We may make revenue from the product useable on this pageboy and participate in affiliate programs . read More ›
In This Article
Figuring out the right vegetable garden layout for your yard can take some time . Sunlight , spacing , and soil structure all require to be considered , but you also have to opine about which types of plants you enjoy eating and growing , your local climate and weather patterns , and whether the plants you ’ve chosen are well suited for your grow location .
veggie are typically get in in - background gardens , but if you ’re working with a modest space or a tricky soil type , you may want to try develop veggies inraised garden bedsor containers . And , of class , square - foot gardening and vertical horticulture can also help you squeeze more veggies into a special area .
Whether you ’re looking for creative way to check more food crops into vegetable beds or you ’re just rummy about garden layout idea that will make smart use of your soil , this guide hold back tricks for container gardens and large plots , raised garden bottom planningtips , planting suggestions , and other info that will help you plan a vegetable garden the wanton path .
Photo: istockphoto.com
Top Priorities for Planning a Vegetable Garden Layout
One of the most important steps in garden preparation is taking a thorough inventory of the blank you ’re working with . That intend determine how much light your garden receive and how much available space you have for growing , but Dorcas Corrow from Sweet Haven Harvest for Hunger , a volunteer food garden in Seal Cove , Maine , also commend taking a careful looking at your soil eccentric .
Before you plant a veggie garden , she suggests that it ’s crucial to always “ beam ground samples to your conjunctive extension soil testing laboratory and follow their recommendation for soil amendments . ” This will ensure your plants aregrowing in the best soilpossible .
Light
When look for a spot for your backyard vegetable garden , opt a location that receives at least 6 hours of bright light daily . Most vegetables and yield want full Dominicus to grow , but if you have a shadier space , you may experiment with edible crop like Curcuma domestica and root veggies , which areplants that can allow light spectre .
Space
Vegetable garden can be any sizing you like , and you could even grow many vegetables in small pots on a balcony or outdoor terrace . However , it ’s authoritative to research the types of plant you ’d care to grow and verify your garden will provide enough room to keep those specific plants felicitous . A 10 - foot by 10 - understructure garden is a good size for most beginning growers , but you may need even more way if you want to grow sprawling plants such as big carving pumpkins .
Plants
When selecting plants for your vegetable garden , Corrow emphasize one fundamental piece of advice : “ Do not waste garden space on things you will not eat ! ” Vegetable garden of any size can only go a special number of industrial plant , so lay aside elbow room for the plants you often purchase from the grocery memory board and use in your preparation .
If you ’re working with a small garden or growing in containers , look for bush - type or determinant - get plant , which have a more thickset growth habit . Or selectclimbing plant varietiesand aim them to mature up trellis for blank saving . If you have a successful growing season and gather more produce than you could use fresh , try out canning or dehydrating your nimiety , or , state Carrow , “ donate itto your local food pantry . ”
For even more vegetable garden ideas , you may require to research these horticulture techniques as well :
Illustration: Davro Ave for Bob Vila Row 1: tomato, basil, lettuce, lettuce. Row 2: tomato, basil, kale, kale. Row 3: tomato, green bean, strawberry, strawberry. Row 4: bell pepper, green bean, celery, celery. Row 5: bell pepper, green bean, cabbage, cabbage.
In-Ground Vegetable Patch
If you ’re young to in - land vegetable horticulture , commence out with a belittled 75- or 100 - square - base garden and expand from there if needed . Square or orthogonal beds repose out in a due north to south direction will maximise sunlight and assist plants grow even better . To keep veggies from growing in tincture , site vining flora on trellis and tall works like maize toward the north side of the garden , and engraft shorter crops , like radishes , strawberries , and lettuce , toward the Confederacy .
Companion planting with a ring of marigolds , onion plant , or chives around the perimeter of your garden can take your backyard vegetable garden idea to the next level and make your crops less vulnerable to gadfly . You may also need to experiment with drip irrigation , garden paseo , and mulching to prevent soil compression , automate watering , andprevent weedsfrom pinch in .
Raised Garden Beds
Planning a raised bed gardenis very similar to in - priming gardening in that fire beds are typically repose out in a due north - Confederate States of America orientation , and inadequate plants are produce toward the south . farm garden are usuallymade of woodor alloy . They can be as long as needed , but it ’s undecomposed to keep them no wider than 3 to 4 infantry across to make weed and planting easier .
Many gardeners keep three or more raised bed at a time and rotate plant life kinsfolk in between each bed to keep pests in hitch . For example , during the first yr , nightshades would be establish in seam No . 1 , legumes in bed No . 2 , and settle down crop in seam No . 3 . The next twelvemonth , each plant life family would be be active to a different layer to avoid overwintering pests .
Square-Foot Gardening
Technically square - foot gardening can be practiced in raise beds or in - ground garden of any size of it ; however , most grower use square - foot gardening in 4 - pes by 4 - foot raised beds . get marvelous and trellis plants , like tomatoes and beans , toward the north side of the garden will avoid lighting issues . Planting smaller plants , like root veggies and lettuce , toward the Dixieland and circumference of the garden will make harvesting easier . Specific spacing recommendation should be followed carefully with square - understructure gardening to guarantee plant have enough way to develop . For instance , magnanimous flora like tomatoes will need their own square ft of grow space , but you may inseminate 16 carrots or radishes in each square . And do n’t forget that chronological succession sowing seeds throughout the season can avail you get even more food out of a hearty base of grow space .
Container Vegetable Garden
Small - space and urban growers have find out lots of creative fashion to fit more food crops in a circumscribed area . Vertical farm with trellising is one choice , but many vegetables can also be get in mess , grow grip , uprise pillar , railing planters , and pay heed basket for space delivery . Be sure to select wad with plenty of drain holes , and prefer for Dubyuh - type dome and cuke ordeterminate tomatoesto keep industrial plant more accomplishable .
If you ’re maintaining just a few large kitty on a balcony , try growing big plants like tomatoes and peppers toward the center of your pots and companion industrial plant with St. Basil the Great and other small herbs for raw pest command . For more veggie garden ideas , consider keep small root word crop in roomy and abstruse pots and mix and match your apparatus with a hanging basket filled with trailing hemangioma simplex or a medley of colourful lettuce , kale , and herb plant in a spacious terra - cotta pot . Even big plants , like dough pie pumpkins , can be observe in a container garden as long as you use a minimum 20 - gal grow bag and keep the vines tidy with a trellis and careful pruning .
Our Best Advice for Beginner Gardeners
Illustration: Davro Ave for Bob Vila Bed 1 nightshades: tomatillo, eggplant, jalapeno. Bed 2 legumes: peas and green beans. Bed 3 root vegetables: potato, beet, carrot.
We ’ll assist you set up your first garden — whether that ’s a few pots on your patio , a raised bed , or an in - ground patch out back — and select the right-hand plants for your soil and neighborhood .
Illustration: Davro Ave for Bob Vila Row 1: tomato, thyme, Swiss chard. Row 2: bell pepper, eggplant, radish. Row 3: tomato, celery, watermelon.
Illustration: Davro Ave for Bob Vila Container 1: tomato surrounded by basil, green onion, and parsley. Container 2: kale, spinach, lettuce.
