Planning your vegetable garden

Knowledge is power, and now that you understand the concepts of deciding what to plant and where to plant it, you can finally pick up pencil and paper and start planning your vegetable garden. When compiling your plan. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

1. List the crops you want to grow. Divide this list into two categories: must-grow and would like to grow.
2. Divide these crops into two sections: cool-season crops and warm-season crops.
3. For each plant, decide whether you want to start seeds indoors, purchase transplants, or direct sow.
4. Based on your decisions, write down the planting date for each crop. To do this, first find your average last-frost date and use the plant timing instructions.
5. Note the harvest category of each crop. Place a star beside any plants with a quick-burst or weather-dependent harvest; they are prime candidates for succession planting.
6. For each plant, look up the recommended plant spacing. Then decide how many plants (or how many rows) you will plant for each crop.
7. List any companion planting combinations you want to incorporate.
8. Brainstorm any vertical gardening ideas you want to try .
9. For raised or in-ground beds, draw a layout grid of your garden space (graph paper is a great help). Each square represents 1 foot. If you’re growing in containers, sketch out a top view of each container. If the container is circular, draw a square inside, noting the distance between the sides of the square.
10. In your layout, use a pencil to sketch in your must-grow crops. Then fill any remaining space with the crops you would like to grow. For the crops with a star, decide how you will use succession planting in those spaces. Some areas may have two crops listed, if you plan to plant a second crop after the harvest of the first one.
11. Now that your garden layout is taking shape, adjust it as necessary. You may decide to add more containers or change the quantities of crops.

With your rough plan in place (don’t worry, you can still change it!), it’s time to start building your garden. 

Using the spacing guidelines in the plant profiles, sketch a layout for each garden space. Tip: Use a pencil, so you can adjust plant placements as you plant. Sketching a layout ahead of time also helps you determine the quantity of seeds or plants you need to purchase.

Resources

Find your average frost date

The Old Farmer’s Almanac, https://www.almanac.com/gardening/frostdates

Find your local cooperative extension service by zip code

Gardening Know How, https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/extension-search

Find soil-testing labs by state

Gardening Products Review, https://gardeningproductsreview.com/state-by-state-list-soil-testing-labscooperative-extension-offices

Garden tools

Gardener’s Supply Company, https://www.gardeners.com

Seed and plant suppliers

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, https://www.rareseeds.com

Seed Savers Exchange, https://www.seedsavers.org

Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, https://southernexposure.com

Territorial Seed Company, https://territorialseed.com

References

Bradley, Fern Marshall, Barbara W. Ellis, and Deborah Martin. The Organic Gardener’s Handbook of Natural Pest and Disease Control. New York: Rodale, Inc., 2009.

Bradley, Fern Marshall, Barbara W. Ellis, and Ellen Phillips. Rodale’s Ultimate Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening. New York: Rodale, Inc., 2009.

Bradley, Fern Marshall, and Jane Courtier. Vegetable Gardening. White Plains, NY: Toucan Books, 2006.

Cool Springs Press. Gardening Complete. Minneapolis: Cool Springs Press, 2018.

Damrosch, Barbara. The Garden Primer . New York: Workman Publishing, Inc., 2008.

Harrington, J. F. “Soil Temperature Conditions for Vegetable Seed Germination.” University of California at Davis. Accessed October 18, 2019.

https://extension.oregonstate.edu/sites/default/files/documents/12281/soiltemps.pdf .

McCrate, Colin, and Brad Halm. High-Yield Vegetable Gardening . North Adams, MA: Storey Publishing, 2015.

Reich, Lee. Weedless Gardening . New York: Workman Publishing Co., Inc., 2001.

Southern Exposure Seed Exchange (blog). “The Major Plant Families in a Vegetable Garden.” Accessed October 22, 2019. http://www.southernexposure.com/the-major-plant-families-in-a-vegetable-garden-ezp-190.html .