Vegetable Garden Planner

Vegetable Planting and Growing Guide

By

Mark Morris

Vegetable Garden Planner

By Mark Morris

© Copyright 2013 Mark Morris

Reproduction or translation of any part of this work beyond that permitted by section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act without permission of the copyright owner is unlawful. Requests for permission or further information should be addressed to the author.

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.

First Published, 2013

Printed in the United States of America

Thank You for Buying This Book

I hope you find this book helpful and full of useful information.

I was hoping you could help your fellow book enthusiasts out and when you have a free minute might leave your honest feedback about this book.  I certainly want to thank you in advance for doing this.

Table of Content

Introduction

Why Plan a Garden?

Planning Garden Design

Choosing the Right Location

Frost Zones in the U.S.

Primary Types of Garden Plans

Flat Beds

Raised Beds

Verticals

Conclusion

Introduction

Home vegetable gardens are intertwined with the history of civilization itself.  In fact, it was the introduction of gardens that ultimately changed civilization when early man began to move from being hunters and gathers to becoming farmers. In colonial times, in the early U.S., an essential part of every home was its vegetable garden. However, over the years we have moved away from gardening back to “hunting and gathering” at our local grocery stores. For the most part, up until recently, that approach had worked fairly well. But, today the cost of “fresh” vegetables is at an all-time high, and freshness continues to be at a premium.

So, now is the time to change that, because vegetable gardens are not that difficult to grow. But it should be pointed out that the best gardens require careful planning. And that is where the KISS² system comes in. The KISS² system is based on two critical concepts all gardeners need to keep in mind as they plan their garden. The two concepts are;

      keep it small, and

      keep it simple.

It is the intent of this book to provide some overview information to make beginning a garden a manageable experience. Ultimately, this method will insure that the garden will provide maximum vegetable production for the home owner, in a cost-effective manner.

Why Plan a Garden?

Why should you grow your own vegetables? Is it necessary? Is it even feasible?

The cliché that you are what you eat still holds true. The quick and obvious advantages of growing your own vegetables are that you will save money and you will ensure that you know what you and your family are eating. Vegetable growers and consumers alike agree that the vegetables they have grown on their own taste much better compared to those bought from grocery stores. Thus much fulfillment comes from knowing for sure what goes into your meals. Vegetables from the retailers can no longer be trusted. Even the so called “organic” vegetables can’t really be trusted, since it is not easy to distinguish between organically grown foods and those that are genetically modified. So while there are many reasons for growing your own vegetables, let us zoom in on the three main reasons why you should grow your own vegetables.

Price

The price factor is one of the most significant reasons why you should seriously start considering the possibility of growing your own vegetables. Vegetables are so much a part of most every regular diet, and we easily get into the habit of digging into our pockets to buy these every now and then. Significant sums of money could be saved in the long term if you grow some of these vegetable at home. Take any basic vegetable for example, carrots. You can spend anywhere from $2 to $3 for a package of carrots from a local grocery store. Typically, each package will last for only one or two meals. On the other hand, buying potted carrots or even seeds will cost between $1.50 and $2, and they will continue growing fresh carrots throughout the growing season. Recent droughts, freezing conditions, and other weather extremes already foretell of higher costs in the short term, making the garden even more cost effective.

Control

The second main reason why you should grow your own vegetables is that this way you will be in control of what goes into your meals and - most importantly - what goes into your body. Obviously, when you tend to your vegetable garden, you are in a good position to either grow fully organic vegetables or to use only pesticides and fertilizers that you are comfortable with. Most people today value their health and understand the critical importance of guarding your body from the pollutants that come with commercially processed foods. Thus, you will quickly determine that the surety of knowing how the food you eat is grown and that is reason enough to start growing your own organic vegetables.

Freshness

The third reason why you should start growing your own vegetable is the freshness factor. Everyone in a contemporary modern urban setting often experiences the problem of having to settle for bruised and flaccid vegetables even when we have done our best to store these in the refrigerators. Growing your own vegetables will solve this problem perfectly. With your own garden you do not need to store anything in the fridge to preserve freshness. You will pick from your garden just what you need to use for that day and this means you will have vegetables at their best and most tasty. Much of the produce sold in grocery stores has to be shipped half ripe and this impacts the flavor, as well.

