How fast do I get my plan?

Three steps, three minutes. Type your location, measure your bed, click the veg you like. I do the rest.

Free: one bed, full annual plan, PDF export — free and no account needed. Pro (multiple beds + weather + garden calendar + push & email reminders): €4.90/month or €39/year. Premium (with AI coach Stachi): €9.90/month or €79/year.

Does it work for a balcony planter?

Yes. From a 40×20 cm balcony box to a 3×1 m raised bed — same three steps, same outcome.

Do I need an account?

Not for your first plan — creating one works without signing in. You'll need an account once you want multiple beds, your plan on multiple devices, or weather reminders.

From the garden

Blog

Stories, tips, and friendly chatter about garden beds.

September 9, 2026 · 3 min read

Pruning raspberries in September: which canes to cut and which to keep

Summer raspberries have finished fruiting in August — now the old canes need to come out. Autumn raspberries are still in fruit. Cut the wrong ones and you'll have no harvest next year.

September 8, 2026 · 5 min read

Sow corn salad in September: the hardiest winter salad for your raised bed

Corn salad is the only salad that survives real frost and stays tender. September is the last good sowing window — wait any longer and you'll go without fresh salad until spring.

September 7, 2026 · 4 min read

Overwintering chard in your raised bed: decide now, harvest till December

If you don't pull your chard out now, you can keep harvesting well into November and December. Chard is hardier than its reputation. Here's what to do — and what to leave alone.

September 6, 2026 · 3 min read

Planting shallots in autumn: the small bulb that earns its keep

Shallots are probably the most overlooked autumn task in the raised bed. Plant now, harvest next July — with barely any effort and no green thumb required.

September 5, 2026 · 3 min read

The September switch: clearing summer crops and planting your autumn bed

September is the month of the big changeover. Tomatoes are winding down, courgettes are getting tired — and the space they leave behind is some of the most valuable growing ground of the whole year.

September 4, 2026 · 5 min read

Radishes in September: the last sowing before winter

September is the last month when radishes really work. Cool nights make them crispier and sharper than anything you grew in summer. Sow now, harvest in mid-October — just before everything stops.

September 3, 2026 · 4 min read

Planting garlic in September: how to start now for the 2027 harvest

Garlic is one of the few crops where you do the work in autumn and collect the reward in summer. Plant now and you'll have large, aromatic bulbs by next July — or wait until October if you prefer the sweet spot.

September 2, 2026 · 3 min read

Drying herbs in September: what works — and what doesn't

September is the last big window for thyme, oregano and rosemary. Dry them now and you'll have aromatic herbs from your own bed all winter. Wait too long and you're left with compost.

September 1, 2026 · 3 min read

Ripening tomatoes indoors: when to bring them inside in September

When nights turn cooler and the plant starts giving up, tomatoes stop ripening outdoors. What you do next decides between kilos of harvest — or compost.

August 31, 2026 · 3 min read

Saving seeds from your raised bed — which plants are worth it

Late August shows you which plants had the best season. These are exactly the ones you want to keep for next year — as your own seeds. Which varieties work, why hybrids are a trap, and how tomato seed saving actually works.

August 30, 2026 · 3 min read

Dividing chives: why August is the best time to do it

Chives eventually grow outward from the centre — the middle goes sparse, the shoots get smaller. That's the signal to divide them. And August turns out to be better for this than spring.

August 29, 2026 · 3 min read

Before the summer storm: why you should get to your beds today

Friday is not a normal weekend — storm warnings for Saturday. If your raised bed is in the shade: harvest right now. Ripe fruits that turn brown after hail won't do you any good.

August 28, 2026 · 3 min read

Bell peppers in the raised bed: why they're still green in August — and what helps now

Mrs Schneider is standing in front of her raised bed and every single pepper is still green. End of August. What is she doing wrong? Nothing at all. But there are a few things that make a real difference right now — and a point after which waiting no longer makes sense.

August 27, 2026 · 3 min read

Harvesting squash: how to tell when it's truly ripe

Your squash has been hanging on the vine for weeks and looks great — but is it ripe yet? Most gardeners cut too early or wait too long. Five signs that tell you the right moment has come.

August 26, 2026 · 4 min read

Sow rocket in August: four weeks to your first harvest

Rocket is the fastest harvest in the autumn raised bed. Sow now and you'll be cutting the first round in four weeks — sharper, more aromatic than in summer, and again and again through to November. Nothing else grows this quickly.

