In the dead of winter, it can be hard to get excited to get excited when you have months away before your last frost date. The good news is that now that Christmas is over and we are celebrating the New Year, we can start planning for the next season.
If this is your first year or two of gardening or you aren’t getting the harvest that you want to have, when you are planning your garden, think about these things to help get you started.
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Items of Consideration
Consider Your Light
Plants need a lot of things, but next to water, I’d say light is the most important. For most plants you will grow, they will need at least 6-8+ hours of sunlight. What I wish I knew when I first started gardening was this statement: “If you want leaves of the plant, you can have partial shade (4-8 hours of direct sun). If you want the fruit, you need at least 8+ hours of direct sun.
In my first year of gardening, I severely overestimated how much sun I get. Also, keep in mind when you are planning your garden, you may have a lot more light right now with leaves being off the trees, so they’ll cast shade later on.
Light is so important for plants. Here the broccoli grew leggy and never got enough light to form a crown.
Your best shade loving plants will be some of your herbs dill, parsley, cilantro, non-bulbing onions (like leeks or bunching onions/scallions), spinach, bok choi (or pak choi), and at least $3 a head, leaf lettuce. Some lettuces that form heads do grow better in heat and full sun, like Romaine, those below do well in the spring and fall and in the shade.
The best seeds for the shade are:
Lettuce Seeds (Especially Marvel of Four Seasons, Buttercrunch)
Herb blends (Cilantro, Dill, Parsley and Thyme)
Leek Seeds | Bunching Onion Seeds
In this garden bed that used to have our broccoli and cauliflower is doing so much better with sweet alyssum, chamomile, leeks and bunching onions, lettuce, bok choi and herbs like dill, parsley, and cilantro.
They do make some varieties of full sun vegetables that might do well with less light. For example, another bed that did not do well was our large tomatoes. We grew indeterminate tomatoes and they did not get enough light to produce, but we did grow some Celebrity and Roma tomatoes that did much better in the same bed.
Knowing Your Zone and Frost Dates
Light is important, but knowing when to put things outside is the next most important thing. It does not do you any good if you have beautiful sunny location with full sun for 12 hours a day if you have a frost that kills your plants a week after you put them outside.
Knowing when your last average frost date is and when your first anticipated frost date is will give you an idea of how much grow time you actually have. Here in Zone 8A/8B area, we can typically put cool crops out in late February to early March and then warmer summer crops in April. Check out the USDA Hardiness zone by going to this website.
Also be sure you check your first and last frost date and you can plug in your zip/postal code by going to a website like the farmer’s almanac.
Space
The first thing that you have to consider is how much space you have available. If this is your first year or two of gardening, it can be tempting to want to have a garden so you can grow all the plants you are dreaming of. It’s important, especially if you have other family obligations or a full time job, that you do not start out too much too soon. I went from 0-100 (square feet) in one year, and while I was excited to start the first year with so many plants I did not get the best use of space that I could have.
If you are brand new and have no space, consider how much space you can afford and what that space will look like. Are you growing in containers? Raised beds? Tilling? Each one has it’s own pros and cons, and there isn’t one right answer for what will work best for you.
Tilling
Probably one of the most controversial ways to garden is tilling. It is an old school approach that is probably the most affordable at the end of the day aside of just digging a hole. It loosens the soil and doesn’t require any building or having to fill a bed with soil.
Some issues with tilling is that it does disturb the soil structure. Many gardeners try very hard to do everything they can to feed the soil and to encourage a good balance of beneficial bacteria and fungi, and tilling can expose all of those to the harsh rays of the Sun, dry it out with the air, and ultimately whatever is on the top of the soil, you are now burying, which may cause an issue with weeding later down the line.
Raised Beds
Raised beds are my favorite method of gardening. They are beneficial when you don’t want to till, when your native soil might have issues, and it saves you from having to bend down to weed or harvest (if you build it tall enough). It can also warm up faster in the spring time and allow you to plant sooner.
Specific issues to soil, especially if this is your first year or two of gardening, you might be thinking, how do I know if my soil is good or not? If you have heavy clay soil or overly sandy soil, being able to add soil to your bed may be a big improvement for your garden.
There are certain pests in soils that may cause issue. My dad for example has not been able to get a consistent tomato harvest in his tilled garden due to Fusarium wilt, a particular fungal disease. Between his clay soil holding in water and tilling, his soil hasn’t had a chance get rid of the fungus. Other pests can also be found in soils like root rot nematodes, grubs, and other pests that decided your soil would be a good place to take a nap during the winter.
While I do love my raised beds, they were not cheap. It may be your budget or your back and joints that make the decision of how tall you want them to be and what material. Taller beds can be great to keep you from bending over or squatting down, but it means more material you need to fill it with, which can be pricey as well.
To help manage the cost, I opted to build my own beds, using untreated lumber (as treated lumber used to be treated with arsenic). I used pine because even though cedar can be helpful in preventing pests, I do not want to deter the beneficial insects, nor do I want to pay for the premium.
It is good to have at least 12” of depth to support most plants that you will want to grow. The issue with just 12” is that it does mean you will either have to be bending over, squatting, or on you knees to plant. That’s not a particular issue for me, and it was worth being able to save the money on the soil. You also do not want anything that will be wider than 4 feet across as it will be hard to get into the middle of the bed to plant or to weed. We have four 8’x4’ beds and once plants grew to a respectable size, it was hard to reach in and grab fruit.
If I had the money, I would love to have metal beds that are at least 18 inches tall. Perhaps even taller. The metal beds would last much longer than wood beds, would provide enough room to grow more root crops, and the aesthetic I think is much nicer. While galvanized beds may be cheaper than other models, they may not last as long as they may end up rusting if you make amendments to keep your soil acidic.