Planning Garden Design

Planning your very own vegetable garden is not as hard as you think, especially if you remember the KISS² principles. Having the benefit of a reliable vegetable garden planner to guide you will make sure that you will reap the fruits of your labor. Among other things, you will need to consider the location and the frost zones to make sure that you will always have your needed vegetable supply whenever you want.

Choosing the Right Location

When selecting a good location, consider that your vegetable garden needs an ample amount of sunlight to help it grow. Typically this means a location where the garden will be located where nothing will interfere with sunlight. Sometimes this is not always as easy as it would appear. For example, although it is advisable to put your vegetable garden in the east side of the property, there are times when shade on that side actually blocks the sun from shining its light on your plants. It is also not good to put it where there is heavy foot traffic because chances are great that instead of harvesting good produce, you might actually get a lot of what most people consider rejects.

So what is a good location for your vegetable garden? A place where there's an abundance of sunlight (if possible, a location that can also provide good shade when the sun becomes too hot) and away from high-traffic areas. To be more specific, try to put your vegetable garden near the walls of your property and avoid the middle part where it might be stepped on. Choosing your location wisely so that your vegetable garden will be able to grow and flourish is what the planning process is all about.

Frost Zones in the U.S.

To always have a good vegetable supply, you need to know the frost zones in your area so that you will be able to calculate the best time to begin planting. It is important for you to determine the zone where you live in order to get the most out of your vegetable garden.

You can find the different approximate last frost dates with corresponding temperature for the specific zone below:

Zone A - last frost date is around mid June with lowest temperature ranging from 40° below zero to 30° below zero. Locations that belong to Zone A are the northeastern part of Montana, the northern part of North Dakota, the upper half of Minnesota, the northwestern part of Wisconsin, some parts in upper Maine, and the southwestern part of Wyoming.

Zone B - last frost date is around early June with lowest temperature ranging from 30° below zero to 20° below zero. Locations that belong to Zone B are most parts of Wyoming and Montana, the rest of North Dakota, the lower half of Minnesota, South Dakota, the rest of Wisconsin, the rest of Maine, the upper part of Vermont and New Hampshire, and northern New York State.

Zone C - last frost date is around late May with lowest temperature ranging from 20° below zero to 10° below zero. Locations that belong to Zone C are the western part of Montana, the middle part of Idaho, most parts of Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, the lower part of Wisconsin, the upper parts of Illinois and Indiana, most parts of Michigan, the northern part of Pennsylvania, the rest of New York State, the lower parts of Vermont and New Hampshire, southern Maine, and the western side of Massachusetts.

Zone D - last frost date is around mid May with lowest temperature ranging from 10° below zero to 0°. Locations that belong to Zone D are northern Idaho, the eastern part of Washington, more than half of Oregon (eastern side), the southwestern part of Idaho, western Utah, some parts in western and southeastern Colorado, the majority of Kansas and Missouri, the lower parts of Illinois and Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, the rest of Pennsylvania, the upper part of Texas, Connecticut, Rhode Island, the rest of Massachusetts, and West Virginia.

Zone E - last frost date is around late April with lowest temperature ranging from 0° to 10°. Locations that belong to Zone E are southern Washington, western Nevada, southern Utah, northern Arizona, the mid part of New Mexico, the mid upper part of Texas, the majority of Oklahoma, the upper part of Arkansas, northern Mississippi, Tennessee, Virginia, northern Alabama and Georgia, and western part of North Carolina.

Zone F - last frost date is around early April with lowest temperature ranging from 10° to 20°. Locations that belong to Zone F are the western part of Washington and Oregon, the mid lower part of Texas, the lower half of Arkansas, the upper part of Louisiana, the rest of Mississippi, the rest of Alabama and Georgia, South Carolina, and the upper part of Florida.

Zone G - last frost date is around early March with lowest temperature ranging from 20° to 30°. Locations that belong to Zone G are the western and southern parts of California, the southwestern part of Arizona, the lower part of Texas, and the middle part of Florida.

Zone H - last frost date is around February with lowest temperature ranging from 30° to 40° or higher.

Locations that belong to Zone H are the lower part of Florida, and some parts in California and Arizona.

Understand that these are all only approximate dates and it is still advisable to keep an eye on your local weather forecast and your best judgment regarding the matter. Now that you know how to choose a good location and know when to plant, it should be easy for you to create your own vegetable garden with the help of your very own vegetable garden planner.

