Cook Grow Preserve

Planning the Garden Beds

Beds

Bed dimensions (from East to West in Community Garden)

Community Bed 1

  • 9 x 2 bricks
  • growing space 32″ x 132″ x 8″ top depth
  • Sun Level – 5
  • Deep

Community Bed 2

  • 9 x 2 bricks
  • growing space 32″ x 132″ x 8″ top depth
  • Sun Level – 5
  • Deep

We’ve planted half of the bed (south side) with Peas!

Community Bed 3

  • 9 x 2 bricks
  • growing space 32″ x 132″ x 8″ top depth
  • Sun Level – 6
  • Deep

Planted Carrots, Radishes and Beets

Community Bed 4

  • 9 x 2 bricks
  • growing space 32″ x 132″ x 8″ top depth
  • Sun Level – 7
  • Deep

Community Bed 5

  • 6 x 2 bricks
  • growing space 32″ x 84″ x 8″ top depth
  • Sun Level – 10
  • Deep

West Fence Bed 6

  • 13 x 1 bricks
  • growing space x 16″ x 196″ x 8″ top depth
  • fit 10 tomato plants in 2024 and produced very well
  • Sun Level – 7
  • Moderately Deep
  • 2025 – Plan to do tomatoes again but only plant 8 plants.

North Fence Bed 7

  • fit 5 cucumbers, 5 snow peas, 5 green beans, 15 chili plants. Cucumbers and bean produced well. Cayenne did pretty well but few/small jalepenos and no fruit from habanero.
  • Sun Level – 9
  • Might be Shallow
  • 2025 – Plan to raise by 6 inches or so, move trellis forward, instead of alternating plants, go cucumber – bean – peas (west to east).

North Lawn Bed 8

  • fit 12 squashes – combination of spaghetti and butternut. Butternut didn’t fruit well but ended up with about 10 small spaghetti squashes. Gross big beetle-like bugs ate at the fruit that was on the ground.
  • Might be Shallow
  • 2025 – Plan to do sunflowers here and remove trellis for use elsewhere. Hopefully this brings some pollinators over to this side of the property.

North East Bed 9

  • Sun Level – 7
  • Shallow
  • 2025 – This is the one that may have concrete or something below. Maybe just do groundcover to prevent weeds. Or try flowers again

South Bed 10

  • Grew sunflowers
  • Sun Level – 2
  • Deep
  • 2025 – This is a very shady spot and maybe try doing lettuce and broccoli and herbs over here.

Crops

Snow Peas

Notes: Direct sow, space a few inches apart (okay to “crowd” a bit), trellis, March 26 direct seed. Should provide nitrogen so do probably want to companion plant again. Planted in Bed 2

Asparagus (not doing this year)

Notes: Direct sow crowns, March 20 direct in soil, 8″ deep and 12″ spaced apart. Need deep soil, will grow tall. Perennial.

Green Beans

Note: Direct sow May 10. Bed 7

Hot Chilies

Note: Started indoors March 27, transplant May 20

Habanero
Jalepeño
Cayenne
Red Pepper

Mild Chilies

Note: Started indoors March 27, transplant May 20

Sweet Peppers
Bell Pepper

Tomatoes

Note: Started indoors March 15, will need to pot up and move to greenhouse April 20, transplant May 10

Super Sioux
Black Cherry

Squash

Note: Direct sow May 20. Bed 4

Cucumbers

Note: Start indoors, April 10, transplant May 10

Corn

Note: Direct sow May 20. Bed 5

Beets

Note: Direct sow March 26. Bed 3

Carrots

Note: Direct sow March 26. Bed 3

Radish

Note: Direct sow March 26. Bed 3

Potatoes

Note: Purchased seed potatoes on March 15. Left in grow lights for 1 – 2 weeks. Cut 2 days before direct planting. Bed 5

Lettuce

Notes: Started indoors late February. Transplant April 10. Bed 1