planning a garden next year

 6 steps to planning a garden next year

I am not good at planning. I agree with that before. I'm one of those guys who says "Yeah, let's see what happens!" Type of people. But, when it comes to growing a useful, attractive garden, planning is essential. It helps with everything from figuring out what seeds to order, to decide whether you can actually buy the space needed to grow 15 varieties of heirloom tomatoes. This will save you money, save you time, and, above all, save you some headaches during the gardening season.

It doesn’t even take that much work. Here's what I do to plan my garden each year.

1. Evaluate your space

Look at where you are going to grow your garden. Will you plant raised beds, containers, planted in a community garden? What kind of sunlight does the area receive? Measure the space - it will be useful later. In my own garden, I have nine beds, as well as a large garden space in my side yard and some containers. I have written down the measurements of all of my beds. If you want, you can draw them on drawing paper. About that later.

2. Find out what you want to grow

So now you know what kind of place you work, and the fun begins. Make a list of everything you want to grow. This does not mean that you will develop everything you need. It gives you an idea of ​​where your priorities are. Need a lot of paste tomatoes for processing? Tons of greens for salads? Maybe your family wants potatoes, or squash or whatever. Write it all down.

3. Squeeze it down

This is where your garden measurements and list of things to grow will come together. If you have limited space, you will not be able to grow enough tomatoes for processing and enough potatoes for winter storage. You have to make some choices here. What do you really want to grow? What do you and your family really eat (rather than wanting to grow something interesting/beautiful?)

Now is the time to evaluate when you can grow products better. Lettuce, for example, is best grown in the spring or fall in most areas (it is bolted when the weather warms up). So you can grow it, but what will change it during the summer heat? Maybe some bush beans will work. This step can be a lot of fun, but it can also help you control your shopping list.

4. Map It Out

You do not have to draw a garden plan, but it helps me to see things more clearly. If you do not work well with a ruler and pencil, this step will help you figure out how much each plant can grow, and you can now figure out what to plant next, so it's much easier to figure out what you need. Next step

5. Purchase of seeds/plants

Now when you take your list and plan and go shopping. You still have to make some decisions. Are you going to start with warm-season crops like tomatoes and peppers from seed at home or are you going to buy alternative plants? If you start them from seed, you will need some equipment (that's another post.) At the very least, you know what seeds you need now. Here are some of my favorite sources for organic seeds

6. Identify when to plant

Next, you need to come up with a schedule of when to plant everything, based on your plan. If you use a tool like Mother Earth News Planner, you will receive emails telling you when to do these things.