August 26, 2026 · 4 min read

Earthing up leeks: the trick for white shafts in your raised bed

Frau Schneider has let her leeks grow untouched since May. By August they're waist-high but green almost all the way down to the soil — like giant spring onions. It's not the wrong variety. She just skipped a step almost nobody tells you about: earthing up.

August 25, 2026 · 3 min read

Plant broccoli in August: still time for an October harvest

Anyone who puts broccoli seedlings in now will be harvesting in October. The window is tight — but it's enough. Broccoli actually makes more sense in autumn than in spring: fewer pests, firm heads, better flavour in the cold.

August 24, 2026 · 3 min read

Sow spinach in August — harvesting through autumn and winter

Sow spinach at the end of August and you'll be picking fresh leaves from October into January. Most people wait too long and miss the window. Germination takes four days — if you sow now, you still make it.

August 6, 2026 · 3 min read

Pak choi in August: sow now for your autumn harvest

Pak choi bolts in summer — too much heat, too much light, and it starts making seeds instead of heads. August is the turning point: cooler nights, shorter days, and it finally does what you want. The window lasts four weeks.

August 5, 2026 · 4 min read

Sow carrots in August: your second chance for an autumn harvest

Most people think of carrots as a spring crop. August is your second window — with a real upside: autumn carrots taste sweeter than summer ones. But only if you start right now.

August 5, 2026 · 4 min read

Green manure for raised beds: what to sow into the gaps after harvest

Garlic out, peas out, first onions out — by August every raised bed has sudden gaps. Instead of leaving them bare, sow a green manure now: the soil stays alive, weeds don't get a chance, and you start spring with better soil.

August 4, 2026 · 3 min read

Sow lamb's lettuce in August — start now for your autumn harvest

August is when the raised bed starts emptying out and most gardeners think the growing season is winding down. Lamb's lettuce disagrees — sow it now for a harvest that runs all the way to December.

August 3, 2026 · 4 min read

Tomatoes in August: removing sideshoots and handling the heat the right way

August gets hot. Tomatoes need less attention to their foliage now and more to water. What to watch for so the best tomatoes still come — and why your variety makes the difference right now.

July 31, 2026 · 3 min read

Beetroot in the raised bed: when it's actually ready — and why you shouldn't wait for it to get big

Mrs Schneider let her beetroot grow until the roots were the size of tennis balls. Now they're woody and difficult to cook. The thing most people get wrong: with beetroot, smaller is usually better — and the right moment is written right above the soil.

July 30, 2026 · 3 min read

Strawberry runners: decide now whether to root new plants or let the mother recover

Mrs Schneider writes: 'Stachi, my strawberry plant is sending out threads everywhere. What do I do with them?' Right now — late July — you have two options. Which one you choose depends on what you want to harvest next year.

July 29, 2026 · 4 min read

Pumpkins in the raised bed: what to do in July — and why it decides your September harvest

Frau Schneider writes: 'Stachi, my pumpkin is growing out of control. The vines are everywhere. What should I do?' I told her that right now — in July — she decides what ends up in her kitchen in September.

July 28, 2026 · 4 min read

Aubergines in the raised bed: how to tell when they're ready to harvest

Frau Schneider is waiting for her aubergines. They're large and dark purple. But she's leaving them on the plant because she thinks bigger is better. That's exactly the moment when aubergines start to turn bitter.

July 27, 2026 · 3 min read

Chard in the raised bed: why it gives you more the more you harvest

Mrs Schneider harvested her chard once in mid-June. Then she left it alone, thinking it needed time to recover. By July it was fifty centimetres tall. She thought she had done something wrong. She hadn't — she'd just stopped harvesting.

July 26, 2026 · 3 min read

Tomatoes splitting after rain: why it happens — and what actually helps

Three dry days last week, then a thunderstorm. The next morning, nine split tomatoes lay under the plant. Not because of the rain. Because of the two weeks before it.

July 25, 2026 · 3 min read

Harvesting and drying onions: when to pull them — and how to store them for months

My neighbour Frau Schneider pulled her onions too early last year. Instead of drying out, they started to rot. The difference between an onion that keeps until February and one that turns mushy in October comes down to a single sign.

July 24, 2026 · 2 min read

Harvesting kohlrabi at the right time: how to tell before it turns woody

My neighbour Frau Schneider brought me a kohlrabi the size of a coconut last week. It tasted like wood. Here's how to catch that moment before it's too late.

July 23, 2026 · 3 min read

Basil is flowering: what to do right now — and why the flowers aren't the enemy

When basil starts flowering in July, most people think: it's done for. It's not. Two minutes and one cut — and the plant carries on. What's happening inside the plant and what I've learnt from it.

