Spring is coming and I am itching to get my hands dirty in the garden!
Winter and early spring is the perfect time to start planning your garden. Ideally, I would like to have it all planned by January but that rarely happens. That’s okay, still plenty of time to get it figured out! You have even more time if you don’t plan on starting any seeds indoors.
My experience is in Wisconsin, so your growing season will differ depending on what zone you are in.
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Here’s how I begin:
Evaluating Previous Year
(Skip this step if this is your first year gardening)
First off, I take out all my seed packets from last year. I sort the ones with remaining seeds from the empty ones. There is NO need to throw away those extra seeds! Use them year after year. In fact, once I used a packet of cherry tomato seeds for 6 years before I ran out and they still grew as good as they did the first year. As long as they don’t get wet or moldy, they should be just fine.
I go through all the empty ones to see what I ordered last year. That helps me remember what ones worked (and I can re-order) and what ones I didn’t like so I don’t order them again.
List Making
After this, I make a list of what I want to plant.
On the list are the “every year” staples. I also like to add one or two new plants each year.
Some things we don’t plant every year. Like pickling cucumbers. We end up canning so many that they last us a couple of years, so we only plant them every 2 years.
If it is your first time gardening, start out small and with vegetables that you know your family likes. Then once you get the hang of it, add more. Also, try easy to grow things first.
Easy to grow:
- Zucchini/summer squash
- Winter squash
- Tomatoes
- Beets
- Lettuce
- Green beans
- Carrots
- Cucumbers
- Spinach
- Radishes
- Peppers
Hard(er) to grow:
- Watermelon
- Cantaloupe
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Cabbage
- Celery
- Sweet corn
- Head lettuce
- Eggplant
- Sweet potato
- Artichokes
These aren’t terribly difficult but do require a bit more attention. Water intake, temperature needed, cross pollination issues, and pests are among the reasons that these are more difficult plants to grow. Although they are not impossible, I’d just recommend plating some easy ones if it is your first time gardening.
You will also need to take into consideration the size/set up of your garden and the size of the plants. Example: squash and zucchini plants take up a lot of room. Not an ideal choice for a container or small garden.
Seed Ordering
Finally, I get out my seed catalogs.
Once you decide what plant, you need to decide what variety to get and where to purchase them!
Take into consideration what you want out of your garden. Do you want to just eat it all fresh or do you want to preserve some? If so, you need to find varieties that can or freeze well. If you want to make spaghetti sauce, for example, you will want to plant some Roma-type tomatoes as they are great for sauce making.
Our “Guide to Planning your Canning Garden” ebook is a great and helpful resource. How many to plant per person, spacing, average yield and canning help for each kind of vegetable.
A good catalog or website with decent pictures and descriptions can be extremely helpful.
There are so many amazing organic and heirloom seed companies available online with many varieties of plants to choose from!
These are some great seed companies I recommend:
(click on name to be directed to the websites)
Of course, you can always go through your local hardware store to buy your seeds. There are many options out there!
I highly recommend doing a little research on different varieties before going though, otherwise you may find yourself overwhelmed with the selection. Bush or pole beans? Heirloom, Roma, Cherry, Grape tomatoes….? Organic or not? Treated/untreated? Innoculant? There is a lot to consider and a little prep ahead of time can make it a lot less confusing!
I hope this helps you with your first step in setting up your garden this year! Taking the time to evaluate, list, and research what to plant is a very helpful and important step in successful gardening!
As always, please feel free to comment or email me with additional questions or helpful tips!
Thank you for stopping by the homestead!
Until next time,
Melissa
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Where is the Amish location? For seeds ?
Their address is E16254 County Road V, Hillsboro WI 53634. Its kind of off the beaten path but does show up on GPS!