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Vegetables: Garden Planning

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Design your garden to meet your needs.

Careful planning reduces work and can make the garden more productive. Planting seeds and plants at random frequently results in waste and disappointment.

Consider the selected method of cultivation in designing your garden. Where the work is done with a tractor, long rows are practical; but when cultivation is by hand, short rows give a sense of accomplishment as work on each is completed.

Consider the slope of the land; run rows at right angles to the slope, especially on sandy-textured soils that tend to wash and erode. Where the land is uneven, contour the rows.

Rows for vegetables with small plants (carrots, onions, radishes, and others) can be closer together for hand cultivation than for power equipment. Planting double rows or a broad band on a bed can increase the yield from a small garden plot. Closely spaced rows and vegetable plants help shade out weeds, but the close spacing makes weeding difficult when plants are small.

Closely spaced plants reduce water loss from the soil surface by protecting the surface from drying winds and hot sun. The reduced air movement, however, may increase chances for diseases.

Plant perennial vegetables like asparagus where they won’t interfere with yearly land preparation. Plant season-long vegetables like tomatoes, okra, peppers, and eggplant together where they won’t interfere with short-term vegetables and replanting. Plant corn, okra, pole beans, tomatoes, and other tall vegetables so they won’t shade or interfere with the growth of shorter vegetables.

Sweet corn produces fuller ears when planted in a block of rows than in a long single row because of better pollination. When possible, group vegetables according to their lime and fertilizer needs, and treat accordingly. southern peas, lima beans, snap beans, and peanuts do not require as much nitrogen fertilizer as some other vegetables.

• Sample garden plan
• Successive planting
• Decide what to plant
• Choose the best location
• Determine the garden size
• List of vegetables and varieties