R. Yizchak and R. Imi were sitting and they had a difficulty with the Mishnah. The Mishnah taught that if it had a Tefach wide border (that was a Tefach tall), he may plant in it 13 - three along each border and one in the middle of the bed. Why didn't the Mishnah permit planting 5 in the middle (as the Mishnah had previously permitted)?

Answer: Since he must make a space of 11/2 Tefachim from the border in every direction (because of the species planted on the border), there is only a space of 3 by 3 Tefachim to plant in the bed.

Question: If the border species reduces the permitted space for planting, why did R. Yehuda permit planting 6 species within a bed?

Answer: The Chevraya or R. Imi explained it...R. Yehuda was commenting on the first case of the Mishnah, but in the latter case, when there is a border, he agrees that only one species may be planted in the bed.

Question: R. Chiya taught in a Baraisa that R. Yehuda permits planting 18 species, which indicates that R. Yehuda was commenting on the latter case? (The Gemara leaves this question unanswered.)

Question: Is it permitted to leave an empty space the size of a Beis Rova and plant 5 species there?

Answer: If in an area of land 6 by 6 Tefachim, for which one incurs lashes by Torah law for leaving less than that space between fields of different seeds, it is permitted to plant 5 species there; here where there are no lashes incurred by Torah law, certainly it is permitted.

Question: Is it permitted to leave a space between the beginning of two fields of seeds, that narrows until the two species meet?

Answer: If even one specie's work access area meets another specie's work access area, you say that it is permitted to plant many species; here, concerning two fields where they don't meet, certainly it is permitted.

Question: There's no doubt that that case is permitted, but the question is - is it permitted to leave a space at the beginning of a Beis Rova, that narrows until the two species meet?

Answer: If even a 6 by 6 Tefach area, for which planting mix species there incurs lashes by Torah law, it is permitted; here, where lashes are not incurred by Torah law, certainly it would be permitted.

Question #1 (R. Nasa): (The Mishnah (Menachos 45(b)) taught that if the bed had a Tefach wide border that was a Tefach tall, he may plant 12 species around the border.) Isn't it logical to say that if the border has a 2 Tefach tall border, it would be permitted to plant two species on top of it. (The Gemara doesn't respond to this question.)