One of the lessons that gardening can
teach your children is the value of planning.
Like many jobs (painting, for instance),
the planning and preparation may take as long
as, and be even more important than, the
actual work of brushing on the paint or
putting the seed into the ground.
Considering the following factors in
planning your garden will save you time,
money, and energy.
1. Research
• Look
at seed catalogs, displays of seed packets,
gardening books, or the Internet to become
familiar with different varieties of garden
vegetables.
• Visit
garden centers and nurseries.
• Talk
to experienced gardeners in your area.
Invite grandparents or another family to
dinner to share their gardening know-how with
you.
2. Choose Vegetables
Discuss as a family:
• What
vegetables does your family like to eat?
Browse through Burpee's
online catalog of many varieties and
characteristics of vegetables.
• What
vegetables offer greater health benefits and
should be included in your diet?
Burpee's
Nutritional Guide lists fruits and
vegetables by color categories with their
main nutrients, plus those specific to each
vegetable and their health benefits. Also
includes growing tips for each vegetable.
The USDA
National Nutrient Database lists all
nutrients of most foods in many different
forms (e.g., there are 19 listings for
"carrot").
The Nutrient
Lists are sorted either by food
description or in descending order by
nutrient content in terms of common household
measures.
• What
vegetables can offer the best savings or
superior quality compared to bought produce?
• What
vegetables do you have space to grow?
• What
vegetables grow best in your climate?
(Check with local gardeners and
suppliers.)
3. Determine Amount
You do not have to plant all the seeds in
each seed packet you buy. Consider the
following questions and then see the back of
the seed packet for the expected yield of
each vegetable.
• How
much can your family eat fresh as it is
harvested?
• How
much do you want to give away or sell?
• How
much do you want to preserve by canning,
freezing, or drying?
4. Make a Commitment
• How
much time do you have to devote to garden
care?
Estimate the number of hours per day or
week that your garden care will take.
• How
much money are you able and willing to spend
on garden supplies and water?
Make a budget.
• Who
will be responsible?
Assign specific chores or a section of
your garden to specific family members.
5. Find a Location
• Determine
how much space you need to grow the types and
amounts of vegetables you have chosen.
For example, if you grow corn or spreading
pumpkin and squash, you will need much more
space than just a "salad garden" of lettuce,
tomatoes, green onions, radishes, cucumbers,
and carrots.
• Determine
how much money, time, energy, and commitment
will be required for the size of your garden.
Novice gardeners need to start small;
however, "small" has been suggested to be
anywhere between 12'x16' to 20'x30'.
• Find
a space that gets 8 hours of sun (unshaded by
buildings or trees), adequate water supply,
and good drainage.
• If
you do not have a lot of space, consider
planting in borders around your lawn, in
containers (e.g., tomatoes) or on trellises,
and in several smaller patches.
Small, well-maintained gardens with
successive planting can produce more than
large gardens that are overridden with weeds.
Read suggestions for Urban
Gardening and Growing
Vegetables in Containers.
6. Allocate Space and Map It
• Draw
your garden to scale on graph paper and label
each row.
Use 1/4 inch = 1 foot or tape two pieces
of paper together and use a larger scale.
• Make
three maps for spring, summer, and fall
plantings, or use one map with color codes
for each of the succession plantings.
• Allocate
space for each vegetable based on its yield
and the amount you can use.
Check the planting and maturing time for
early and late vegetables to see if you can
make a second planting after the first is
harvested.
• Draw
space for each vegetable in rows (narrow or
wide) or in blocks.
• Draw
space for paths between rows or every other
row.
Be sure you and your children can
comfortably reach all the plants from the
paths.
• Mark
your rows to run east and west, with the
taller vegetables on the north side.
• Group
vegetables together according to similar
need.
Some plants do well with overhead
watering; others do not.
Read Companion
Planting: Basic Concept and Resources.
Online Resources
Planning
a Garden discusses all aspects of this
topic.
How-To Info's Planning
a Garden lists many articles on different
types of gardens.
1. Prepare Your Soil
• Rototill
or shovel your garden plot to a depth of
6-12".
• Fertilize.
Learn about the basic nutrients in all
plant fertilizers (N - nitrogen; P -
phosphorus, and K - potassium), as well as
calcium, sulfur, and magnesium, and what mix
is best for which vegetables and your health.
Balancing
Soil Nutrition explains the functions of
each nutrient, and Nutrient
Deficiency Problem Solver lists symptoms
and solutions.
• Ask
a garden expert or your local Cooperative
Extension System about testing the pH
level of your soil and the necessity of
adding lime to reduce the acidity.
• Add
humus (decayed or decaying plant matter) to
improve your soil texture if necessary.
Buy humus or make your own by
composting. Read Making
Compost or Composting
for Kids, a clear explanation of the
process.
• When
soil is fine and crumbly, rake smooth.
2. Prepare Your Garden
• Following
your plan, stake out your garden using
12"-18" stakes and string to mark off rows.
Use a wide permanent marker to write the
names of the vegetables on the stakes.
• Assemble,
clean, and sharpen tools.
A handy, designated place for each tool
will help your children to put them away
after each use. See Care
of Gardening Tools.
• It
might be worthwhile to fence your garden to
protect it from pets, children, and
wildlife.
3. Buy and Plant Your Seeds or
Seedlings
• Buy
quality seeds for varieties that will grow
well in your area.
• You
may need to start some plants indoors.
Read Tomato
Seed Starting Tips and Which
Plants Should Be Started Indoors?
• Some
vegetables, such as tomatoes, grow better if
started from a plant.
• Be
sure to check directions for planting each
vegetable— how deep and how far apart
the seeds should be sown and thinned.
• Make
your own seed tapes for effective planting of
tiny seeds.
See instructions from Youth
Gardening and Organic
Gardening.
• Space
your plantings two weeks apart for vegetables
you want to eat fresh throughout the growing
season.
Online Resources
Organic Gardening's How-to
Soil Techniques.
Growing
Zone Finder
Zone
Maps of the World
1. Providing for Plants' Needs
• Water
your plants regularly to keep them growing.
• Spread
a layer of grass clippings or other mulch
around your vegetable plants to reduce weeds
and conserve moisture.
Easy
Gardening: Mulching provides four pages
of simple and practical information.
• Add
fertilizer to crops as needed.
2. Eliminating the Undesirable
• Pull
or hoe weeds while they are small so they
will not compete with your vegetables for
water, nutrients, and sunlight.
See Weeding
Tips and Weeds:
An Organic Strategy.
• Thin
seedlings as soon as possible to provide room
for your plants to grow.
• Control
pests, without harmful pesticides if
possible:
Order ladybugs and lacewings.
Attract toads and birds to your garden.
Plant marigolds, nasturtiums, and mint.
Shake large beetles onto a sheet of
plastic.
Pick off snails by hand.
The Pest
Control Library identifies pest problems
such as bugs, diseases, animals, and ways to
control them.
Online Resources
The following websites contain a wealth of
information that will help you maintain your
garden.
Maintaining
a Vegetable Garden
Easy
Gardening Series
Better Homes and Gardens Vegetable
& Fruit Gardening
Organic Gardening Articles on Gardening
Techniques
Food
Gardening Guide: Vegetables, Fruits,
Herbs
National Gardening's Biweekly
Regional Reports
