My Most Ambitious Veggie & Herb Gardens Yet!

This garden is in Zone 7, but very close to the PA line, so my weather is often more like Zone 6. I've loved SFG since I met the first book many years ago. It is much better than the long rows of more radishes that I ever wanted to eat from my childhood. I'm not sure what year this is in terms of doing it. This is my most ambitious year in terms of crop diversity, thinking in terms of companion planting, and adding herbs and marigolds to ward off predators.

I always have 6 4 x 4 squares. Each year I rotate the location of my verticals so that tomatoes don't go into the same ground year after year. (I use lantern posts as the four corners and then attach fence posts and PVC crosses with wire to create 2 - 3 vertical trellises.) Plots 3 & 5 are vertical this year (last year it was 4 & 6)

New plants this year: potatoes, Swiss chard, garlic chives, and Asian melons. put the garlic chives with my veggies so that they don't cross breed with the regular chives in my herb garden.

New approaches - Early application of copper fungicide to kill off as many spores as possible when planting. Using Actinovate starting mid-June to fight off rust and powdery mildew (which wiped me out last year). Nylon netting for climbing instead of vinyl strings.

Marigolds - two ways -- as full plots and as markers at the corners of the squares.

The layout: North__1 3 5
>>>>>>>>>>>>>2 4 6

Square 1 Planted 4/24
Turnips>>>Carrots>>>Turnips>>>Turnips
Beets >>>>Basil>>>> Beets>>>>Garlic Chives
Lettuce>>>Marigolds>>Beets>>>>Mesculun Greens
Spinach>>>Radish>>>Spinach>>>Radish

Square 2 Planted 4/27
Carrots>>>>>Lettuce>>> >>>>>Spinach>>>>Mesculun Greens
Lettuce>>>>>Turnips>>>>>>>>Marigolds>>>Carrots
Beets >>>>>>Swiss Chard>>>>>>Beets>>>>>Tarragon/Marigold
(used plot to start
Marigolds to move)
Green Beans>> Yellow Beans>>>>> Carrots>>>>>>Potatoes
(Pole)_________(Bush)

Square 3 Planted 5/20
Pickle Cuke>>>>>Pickle Cuke>>>>>Asian Melon>>>>Asian Melon
>>>>Cantaloupe>>>>>>>>>>>>>Squash>>>>>>>Squash
Cucumber>>>>>Cucumber>>>>>>>Squash>>>>>>>Squash
Cherry Tom>>>>Cherry Tom>>>>>> Better Tom>>>>Better Tom

Square 4 Planted 5/16
The Lettuce/hot pepper is two squares with one pepper in the center of each and 4 lettuce plants that I will pull as the end their season
Lettuce/ Hot Pepper>>>>>>>Carrots>>>>>>>Swiss Chard
Radish>>>> Turnips>>>>>>Carrots>>>>>>>Swiss Chard
Potatoes>>>Beets>>>>>>>Basil>>>>>>>>Spinach
Dill>>>>>>Green Beans>>>Yellow Beans>>>Spinach

Square 5 Planted 5/20
This year I am building a rabbit wire cage around the corn to ward of squirrels, who waited last year until the day before I planned my harvest to eat every ear in my plot! The wire cage also will give extra vertical strength for the watermelon and pumpkin in the next row.)
Corn>>>>>>>>Corn>>>>>>Corn>>>>>>>>Corn
>>>>>>Pumpkin>>>>>>>>>>>>Watermelon
>>>>>>Acorn Squash>>>>>>>>>Acorn Squash
Cherry Tom >>>Cherry Tom>>Better Tom>>>>Better Tom

Square 6 Planted 5/18
Marjoram>>>>>Parsley>>>>>>>Parsley>>>>>>>Rosemary
Sweet Pepper>>Sweet Pep>>>>>Sweet Pep>>>>>Sweet Pep
Eggplant>>>>>Eggplant>>>>>>Eggplant>>>>>>Eggplant
Yellow Beans>>Yellow Beans>>>Green Beans>>>>Green Beans

Notes: I started new tomato plants on 5/20 to replace the ones I lost to damping off. Everything except the root plants in plots 3 -6 also were wiped out by the fungus. The planting dates are when I put the seeds directly in the ground. I'm really bummed because I had an ambitious plans for fall crops of broccoli, cabbage, more spinach, and late radishes that I probably will not be able to plant. And my tomatoes won't be lush and ready in July, but if I wanted certainty, I wouldn't be gardening.

Herb Garden -- this is a separate plot I am trying to establish it gets great morning to mid day sun, but is otherwise "shade challenged." The plot fits around a corner azaela.
(I also have pots of herbs on my deck where some parsley, oregano, and sage have wintered over for a couple of years.)

thyme__Marjoram__Marjoram___Chives___Chives__Lavender_lavender
thyme__Parsley____Parsley_____Basil____Basil___Sage_____Sage
Dill____Dill_______Rosemary____Rosemary
Mint___Mint______Catnip______Catnip

See my other post about carrots, Swiss Chard, and basil that have not sprouted. Also, the lettuce was late emerging.

Love to know what you think --

Maria

Is your mint and catnip in pots? They will spread and overtake everything else if planted in the ground.

WriterCPA - post pics

The garden before planting -- odd plots are on the right with SQ 1 at the far end. Even plots are on the left with SQ 2 at the far end.

The whole garden at the end of April. Lots of compost, vermiculite mixed with soil and dug into a depth of 6" in six 4 x 4 plots.

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Square 1 - May 30 - Root crops, lettuce, spinach planted April 24
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Square 2 -May Beans and root crops -Planted April 27 -- the empty holes are filling in with my AWOL carrots. Potatoes added May 27
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Square 3 - May 30 -- The trellis is described in answer to how to build shade curtains. This will be cucumbers planted May 15 and tomatoes (starting over indoors).
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Square 4 - Beans, Lettuce, dill, and root crops Planted April 27 - Swiss chard and carrots still to arrive. Potatoes planted May 15
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Square 5 - May 30 Corn (wait until you see the squirrel cage I am about to build) acorn squash, pumpkins and melons -- just sprouting - Planted May 15
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Square 6 - May 30 More beans, eggplant, sweet peppers, herbs Planted May 7
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