SeedSavers - Garden Planning
Planning a garden involves deciding what crops to plant, how to efficiently use your space, and correctly timing the planting, care, and harvest of each crop. Whether you are planning a large backyard garden, a small community garden plot, or a container garden, these smart space ideas, tips, and strategies will get your planting efforts off on the right foot.
As it does with most endeavors, it pays to think through your garden project before you gather your seeds or transplants. The last thing you want is to have your garden feel like a chore rather than a source of inspiration and relaxation. Answering these following questions will help you develop a garden plan that suits your space and lifestyle.
Does your garden location get enough sunlight? Most vegetables grow best when they get at least six hours of sun a day, so be sure to plant your garden in a sunlight-rich location.
Does your garden have easy access to water? Sowing your seeds or planting your transplants near a water source will make it easier for you to keep your soil at the optimal moisture level.
Does your garden have healthy soil? There’s no way to overemphasize the importance of good soil: your garden will grow best in nutrient-rich, well-drained, weeded, and loosened (non-compacted) soil.
Before you plant each spring, take the time to enrich your soil with quality compost or other organic matter if you want to boost your soil’s fertility and your garden’s production. Mulch (like leaves, straw, and hay) also adds valuable nutrients to the soil and will cut down significantly on your need to weed.
Consider these factors before choosing the crops and varieties you want to grow.
How much space can you commit to a garden? Maybe you have a large, dedicated garden space in your backyard. Maybe you have a couple of raised beds. Maybe you only have space for a couple of containers. Take into account the size of your garden (including space between rows), the amount of sunlight it gets, and its access to water.
Bigger doesn’t always mean better when it comes to basic garden planning. If you’re new to gardening, or if you have limited time to devote to your garden, commit to a plot size that won’t overwhelm you, and concentrate on a selection of vegetables you like to eat that are also easy to grow. Radishes, lettuce, spinach, and carrots are just a few of the crops that don’t take a lot of time or experience to produce a harvest.
As you think about your garden this year, take some time to learn a little about the climate in your region.
1. Know your region’s first and last frost dates
Your region’s first and last frost dates are the key to successful garden planning. These dates are especially helpful when growing and saving seeds from annuals.Use your last frost date to determine when to start seeds
Use your last frost date to determine when to start seeds and plant out transplants. For example, here at Heritage Farm in northeast Iowa, our last spring frost is typically around May 3. Since it’s best to start tomato seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before transplanting out, we know to start the seeds 4-6 weeks before our last frost date.
Use your first frost date to determine the length of your growing season and which crops will have the time necessary to fully mature in your region.
Find your region’s frost dates here.
2. Know your region’s plant hardiness zone
Which plant hardiness zone are you growing in? The USDA’s Plant Hardiness Zone Map divides the United States into zones according to the “average annual extreme minimal temperature.” Knowing your plant hardiness zone will help you choose crops that will thrive in your location.The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zones Map
Your plant hardiness zone is especially helpful if you are growing perennials. If a particular crop type is “hardy to zone _,” then it can overwinter year-round in regions in that growing zone. For example, chives are hardy to zone 3 and are perennial for growing zones 3-9.
Knowing your hardiness zone is also helpful when saving seeds from biennials. In colder zones, the winters might be too frigid to successfully overwinter biennials outdoors.
Find your plant hardiness zone here.
Read the full article on SeedSavers.org
Container Gardening Guide
Create a Small-Space Garden
How to Plant a Fall Garden
Extending the Garden Season
Image Source - The Dallas Garden School
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