Marie1485
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How to separate these veggies.

Hello everyone. My name is Marie. I live in the Southeast United States.

I want to make my own raised garden beds for planting vegetables. I have a list of veggies I'd like to grow. I know I'll need at least two separate raised beds and maybe even a couple of planters.

Would anyone be so kind as to tell me how I should separate these in order in to improve growth, taste, and repel pests? I'm very confused by all the information I'm finding online.

1. Romaine Lettuce
2. Green onions
3. Sweet Potatoes
4. Tomatoes
5. Green Beans
6. Asparagus
7. Garlic
8. Basil
9. Mint

Thank you in advance!

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applestar
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Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

Marie1485 wrote:Hello everyone. My name is Marie. I live in the Southeast United States. ...
Cool weather -- to be planted in fall and very early spring In any available spot (probably in shade of tomatoes)
1. Romaine Lettuce
2. Green onions

7. Garlic << plant in fall with lettuce and onions -- garlic will overwinter and will be harvested in late spring -- requires nitrogen rich bed cleared of weeds and mulched (not suitable to grow with fruiting crops unless maybe along the edge) -- make sure to get the southern/short day variety -- artichoke and turban type


3. Sweet Potatoes << separate bed -- it will SWALLOW UP EVERYTHING ELSE -- you can still plant if you have 120 days until frost or if you don't get frost.

These three could grow together, but it's probably too hot now... Wait a little later until after summer heat breaks for fall crop
4. Tomatoes
5. Green Beans
8. Basil

PERENNIALS
6. Asparagus << separate bed to grow permanently -- make sure you CAN grow asparagus -- not for very far south
9. Mint << typically advised to grow in a *large* container though you could probably grow with asparagus since they occupy different root depth/zone mint -- at least I do, but mint will spread like crazy and maybe in the south with no freeze to keep them in check, it's better to plant in a container.

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rainbowgardener
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Yeah, it can get a little complicated. :)

Re your list: Romaine Lettuce
2. Green onions
3. Sweet Potatoes
4. Tomatoes
5. Green Beans
6. Asparagus
7. Garlic
8. Basil
9. Mint

two main things to think about is planting times (cool weather vs warm weather crops) and annuals vs. perennials.

Much of your list is warm weather stuff, but the romaine (and any other green leafies that you decide to do) are cool weather crops. They are planted in late winter for spring crop and again in late summer for fall crop.

The onions and garlic get planted in the fall to over winter and be harvested the following spring.

Tomatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans and basil are warm weather annuals.

Asparagus and mint are perennial. As such they need their own separate beds. Mint tends to spread like crazy and is best planted in a container/ planter etc. Asparagus should be planted in it's own bed. It will keep multiplying over the years and crowding the space and spreading. But do you know that asparagus is a crop that requires a good amount of patience? You could plant some asparagus crowns (I.e. roots) in late fall. They will sprout in spring, but you should not pick any of it the first year. The second year you can do very limited harvesting. The third year and thereafter you can harvest more freely and each year you will get more. But read up on it. Asparagus roots need a very particular kind of planting; you can't just throw them in the ground. And until they get well established, say in 2017, they need a considerable amount of care to be sure they never dry out and they get enough nutrients.

The heat of summer is not a good time to be planting much of anything, but you can be getting your beds ready and doing good soil prep. The secret of a good garden is good soil! What kind of soil were you planning to put in your raised beds and how big will they be? For right now, the only thing you could be planting is if you can buy some well developed mint plants. You could still try planting some green beans. Sweet potatoes need 3-4 months of warm weather. If you have that much left, you could plant some now. But you should know that they take up a LOT of space. You can't grow them up a trellis, because as the vines grow, they root down when they touch the soil and produce a tuber. Then the vines just keep growing. So you also don't want them growing out into your lawn.

Onions and garlic do not take up much room and they are good for repelling pests. I tend to put some in all my veggie beds. You can do a row down the outer edge(s). In the spring lettuce and other cold weather crops can be planted right behind the onion/garlic row, say in Feb-Mar, if you are in zone 8. Then in April or May you can put tomato transplants down the middle of the bed. By the time the tomato plants are getting big and need more room, the lettuce will be about done.

When the lettuce and onions/garlic are gone, you can plant green beans in those spaces.

The basil is a considerably smaller plant than the tomatoes and can go on the ends of the beds. It also does very well in containers.


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rainbowgardener
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applestar got hers in while I was still typing mine, but it looks like we gave substantially the same advice! :)

imafan26
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Green onions are ok in pots. I grow them year round in zone 12a. With enough water, they do fine.

Asparagus will take two years to mature but will be harvestable for twenty years. I grow mine as a hedge along the fence and I use string and stakes to keep the 6 ft fronds off the ground. I planted mine the old fashioned way in an 18 inch trench that was gradually filled as the asparagus grew

Sweet potatoes will take over the bed and try to run off and take over everything else as well,

Mint should be in a pot by itself it will take over. You will also have to divide the mint whenever it looks nice and full or it will choke itself.

Tomato and basil are good companions. Basil supposedly helps tomatoes. Tomatoes need to be staked or caged so they need space to grow at least 2 to 3 feet apart. It is best to plant heat tolerant tomatoes in the south otherwise don't expect any tomatoes once the mercury soars much above 88 degrees.

Unless you are planting bush beans, the beans will also need support so plant them on the North side of the bed on a trellis so they will not shade plants unless that is what you intend to do.

Garlicneeds to be conditioned and planted around October-November. Same with onions. Both have to be southern types.

Romaine is a cool weather crop as are most lettuces and spinach. I do grow NZ hot weather spinach and the red lettuce is more tolerant of heat if it is planted where it can get protection from the midday sun.



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