Planting Schedule

With low tunnels I have two reliable growing seasons, a cool season crop in March, April, and May, and a warm weather crop in June, July and August.

I have three raised beds, 4' x 12' and fitted for low tunnels.  I have a front growing area about the same size but it is comprised of the front ornamental bed, the walkway bed between the steps and the garage, the container areas on the front porch. This area is a little odd because I cannot use row covers for aesthetic reasons, and I find the actual growing area to be a little smaller, particularly for things like tomatoes.  I like to look for more ornamental varieties of the crop being planted when it is their turn in the front bed.

For the cool season, I rotate the crops based on the structure type, Leaf crops, Root crops, and Stem crops.  My four beds look like this:

2016

1. Upper Bed:   Leafy Crops
1. Lettuce
2. Swiss Chard
3. Kale
2. Middle Bed:  Root Crops
1. Turnip
2. Radish
3. Beet
3. Lower Bed: Stem Crops
1. Bok Choi
2. Napa Cabbage
4. Front Bed: Bulbs
1. Onion
2. Garlic 
3. Herbs: Dill, pasley, cilantro, etc.

Next year, I will move everything down one bed, and have lettuce in the middle bed and bulbs in the upper bed


For Warm weather crops, I will replant the four beds as follows:

1. Upper Bed: 
   
   1. Green and Hot Peppers
   2. Nasturtiums
2. Middle Bed
1. Tomatoes
2. Basil
3. Marigolds
3. Lower Bed
1. Green Beans
2. Carrots
3. Oregano
4. Front Bed
1. Trombocino
2. Zucchini

Next year, I will move everything down one bed.  I realize that this is not an optimal rotation, because I have green peppers follow the tomatoes.  Also, every few years, I leave one of the beds fallow.

For 2017, the rotation would look like this:

Cool season
1. Upper Bed:    Bulbs
2. Middle Bed:  Leafy Crops
3. Lower Bed:   Root Crops
4. Front Bed:     Stem Crops

Warm season
1. Upper Bed:   Tromboccino and Zucchini
2. Middle Bed:  Peppers and Nasturtiums
3. Lower Bed:   Tomatoes and Basil
4. Front Bed:    Green beans and Oregano