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Seven Tactics For Planning Next Year's Garden

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There are few things I enjoy more than snuggling up next to the woodstove with a cup of coffee and my garden planning notebook. Although winter might feel like a time to hibernate, it’s also an excellent time to plan next year’s vegetable garden. If you’re like me and struggle a bit when it comes to organizing, that’s okay. You can still plan a great garden; just follow these seven tactics. By the time the sun is shining and you’re itching to get into the garden, you’ll have a well thought out plan to ensure your next garden is the best you’ve had yet.

So grab a notebook and pencil, and let’s get started!

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If you aren’t getting enough vegetables for preserving, a little planning can fix the problem.

Assess

Bill Gates once said, “It’s fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.” In gardening, we must grab onto those glorious successes — like the cucumbers that produced like mad and the Brussels sprouts that were spared aphid infestation — but also carefully consider how we can learn from failures — like the cabbage heads that never grew bigger than a baseball. So begin the process of planning next year’s garden by asking yourself: What did well in the last growing season? And what did not?

Here are some examples of what I recommend pondering: Did you not grow enough tomatoes to stock up your pantry for the winter? Then now is the time to think about how many more tomato plants you’ll need next year. Did a certain variety of carrot not get very big? Next year, try a different variety that might grow better in your area or produce more desirable traits. Did the spinach bolt (go to seed) early in the season? Try it in a shadier spot next year and look for a variety known for being bolt-resistant. Did the vine borers get your squash? Perhaps you could try growing a variety that produces early, before the pests can destroy your plants.

Select seeds

This is the fun part, right? But if you just peruse seed catalogs and buy without a plan, you’re not setting yourself up for a great garden. Instead, consider:

What food do you regularly eat and want to grow? How many plants of each type do you want to have? Do you already have plenty of seeds for the things you want to grow? (Don’t rely on your memory; take a peek at your actual seed supply. Is it sufficient?)

If you decide you need to buy seeds, make a specific list of what you want … then hit the seed catalogs. These days, most seed supply companies have online catalogs, which is terrific if you’re in the midst of planning next year’s garden but the seed catalogs aren’t out yet. Read the seed descriptions carefully, looking for plants that will thrive in your location. For example, I live where it is temperate and generally not very hot. I grow a lot of things that do well in Alaska, Russia, and Great Britain. If I select seeds that are better suited to the hot, humid south, I won’t have a productive garden.

Also pay attention to how long it takes each variety to mature. I tend to choose seeds that have the shortest growing time I can find because they ensure I get the most from my garden. If I grow a lot of things that take months to mature, the harvest is naturally smaller.

Like many gardeners, I do like to try one or two new varieties each year, just in case I can find something better than my old standbys, but DANGER ALERT! Reign yourself in! You only have so much gardening space. Sure, some things are just plain fun to grow, but if being more self-sufficient is your aim, you’ll want to ensure most of your garden space, time, and money go into staples.

Another important consideration is whether or not the seeds are hybrid or heirloom. If seed saving is your aim, buy only (or mostly) heirlooms. (Also, don’t fall into the trap of thinking that hybrids and GMOs are the same thing. They are not. Thankfully, there are no GMO seeds available to consumers … although Baker Creek Seed claims that when testing corn seed, they have found seed contaminated (crossed with) GMO corn. If you’re concerned about this, I recommend buying your corn from them, since they are the only seed supplier I’m aware of that tests their seeds this way.)

 

See the rest of the article here.

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I'll grow a garden the moment I can prevent the wildlife of the swamp from gnawing on every veggie I grow. 

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