4×8 salad and bush beans
Two separate 4×4 zones, with cool-season lettuce first and warm-soil beans later.
A small garden.
A clear plan.
Know what fits, what to buy, and what to do next. Start with a raised bed or a few balcony pots.
Plan my 4×8 bed Explore container plansComplete plans, free to customize and print. No account needed.
A · 16 leaf lettuces B · 64 bush beans
4×8 ft (122×244 cm) · two separate growing zones
Choose your growing space
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Three 20 L leafy containers
One leafy crop per pot with a 60 L total mix requirement.
4×8 four-hour leafy plan
Cool-season leafy crops for a place with only four hours of direct sun.
Salad to beans succession
One full bed used twice, with clearing and warm-soil checks between phases.
A complete example
4×8 ft · 6 hours of sun · 120 L of mix already owned
Your plan, ready to grow
Example dates4 × 8 ft (121.9 × 243.8 cm) · 12 in (30.5 cm) fill depth · 6 hours of sun · Start · Last spring frost
80target positions
906.1 Lusable fill volume
20 bags40 L each · after inventory
12 weeksyour first care plan
Planting layout
Top view · orient tall crops away from the sun-facing edge.
| Zone / crop | Positions | Spacing | Season purchase |
|---|---|---|---|
| A · Leaf lettuce | 161 planting batch | 12 × 12 in304.8 × 304.8 mm | 36 seeds16 seasonal target positions |
| B · Bush snap beans | 641 planting batch | 6 × 6 in152.4 × 152.4 mm | 71 seeds64 seasonal target positions |
Square bed spacing is the selected compact planting method. Container spacing describes root positions; foliage may spread beyond the pot. Seed quantities include 10% spare, with 2 small seeds per target and one bean seed per target. Follow cultivar packets if their spacing or sowing instructions differ.
Planting windows
Soil and weather decide the actual planting day.
Leaf lettuce · A
Direct sow. Avoid heat and bolting; sow only in workable soil.
Bush snap beans · B
Direct sow. Wait for frost risk to pass and soil to reach at least 60°F (16°C); check the local forecast.
What to buy
Owned items are deducted before buying.
| Supply | Required | Already owned | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raised-bed growing mix | 906.1 L | 120 L | 20 × 40 L bags |
| Position labels (reuse between phases) | 80 each | 0 each | 80 each |
| Measuring tool | 1 each | 0 each | 1 each |
| Gentle watering tool | 1 each | 0 each | 1 each |
| Leaf lettuce · A · 1 batch | 36 seeds | 0 seeds | 36 seeds |
| Bush snap beans · B · 1 batch | 71 seeds | 0 seeds | 71 seeds |
Mix: 906.1 L theoretical × 1 allowance = 906.1 L; minus 120 L owned = 786.1 L net. Buying 800 L leaves 13.9 L beyond the net requirement. Allowance is your choice; no fixed compaction loss is assumed.
Your first twelve weeks
Check off each week as you work.
01Prepare and begin2027-04-01 — 2027-04-07To do
- Check moisture by touch in each active root zone; adjust watering to rain, heat and drainage. Containers may need checks between weekly visits.
- Measure the usable space. Prepare 906.1 L of raised-bed growing mix before allowance. Keep zone B clear until beans can be direct-sown in warm soil. Lettuce stays in its own zone.
- Direct sow: Leaf lettuce in A. Avoid heat and bolting; sow only in workable soil.
- A: check surface moisture and emergence without disturbing roots. Mist the surface gently; small seeds must not be washed away.
- B (Bush snap beans): keep this zone clear; confirm seed or seedling availability and 6+ hours of sun.
02Check, tend and act · week 22027-04-08 — 2027-04-14To do
- Check moisture by touch in each active root zone; adjust watering to rain, heat and drainage. Containers may need checks between weekly visits.
- Direct sow: Leaf lettuce in A. Avoid heat and bolting; sow only in workable soil.
- A: check surface moisture and emergence without disturbing roots. Mist the surface gently; small seeds must not be washed away.
- B (Bush snap beans): keep this zone clear; confirm seed or seedling availability and 6+ hours of sun.
03Check, tend and act · week 32027-04-15 — 2027-04-21To do
- Check moisture by touch in each active root zone; adjust watering to rain, heat and drainage. Containers may need checks between weekly visits.
- Direct sow: Leaf lettuce in A. Avoid heat and bolting; sow only in workable soil.
- A: check surface moisture and emergence without disturbing roots. Mist the surface gently; small seeds must not be washed away.
- B (Bush snap beans): keep this zone clear; confirm seed or seedling availability and 6+ hours of sun.
04Check, tend and act · week 42027-04-22 — 2027-04-28To do
- Check moisture by touch in each active root zone; adjust watering to rain, heat and drainage. Containers may need checks between weekly visits.
- A: when true leaves appear, thin toward 16 positions at 12.0 × 12.0 in (305 × 305 mm). Keep stronger seedlings; re-sow gaps only if conditions permit.
- B (Bush snap beans): keep this zone clear; confirm seed or seedling availability and 6+ hours of sun.
- Recount surviving positions before buying replacements. Check remaining seed and mix inventory.
05Check, tend and act · week 52027-04-29 — 2027-05-05To do
- Check moisture by touch in each active root zone; adjust watering to rain, heat and drainage. Containers may need checks between weekly visits.
- A: when true leaves appear, thin toward 16 positions at 12.0 × 12.0 in (305 × 305 mm). Keep stronger seedlings; re-sow gaps only if conditions permit.
