How to Design a Vegetable Garden

Growing your own vegetables is a rewarding and tasty experience, but getting started can be overwhelming. So take a bit of time to develop a plan before putting the first plant or seed in the ground. It'll help increase your success and save you time in the long run. Since space and time are often limited, I thought we'd include strategies that work in any size garden and even when limited to growing in containers. If new to gardening, consider starting small and expanding your gardening efforts as your experience increases and time allows. Get everyone involved in the planning process. If they help design the garden, they may even help plant and pull a few weeds. Consider growing what tastes best fresh, saves you money at the grocery store, and those vegetables your family likes to eat. Sweet corn tastes great fresh from the garden, but requires lots of space for minimal harvest. Try growing vegetables that help you save money at the grocery store while you enjoy garden fresh flavor. Include those vegetables you frequently use in your favorite recipes or prefer to eat fresh from the garden. My family likes my ratatouille, so I always grow the needed ingredients. You'll need to plant extra if you plan to preserve some of the harvest. Or consider purchasing fresh produce needed for preserving at the farmer's market. Review the list, check catalog descriptions, and your university extension services recommendations to make sure the vegetables selected will grow in your area. These vegetables need to mature within the available frost-free days and thrive in the seasonal temperatures. You'll maximize productivity and minimize frustration when matching vegetables to their preferred growing conditions. Some vegetables need more days from planting to harvest than may be available when gardening in colder climates. Some varieties of tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, sweet potatoes, and brussels sprouts can take over 100 days to reach maturity. Start seeds indoors or buy transplants if the number of frost-free days is limited. Once you have your final list, you'll need to transform this into a plan. A piece of graph paper works well, but crayons or a computer may be a better option for some members of the family. Check tags, seed packets, and catalogs for planting times, days to harvest, and space requirements. Find a convenient sunny spot for your garden. Most vegetables grow and produce best in full sun and moist, well-drained soil. If sunlight is limited, try growing greens and root crops in those areas that receive less than six hours of direct sunlight. You'll also want to match the vegetables to the seasonal temperatures. Greens, peas, and broccoli are a few of the vegetables that grow and taste best when temperatures are cool. Tomatoes, peppers, melons, okra, and squash are a few of the warm season vegetables that require and thrive in warmer weather. Consider growing vegetables in wide rows to maximize growing space. Just give each plant enough space to reach full size. Then be sure you can reach each plant from pathways surrounding the garden bed. Further increase your growing space by planting quick maturing vegetables like beets, radishes, and lettuce between those that require more time to reach full size. You'll be harvesting the quick maturing plants by the time those slower ones need the room. That's twice the harvest from one space. Maximize your harvest without increasing space with succession, also called relay planting. The goal is to make several different plantings in the same row throughout the growing season. Here's an example of how it works. Start planting during the cooler months of the growing season. Plants like lettuce, peas, beets, radishes, and broccoli thrive and taste best when the weather is cool. Once you finish harvesting these, replant the row with another vegetable like cucumbers, beans, tomatoes, peppers, or other vegetables that prefer the warmer temperatures. If time allows, you may be able to make a third planting. Going vertical is another way to save space and increase productivity. Train vine crops like cucumber, squash, and melons onto trellises or other supports. This not only saves space, but also reduces the risk of disease by increasing light and air to all parts of the plant. Once your plan is on paper, it's time to put it to the test in the garden. Take pictures and make notes throughout the growing season to help you plan next year's garden. And don't be frustrated if things don't turn out as planned. That's the joy of gardening. We keep learning with every garden we plant and season we grow.