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 Graph paper can help you plot out your garden. See more pictures of vegetable gardens. |
Before deciding the exact dimensions of your garden, check the list of vegetables you've chosen and the amount you're going to grow for each one. Then calculate if all the vegetables will fit into the allotted space.
Keep in mind that you'll probably map out successive plantings. Arrange your plantings to make the best use of your available space. Some vegetables (for example, cucumbers) sprawl, taking up much space in the garden. You can make use of vertical space, however, by training vines to grow on a trellis; this will free up usable planting ground.
Drawing the plot plan is the pencil-and-paper stage of planning. If you use graph paper, it will be easier to work to scale. A commonly used scale is one inch of paper to eight feet of garden space, but you can adapt the scale to whatever is easiest for you. Draw up a simple plot plan with your garden's measurements in all directions. Remember, no law requires a garden to be square or rectangular. Your garden can be round, curved, or any shape that fits your landscape.
Sketch circles for individual transplants, and rows for directly sown seeds. Take care in placing the vegetables. Place taller plants in the north or northeast area of the garden so they won't shade other plants as they grow. If you're going to use a rototiller, make sure the rows are wide. In smaller gardens it's more space-efficient to plant in wide rows or in solid blocks four to five feet wide. You must be able to reach the center of a wide row comfortably from either side.
If you're serious about gardening, you should keep records. Planning your records should be part of planning your garden. Build your records the same way you build your garden; profit from past mistakes and incorporate new ideas. Keep a daily record, noting such things as soil preparation, planting, weeding, fertilizing, bloom time, date crops ripen, and growing results. Also note any problems with weeds, insects, or rainfall, and whether the harvest of each item was sufficient, too much, or not enough. At the end of the growing season, you'll have a complete record of what you did, and this information will give you the basics for planning next year's garden.
Drawing the Plot Plan
Measure your garden space and plot it on graph paper using a scale that suits the size. Keeping taller vegetables on the north or northeast side, start the plan by sketching in the cool-season varieties. Calculate when those varieties will mature so you can replace them with warm-season crops.
 If you don't rotate your crops, you might be giving diseases a chance to build up strength. |
Do not grow the same plant family in the same spot year after year. Repetition of the same crop gives diseases a chance to build up strength. There are three major vegetable families:
- Cole crops (cabbage family): broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kohlrabi, rutabaga, and turnip;
- Cucurbits (cucumber family): cucumber, gourd, muskmelon, pumpkin, summer squash, winter squash, and watermelon;
- Solanaceous plants (tomato and pepper family): eggplant, Irish potato, pepper, and tomato.
Want more information about vegetable gardens? Visit these links:
- Vegetable Gardens: Find out everything you wanted to know about vegetable gardening.
- Vegetables: Pick out your favorite vegetables to plant in next year's garden.
- Gardening: We answer all of your general gardening questions in this section.
- Garden Design: Learn even more about designing your garden.