July 22, 2026 · 3 min read

French beans in the raised bed: why you need to pick every two days

Beans stop producing the moment the first pods go too ripe. Miss a week of picking and the plant thinks it's done. How it happens, how to spot it, and why two minutes every other day makes all the difference.

July 21, 2026 · 3 min read

Peppers in the raised bed: why the fruits are still green in July — and what actually helps

Peppers need patience — and a few specific things that make the difference in midsummer. Why the fruits are still green, what helps them turn red faster, and when to just harvest them green.

July 21, 2026 · 4 min read

Garlic from the raised bed: how to tell it's truly ready — and how to store it for a year

Garlic has a small harvest window. Pull it too early and it moulds in three weeks. Leave it too long and the bulb splits open. Here is the one sign I watch for — and how to store it so it lasts until next summer.

July 9, 2026 · 3 min read

Raised bed while you're on holiday: who waters when you're gone

Two weeks away in high summer, and the bed sits in full sun. No plan, and you come back to hay. One hour of prep, and you come back to tomatoes. The low-tech tricks that actually last — plus the things you must not do before you leave.

July 8, 2026 · 3 min read

Heavy, medium and light feeders: the nutrient table for your raised bed

Some plants eat a lot, some almost nothing. Knowing which is which lets you spread your bed's strength across the years — and stops you planting two hungry crops on the same spot two years running. The table plus the crop-rotation logic behind it.

July 6, 2026 · 3 min read

The garden in July: what to sow now — and what's already on the plate

July is the loudest time in the raised bed: the first courgettes, cucumbers and tomatoes, and at the same time your last chance to sow for autumn. What still goes in now, what comes out, and the one trick that keeps freed-up gaps from sitting empty.

July 2, 2026 · 4 min read

Mulching a raised bed properly: straw or grass clippings — and how thin

A 5 cm mulch layer halves how often I water — I counted it over two summers. Why straw and grass clippings both work, the one mistake that always goes mouldy, and when to mulch.

June 29, 2026 · 4 min read

Why Cucumbers Turn Bitter — and What to Do About It

Bitter cucumbers are almost never bad luck. Usually it's water stress, sometimes the variety. How to spot it at harvest and how to stop it.

June 25, 2026 · 3 min read

A watering timer for your raised bed: how the bed survives your holidays

An automatic watering computer on the tap, plus a drip line — and your raised bed waters itself, even when you're away for two weeks. How to set it up, program it properly, and dodge the one mistake that ruins everything.

June 19, 2026 · 2 min read

Aphids in the raised bed: what really helps in June — and why I don't spray anymore

First it's a few, then they sit in dense colonies on the shoot tips. Aphids are part of June. What works without poison, what's a waste of money, and who does the work for free.

June 18, 2026 · 3 min read

Zucchini in a raised bed: why one plant is enough — and how to carry it through summer

One zucchini plant, two mistakes, a summer full of fruit. Watering, mildew, harvest: what the plant actually needs, without the garden jargon.

June 17, 2026 · 2 min read

Pre-growing for the autumn bed: what you should already be sowing in June so the autumn doesn't stay empty

In June the bed is full and autumn feels far off. That's exactly the trap. What you pre-grow now, you harvest in October — and what you miss, you'll simply do without.

June 16, 2026 · 2 min read

Harvesting herbs the right way: cut, don't pluck — then they keep coming all summer

Basil that's bare after three weeks. Parsley that won't come back. Usually it isn't the plant, but the way it's harvested. The difference is a single cut.

June 15, 2026 · 3 min read

What goes into the bed in June — and what's already too late

June isn't the final sprint, it's a second start. What you can still plant, what you sow directly, and which crop to skip because that ship has sailed.

June 14, 2026 · 2 min read

Feeding in June: when the hungry feeders need a top-up — and how you can tell

In spring the soil was full of strength, now the tomato and courgette are eating it up. When feeding again is really necessary, with what, and which sign you shouldn't ignore.

June 13, 2026 · 3 min read

The raised bed in the first heatwave: when shade helps — and when it hurts

The first 30-degree week arrives earlier every year than you'd think. What in the raised bed really needs shade, what the sun can handle, and why a shade net is sometimes the wrong move.

May 27, 2026 · 3 min read

First harvest week — radishes out, lettuce in

This week the first things come out of the raised bed — radishes are ready, cut-and-come-again lettuce is harvestable, some herbs need their first trim. And while you harvest, it's the moment for the next succession sowing. Here's the plan for the next 14 days.

