Today I sat down and drew up my spring and summer garden plan. I suggest everyone who will be putting in a garden do the same, and soon.
Tools I Use to Plan My Garden
Here is what I use:
- a list of what I want to grow and how many of each
- a Florida planting guide
- a drawn-out sketch of my raised beds and planting areas
I label north, south, east, and west and chart the sun. I also plan for taller plants to shade smaller plants if needed. Having all of this in front of me gives me the information I need for proper placement.
I have even made a chart of the sunrise and sunset over my property to help me understand which areas stay sunny and which areas get shade.
Then I fill in my planting areas.
Like I always say, having a garden plan is planning for success.
A Few Things to Think About Before Planting
There are a few things to keep in mind while drawing up your garden plan:
- room for trellises
- what type of trellis you will use
- whether you will be saving seed
- what kind of support plants may need if you are not trellising
If you plan to save seed, you may need more space depending on the crop. It is much easier to figure out supports and trellises ahead of time than to try to add them later.
What I’m Doing This Season
In the past, I have used a pole teepee for my beans. I have read that they work even better for cucumbers, so this season I am trying them for cukes.
For my beans, I will use poles or strings spaced 12 inches apart in double rows.
I started my long-season vegetable seeds, tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants, five days ago. Hint, hint. If you do not have your seeds yet, get them now. If you do, start them now.
Garden Prep Matters Too
In the meantime, clean out old crops, mix in new compost, and take care of other garden prep.
A little work now makes the season much easier later.
Helpful Pages
Here are a few pages that should be helpful:
Drawing Up Your Plan
Seed Starting
Crop Yields
Final Thoughts
Now is the time to get your plan on paper and start thinking ahead.
When you know what you want to grow, where it will go, how much sun it will get, and what kind of support it will need, you are already setting yourself up for a better season.
With all that said, get out there and get growing!
