White Icicle (2262WI)