For this week, Id suggest one last push in vegetable garden planning for summer planting ease. Once all is planned out, youll know what to start next week, what to wait on, and even what area you should get certain seeds out to as soon as the soil is warmed enough to till: An extra bonus of earlier planning is early radishes and carrots! (You can start veggies earlier than mid-April, but without a greenhouse I start to run out of window space quick if I begin too hastily).
Im sure by now if you are a new gardener; youve been watching for the best sun and have figured out a great location, as discussed in an earlier column. Regardless if youve planted in your garden spot before, now is the time to think about crop rotation. (New gardeners could do well to plant with this in mind for next year). What you planted last year, and what plant this year, can make all the difference in the nutrients buildup in your soil.
For the sake of ease, divide up your planned crops into three different categories: legumes, heavy feeders and root crops.
- Legumes: Peas are a great example. These plants are typically light feeders and actually enrich the soil a great choice to follow a heavy feeder the previous planting season.
- Heavy Feeders: These can range from very heavy, such as onions and celery, to slightly less heavy, such as your greens and radishes. These take a lot of nutrients from the soil, and should not be planted in the same spot year after year.
- Root Crops: Examples are beets and carrots. These vegetables use different nutrients than leafy plants, so they could follow either the legumes or heavy feeders. Potatoes could be in a separate category all together, as they do very well in soil that other plants do not thrive. This is a great vegetable for newly cleared ground.
Rotate your three categories each season – if you are super organized, you could even create a several-season plan. I’m not, but the peas and broccoli are for sure switching places this year.
Many gardens also include perennials such as berries and rhubarb. Remember, these are tough to move once established, so make sure your location is well chosen and not included in a crop rotation plan. I have my perennials in separate beds far from the main vegetable garden. I did plant the raspberries just close enough to be watered with my garden irrigation system if turned on full blast great for those lazier, or just downright busier, summer days.
Most of my spring planning surrounds the question of keeping my conventional rows or trying wide row planting. Conventional rows have a single row of plants with paths in between. Wide-row planting uses fewer paths and wider planting rows; plants are in-row spaced evenly throughout a wider bed in a diamond like pattern and can typically hold more plants per square foot. One drawback: Less area to weed with a rototiller, more hand weeding. Happy gardening!
