Bed Design and Rotation

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Bed Design

  • A – Cover crop of triticale planted previous fall, crimson clover planted the spring of the fallow year.
  • B – Three 50’ areas of kale, kohlrabi, broccoli in 4’ rows. Garlic is planted between to deter insects.
  • C – Two 75’ rows of two varieties of quinoa planted down the center of the bed with 2 150’ rows of fava, garbanzo, sprouting, and tepary beans.
  • D – Two 150’ rows with 5 varieties of slicing tomatoes, 3 varieties of cherry tomatoes. Interplant with marigolds, 4 varieties of basil, and cilantro.
  • E – Cover crop of triticale planted previous fall, crimson clover planted the spring of the fallow year.
  • F – Two 150’ rows of nasturtiums planted along the edges of the bed with hills of cucumbers and butternut squash in the center between nasturtium rows
  • G – Three 50’ rows of snap, edible pod, and shell peas down the center. Successive plantings of multiple radish and carrot varieties on either side of trellising.
  • H – One 150’ row of 5 varieties of paste tomatoes. Two 150’ row plantings of annual herbs on either side of tomatoes including rosemary, sage, thyme, oregano, Chinese leeks, 2 varieties of mint, lemon balm, marjoram, tomatillos, cilantro, others.
  • I – Two 150’ rows of nasturtiums planted along the edges of the bed with hills of watermelon, musk melon, desert melons, and pie pumpkins in the center between nasturtium rows.
  • J – Cover crop of triticale planted previous fall, crimson clover planted the spring of the fallow year
  • K – Three 50’ rows of three varieties of amaranth down the center. Two 150’ rows of three varieties of sunflowers on either side of the amaranth.
  • L – Six 50’ rows of spinach, beets, chard/celeriac/parsley on either side of the bed. Flour corn planted down center with two 150’ rows of bush beans on either side of the corn following harvest of beets, spinach, etc.
  • M – Two 150’ rows of nasturtiums planted along the edges of the bed with hills of peanuts, zucchini, and sweet potatoes in the center between nasturtium rows.
  • N – Six 50’ sections of potato hills with two 150’ rows of yellow globe onions between potatoes. Plant horseradish between varieties of potatoes.
  • O – Cover crop of rye planted in fall, frost seeded with alfalfa in spring.
  • P – Standing alfalfa planted. Plant rows of sweet sorghum in future bean row for mulch crop.
  • Q – Six 50’ rows of cauliflower, broccoli, and brussel sprouts planted on either side of the bed. Flour corn planted down the center with dry beans in rows on either side where spring crops are harvested.
  • R – Three 50’ areas of white onions interplanted with lettuce, red onions interplanted with romaine, and yellow onions interplanted with lettuce in 4’ rows.
  • S – Two 150’ rows of okra, chile peppers, sweet peppers, and eggplants of desired quantities. Plant marigolds in between plants to fill in open space.
  • T – Rutabaga, shallots, turnips, yacon, 2 varieties of leeks, bunching onions, gourmet greens, 2 varieties of purslane, two varieties of chives, fennel, burdock root, sesame, and mustard greens in 4’ rows. Other experimental plants in this area.
  • U – Cover crop of triticale planted previous fall, crimson clover planted the spring of the fallow year.
  • V – Two 150’ rows of nasturtiums planted along the edges of the bed with hills of watermelon, musk melon, desert melons, and pie pumpkins in the center between nasturtium rows.
  • W – Six 50’ sections of potato hills with horseradish in the corner of the beds and in between varieties of potatoes. Plant 4’ rows of marigolds at 50’ and 100’.
  • X – Six 50’ rows of beets, celery, and chard planted on either side of the bed. Popcorn and parching corn planted down the center with soybeans in rows on either side where spring crops are harvested.

Bed Rotation

The planting of beds changes annually by shifting beds up one letter. So the bed planted to A will follow bed X, bed B follows bed A, etc. The bed layout separates crops susceptible to similar diseases that persist in soil and spreads nitrogen fixing species throughout the rotation. For example, tomatoes and potatoes are susceptible to various types of blight so they are separated by a few years from being planted in the same bed. This rotation should provide straw mulch evenly throughout the garden for use around plants.

Benefits of Companion Planting

These bed layouts are specifically designed to obtain optimum crop growth by companion planting, using certain plants to attract pollinators and beneficial insects, and following a rotation schedule that prepares the next year’s crops in the best way possible.

Companion planting is very beneficial when growing crops because it allows for plants to help each other grow:

  • B – The rich smell of garlic is famous for keeping away leaf eating insects.
  • D – Basil protects tomatoes from flies, repels mosquitoes and other insect disease vectors.
  • F – Nasturtiums attract predatory insects and disguise butternut squash.
  • G – Carrots/radishes aerate moist spring soil for peas.
  • H – Aromatic herbs attract pollinators and repel damaging insects.
  • I – Nasturtium flowers disguise the squash from squash bugs and attract predatory insects.
  • L – Bush beans help corn with weed control and nitrogen use.
  • M – Nasturtiums repel squash bugs.
  • Q – Beans climb corn stalk for light while protecting against predators and providing stability.
  • R – Onions deter small flies that eat salad crops.
  • S – Okra protects peppers from wind.
  • W – Horseradish makes potatoes healthier, more resistant to disease, and effective against the blister beetle. Beans capture light while giving potatoes shade.
  • X – Soybeans protect the corn against chinch bugs and Japanese beetles while serving as a weed control
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