Finally built my first 4' x 4' bed and filled it.

I am so excited. It was such a chore to build the bed, find the stuff to mix and mix it! OMG, I thought it would kill us to do all that mixing since I decided to do a taller bed so that I could plant a lot of carrots. Then I decided we needed to have a cage for the top...more work and more tools to buy! We are not handy nor do we have tools....I learned one could not do this project with just a hammer and a screwdriver!

SO! Now it is time to plant. I have read the book, re-consulted the book, read these forums, borrowed three more growing books from the library and consulted them. I am so confused as to what I can plant now in my sixteen squares.

My interests are: beets, broccoli, carrots, chard, spinach, lettuce, bush cucumber, beans (bush type--not up to building that trellis yet!), dill, scallion, garlic. I have bought seeds, some of the products I got two different variety of seed. Can I plant all of those types of seeds now? I want to do peas later for fall (hopefully by then I will have the energy to build the trellis). I do have two tomato plants and two pepper plants in pots that I planted earlier this year. Both have just started to bear fruit and both seem to have some kind of growing issue so I don't know what is going to happen with those.

Advise please? Need lots and lots of help! Sometimes I think doing too much research is more confusing than enlightening and there really is no substitute for experience and the people who bless you with their own experience.

In zone 6a MA

Thank you, a hundred thank yous!

cpl100 wrote:I am so excited. It was such a chore to build the bed, find the stuff to mix and mix it! OMG, I thought it would kill us to do all that mixing since I decided to do a taller bed so that I could plant a lot of carrots. Then I decided we needed to have a cage for the top...more work and more tools to buy! We are not handy nor do we have tools....I learned one could not do this project with just a hammer and a screwdriver!

SO! Now it is time to plant. I have read the book, re-consulted the book, read these forums, borrowed three more growing books from the library and consulted them. I am so confused as to what I can plant now in my sixteen squares.

My interests are: beets, broccoli, carrots, chard, spinach, lettuce, bush cucumber, beans (bush type--not up to building that trellis yet!), dill, scallion, garlic. I have bought seeds, some of the products I got two different variety of seed. Can I plant all of those types of seeds now? I want to do peas later for fall (hopefully by then I will have the energy to build the trellis). I do have two tomato plants and two pepper plants in pots that I planted earlier this year. Both have just started to bear fruit and both seem to have some kind of growing issue so I don't know what is going to happen with those.

Advise please? Need lots and lots of help! Sometimes I think doing too much research is more confusing than enlightening and there really is no substitute for experience and the people who bless you with their own experience.

In zone 6a MA

Thank you, a hundred thank yous!

Hey, I may have asked this already but where are you located in Mass? Of all those things mentioned, you can put in everything but the garlic, but you should do it in the next few days. There is only about 8-9, maybe an at the outside 10 weeks of growing season left.

The garlic will go in in November.

Thanks for your help. I sent you a PM with my city information.

So, I can just go outside and plant all my squares, right? Would you mind advising which crop I should put where I want the peas later? I know they will need to be finished so I can plant the peas.

Would I be able to re-plant any of the mentioned crops after they are harvested once? Thinking maybe the lettuce and spinach from what I have read but I could be totally wrong!

Is there a preferred crop (from those I mentioned) to plant prior to the garlic planting later? Not sure which thing I should put where.

Thanks, again!

cpl100 wrote:Thanks for your help. I sent you a PM with my city information.

So, I can just go outside and plant all my squares, right? Would you mind advising which crop I should put where I want the peas later? I know they will need to be finished so I can plant the peas.

Would I be able to re-plant any of the mentioned crops after they are harvested once? Thinking maybe the lettuce and spinach from what I have read but I could be totally wrong!

Is there a preferred crop (from those I mentioned) to plant prior to the garlic planting later? Not sure which thing I should put where.

Thanks, again!

I am planting peas in the next few days. You may want to plant them sometime next week, or maybe the week after that.

There are a lot of previous threads about placement and spacing. There is also info in the SFG book.

Oh. Thank you. I must be confused again. For some reason, I thought peas were for the cooler weather of Fall and were not to be planted in the heat.

cpl100 wrote:Oh. Thank you. I must be confused again. For some reason, I thought peas were for the cooler weather of Fall and were not to be planted in the heat.

They are, but they take at least 8 weeks to get to a point of producing pods, so I have to plant now. My anticipated first frost date is about September 20th. I have to plant now.
Sugar Ann Snap Pea<~~~click
Folia says 35 days before frost, but I don't trust that.