Okra/ pepper garden bed design

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JohnCrichton75 League City, TX(Zone 9a) Dec 15, 2009

Ok, I have a raised bed (about 6" high) that is 10' x 2' and lies against a wood fence. The bed faces south. I strung some twine across the bed so as to create neat little 1 x 1 ft plots, and grew 8 okra plants (for the 1st time) in the back row. I also grew bush beans in the front sections, but they got crowded out because I did not realize at the time that I could prune the lower branches of the okra (found this out here on the boards after the fact.) The beans produced ok, but they were stretching for sunlight. Rookie mistake...

Anyway, I want to get the most out of this bed and I was thinking about a similar arrangement but with bell peppers (Big Bertha, California Wonder). If I prune the okra enough to where the leaves are not burying the peppers, do you guys think I can pull this off or is the bed just too small?

The 8 okra plants I grew were sown in early August and ended up growing about 5 ft tall...I can only imagine how wild these suckers will grow if I start a spring crop!

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papapablo Blanket, TX(Zone 7b) Dec 20, 2009

John I don't know about the okra, but the peppers should be fine in that arrangement. The bell peppers I have grown have done great in crowded or somewhat shaded spots - plus the peppers seem to produce the most in the early and late parts of the season, slowing down during the heat so the okra may actually help them. One thing is for sure, it is worth a try!

What I grew under my okra this past year was winter squash (spaghetti and acorn). It worked out pretty good because the squash vines could wander at will and then died back.

Hope this helps!

Tina

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HoneybeeNC Charlotte, NC(Zone 7b) Dec 21, 2009

John, I grew sweet peppers and tomatoes together in a four foot wide bed this summer and both did well. The secret is to keep the soil well-fed with organic fertilizers, compost and mulch so their roots never compete with each other for food - and of course - keep the soil damp, but not wet.

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JohnCrichton75 League City, TX(Zone 9a) Dec 22, 2009

Thanks for the info, Tina/ Honeybee. I feel better about this veggie arrangement. Can't wait!

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ferrona Madison , AL(Zone 7b) Feb 02, 2010

John,

If you want an easy planning guide, www.gardeners.com has a Garden Planner. They will tell you when to plant and how many to plant in each 1x1sqft. I used it to plan this year since last year I too choked out plants that were shorter than my okra. At least yours was only 5feet tall, my monsters got to +10feet tall. I felt so short and my tomatoes were very unhappy.

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