Spinach, Bush Beans & Lamb's Lettuce
Three harvests from one bed: spring spinach, summer beans, and lamb's lettuce that stands through winter.
Season timeline
- Sow the spinach
- Harvest the spinach
- Clear the spinach
- Sow the bush beans
- Harvest the beans
- Clear the beans
- Sow the lamb's lettuce
- Harvest before winter
- Harvest after winter
- Clear the bed
Bed layout
Crops in this bed
Step by step
- Sow the spinachMar
Sow spinach across the whole bed as soon as the soil is workable.
- Harvest the spinachMay
Pick the leaves before the plants bolt in the warming weather.
- Clear the spinachMay
Pull the remaining plants and rake the bed for the beans.
- Sow the bush beansMay–Jun
Sow beans once the soil holds 10 °C; they will not germinate in cold ground.
- Harvest the beansJul–Sep
Pick pods every few days to keep the plants producing.
- Clear the beansSep
Cut the plants at ground level, leaving the nitrogen-fixing roots in.
- Sow the lamb's lettuceSep
Sow lamb's lettuce into the bean stubble and press the rows down firmly.
- Harvest before winterNov–Dec
Cut whole rosettes once they reach usable size.
- Harvest after winterFeb–Mar (next year)
The overwintered rosettes regrow with the first mild days — cut them before they flower.
- Clear the bedMar (next year)
Remove the last rosettes so the bed is free for the new season.
Harvest calendar
| Crop | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Jan (next year) | Feb (next year) | Mar (next year) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bean | Bean: Jul | Bean: Aug | Bean: Sep | ||||||||||||
| Spinach | Spinach: May | ||||||||||||||
| Corn Salad | Corn Salad: Nov | Corn Salad: Dec | Corn Salad: Feb (next year) | Corn Salad: Mar (next year) |
The bed over the season
- Bean · Sowing
- Bean · Harvest
- Spinach · Sowing
- Spinach · Growing
- Spinach · Harvest
- Corn Salad · Sowing
- Corn Salad · Growing
- Corn Salad · Harvest
- Corn Salad · Harvest
Why this combination works
A full-year relay: cool-loving spinach uses the spring, nitrogen-fixing bush beans take the summer, and frost-hardy lamb's lettuce sown into the bean stubble yields before and after winter. Each crop hands the bed over just as the next one needs it, so the soil never sits empty.
Tips
Choose a bolt-resistant spring spinach variety. Do not sow the beans too early; one cold week stops them for good. Press the lamb's lettuce seed down firmly — it germinates poorly in loose soil. Harvest lamb's lettuce with a knife above the root and it regrows.