Plotting
Okay, so you have your list, know what plants like to grow together, what growing conditions they like, and when they need to be planted. Now it’s time to do up a garden plan.
Measure your garden or pots. Use grid paper and draw your garden to scale. I like to use two squares to = 1 square foot (1 square = 6 square inches). This helps you to calculate the area needed for each vegetable. If you have a really large garden, then I would break it down into sections or reduce the scale to 1 square = 1 square foot. Small pots can be drawn using a compass and pencil.
I draw out the outline in pen or marker and then use pencil when deciding where to plant the veggies. Leave some space on the diagram to write on the date you planted and the date the seeds start showing up (I always forget the second date…). This will give you a guide for next year and help you to get a feel for when your veggies will show up. If you are really organized, you can write on when you start harvesting too.
As you can see, it doesn’t need to be fancy, just something you can refer to as you plant.
Having a drawn-up plan helps for crop rotation each year. My raised beds have size limitations but larger gardens or pots can be a bit more flexible with crop rotation.