Primary Types of Garden Plans

What is the most effective vegetable garden design to use in order to get the most out of your vegetable garden? You should know that not every garden design is suitable for all kinds of vegetables or space and there are actually designs that allow you to get more produce or harvest the most gorgeous ones. Choose the right design for the kind of vegetables that you intend to plant, and you can be certain to get only the freshest organic vegetables (without any pesticides or chemicals) to enjoy.

Although there is a particular garden design for a particular vegetable, the design alone is not enough to ensure good produce - you also need to prepare the soil. You need to prepare the plot to create the needed environment for successful planting together with the correct garden design for your particular vegetable. Adding compost is one way to make sure that your soil has the needed nutrients to give you the quality and amount of produce that you expect.

Keep in mind that as noted earlier, keeping your garden simple and small, especially when just starting is very important. These two concepts serve as the foundation of the KISS² system and should be taken into consideration when determining the right design for your vegetable garden.

Flat Beds

Long before scanners invaded modern time, the term “flat bed” was used to describe a garden design that is flat or on the ground. You don't need to prepare anything (except the soil) prior to planting - no constructions or other related activities, but it is advisable to make clear divisions for your beds. You can put markings like stones to decorate, and if you want to separate one section from the others.

A flat bed vegetable garden design is definitely cost effective because all you need to do is prepare your soil and create divisions for the beds. You don't need to spend too much time constructing any frame because you don't need one, and you don't need to keep adding soil just to maintain the ideal level. You also don't need to dig the soil regularly.

Flat beds are disadvantageous if you have thin soil with poor drainage. You will need to properly prepare your soil prior to planting. Animals that go beneath the ground such as slugs, snails, moles, and rabbits can easily attack any flat bed gardens. Although raised beds are also not spared, they can sometimes avoid being attacked. You need to set traps strategically, especially if your place is infested with such pests, or you might want consider trying other designs and choice of vegetables to plant.

The most suitable vegetables for flat beds are those that need lots of space or room to grow, those that grow tall, or those with roots that need to go deeper into the ground. Some of these vegetables are cabbage, beans, squash, peas, broccoli, corn, cauliflower, eggplant, and other similar types.

In order to protect your flat beds, you can use pathways as dividers for your beds because this will definitely lessen or prevent the occurrence of accidentally trampling the plants or the soil. Putting plastic or a cover over the paths can prevent the weeds from invading your garden. Mulching can also help retain the needed moisture and improve the appearance of your garden.

Raised Beds

Many gardeners (especially the ones with bad backs, regardless of age) prefer raised beds for many reasons. In fact, people have been using raised beds for their organic gardening for many years. Raised beds are elevated, and they need a frame to support the height they need to maintain. Aside from ease of planting, raised beds offer many other advantages that most gardeners find pleasing and convenient.

The famous advantages of raised beds are improved drainage; better soil condition (because the possibility of stepping on it is zero and treatments on the soil will stay on the soil unlike in flat beds); and they provide effective pest and weed control.

Although there are many advantages, there are also some disadvantages. Plants in raised bed vegetable garden design need more water than the ones planted in flat beds because the soil is warmer in raised beds. Sometimes it's hard to work in limited space which raised beds provide, and you need to build the frame for the beds, which might eat a lot of time as well as money.

Vegetables that are best for raised beds are the ones that need good drainage, those that grow beneath the ground, those that don't need too much space, or those with roots that don't grow that deep. Some of these vegetables are carrots, turnips, beets, tomatoes, cucumbers, chili peppers, and the like.

You can use materials such as wood, tires, metal, concrete, and bricks for the frame (in accordance with your design). You need to plan everything carefully in order to make sure that your raised beds will render good service for the intended purpose.

Verticals

Vertical vegetable garden designs such as the pocket type might just be the most ideal for those gardeners with very limited space to work with or those who live in the city. Pocket vertical gardening uses a container that resembles a pocket to be mounted or assembled to the wall. You can put as many as you want; just make sure that the volume of "pockets" will not make the wall look somehow funny or awkward. Create something that will make your wall look magnificent while giving you the supply of vegetables that you need. You can have it outdoors or indoors, although outdoor verticals are easier to maintain and manage.