Raised Beds Designed to Last
I selected these beds in part because of their functionality and durability, but also because they are made here at home in America. Unfortunately, there’s not many wooden beds that are not cedar and made in the USA, so it may be best to build them.
You can build them with three 2”x8’ boards and you can either saw one to make two 4’ long boards for your sides. With some screws you can build your beds pretty quickly! Add some supports to the corner to keep it lasting for a few more years!
11” Tall Metal Beds: Great for most plants with small root systems like tomatoes, cabbages, lettuces, herbs. Can work for some carrots with specific depth.
17” Tall Metal Beds: Great for just about all plants.
32”: Tall Galvanized Bed: Great for carrots, potatoes, and root vegetables
Containers
While I have a lot of front yard space, not everyone does. One of my best friends has a pool at her house with a great patio, but doesn’t have a lot of green space. The green space she does have is mostly reserved for her three dogs. She still wants to garden, so I opted to gift her some containers to garden in.
You can get a lot of the benefits that you would from a raised bed such as the improved soil. While it will need additional support to keep your plants warm in cool temperatures, you do have the option to bring them inside. Or if you are like me and overestimate how much light you get in one location, you also have the option of moving your containers and chasing the light. They can also be significantly cheaper than raised beds allowing you to potentially have more plants.
In addition to having similar issues that raised beds do, like the cost of the soil, but you can also have issues with watering. Since it is a smaller container and certain materials might dry out more than others. If you live in a warm or hot environment, you might need to consider watering at least once or maybe even twice a day.
Containers You Will Love
These are all containers I use in my garden. There have been something’s I have loved about them and other things a little bit less so.
Greenstalk Leaf: 7 Tiers/42 Pocket Vertical Planter:
I love this container for the amount of plants I have. I had wanted to plant strawberries in all of them, but unfortunately it was on the east side of my house so it didn’t get enough light. It is very easy to water (you fill it up from the top and it drips down into the pockets) and doesn’t seem to dry out very fast. This leaf product holds plants with smaller root systems like lettuces, beets, strawberries, leeks, garlic onions and more!
Greenstalk Original: 5 Tier/30 Pocket Vertical Planter:
This is the one I bought for one of my best friends this last Christmas. She has a large patio, but this will offer the same ability to go vertical for growing her plants, and with the larger pockets, she can grow things like peppers, tomatoes, cabbages and everything the leaf can grow.
Vivosun 5 Gallon Grow Bags
Unfortunately, another product that is hard to find made in the United States. However, this is a brand that I have used for a handful of different products and comes in at a good price point. The biggest issues with fabric bags is they dry out very quickly. It’s important to get at least a 5 gallon bag when using a grow bag so there is enough soil to help hold in moisture. A 10 gallon bag will help you even more.
What You Eat
I was torn between this section being titled “What Do You Want to Grow”, but unless you have more land and space, it probably should be a little bit less about what you want to grow, and more about what you will eat.
I wanted to grow all of the plants my first year, and while I had great intentions, planting broccoli and cauliflower was probably my biggest mistake of the season. I wanted to grow everything and while my husband does love both broccoli and cauliflower, I don’t and we almost never eat it with the exception of some Beef and Broccoli or crudite as part of a snack platter. It took up so much space and because I did not consider my light levels as well as I should have, it never formed a crown. So we had half of a growing season where a garden bed did absolutely nothing productive.
What we did right was we knew we loved hot sauces, salsas, and corned beef sandwiches. Our harvest for hot peppers, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, did excellent and our cabbages did very well.
What Can You Buy
The goal is of course to one day be able to grow all of my own produce. Without having that amount of land, it’s not feasible. If I wanted to practice what I preach above, I would likely want to grow potatoes. I love them. I eat them regularly. I have some raised beds and containers they would grow well in that gets full sun. But I don’t. Why? As much as I do love going to visit my grand parents and feeling like I am literally digging up goal when I do harvest them, unfortunately it’s not worth my time and energy.
I can regularly find 5-10 lbs of potatoes on sale for about $2. Perhaps home grown potatoes taste significantly different than those from the store, but at that price, it’s not worth it to me. It’s a little sobering during a time of dreaming and ideas, but it’s the truth. If you regularly find certain produce on sale, it might be worth it to find something else to grow that would cost you more in the long run.
Does it Serve Another Purpose
Now, there are some things that are affordable at the store, but play another important part in the garden and don’t take up too much space. Bulbing onions (the traditional kind) for example can be a great companion in your garden. Because of the smell, it bothers a lot of us humans, but it can bother a lot of insects and other pests as well.
Companion plants can be a great way to incorporate diversity into your garden, get extra crops, and potentially protect your main crops. Companion plants can serve more than just pest prevention and an additional crop. Having flowers are helpful for attracting butterflies and bees to help pollinate my plants. Plus, beauty and a plant that makes you happy, is a reason enough to plant it.
Depending on your comfortability, you may like to use some companion plants for medicinal use. Borage is a great plant that offers beautiful starry blue flowers, attracts bees to your garden, and can offer medicinal use. The flowers are also edible if you want to use them as a garnish. Echinacea is another beautiful flower that we have harvested and made tinctures to help us get through cold and flu season.
There are many more factors that go into gardening, but I you are looking for a first step in planning for the next growing season, definitely consider your light, temperature, space, what you will use and eat, and what you can buy. Taking these five things into consideration before you start your next set of seeds.
Be sure you check out Your Garden Plan for Success: 5 Essential Tasks for January that will help you with essential tasks to get your growing season on the right foot. How do you plan your garden? Do you do anything different? What would you add to this list? Comment below!
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