Garden Planner

Garden plan and planting schedule

My Gardening.how plan
8 × 4 ft raised bed · 12 in walls · 10 in soil · open base · 6 to 8 hours · summer · mature
Plants: 1 × Tomato, 1 × Basil, 1 × Lettuce, 1 × Marigold, 1 × Beet, 1 × Carrot, 1 × Chives, 1 × Cilantro

Planting schedule
Broad growing context: Cool continental growing season. Local frost dates are not set.
Illustrative summer view. The schedule below includes all plantings.
- Tomato at (1, 1) ft: planting date not set.
- Basil at (3, 1) ft: planting date not set.
- Lettuce at (5, 1) ft: planting date not set.
- Marigold at (7, 1) ft: planting date not set.
- Beet at (1, 3) ft: planting date not set.
- Carrot at (3, 3) ft: planting date not set.
- Chives at (5, 3) ft: planting date not set.
- Cilantro at (7, 3) ft: planting date not set.
Harvest timing is an estimate; plants remain in the plan until an explicit removal date.

Cautions
- Tomato reaches beyond the edge: Its mature canopy is about 30 inches wide. Move it inward, accept some spillover, or use the edge intentionally.

Plan highlights
- Tomato may shade Beet: North is at the top of the plan. The taller canopy sits north of the shorter crop, which may provide useful afternoon relief or reduce light, depending on sun angle and season. [Strong horticultural rationale]
- Tomato may shade Carrot: North is at the top of the plan. The taller canopy sits north of the shorter crop, which may provide useful afternoon relief or reduce light, depending on sun angle and season. [Strong horticultural rationale]
- Tomato and basil share a practical rhythm: Both prefer warm, sunny conditions and are convenient to harvest together. Basil remains much shorter, so keep it outside the tomato's densest mature shade. [Strong horticultural rationale]
- Flavor and pest folklore is not used: Claims that nearby basil automatically improves tomato flavor or controls tomato pests are treated as traditional pairing claims with limited evidence, not planning facts. Monitor the crops independently. [Traditional pairing with limited evidence]
- 3 pollinator-supporting plants: A sequence of open flowers can provide nectar or pollen. Value depends on bloom timing, species, local insects, and avoiding pesticide exposure during bloom. [Strong horticultural rationale]
- 1 plant needs planned support: Tomato: Stake, cage, or permanent support as appropriate [Strong horticultural rationale]
- Several root depths share the bed: Shallow and deeper root systems can occupy different soil volumes, but they still compete for water and nutrients. The root layer shows approximate depth, not a no-competition guarantee. [Strong horticultural rationale]
- Some roots may continue below the raised-bed fill: Tomato, Basil, Beet, Carrot, Cilantro have recorded root depths greater than the 10-inch soil fill. The open base may let roots enter native soil, but only if the soil below is permeable, uncontaminated, and not blocked by fabric, compaction, or hardscape. [Strong horticultural rationale]

Gardening.how planning output. Confirm cultivar details and local extension guidance.