Springtime in Idaho just means that the snow is gone more often than not. So when sunny days start thawing the ground and the tulips begin to peek out of the soil, it’s only a matter of time before Mother Nature plays a little April Fools’ joke on them. Fortunately, the snow always seems to melt quickly and these hardy little flowers bloom anyway.
While the weather is trying to make up its mind, Dad starts turning his attention toward planting the garden. Even if the ground hasn’t thawed, there’s still plenty to do. He goes to garden shows, looks over the yard, and eventually takes out some graph paper, a pencil, and a ruler so he can decide what he’s planting and where. Here are some tips I’ve learned from him about how to plan a vegetable garden.
Four Questions to Ask When Planning a Garden
1. How much space do you have for a garden?
Gardening takes a lot of work so regardless of how much space you have, start small and grow into it. Dad likes to measure his garden by counting the number of horizontal boards on the fence surrounding it and multiplying them by how long they are (5 boards x 8′ = 40′). You can also just get an old-fashioned tape measure out, but whatever you do, just make sure you figure out the length and width of your gardening spot.
2. What do you want to plant in your garden?
Once you know the size of the area you are working in, it’s time to think about what you want to plant. Start with what you like to eat and what you know you’ll use then check with a local greenhouse to see what grows well in your climate. You can buy packets of seeds or transplants (plants that have started growing) and both will give information on how deep, how far apart, and when to plant them.
3. Where should you plant your fruits and vegetables?
Now that you know how much space you have and what you’re planting, you can determine where each plant will grow. Using paper and pencil, create a scale of your plot. It can be precise or just a rough sketch to get an idea. The point is to try several options out before any seeds go into the ground.
A few things to keep in mind are the height of the plants you’re growing when the sun hits your garden, and the walking space you’ll need around each row.
- Taller plants like corn can give too much shade to other plants so try to put them in the northern part of your garden.
- If a tree, your house, or another structure shades a section of your garden during the day, you may want to think again about what you plant there.
- Strawberries grow better in shady areas.
- It’s good to give yourself 18″–24″ in between rows of seeds so you have room to weed the plants, move hoses, and harvest your crops when they’re ready.
4. When should you start planting seeds?
Tune in to your local weatherman, if you’re not already doing so, and see when the nightly forecast starts showing temperatures above freezing so the ground will be thawed and ready for plants to grow. It’s also important to keep an eye on the weather throughout the growing and harvesting seasons to make sure that if the temperature dips below freezing you’re ready to cover the plants with sheets so they don’t die.