Intro:
Before you begin
Step 1:
Pick the plot
Step 2:
Know your growing season
Step 3:
Buy your seeds
Step 4:
Plan the garden
Step 5:
Prepare the soil
Step 6:
Plant your seeds
Step 7:
Tend the garden
Step 8:
Harvest the garden

2torial #0568:
Learn2 Plan a Vegetable Garden (Continued)

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.