Plan A Garden

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Last Updated:09/15/2007

Plan a Vegetable Garden

Pick the plot

Where you put your garden can have the most direct effect on its success. Before you start any digging, consider these criteria:

Sunshine. The area should get at least eight hours of full sun. This will produce the Crop we all strive for.

Drainage. Choose higher ground with a slight slope to aid water flow. Avoid low-lying areas where water might collect after a heavy rain.

Soil. Avoid rocky areas and high mixtures of sand or clay. If you must use less-than-perfect soil, you'll have to fertilize more often than usual. If the soil is excessively rocky, sandy, or filled with clay, you'll need to mix a layer of planting soil and amendments to about 2 feet (60 centimeters) down. Step 5 describes the details of soil preparation.

Size. Start on the conservative side. It's better to have a well-tended smaller garden than an unruly large one. Shoot for between 20 and 40 square feet (4 by 5 feet, or 8 by 5 feet, for example) if possible.

Convenience. Make sure you don't have to walk too far for those vegetables, and that you can reach them with your hose.

Know your growing season

Before you buy your seeds, it's important to understand the particular climate changes of your area. If you live where temperatures can hit freezing, you'll need to know the average last frost. This term refers to a cut-off date, usually in early spring, after which the chances of freezing temperatures are less than 10 percent. Different seeds deal with the cold in different ways, so here's a guide:

Cool season vegetables are strong enough to go in a few weeks before the last frost and grow better in cooler temperatures. These include lettuce, carrots, radishes, onions, broccoli, potatoes, and beets.

Warm season vegetables don't like the cold and are planted after the last frost. These include corn, beans, tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, eggplant, and peppers.

To get the date of your region's average last frost, talk to your local nursery, or call your state agricultural office (listed in the government pages of the phone book). Remember, there's no way the prediction can be completely accurate. Mother Nature has her whims, and you must have patience.

Buy your seeds

Seeds are sold in nurseries, garden centers, organic food markets, and larger hardware stores. Here are some guidelines for choosing them:

Before you go, make a list of the vegetables you're interested in cultivating (don't go overboard). There will usually be several seed varieties for each type. Choose what you're familiar with, or simply what looks good.

Make sure the seeds are right for your climate zone. Most packages will have a zone map printed on them, showing what climate is best. Also check maturity rates, disease resistance, and taste.

Check how much growing space (marked on the package) each plant requires. Combine your garden size with these requirements to estimate how much you can plant.

Smaller seeds (lettuce, radishes, and carrots, for example) can be bought in seed strips. These are long pieces of paper tape to which pre-spaced seeds are attached. All you have to do is unroll it over the planting furrow and bury it, so it saves you time.

Don't forget herbs! They only need a little garden space and can add a lot of zing to your summer menu.

If you have a particularly late average last frost and want to grow warm season vegetables that will mature late (close to your average first frost), you might also consider seedlings. These are available at nurseries (already growing in pots and ready for transplant), or you can germinate some yourself (talk to the folks at the nursery for guidelines). Be warned, however, as seedlings don't always survive being transplanted.

Plan the garden

If you have a tiny plot and only a few types of seeds, you can probably plan your garden as you plant, but with anything larger than ten square feet, it's best to have a layout drawing. The steps are as follows:

Write down each vegetable's name, its planting and harvest time, growth space needed, and any special needs (sun exposure, extra watering, and so on).

Take a piece of graph paper, a pencil, and a ruler, and start your layout with 1 inch equaling 1 foot. Mark off each square foot in a grid. Draw the grid lines lightly.

Now comes the tricky part--mapping out what goes where. Use the information you wrote down to get a rough idea of how to space your seeds, then start marking off the areas. Use a pencil first--you'll probably have to erase a few times.

Consider row direction, height and access. If the rows run east-west, the plants will have a better chance of getting a full day of sun. Place taller plants (corns and beans) on the north end, so they don't shade the shorter plants. For large gardens, include footpaths (10 to 12 inches wide) between most of the rows for easier access.

Once your diagram is done, plan your planting and harvesting. Combine the information from the seed packets with the date of your average last frost, then write down the planting times for each choice in your diagram margins, or on your calendar.

Harvesting dates are harder to pin down; weather conditions, soil, and seed quality all contribute to how long the plant takes to yield. Still, put down the approximate dates so you'll know when to keep an eye peeled.

Save your diagram and seed info and start stretching those muscles--it's time to get dirty.

