***Note: That time you tried to start a blog, and then as you’re getting ready to upload pictures for your 4th blog post, your computer and/or camera goes completely wonky. And your computer says that it can’t recognize what you’ve plugged into the USB port. So then you try slipping that little SD card thingy into the front of the computer, and it does … well, it does absolutely NOTHING.
Yep. That’s me right now. I’m sorry! I will remedy this ASAP. But in the meantime, here’s how I map out my garden:
Last post I discussed the what, when, and how much of garden planning. Now I’m going to introduce you to my super high tech, madly complicated, highly sophisticated method of planning out my garden.
Graph paper. Pencil. I know, I know.
Mind. Blown.
Also, this book is a wannabe homesteader’s BFF. I reference it constantly throughout the year. Everything from how/when to prune your brambles, planting dwarf fruit trees, to brewing your own beer, to gardening (soil prep through harvest!), to small scale livestock. It’s the bee’s knees.
1. Make a list of what you’re going to grow. As you order seed, put a little check mark next to it.
2. Get your graph paper and map out your garden space. This goes for you too, container gardeners. Measure your containers if you have them already and figure out how many square feet of growing space you’re working with. On the graph paper, I use 1 square for each foot of gardening space. So on my main bed, I’m working with about 12’x17’. On the graph paper, that means I’ll draw a 17x12 square. Does that make sense? Hopefully my highly detailed sketches will clarify.
3. Are you doing square foot gardening or traditional rows? I do a hybrid sort of thing. I section off rows or sections of my gardens and then use a square foot garden approach within that space. This chart rocks for figuring out how many plants you can fit into each square foot. Once again, if my babbling is not making sense, I have pictures to help. But if you’re still completely confused, send me a message or leave a comment. So I have 2’x4’ sectioned off for cauliflower, and according to that handy dandy chart I linked above, I can fit about 6 cauliflower plants in that space. So I draw 6 evenly spaced squiggly circles to remind myself how many cauliflower seeds to plant. I’ll probably sow 10-ish to cover any failures, and then give away or sell whatever plants I don’t have room for.
4. I do mostly winter sowing, so I get to skip over the riveting task of figuring out when to start each seedling. I mean, I know I’m really missing out there. Because what newbie gardener doesn’t like to go back and forth between seed packet to frost date calendars, trying to figure out what date you should start what seeds in order to be on time with starting 4 weeks before first frost date if sowing indoors, but 2 weeks after frost date if starting outdoors? Right? I know. Too lazy, too tired, too busy for that. People, just winter sow. It’s easier. Especially for those of us who are just starting out. Some day when you’re a rock star gardener, totally go ahead and mess with frost dates and grow lamp set ups. Til then, simplify. Ok? Simplify.
That’s really it. Do you have questions about garden planning? Leave them in the comments section and I’ll do my best to help!
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