The advantages of verticals are: you don't need actual ground to plant because your entire garden is practically mounted on the wall; it will not take a lot of space; can make your wall virtually come alive; and you don't need to use too much water for the plants (a glass of water might be enough for two or three pockets in one column because some water will simply drip to the next pocket).

The disadvantages are: it will be hard to water them if it's indoors but not if outdoors; you can only plant a limited variety of vegetables; and if you plan to have them indoors, then you need to make sure to mount your plants where the sun will be able to reach them or you might need to take them down each time you need to water your vegetables.

The ideal vegetables for verticals using pockets are the ones considered petite, with shallow roots, and that don't need big space to grow. Vegetables like spinach as well as herbs such as rosemary, thyme, basil, sage, oregano, and others are great for verticals with pockets.

There are other verticals like the ones that come with a mesh frame where vines can crawl. There are also verticals that come with a sturdy frame together with a holder or support to keep the plants in a row (usually up to four rows) that you can move wherever you want. Frequently, larger pots can be placed in saucers with wheels to allow for easier movement.

Planting your own vegetable is the best thing that you can do to make certain that you are taking the freshest of the fresh produce - without harmful pesticides and other chemicals. There are a lot of options for your vegetable garden design and keep in mind that the absence of a natural garden is not something that should hinder you from planting vegetable and eat healthy and fresh produce every time.

Conclusion

Over the past 10 to 12 years, there has been a resurgence in home gardening. The reasons for this are many and they involve a number of factors. Among the key reasons is that vegetables that were once purchased at grocery stores have fallen off in quality. You only have to visit one of the local supermarkets and you will quickly note that the “fresh” vegetable section is a disaster zone. Many of the vegetables appear to have been sitting on the shelves for weeks. The ones that do look good enough to actually eat have either been doctored with harmful, toxic pesticides or other chemicals to make them look appealing or they were picked long before their normal harvest time. Either way, they are less nutritious than organic vegetables grown at home. And even if the sign says “organic,” does anyone really knows what that means?

And if questionable quality was not enough, purchasing vegetables in today’s supermarkets can truly give you “sticker shock.” Weather-related issues throughout the U.S. have added to the cost of produce climbing dramatically over the past few years. Unfortunately there appears to be little relief in sight. It is just an issue of supply and demand, with increasing cost and shrinking supply being the order of the day.

Additionally, at a time of dwindling supply and questionable quality, many sources are bestowing the virtues of eating vegetables for good health. Some experts have noted the relationship of incidents of overweight people and obesity, and the lack of vegetable consumption. Eating more vegetables has been noted as a key in establishing a healthy diet and better lifestyle in general.

As a result, it is only natural that people have begun to consider starting a vegetable garden; however, many feel there are just too many roadblocks to starting. This is why the KISS² system was introduced. It is designed to help beginning gardeners to start a home vegetable garden. The problem that many beginning gardeners have is that they think that a home garden must take up their entire backyard and contain every vegetable known to man. This could not be further from the truth.

Through proper planning, a home vegetable gardener can raise a very good garden that is appropriate to his needs. The plan must note that the garden is as simple as possible. It needs to be well planned; however, it should only include the vegetables that the homeowners actually will eat. If their family does not care for cabbage, why grow it? Initially it is best to stick to a half a dozen vegetables that the entire family enjoys.

Second, keep the space small. Too many gardeners think that they must plow up their entire backyard and fill it with vegetables. Here again, this is probably the worst thing a beginning gardener can do. Rather, the KISS² system subscribes to the idea that you need to maximize the production from a small space. In fact, larger spaces just mean more cultivating, watering, and weeding; and will over time wear out a gardener. Smaller, more productive spaces can typically provide sufficient vegetables for a moderate-sized family. Rather than become a task that the family tries to avoid, smaller gardens can be fun for the entire family. This is one of those projects where you can get the whole family involved and then share in the bounty of the harvest.

Just remember, as any gardener worth their salt will tell you, it’s all in the planning. Most long-time gardeners will confirm, the special sauce for successful gardening is planning. A minimal amount of planning in the spring will pay big dividends by providing a continuing source of nutritious, tasty vegetables throughout the summer.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Why Plan a Garden?

Planning Garden Design

Choosing the Right Location

Frost Zones in the U.S.

Primary Types of Garden Plans

Flat Beds

Raised Beds

Verticals

Conclusion