A good-size beginner vegetable garden is 10×16 feet; this is a easy to mange size garden that will still produce plenty of vegetables. You can plant in the normal vegetable garden style, in the ground or you can opt for raised beds or square foot garden techniques.

photo credit: thebittenword.com

A plot this size, planted with the vegetables below, can feed a family of four for one summer. There will also be a little extra for canning and freezing or giving away.

There are vegetables that may yield more than one crop per season. These are beans, beets, carrots, cabbage, kohlrabi, lettuce, radishes, rutabagas, spinach and turnips. For the plan below, your rows or raised beds should run north and south to take full advantage of the sun.

Garden plan

Make your garden 11 rows of 10 feet each or use 2 to 3 raised beds. Plant the following vegetables:

Tomatoes — 5 plants staked

Zucchini squash — 4 plants or two of zucchini and tow other squash varieties

Peppers — 6 plants

Cabbage

Bush beans

Beets

Carrots

Chard

Lettuce, leaf, Bibb or a mix variety

Radish

Grow marigolds to discourage rabbits and some insect varieties! Geraniums also discourage some insects and any flower adds beauty to a garden.

Leave 2 feet between bush beans, 1/2 foot between bush beans and lettuce, and 1 foot between all of the rest.

This is a simple easy garden plan. As you garden you can add new vegetables, get rid of others and experiment with different styles of gardening.

I started out using rows, went to square foot gardening to make better use of my space,

Note: If this garden is too large for your needs, you do not have to plant all 11 rows. You can also make the rows shorter. You can choose the veggies that you’d like to grow or add more flowers!

Tip: Radishes planted by the base of a squash plant will deter squash bugs. Radishes also mature quickly so only plants a few seeds at a time.

If you’re interested in planting potatoes, tomatoes and potatoes are not ideal companions and need “distance.” I myself plant them in barrels or bushel baskets so that I can just dump the crop at the end of the season for easy harvesting.

And for the beginning gardener. Read the instructions on the back of the seed packet. It will let you know how long the crop takes to mature, proper spacing and it will help you determine if you can grow two crops in a season.

Technorati Tags: beginning gardener garden plan, easy garden plan, garden plan, small garden, vegetables

A reader (Gwen) was kind enough to send this really nice seeds link. The site has great information and free seed offers.

dinnergarden.org

Garden tips:

1. One common error for beginning gardeners  is planting too much too soon and way more than anybody could eat or want.  Start small and keep it simple.

2. Vegetables love the sun. They require six hours (continuous, if possible) of sunlight each day. Some, like tomatoes, gourds and peppers like more sunlight.

3. Vegetables must have good, loamy, well-drained soil. Most  soil is not perfect for gardening  and needs a helping hand. Check with your local nursery or county extension office about soil testing, soil types, and soil enrichment.

4. Vegetables need proper nutrition. A vegetable garden too near a tree will lose its nutrients to the tree’s root system and a garden close to the house will help to discourage wild animals from nibbling away your potential harvest.

5. Vegetables need at least one inch of water a week.

6. In the early spring, walk around your property to see where the snow melts first and where the sun shines at least 6 hours a day.

7. Also check for drainage. If  water piles up in shallow pockets, you may want to avoid this area. This will be a good location. This will make a difference in how well your vegetables grow.

photo credit: Sandy Austin

The Gardener’s Rake seed contest winners

Carl, Cynthia, Noell, kitty, Drina, Rita, nfmgirl. You will receive an email tomorow asking for your home delivery address for your prize

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I have just heard a rough description for the rest of my winter in NW PA and what they feel the summer and fall will be like. For me, overall I need to prepare my gardens for cool weather. With a zone 5 growing zone and a short growing season, this is not the news I was hoping for.

photo credit: net_efekt

You can check your possible spring through fall season at the Farmer’s Almanac. And keep in mind, this is a rough guide that may or may not be accurate. Surprise storms and how close you are to one of the sections borders can affect your growing climate results.

If you live in the Lower Lakes  area the Farmer’s almanac is calling for average snow until march, a warmer than usual April and May, a cooler than normal summer and a warmer September and October. The area will also have below average rainfall.

For me this means I will do my gardens in the greenhouse again. Our summers have been so unpredictable lately that I am beginning to think year round growing is the way to go. It has certain benefits and there are several mini greenhouses or sun rooms that are very reasonable or that you can make by yourself.

As soon as he weather improves and I can figure out how to create you tube and videos I will make a video on how to make a reasonably inexpensive greenhouse.

But until then here are three reasons why year round greenhouse growing has its benefits.

• More control over the climate. You can start plants earlier and grow them later in the season.
• You may have a larger variety of plants you will be able to grow
• Control over small animals like ground hogs and rabbits.

And here are a few concerns.

• Cost of a greenhouse for both the building and and heating.
• Space for the greenhouse
• Learning how to grow under glass

Gardening under glass is quite easy once you make a few adjustments. But overall, the main concern when gardening is to have fun!

Technorati Tags: Climate Control, gardening under glass, greenhouse gardening, greenhouses