u/silvindier

This year I'm trying to plan ahead instead of rushing in September like I always do 🤣 I'm in climate zone 8a, raised bed about 4x8 feet.

Questions for those with experience in this field:

Has anyone had success stacking beans and carrots in the same bed, or do beans take up too much space/nitrogen for other crops?

When is the right time to dig out summer plants and make room? I still have tomatoes and beets and don't want to dig them out too early, but I also don't want to miss the opportunity to plant fall brassicas.

I planned a square layout with niwa to make sure everything I want fits before buying too many seeds. I still have to decide whether to leave some squares empty.

What do you think of my layout? I've also included a photo of my fall garden plan.

Last spring I just filled the bed and figured it out as things grew. Tomatoes ended up shading everything, spacing was wrong, classic mistakes. This year I mapped the whole thing out first 4x6ft, 6 classic round tomatoes (globe) at 16 inches apart, basil alternated between every plant, marigolds along the north edge so they don't shade anything, spring onions in the corners. The physical planning part took me longer than I expected but catching the spacing issues before planting saved me from at least two mistakes I would have definitely made.

I laid it all out visually before touching the soil, way easier to move things around before you actually commit.

Anyone else doing a dedicated tomato bed this year? Curious how others are handling spacing in a tight raised bed.