Family Provision Bed (4×12)
A 12×4 workhorse bed that feeds a family: tomatoes, beans, squash, brassicas, salads, and a root section — all in one plan.
About This Template
This is the bed for households that want real quantities, not garnishes. The full 3.6-meter north edge works vertically: three tomato varieties interplanted with basil, peppers with onion and garlic tucked below them, a curtain of pole beans, a trellised cucumber, and a sunflower closing the corner. The midfield belongs to the big feeders — a zucchini with genuine sprawl room and a full brassica lineup from broccoli to kale — followed by the salad-and-strawberry section. The entire front edge is a root highway: potatoes, a long carrot strip, beets, and radishes, planted densely and harvested in waves. Companion pairings run the length of the bed: basil under tomatoes, alliums beside the nightshades, marigolds on the corners.
Benefits
- 1Sized to supply a family of four with summer vegetables plus surplus to preserve
- 2Three tomato types — slicing, sauce, and snacking — cover every kitchen use
- 3The 3.6 m trellis edge yields beans and cucumbers on zero extra ground
- 4Brassica section extends the harvest deep into autumn after tomatoes finish
- 5Classic companion pairs (tomato-basil, allium-nightshade) built into the plan
Growing Tips
- 1Walk the bed's north side to harvest the tall row without compacting soil
- 2Hill the potatoes twice before midsummer for a heavier crop
- 3Sow the carrot strip in three batches, three weeks apart
- 4When the beans finish, cut them at soil level — the roots feed next year's bed
Included Plants (25)
Tomato
Solanum lycopersicum
Spacing: 60 cm · 24 in
Basil×2
Ocimum basilicum
Spacing: 25 cm · 10 in
Roma Tomato
Solanum lycopersicum
Spacing: 60 cm · 24 in
Cherry Tomato
Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme
Spacing: 45 cm · 18 in
Bell Pepper
Capsicum annuum
Spacing: 45 cm · 18 in
Jalapeno Pepper
Capsicum annuum
Spacing: 40 cm · 16 in
Green Beans×6
Phaseolus vulgaris
Spacing: 10 cm · 4 in
Cucumber
Cucumis sativus
Spacing: 60 cm · 24 in
Sunflower
Helianthus annuus
Spacing: 45 cm · 18 in
Marigold×3
Tagetes patula
Spacing: 25 cm · 10 in
Onion×2
Allium cepa
Spacing: 15 cm · 6 in
Garlic×2
Allium sativum
Spacing: 15 cm · 6 in
Zucchini
Cucurbita pepo
Spacing: 90 cm · 35 in
Broccoli
Brassica oleracea var. italica
Spacing: 45 cm · 18 in
Cauliflower
Brassica oleracea var. botrytis
Spacing: 60 cm · 24 in
Cabbage
Brassica oleracea var. capitata
Spacing: 50 cm · 20 in
Kale
Brassica oleracea var. sabellica
Spacing: 45 cm · 18 in
Swiss Chard
Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris
Spacing: 30 cm · 12 in
Lettuce×2
Lactuca sativa
Spacing: 25 cm · 10 in
Spinach×4
Spinacia oleracea
Spacing: 15 cm · 6 in
Strawberry×2
Fragaria x ananassa
Spacing: 30 cm · 12 in
Potato×4
Solanum tuberosum
Spacing: 30 cm · 12 in
Carrot×8
Daucus carota subsp. sativus
Spacing: 8 cm · 3 in
Beet×6
Beta vulgaris
Spacing: 10 cm · 4 in
Radish×4
Raphanus sativus
Spacing: 5 cm · 2 in
Ready to Start Growing?
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