Vegetable Garden Planning
Vegetable gardening season is just around the corner. Here at Bob’s we'll soon have seed potatoes, onion sets, and vegetable seeds to help you get started. If you’re new to growing vegetables follow along this spring as we share tips to help you succeed. In this post we’re going to take a look at garden planning in general.
The first tip to remember, even if you’ve been gardening for a while, is to take baby steps. You might want a huge garden, beautiful flower beds, and a perfect landscape, but trying to do it all at once is a recipe for failure. Start small.
When it comes to vegetable gardening, the second thing to consider is the design of your garden. I’m partial to the classic “Victory Garden” style with straight, orderly rows because that’s what I learned growing up. However, there’s also raised beds, kitchen gardens, container gardens, and even hydroponics. The sky’s the limit when it comes to garden styles.
Sunlight is important when choosing a garden space. Your site should get full sun for most of the day. Also, orient rows so they run north to south so they receive optimal light.
The fourth thing to consider is your garden’s soil. It should drain well and also have a good mix of sand, silt, and clay. You can visit this link to read a more in-depth post about testing your soil. Also, consider getting your soil tested by your local extension office.
The fifth and final thing to consider is crop spacing and layout. Of course, this largely depends on what you decide to grow. Below is a comprehensive list of the most common garden plants and their space requirements.
| Vegetable | Inches between plants | Inches between rows | Depth of seed (inches) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artichoke - Globe | 36-48 | 48-60 | 1-11/2 |
| Artichoke - Jerusalem | 12-18 | 24-36 | 1-11/2 |
| Asparagus | 12-18 | 36-48 | 1-2 |
| Beans - Broad | 8-10 | 36-48 | 1-11/2 |
| Beans - Dry | 4-6 | 18-24 | 1 |
| Beans - Lima | |||
| bush | 2-3 | 18-24 | 1-11/2 |
| pole | 4-6 | 30-36 | 1-11/2 |
| Beans - Snap or Green | |||
| bush | 2-3 | 18-24 | 1-11/2 |
| pole | 4-6 | 30-36 | 1-11/2 |
| Beets | 2-3 | 12-18 | 1 |
| Broccoli | 3 | 24-36 | 1/2 |
| Brussels Sprouts | 24 | 24-36 | 1/2 |
| Cabbage | 18-24 | 24-36 | 1/2 |
| Cardoon | 18-24 | 36-48 | 1/2 |
| Carrot | 2-4 | 12-24 | 1/4 |
| Cauliflower | 18-24 | 24-36 | 1/2 |
| Celeriac | 6-8 | 24-30 | 1/4 |
| Celery | 8-10 | 24-30 | 1/4 |
| Chard | 9-12 | 18-24 | 1 |
| Chayote | 24-30 | 60 | |
| Chick pea | 6-8 | 12-18 | 1/2 |
| Chicory | 12-18 | 24-36 | 1 |
| Chinese Cabbage | 8-12 | 18-30 | 1/2 |
| Collards | 12 | 18-24 | 1/2 |
| Corn | 2-4 | 12-18 | 1-11/2 |
| Cress | 1-2 | 18-24 | 1/4 |
| Cucumber | 12 | 18-72 | 1/2 |
| Dandelion | 6-8 | 12-18 | 1/4 |
| Eggplant | 18-24 | 24-36 | 1/4 |
| Endive | 9-12 | 18-24 | 1/8 |
| Horseradish | 24 | 18-24 | 1/4 |
| Kale | 8-12 | 18-24 | 1/2 |
| Kohlrabi | 5-6 | 18-24 | 1/4 |
| Leek | 6-9 | 12-18 | 1/8 |
| Lettuce | 6-12 | 12-18 | 1/8 |
| Muskmelon | 18-24 | 60-96 | 1 |
| Mustard | 6-12 | 12-24 | 1/2 |
| Okra | 12-18 | 24-36 | 1/2-1 |
| Onion | |||
| sets | 2-3 | 12-18 | 1-2 |
| seeds | 1-2 | 12-18 | 1/4 |
| Parsnip | 2-4 | 18-24 | 1/2 |
| Pea - Black-eyed | 8-12 | 12-18 | 1/2 |
| Pea | 1-2 | 18-24 | 2 |
| Peanut | 6-8 | 12-18 | 1 |
| Pepper | 18-24 | 24-36 | 1/2 |
| Potato, Irish | 12-18 | 24-36 | 4 |
| Sweet Potato | 12-18 | 36-48 | 3-5 |
| Pumpkin | 24-48 | 60-120 | 1 |
| Radish | 1-6 | 12-18 | 1/2 |
| Rhubarb | 30-36 | 36-48 | |
| Rutabaga | 6-8 | 18-24 | 1/2 |
| Salsify | 2-4 | 18-24 | 1/2 |
| Shallot | 6-8 | 12-18 | 1/4 |
| Sorrel | 12-18 | 18-24 | 1/2 |
| Soybean | 11/2-2 | 24-30 | 1/2-1 |
| Spinach | 2-4 | 12-24 | 1/2 |
| Squash - Summer and Zucchini | 24-36 | 18-48 | 1 |
| Squash - Winter | 24-48 | 60-120 | 1 |
| Tomato | 18-36 | 24-48 | 1/2 |
| Turnip | |||
| greens | 2-3 | 12-24 | 1/2 |
| roots | 3-4 | 12-24 | 1/2 |
| Watermelon | 24-72 | 60-120 | 1 |