May 25, 2026 · 3 min read

Tool check end of May — what you actually pick up every day

I've spent about 800 Francs on garden tools over the last 10 years. I use exactly four of them regularly today. Here's the honest list — what I pick up daily, what gathers dust in the shed, and what I wouldn't buy again in hindsight.

May 23, 2026 · 3 min read

Drip irrigation for your raised bed — when it's worth it

In May still no big deal, in July no fun: every evening with the watering can through the garden, an hour at a time, because the raised bed needs 5 litres a day. Here's when drip irrigation really pays off, which system fits which bed size — and where not to fall into traps.

May 20, 2026 · 3 min read

Trellises for tomatoes and cucumbers — what actually holds

Three weeks after planting, the first tomatoes tip over, cucumbers lie on the ground, and you wonder whether those cheap hardware-store stakes are even worth it. Here's what actually holds in my bed in Berikon — and where I wasted money.

May 18, 2026 · 3 min read

Companion planting table for raised beds — the pairings that matter

A companion-planting table to print: good neighbours, bad neighbours, three all-rounders. Plus the five pairs that get you 80 % of the effect — if you only want to remember five.

May 18, 2026 · 3 min read

Planting a raised bed — the 3-step beginner guide (compact)

The short version: location, bed size, plant choice. One page, three steps, one rule of thumb per step. To print and pin to the shed.

May 18, 2026 · 5 min read

2026 sowing calendar for your raised bed (DACH)

A sowing calendar for all of 2026 — month by month, what to start indoors, sow directly, and plant out. With the one catch most calendars don't mention.

May 12, 2026 · 2 min read

Watering a raised bed in summer — how often, when, with what

In high summer, water is the only limitation. Raised beds dry faster than ground beds. How to find the right rhythm and spot heat stress.

May 11, 2026 · 4 min read

Perennial herbs in the raised bed — plant once, harvest for years

Most herbs are actually lazy. They want one spot, and then years of being left alone. Which perennials really stay in a raised bed — and which to skip.

May 10, 2026 · 3 min read

Winter vegetables in the raised bed — what really lasts

Long after the tomatoes have given up, the raised bed still has things growing. Which varieties make it through winter — and which ones to skip.

May 9, 2026 · 8 min read

How to prune tomato suckers: what, why, when — and my honest field test

Pinching out suckers sounds like garden folklore. It's actually five minutes of work per week that got me four kilos more tomatoes in 2024.

May 8, 2026 · 7 min read

Cucumbers in the Raised Bed — Where Beginners Go Wrong and What Actually Helps

Cucumbers are my favourite raised-bed plant. And the one where the most things go wrong. Four mistakes I watched Mrs Schneider make last summer — and how to avoid every single one.

May 7, 2026 · 8 min read

Strawberries in a Raised Bed — The 3-Year Growing Guide

No slugs, no muddy fruit, right at picking height — strawberries in a raised bed are the best thing that can happen to you in May. Which varieties actually deliver, when to plant, and why year two is when it all comes together.

May 6, 2026 · 7 min read

My raised bed only gets 3 hours of sun — what's actually worth growing?

Behind the shed, under a walnut tree, against a north wall — not every raised bed has guaranteed sunshine. 10 varieties that deliver anyway. And three you can skip.

May 5, 2026 · 6 min read

Plant Spacing for Raised Beds: the Table for 25 Vegetables You'll Use Every Season

Planting too close together is the most common beginner mistake — and it costs you half your harvest. Here are the exact spacings for 25 typical raised-bed plants, compact in one table.

May 4, 2026 · 10 min read

How to Fill a Raised Bed the Right Way — the 4-Layer Method

Why you can't just dump soil into a raised bed, and how four layers keep it warm, fertile, and productive for five years.

May 3, 2026 · 7 min read

Raised bed or ground bed — what's actually better?

Mrs Schneider got a raised bed for her birthday and asked me whether it's really better than the ground bed she's had for twelve years. My honest answer: not necessarily. A fair six-round comparison.

May 2, 2026 · 8 min read

What you can still plant in your raised bed in May

First half of May: last call for lettuce, kohlrabi and carrots. Second half: tomatoes, courgettes, basil go out. In between: the Ice Saints. A report from Berikon, weeks 18–22, with concrete week-by-week slots.

May 1, 2026 · 7 min read

Companion planting for beginners — who likes whom in the raised bed

Companion planting sounds like a biochemistry degree. It isn't. Fifteen pairing rules, three team players, three loners — and a story about my bed in 2023.

