January is the perfect month to start planning your vegetable garden. Start off with determining what zone you are in as you might not be able to grow everything you are dreaming off (USDA Plant Hardiness Map). If you reside in zone 5 like me, starting every plant from seed might be require building a small greenhouse or at least a cold frame.
Before you invest into downloading a garden planning app, take a moment to answer the following questions first – an important step I omitted 7 years ago. Keep in mind that farm like proportions are hard to maintain!
- Make a list of your favorite fruit and vegetables. Why grow cauliflower if nobody eats it?
- How many people are you trying to feed? Any veggie lovers?
- How much garden space are you willing to give up, and which section? – Keep the sun and water supply in mind!
- How much time can you really dedicate to your garden every week? A container garden takes much less time to keep up with, but can still provide you with a great yield.
Next, inventory the garden seeds you might have bought last fall, assuming that you can find them. Mine seems to have either vanished or been used by my 9-year old assistant gardener for a cub scouts project or simply as bird feed. Don’t forget to test really old seeds for germination.
Need some ideas? Stop by your local library to pick up some magazines or just click here to order some catalogues or peruse through the online versions. Happy planning!