​Designing a Successful Veggie Garden

The act of sowing seed and growing food is a defining characteristic for us humans.  Farming is one of the reasons cities and societies developed.  Yet, it has become a lost art for most of us.  It would be impossible for most of us to harvest a crop we planted ourselves.  Yet, many people that live in suburban areas are finding a new desire for super local food grown right in their yards.  How does one go from not knowing the first thing about farming to becoming a suburbanite with a green thumb?

​The tricky part about growing your own food is that it is really, really easy on the one hand, and really, really, hard on the other.  For example, it's really easy to dig in the dirt and plant a bunch of seeds.  However, If you don’t know when to sow seed for the maximum positive result, you may find all your effort useless.  Timing is essential for great outcomes. So this post is all about scheduling your crops for a successful and plentiful endeavor. 
 
First big question you have to answer is, what do you want to grow?  Every vegetable has a specific time the seed needs to be planted.  In colder climates like northern New Jersey and New York, the growing period is significantly different than warmer places like South Carolina, Texas and parts of California.  Sense most of my clients are in the northeast, I’m slanting this post for them. You have two options, you can either start the seed indoors and then transfer it outdoors when the time is right.  Or, you can sow the seed outdoors when the seed isn't likely to be killed by cold temperatures.
 
As I write this post, it’s the end of January.  Within days, it will be February.  Believe it or not, if you want to grow really amazing heads of broccoli and cabbage, or really fat bushes of parsley this year, you need to start thinking about getting your seeds going.  The best way to get a jump on the germination of your veggies is to start the seeds indoors.  For broccoli and cabbage, you will want to sow the seed indoors around the middle or end of February.  As March rolls around, you will want to get cauliflower, celery and onions along with cucumbers and Swiss chard going indoors as well.  All of these vegetables will perform better in your outdoor garden if you start growing the seeds indoors in March. 

Image of Indoor seedlings transferred to raised bed outdoors.

​You will want to have a plan for your vegetable garden before you start seeds inside or out.  The plan will need to, at a minimum, show where each veggie will go and what it what plants will be beside it.  Many vegetables actually grow (and taste) better when grouped with other veggies.  

On a practical level, the plan will help you know which seeds to purchase and when you need them in hand.  Different veggies will need to be seeded and transferred at different times, so the plan will make the transferring super easy. Likewise, you will be able to start some plants outdoors while others will still need to be indoors.  For example, March is a great time to seed cauliflower indoors while you plant turnips outdoors around the same time.
 
By the time you get to April, you should have a chorus of indoor and outdoor seedlings going.  By April 15 when you fill your taxes, you would want eggplant, lettuce, peppers, basil, tomatoes and collards all germinating inside.  All the while, that broccoli you started back in February should be ready to find its new home in your garden.  In fact, if you live in a colder region sowing broccoli outdoors couldn’t even happen until April.  By preparing the seed indoors, you get a two-month jump on Mother Nature. Your broccoli will mature faster outdoors and you can harvest it sooner.  That’s a win/win! 

​The image above is a diagram I used for an earlier post.  I added (in yellow) when to start your seeds for each plant indoors. Obviously, the vegetables listed are a small fraction of what's available, but it's a good start.  
 
This pattern of sowing indoors and transferring outdoors continues clear through June.  By then, some of the plants you transferred will be ready for harvesting.  With the right schedule and plan, you will have happy and healthy veggies all summer (and in the fall) long! It's a natural karma of sorts where you reap what you’ve sown. 

If you want to become a suburban farmer and turn part of your yard into a vegetable oasis, please let us know.  I can help you organize the entire process and even do weekly or bi-weekly visits to keep everything running smoothly.  

Want to Know More about Veggie Gardening:
Time to Plan Your Vegetable Garden
Grow Veggies til November​
​Ten Shades of Kale

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