- B (Bush snap beans): keep this zone clear; confirm seed or seedling availability and 6+ hours of sun.
06Check, tend and act · week 62027-05-06 — 2027-05-12To do
- Check moisture by touch in each active root zone; adjust watering to rain, heat and drainage. Containers may need checks between weekly visits.
- Direct sow: Bush snap beans in B. Wait for frost risk to pass and soil to reach at least 60°F (16°C); check the local forecast.
- A: Check the growing center and take small outer leaves without uprooting the plant. Compare actual growth with your seed packet; remove competing weeds carefully.
- B: check surface moisture and emergence without disturbing roots. Use one sound seed per position; replace failures only when soil remains warm.
07Check, tend and act · week 72027-05-13 — 2027-05-19To do
- Check moisture by touch in each active root zone; adjust watering to rain, heat and drainage. Containers may need checks between weekly visits.
- Direct sow: Bush snap beans in B. Wait for frost risk to pass and soil to reach at least 60°F (16°C); check the local forecast.
- A: Check the growing center and take small outer leaves without uprooting the plant. Compare actual growth with your seed packet; remove competing weeds carefully.
- B: check surface moisture and emergence without disturbing roots. Use one sound seed per position; replace failures only when soil remains warm.
08Check, tend and act · week 82027-05-20 — 2027-05-26To do
- Check moisture by touch in each active root zone; adjust watering to rain, heat and drainage. Containers may need checks between weekly visits.
- A: Pick usable outer leaves before bitterness or a flowering stalk develops. Maturity estimate 45–60 days from planting is a planning range; observe the crop before harvesting.
- B: check surface moisture and emergence without disturbing roots. Use one sound seed per position; replace failures only when soil remains warm.
- Recount surviving positions before buying replacements. Check remaining seed and mix inventory.
09Check, tend and act · week 92027-05-27 — 2027-06-02To do
- Check moisture by touch in each active root zone; adjust watering to rain, heat and drainage. Containers may need checks between weekly visits.
- A: Pick usable outer leaves before bitterness or a flowering stalk develops. Maturity estimate 45–60 days from planting is a planning range; observe the crop before harvesting.
- B: when true leaves appear, thin toward 64 positions at 6.0 × 6.0 in (152 × 152 mm). Keep stronger seedlings; re-sow gaps only if conditions permit.
10Check, tend and act · week 102027-06-03 — 2027-06-09To do
- Check moisture by touch in each active root zone; adjust watering to rain, heat and drainage. Containers may need checks between weekly visits.
- A: Pick usable outer leaves before bitterness or a flowering stalk develops. Maturity estimate 45–60 days from planting is a planning range; observe the crop before harvesting.
- B: when true leaves appear, thin toward 64 positions at 6.0 × 6.0 in (152 × 152 mm). Keep stronger seedlings; re-sow gaps only if conditions permit.
11Check, tend and act · week 112027-06-10 — 2027-06-16To do
- Check moisture by touch in each active root zone; adjust watering to rain, heat and drainage. Containers may need checks between weekly visits.
- A: Pick usable outer leaves before bitterness or a flowering stalk develops. Maturity estimate 45–60 days from planting is a planning range; observe the crop before harvesting.
- B: Keep pods and foliage dry where possible; bush varieties need no trellis. Compare actual growth with your seed packet; remove competing weeds carefully.
12Review and plan ahead2027-06-17 — 2027-06-23To do
- Check moisture by touch in each active root zone; adjust watering to rain, heat and drainage. Containers may need checks between weekly visits.
- A: Pick usable outer leaves before bitterness or a flowering stalk develops. Maturity estimate 45–60 days from planting is a planning range; observe the crop before harvesting.
- B: Keep pods and foliage dry where possible; bush varieties need no trellis. Compare actual growth with your seed packet; remove competing weeds carefully.
- Review the next stage: late crops may need care beyond these twelve weeks. Record harvest, failures and remaining supplies before selecting your next planting.
Assumptions and sources
- Spacing is for the selected compact planting method; follow your cultivar packet where it differs.
- Seed allowance and minimum root-space limits are editable planning choices, not germination or yield guarantees.
- Dates are preparation windows, not forecasts. Confirm soil temperature, weather and actual crop stage.
Fall plans use a 14-day buffer beyond estimated maturity. Succession plans allow 7 days after the preceding crop estimate and still require an empty zone. Minimum sun and root-space thresholds are planning limits, with cultivar and climate variation.
- UMN Extension: Growing lettuceFull-size leaf lettuce plant distance is 10–12 inches. Our 12-inch square cells use an intensive bed layout rather than conventional row aisles. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- UMD Extension: Growing vegetables in containers and salad tablesSun exposure, drainage, growing media and crop-specific minimum volumes; our thresholds are conservative planning settings. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- UMN Extension: Planting the vegetable gardenCool and warm season establishment; weather and soil readiness matter. Minnesota month dates are not used as global dates. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- UMN Extension: Planting for fall harvestMaturity is a cultivar-dependent estimate; our extra 14-day fall buffer is an explicit planning assumption. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- UMN Extension: Growing beansDirect sow bush beans in warm soil. Six-inch square cells are our compact-bed setting, not the conventional row spacing in this source. Accessed 2026-10-04.
Plan bed-salad-beans-01 · version 1 · calculation 1. Actual germination, harvest and local climate performance have not been field tested.