Prepare the soil

The more you prepare your soil early on, the more success you're likely to have. Professional gardeners recommend that initial soil preparation take place in the fall before spring planting. This lets the fertilizers and other amendments break down and mix with the soil over the winter. If you aren't able to plan that far ahead, it's okay. Just be sure that whatever you add to the soil is mixed in thoroughly and is safe for planting (some fertilizers can "burn" the seeds if they haven't broken down in the soil enough). Here's what you need to do:

Take two or three soil samples from your garden site. Use your spade to get a few scoops (no grass or rock--just dirt) and put them in separate bags or jars.

Call your local nursery or garden center and ask if they can test your samples for their pH levels (the amendments you use will depend on the pH level). Some places will test the soil for free, others for a small fee. You can also buy a testing kit, which is cheap and easy to use.

Pick a day when the ground is dry--wet soil is almost impossible to work with. Gather your equipment and soil amendments (you may want a wheelbarrow for this). Measure out your garden with the measuring tape, then drive stakes into each corner and tie strings to mark off the area.

With the shovel, "turn" the soil in the marked area. This involves simply digging the shovel into the ground and flipping over the scooped soil. The depth of the turned soil should be at least a foot. Remove any rocks.

Take your hoe and break up the dirt clods. The finer the soil, the better the planting, so really get in there.
Use your shovel to spread the amendments over the site according to the nursery directions. Work everything together until the soil is "fluffed," or loose. Don't step on the fluffed soil.

If animals are a concern, you may want to fence the area with chicken wire. Also, it's a good idea to mark off your footpaths so you don't step on and compact the prepared soil. You can spread mulch over the path areas, or lay down boards or flagstones.

Plant your seeds

Seeds are finicky--if one area of preparation is off, there's a chance they might not germinate. So when you plant, pay attention to the details.

Pick the right day. Follow your planting calendar, but remember that the soil should be relatively dry. Avoid planting on days that have a strong possibility of heavy rain following them. Too much water too soon can flood out the seeds, or "cake" the soil when it dries, forming a crust that seeds have difficulty penetrating.

Most vegetables are planted in rows for easier tending and harvesting. Some of the larger seeds need rows with a deeper, wider furrow (a V-shaped trench in the soil where the seeds are placed), while the smaller seeds need smaller, shallower furrows. For small furrows, drag the handle of your hoe across the marked row. For wide furrows, use the corner of the hoe blade (check the furrow widths against the package specifications).

Many vined vegetables, like tomatoes and cucumbers, are planted in mounds. If you're cultivating a large garden, these will still be in rows, but for smaller gardens, you can simply make a small mound and planting hole according to the package instructions.

Add your seeds according to the package instructions. Always plant a few extra seeds in each spot to allow for failed germination.

Cover the seeds with fine soil (no rocks or clumps!), pat firm (not too hard), then hose the planted area with a fine spray of water for a few minutes. Although they shouldn't have a torrent of water, seeds do need constant moisture to germinate, so make sure the ground stays fairly damp until the seedlings start popping up.

If you're transplanting a seedling, the steps are simple:

Water the seedling before you transplant it--this will lessen the shock.

With your spade, dig a hole in the garden soil slightly deeper and wider than the plant's container.

Tap the container's bottom to remove the plant with its soil, or root ball, and loosen the outer tips of the roots with your fingers.

Set the plant into the hole slightly deeper than how it was growing in the container, then fill in and firm the soil around it, and water it again.

Tend the garden

Once the seeds are in, tending begins. For a small to mid-size garden, a few hours of work per week until harvesting begins should keep your garden healthy (but keep a close eye on things so you can nip unexpected problems in the bud, so to speak). Here are the basics:

Water. Your garden needs at least an inch of water every week. Use a wide spray with your hose. When and how long to water depends on rainfall, garden size, and water pressure. In the early stages, check the soil. If it's dry 1 to 2 inches below the surface, get out the hose. For seeds and seedlings, light, daily sprays are ideal. As plants mature, longer, less frequent waterings promote deep root development. To get a rough idea of spraying time, check the water level in the soil--it should reach about 6 inches down.

Weed. Weeds compete with your plants for nutrients, water, and sunlight. Weed at least once a week, roots and all. Use your spade to dig them out (unless they're growing at the base of a plant, in which case you should use your hands), and toss them into the trash.

Thin. If multiple plants are growing in one planting space, some must be plucked. This reduces competition between the seedlings, and properly spaced vegetables will generally produce higher yields. Start thinning when the seedlings have one or two pairs of leaves.

Pests. If you notice strange spots and nibbles, this means either an insect or an animal likes your crop as much as you do. Take a sample leaf to your local nursery or garden center. Usually they'll be able to suggest a deterrent.

