Spring fever

Linn County Master Gardener, Lisa Slattery, gives us a taste of the gardening season ahead:

I admit I have a huge case of spring fever. I also have to admit that I've done things a bit backwards already this year (remember my resolution to Journal this year??). I purchased some of my seeds without plotting my vegetable garden on paper. I know what I want to plant; I just need to figure out where to put it. So I‘ll make a paper plan.

The success of any garden, especially vegetables, is dependent upon its location. Choose a place with at least six hours of full sunlight, 8 to 10 is ideal. Start by drawing your garden dimensions on paper. Any graph paper will do, but here's a 4-H resource publication available on the Iowa State University Extension website which is a Vegetable Garden Planning Tool complete with a graph page and other tracking tools to guide you through the season.

Once you have the dimensions drawn, plot proper plant spacing (distance between plant rows), which will maximize your success and yields. Proper spacing can be found on your seed packets, in catalogs, books and online. Taller vegetables like sweet corn and pole beans should be plotted on the north end of the garden so they don't shade shorter plants.

Then think about succession planting; when one crop is planted as soon as the first crop is harvested. An example is to plant cool weather plants like lettuce, spinach and peas. After harvest, replant with beans, squash, and beets. Planting companion crops is another option. Mix radish and carrot seeds and plant together. Radishes are a short-season crop so they will be harvested before the carrots need room to grow. A third option is inter planting, where slow starting crops like tomatoes and peppers can be planted between rows of peas, spinach, and other early season crops. The early season vegetables stop producing with the arrival of hot weather and can be removed.

You can see by these options that taking the time to plan the vegetable garden on paper will save you work and waste in the end. Then make sure you keep the garden plans and records in one place, such as in a three-ring binder. That way you can look back from year to year and see what was successful. And it'll be easier for next year's crop-rotation…a whole other subject.