Vegetable Garden Planner

Successful Use of this Vegetable Garden Planner

Believe it or not, within this site you have received all of the tools necessary for successful vegetable garden planning! First, some general vegetable gardening questions were answered so that you can begin making plans for a garden. Then, actual garden plans on all of the different seasons (even winter) were displayed so that you have a practical first year plan for your garden. So, you should be all set, right? Well . . .

Not necessarily so. Even after viewing all of the information on this site, you may still have one gnawing question in mind, “When do I begin each of the seasonal garden plans?” Unfortunately, the answer to that question is not so simple. But, with what you’ll learn on this page, you should be able to successfully use this vegetable garden planner!

Spring and Fall Frosts

First, gardens can be grown almost anywhere, if given proper care. With such a diverse planet of extreme temperatures, one certain time of the year for planting would be inadequate for most people. Instead, time frames for planting are based on frosts. The last spring frost and the first fall frost are typical indicators for planting. Of these two, the first fall frost is much easier to recognize because it’s the first time temperatures get cold enough for a frost. However, judging the last spring frost proves to be much more difficult.

Frost Maps

To find a map displaying the last spring frost for your area, visit your local or national agricultural or climate website. In the United States, you can visit the National Climate Data Center for several .pdf maps.

1. The first map gives the average length of the growing season, while

2. the second presents the last spring frost and

3. the third map gives the average time of year for fall frosts.

Determining Course of Action

From the legends on the aforementioned maps, one can determine (although not so easily in some areas of the country) approximate times of the spring and fall frosts. Once this is done, the final decision on when to actually start your garden is up to you. If you are using the seasonal vegetable garden plans, please note that the last spring frost should fall just before planting the third column of your garden. (In other words, start your garden 3-4 weeks prior to the last spring frost). For the fall garden, plant all vegetables 6-8 weeks prior to the first fall frost.

Vegetable Garden Plans