Garden Plans

Here is the garden plan for the first half of the garden-year. A "1" means this crop will be planted first and then taken out or turned under to make room for the "2" crop.

If a bed is split into an "A" section and a "B" section, this means that half the plot will be planted with each crop. Sometimes this is because I don't need or want eighty square feet of a crop (as in Broccoli and Brussels's Sprouts - they are ornery to grow) or, in the case of the pole beans, I didn't want their height to block the sun from other plants too much.

You might ask why I didn't plant, say, all the potatoes next to each other and make my life much easier. I don't know everything about gardening, but one thing I read over and over again is not to plant the same plant or type of plant in the same place year after year. Sure, if you're going to use tons of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, this might not matter. But when you're growing in a sustainable manner, this won't work. Each plant takes (and gives) certain nutrients to the soil. Additionally, each plant attracts certain pests. If you plant the same thing in the same spot, year after year, the soil becomes deficient in the very nutrients that plant need to thrive AND you are practically advertising a tasty meal to plant-specific pests. So, with the idea that next year, someone could use these plans and just SHIFT everything one plot "up" (from 1 to 2, 2 to 3, etc), this is a somewhat sustainable garden plan.

One last note - all plants are members of families, and the whole nutrient/pest thing counts for that, too. So try to put about 3-4 years between them. No broccoli next to Brussel's sprouts next to cabbage or eggplants hanging close to peppers and tomatoes.

Below is an excel file GRACIOUSLY put together by Homeplace Earth (www.homeplaceearth.com). This lady is all down-home usefulness, and her recent DVD came with some files to help you plan your garden. For you, mostly, its helpful to see what varieties I'm planting. SESE means the seeds were purchased from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange and JSS means the seeds were purchased from Johnny's Selected Seeds.

Seeds Plants Needed PDF