Dec 04 2008
The Small Vegetable Garden Plan
You’ve built your raised bed garden frames. You have your soil mixture plan. Now it’s time to make a vegetable garden plan. As I stated previously, you can start with just one small frame. In fact, this is perfect for a yard with minimal ground space, a beginner or a child with interest learning how to grow her own food.
The first plan your garden to be located in the sunniest part of your yard. Next step is to make your plan. It’s a good idea to actually draw out your garden frame(s) and write in where you will plant which vegetables. When you become more experienced you may want to replant after you have harvested the short growing vegetables as some will grow later in the season when the temperature cools down. Also, a good rule is to start short growing vegetables, such as radishes in a short row, but plant another row in a week or two. In this way you will continue to have radishes throughout the season.
Seed List
It should go without saying, but don’t grow anything you wouldn’t ordinarily eat, unless you have someone you would like to gift the vegetables with. However, it’s great to try something new.
Suggested Starter List
Carrots
Cucumber
Eggplant
Green (String) Beans
Peas
Bell Peppers
Tomatoes
Lettuce
Radishes
Spinach
Summer Squash (Zucchini, Crookneck)
Winter Squash
Corn
The Vegetable Garden Plan
If you have a choice, planting north to south is the best choice. Start by thinking about where you will plant the tallest vegetables like peas, green beans, corn. Place them on the north end so they will not shade the shorter vegetables. In the center area plant medium sized plants such as tomatoes, peppers, squash (maybe pumpkins). And then in the most southern part of your garden, plant the short vegetable plants such as radishes, carrots, beets, onions, lettuce.
Purchase the Seeds
I prefer heirloom seeds as they are “original” not hybrids. If you should want to let some plants go to seed and use those same seeds next year, you would not be able to do that with hybrid seeds. They either would not grow or they would not grow well.
Note: After purchasing seeds, the back of the packet should tell you when to plant in your zone. And it will tell you how deep to plant the seeds and at what distance.
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