organic gardeing planning an organic vegetable garden part 1

Planning an Organic Vegetable Garden

Part 1:Size, Location, and Crop Selection

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Why garden organically?

As evidence comes to light about the dangers of chemical pesticides, more people are choosing to grow their own food

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Why garden organically?

For the typical home gardener, organic methods of gardening are not really any more difficult than conventional methods

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Why garden organically?

Vegetables grown in your own garden are fresher and better-tasting than vegetables you buy at the supermarket

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Planning is essential

Careful planning is an important step towards having a successful garden

Here are some tips for planning your organic vegetable garden

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Decide on the size of your garden

It’s important not to bite off more than you can chew…

Decide on the size of your garden

Those seeds and seedlings look small, but they quickly turn into many large plants – all demanding care and attention

Decide on the size of your garden

If you’re new to gardening, start with a small plot

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Decide on the size of your garden

You might be surprised at how much you can grow in a modest 10 x 20 ft space

Decide on the size of your garden

The most common cause of new gardener burnout is planting a garden that is too large to tend properly

Decide on the size of your garden

Even more experienced gardeners can get a little carried away with their plans

Decide on the size of your garden

Keep your garden to a reasonable size, tend it with care, and you will be more than pleased with your harvest

Follow the sun

Most vegetables need full sun to thrive

You should put the garden in the sunniest part of the yard

Follow the sun

Don’t use a dark corner of the yard for growing vegetables

Situate the garden away from the shade of buildings and trees

Follow the sun

A common mistake is to start a garden where there isn’t enough sunlight

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Follow the sun

The rule of thumb is that vegetables need at least 6 hours of full sun each day

Follow the sun

New gardeners are sometimes confused about what is considered full sun

Full sun applies to the whole growing season, not just the peak of summer

Follow the sun

Suppose the garden gets only 6 hours of direct sun on the longest day of the year

Follow the sun

In that case, the garden will be getting much less sun in the spring and fall – and that’s not good enough

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Follow the sun

The garden should receive at least 2/3 of the available sunlight each day

Follow the sun

For example, on the longest day of the year the sun is in the sky for around 15 hours (depending on your latitude)

Follow the sun

Therefore, the garden should be in direct sunlight for 10 of those hours

Follow the sun

Without enough sun, fruit-bearing crops like tomatoes and peppers will produce a very small harvest – or even nothing at all

Follow the sun

If you don’t get enough full sun in your yard, try growing vegetables that like a little shade, such as lettuce and spinach

Follow the sun

Container gardening is another option if your property gets a lot of shade

You can move the containers around to catch the maximum sunlight

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Raised beds or not?

When you’re planning your garden, think about building raised beds for vegetable plants

Raised beds or not?

Raised beds give you better control over the growing environment:

Easier to work the soilEasier to add compost and amendmentsPermits better drainage

Raised beds or not?

Raised beds are a good defense against damaging slugs, snails, and crawling insects

Deciding what to grow

There are lots of things to consider when you are deciding what to grow in your garden

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Deciding what to grow

What vegetables grow best in your climate?

What vegetables do you (and your family) like to eat?

Deciding what to grow

It’s best to grow at least half a dozen different vegetables

Deciding what to grow

This ensures that you will get something from your garden, even if a few crops are not a roaring success

Deciding what to grow

Diversity is a basic principle of organic gardening

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Deciding what to grow

Having a variety of plants will encourage beneficial insects and help reduce damage caused by harmful pests

Choosing varieties

Once you’ve made some decisions about the type of vegetables you’d like to grow, you have to decide between the many available varieties of each crop

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Choosing varieties

Look for varieties that are disease resistant

This information will be on the seed package or in the product description

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Choosing varieties

Many newer varieties of vegetables are bred to resist certain diseases and pests

Choosing varieties

Starting with disease-resistant plants is a great help for both new and experienced organic gardeners

Choosing varieties

Look at the “days to maturity”

If you live in a place with short summers, choose varieties that will mature quickly

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Choosing varieties

Taste may be a factor in your decision

Some varieties are especially sweet; others are strongly flavored

Choosing varieties

You may want to grow varieties that are a little unusual or not easily found in the supermarket

This can include oddly colored vegetables or “baby” vegetables

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It’s important to put some time and thought into planning your organic garden

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A sensible plan will:

keep you organizedprevent you from getting overwhelmedincrease the chances of your having a productive organic vegetable garden

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