If you are thinking about starting a vegetable garden, first off, I’m so excited for you, but second, there are a few things to consider before you get started. By taking the time to plan, you will greatly increase your chances of a successful harvest. I’ll go over with you the main areas to focus on.
Location
1. Sunlight: It’s important to choose a location for your garden that receives a good amount of sunlight throughout the day, preferably south facing. Vegetable plants all need at least partial sun while most prefer at least a good 6 hours.
I suggest using Sun Mapping. Sun Mapping can help you decide the location of your garden and how you will lay out the plants within it. Go out into your space at 3 points throughout the day, morning, mid-day, and early evening. Notice during each visit where it is sunny and where it’s shaded. Make a sketch of the space and color in where it’s sunny or shady during each time. It is okay if the area your thinking about planting is shaded for a portion of the day but most plants need at least partial sun. Keep in mind that the sun will move higher into the sky as it reaches the peak of summer.
2. Soil Drainage: Evaluating the slope of the land you are planning on planting is also crucial. Ideally, you do not want to plant on low-lying ground that is prone to rainwater runoff. Are there areas where water tends to pool? It can be tricky to plant in ground that is too muddy. Small seedlings can drown and root crops can rot.
There are some fixes though if that’s what you’ve got to work with. Do you have any natural materials that you can use to build up the area? Huegulkulture beds would be a great solution here.
3. Protection: Having some protection from wind and other elements is another factor in choosing your location. Are there any trees or structures that could provide protection from heavy winds? Do you need to build a fence to keep out unwanted wildlife?
Size
Once you have chosen your location, you’ll need to determine the size of your garden. Consider how much space you have, how much food you want to produce and how much time and effort do you want to allocate to the garden. Bigger is not necessarily better.
Small
If you only have or want to allocate a small space to your garden there is still plenty that you can do! There are several techniques to maximize garden space. Growing vertically is the easiest way to achieve this. Can you attach a trellis of any kind? This could be a cattle panel or chicken wire attached to the back of a raised bed or against a fence. Arches are another great trellis option. They can create a beautiful structure for your garden as well as create shade. Underneath the arch, you could plant crops that do well in partial shade or are sensitive to hot temperatures.
Large
If you have some land and space is not an issue there are still a few things to keep in mind. Again, the amount of time and effort needed typically increases as the size of your garden grows but there are some things you can do to make life easier for you. Consider weeding and watering especially. Depending on your climate, you will most likely need to be watering your garden throughout the growing season. For some of us more than others. How are you planning on watering this garden? It can be a pain to drag a 200ft hose across your property. Do you have a pond or stream you could pump from? There are also some very creative rainwater collection methods out there.
Type of garden bed
Now that you have your location and size determined, let’s consider the bed type. The variety of vegetables you are thinking about growing can help play a role in this decision as well.
I really like to plant in raised beds for a few reasons. They provide good soil drainage and have more control over the quality of the soil. The downside, while you can get pretty resourceful with the materials, it’s still going to be the most expensive route.
I have several in-ground beds in my garden as well. I utilize the method of Hugelkultur, a German word meaning “hill culture.” It’s a sustainable method of in-ground gardening that consists of layers of organic material that mimics the natural decomposition that occurs on forest floors. This method creates the most beautiful, rich soil!
What to grow
Determining the right plants to grow is another key to a successful harvest that you will enjoy growing and eating!
- Consider your growing conditions. Each vegetable variety has specific days to maturity. Some climates will not have enough frost-free days for that particular plant to reach full maturity so do a little research on which plants will thrive in your growing zone.
- Most importantly, plant what you like to eat! I start with which vegetables am I buying every week from the grocery store. Also consider, if you are planning on doing any preserving, what vegetables are needed for those particular recipes.
Soil Preparation
Having healthy soil is the number one thing you can do to ensure a great harvest. The basic first step is to clear the soil in your bed of choice of rocks or debris and top it with a layer of compost or organic matter to add some nutrients to the soil. I suggest testing your soil to check for nutrient deficiencies and the pH level. See my post on soil testing for more information on this.
Start Planting
Since you have already determined what you are going to grow, look into when those plants need to go into the ground. If you are starting plants from seed this will be weeks before your last frost date for most varieties while others can be direct seeded into the soil. I find it helpful to make yourself a calendar so you know exactly when each vegetable needs to be sown.
Happy Growing!
