3,048. How to Alternate Rows of Vegetables

Hilchos Kilayim 3:18

Let’s say that someone’s field and his neighbor's field were planted with two different types of grain. In such a case, one may not plant even a single row of mustard or safflower because it’s normal to plant a single row of these species. However, if two adjacent fields were planted with different types of vegetables, then one may plant mustard or safflower between them. This is because one may plant any species other than grain near mustard or safflower; we do not plant them near grain because these species can be harmful to it. Similarly, it’s okay if the corner of one’s field with one species touches the side of a field planted with a different species because we can see that they’re separate. It goes without saying that it’s okay if the corner of one touches a corner of the other without making any distinction or separation because it’s obvious that it’s the end of two different fields, as we have discussed (in 3:16).

Hilchos Kilayim 4:1

One may plant two rows of cucumbers next to one another, then two rows of gourds, then two rows of Egyptian beans, so long as there’s a ditch between one species and the next. One may not plant a single row of cucumbers, then one row of gourds, then one row of Egyptian beans, even if there’s a ditch between them. This is because the leaves of these species grow so long that they’ll get tangled with one another. If they are planted in single rows adjacent to one another, they'll all get mixed together and it will appear that he planted mixed species.