Fertilize. Some plants can benefit from additional fertilizers after they've come up, particularly if they look sickly (yellow color, wilting leaves). Check the seed packages to find out what they like.

Harvest the garden

At last--the big payoff. But don't get so excited that you forget special harvesting needs. Some vegetables (like squash, beans, and zucchini) need to be picked when they're young and tender, otherwise their taste will grow bitter. Other types, like lettuce and spinach, will grow back if picked properly. Follow the package instructions.

When the plant has yielded all its vegetables, remove it completely, root and all, from the garden. (Exceptions to this are herbs, which will grow back on their own in the spring--cut the plants down to the stems and they should be fine.) When the last plant is removed, repeat Step 5 and you'll be ready for next spring with even healthier soil.

Once you get involved with your garden, you probably won't think of it as work. The satisfaction you get goes far beyond what ends up on your table. At A's Home Center we can help bring the Garden to life and you'll be surprised at how relaxing and invigorating it is to become a part of the natural process, from beginning to end, and all over again.

GOOD SOIL PREP - KEY TO GARDEN EXCELLENCE

When your soil begins to dry up in spring, grab your spade and get going: It's time to prepare your garden for planting. Most gardeners know they should put good effort into soil prep, because it¹s the single most important thing one can do to grow a good garden.

The goal is to improve soil structure so that the soil is deep, loose, and well-drained. In friable soil such as this, plants can send roots into regions where the nutrients and moisture they need are located. Nutrients move more easily as water percolates between soil particles; and in addition, oxygen is available for the roots to use.

The overall effect is healthier, stronger plants that resist diseases and insects.

Whether you have clay or sandy soil, the best way to improve soil structure is to add organic matter such as compost, manure, completely decomposed sawdust or straw, shredded bark, or rotten leaves. Don't use fresh sawdust or straw because it uses up nitrogen, a major plant nutrient, while it is decomposing. The organic matter is fed upon by beneficial soil bacteria that then release nutrients into the soil and make them available for plant use. It¹s all part of the food chain, and it's pretty remarkable when you think about it.

Here's a quick guide to soil preparation.

Don't work on soil that's too wet or it will dry into large, hard clumps that are difficult to break down, and that turn into unplantable powder when they do. Test soil to make sure it's ready to work by forming a handful into a ball. The moisture content is OK when it forms a ball that clings together but still crumbles easily when squeezed or dropped to the ground.

Clear all weeds from the area.

Tillers and tractors are fast and easy -- essential for people with physical limitations. A drawback is that they loosen the soil to a depth of only 6 to 8 inches. They also tend to compact the soil just under the tines' reach.

With hand tools such as garden forks and spades you can prepare a deeper bed that¹s at least 12 inches deep.

For an even deeper garden, use a technique called double digging in which you dig down two forks deep. it makes more room where plants can reach out for nutrients and moisture. I personally think it's too much darned work, but I do agree it can improve plant performance. Of course my opinion could be influenced by the fact that I have barely 18 inches of top soil to work with here in Southern Oregon.

Spread 2 or 3 inches of compost or other organic matter onto the soil surface. With a spade or garden fork, turn the soil and dig the amendments into the top 12 inches.

Break up large clods of soil with a spade or the back of a rake, and then smooth the surface into a level bed ready for planting.

Don't walk upon your garden beds after they are prepared. If you must cut across an area, walk on a board to spread your weight over a larger area and minimize soil compaction.

Next growing season try another approach and do this work in the fall when your annual garden comes to an end. As beds are harvested, perform the same steps mentioned above and then take it one step further: Plant a cover crop to blanket the soil over the wintertime and add nutrients and organic matter next spring; or spread several inches of straw over the beds to protect them from rain and erosion. You'll be ready to plant weeks earlier the following year.

There are numerous cover crops good for over wintering. Check seed catalogs or local garden centers and farm supply outlets. My favorite is a mixture of crimson clover and annual winter rye. Other good cover crops include vetch, oats & peas, and fava beans.

One question that comes up if you¹re growing cover crops is: When do you turn them under? The latest you should let cover crops grow is two weeks before you intend to plant, although four weeks beforehand would be better. Cover crops need time to break down. If you¹re growing nitrogen-fixing legumes, such as crimson clover, turn them under or cut them just as they are coming into bloom, which signals that a peak of nutrients has been reached. You may turn everything under the soil surface, or you can cut off the green tops, put them in your compost pile, and then chop up and turn under the stubs and roots.

Good soil prep from the beginning will do more than nearly anything else you can do for your garden to guarantee successful plant growth.

Steven M Erb