April 30, 2026 · 9 min read

May Sowing Calendar — what goes in the ground this week

May is the busiest month in the garden year — everything changes before and after the Ice Saints. I make myself a week-by-week list. Here it is.

April 29, 2026 · 4 min read

Late blight — what it actually is, and why it always finds your tomatoes

In July the leaves still look fine. By August they're brown overnight. Here's what happened, why it happened, and how to avoid it next year.

April 28, 2026 · 7 min read

Planting your raised bed — a 3-step beginner's guide

You've got a raised bed, a shovel, and no plan. Three steps, one season later: harvest. No companion-planting tables, no calendar app, no garden club required.

April 25, 2026 · 4 min read

The last centimetre in your bed — plants that fill every gap

Between the tomatoes, on the edge, in the row where nothing seems to fit: four plants that are fast, stay small, and improve your main crops along the way.

April 23, 2026 · 4 min read

Root vegetables in the raised bed — carrots, beetroot, and the stone trick

Root veg wants depth and no stones. In a raised bed you don't have either problem. Which varieties give back the most, and how deep your bed really needs to be.

April 22, 2026 · 3 min read

Hanging plants in buckets — when your bed is full

Upside-down tomatoes, strawberries in hanging pots, herbs against the wall. Four buckets and a few screws double your growing area — at eye level.

April 20, 2026 · 2 min read

Slugs in the raised bed — what actually works (no poison)

Slugs are less of a problem in raised beds than ground beds, but they still get up there. Which measures actually work, and which you can skip.

April 18, 2026 · 5 min read

Plants that talk to you

Some plants suffer in silence and just die on you. Others start waving when something's off. Here are six varieties that are beginner-friendly because they tell you what they need.

April 15, 2026 · 4 min read

The ice saints — the most honest version you'll find

Pankratius, Servatius, Bonifatius, Sophia. Four saints from the 7th century who, with a bit of luck, will save your tomatoes.

April 13, 2026 · 3 min read

Berry shrubs in the raised bed — what really works and what doesn't

Blueberry, raspberry, gooseberry — three berries, three very different needs. Which the raised bed actually handles, and which you should plant in the ground.

April 12, 2026 · 3 min read

How Erntezeit knows when your last frost is coming

We don't look into a crystal ball. We look ten years into the past.

April 10, 2026 · 2 min read

Welcome to Erntezeit

Why we think gardening should be radically simple — and what you'll find on this blog in the future.

April 9, 2026 · 2 min read

Raised bed on the balcony — what actually works

A balcony raised bed isn't a mini-garden, it's its own discipline. Weight, drainage, variety selection — what works and what doesn't.

April 8, 2026 · 4 min read

Frost-free planting — when exactly is exactly

One day too early and four tomato seedlings are gone. Three weeks too late and your season is half over. Here's the logic I use to pick the date.

April 5, 2026 · 3 min read

Three vegetables for March — and why peppers have to wait

Radish, spinach, pak choi. All three tolerate cold. Peppers would die before they even germinate.

April 2, 2026 · 2 min read

7 plants you can't kill — guaranteed harvest in year one

Afraid everything will die on you? Here are 7 plants robust enough that even forgetting them barely hurts. Guaranteed harvest in year one.

March 28, 2026 · 3 min read

Why tomatoes love basil and hate cucumbers

Companion planting sounds like esoterica. It's actually just chemistry and biology — and you really need to know three rules.

March 25, 2026 · 4 min read

Five plants that always work in a garden bed

If you don't want your first bed year to break your spirit, plant these five. They forgive beginner mistakes, they grow fast, and you actually eat them.

March 22, 2026 · 2 min read

Lettuce in the raised bed — harvest almost all year

Lettuce is the king of easy harvests: 4-6 weeks from seed to bowl, succession sowing keeps you supplied year-round. Which varieties when, and how to fight bolting.

March 20, 2026 · 3 min read

The April frost of 2024 — a story in five acts

I had all my tomatoes outside. My neighbour had two words for me.

March 15, 2026 · 2 min read

Raised-bed material: wood, metal or stone — what actually fits

Larch, Corten steel, natural stone — three materials with three very different lifespans and looks. What makes sense when.

March 13, 2026 · 3 min read

Topping up your raised-bed soil — the five-minute spring job that saves your season

Last autumn the soil was right at the rim. In March, ten centimetres are suddenly missing. What's happening, and how do you fill it back up properly?

March 12, 2026 · 2 min read

Why your raised bed doesn't need a spreadsheet

I spent three years trying to plan my garden with apps. Here's why I stopped — and what I do instead.