Seasonal Edible Garden Layouts for Raised Bed Gardens
Here in the southern Piedmont of North Carolina our climate allows gardeners to grow edibles during three seasons without using special crop protection - spring, summer, and fall. Most vegetables are annuals that complete their life-cycle in a single growing season. Some thrive and grow to maturity in cooler temperatures of fall and winter (cool-season vegetables) and others prefer the heat of summer (warm-season vegetables), but a few food-producing plants like asparagus, blueberries, and many herbs are perennial continuing to grow and produce year after year.
Print seasonal gardens plant list and with suggested bed layout (pdf) for each season here:
Starting your Garden
To help new gardeners get started and provide ideas for more experienced gardeners, Mecklenburg Extension Master Gardeners have developed 6 suggested garden layouts (two for each growing season) each designed for a 4’ by 10’ raised bed with a depth of 8” or more, suitable for school gardens, community gardens, or back yards; each garden square = 1 ft. square. A trellis on the north side of the bed as indicated on layouts is useful for supporting tall vining crops. Place taller or trellised crops on north side to prevent shade issues; install supports for any other plants that bear heavy fruit or that sprawl while plants are small to avoid damaging feeder roots. Basic edible garden requirements include:
6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day
easy access to a reliable, potable water source
healthy, fertile soil - fill beds with a high-quality, balanced garden blend with at least 25% organic material and add finished compost (25% of the depth of the bed) annually to replenish nutrients
Planting Layouts
The crops suggested in the layouts are listed separately; of course, other choices are available and each gardener must determine the quantities and varieties of crops best for their use. The list includes a number of varieties for small gardens. Based on specific growth requirements, weather conditions, and desired harvest time, plants can be started outside from bulbs, seeds, or transplants (seed packets include information on direct sowing or transplanting):
Seeds (S) – direct sow seeds outside
Bulbs (B) – plant bulbs outside
Transplants (T) – start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before time to transplant outdoors or purchase transplants (also called starts or sets)
Plants (P) – purchase plants (often advisable for certain perennials including many herbs)
Spring Gardens Plants & Layout
#1 Sensational Spring Salads & Slaws
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Cool-Season Crops
These crops often develop edible roots, leaves, stems, or flowers and are overall smaller than warm-season crops taking up less space and requiring less support making them great candidates for raised-bed and other small space gardens. Most cool-season vegetables grow well from seed sown outdoors. Cool-season edibles grow best with air temperatures between 40°F-75°F. Cool temperatures make the gardeners work much easier by naturally minimizing crop damage due to pests and diseases plus it is more pleasant to garden in cooler weather of spring and fall.
Spring: Plant late winter (late February through March) for late spring or early summer harvest. These crops tend to bolt (produce seed stalk and flower) when temperatures climb in late spring or early summer often making plant too woody or bitter for eating so plant seed or transplants early enough to achieve maturity before summer heat.
Fall: Many cool-season edibles planted in the late summer and early fall (like collards, Swiss chard, and kale) are frost hardy allowing for harvesting all winter long! Others, like spinach, may go dormant but begin producing again when temperatures warm; some like peas and lettuces are damaged by hard frosts and freezes.
Summer Gardens Plants & Layout
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#4 Tomato Pie to Cucumber Salad - Sensational, Soulful Southern Traditions
Warm-Season Crops
Warm-season crops are planted in spring for harvest before first frost. These edible crops are killed by frost unless protected. Plant them when soil is warm (above 70°F) and night temperatures stay above 45-50°F. Many of these plants especially those in the night-shade family need extra time to grow to maturity and bear fruit, so start seeds inside in late winter for transplanting outside after the last frost date or buy healthy transplants. Summer vegetables include a number of popular vine crops (like tomatoes, beans, and squash) that take up space unless grown vertically; so plant in a line at a trellis on the north side of garden as indicated in layouts. Train plants to climb by guiding the main stem through the trellis. For vining tomatoes, prune to limit plant to one or two main stems. Alternatively, select vegetables that are designated as determinate (tomatoes), dwarf, compact, or bush to make best use of limited space in raised beds.
#5 Roast, Bake, Mash, or Sauté
your Fantastic Fall Harvest
#6 Glorious Winter Greens!
MORE Garden resources: From NC Extension Central NC Planting Calendar for Annual Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs;
Author: Margaret Genkins is an Extension Master Gardener Volunteer with Mecklenburg County, NC. Margaret believes there is something each of us can do to make an environmental difference in our gardens. In her own garden, which has been featured on Charlotte’s local Wing Haven Gardener’s Garden Tour, Margaret has focused her efforts on organic gardening (including lawn care) and native plant re-population of their woods and perennial beds.
Mecklenburg Extension Master Gardener Volunteers sm