Knowledge from Olle Garden Bed: The Five Golden Rules of Garden Planning

These five rules are simple yet highly effective in improving results and yield. The following content also has some reference value for raised garden beds.

Provide the appropriate growing environment.

The success of vegetables begins with selecting suitable locations to plant them. Most vegetables thrive in ample sunlight, which promotes growth and resistance to pests and diseases. If you have no available space with adequate sunlight, consider planting shade-tolerant crops such as leafy greens and vegetables. Cool-season crops like peas benefit from the shade during hot weather.

Good soil is the foundation of any successful garden, so ensure that the soil where your vegetables grow is fertile and well-draining while retaining moisture. You can improve any soil type by adding compost, which can be dug in or left on the soil surface between crops.

Plant what you enjoy!

This may seem obvious, but planting things you don't enjoy has little meaning. Focus on fruits and vegetables you enjoy eating, as it will motivate you to keep your crops in good condition and witness their harvest. By growing your own, you can also prioritize flavor by choosing varieties that guarantee excellent taste and quality.

Make the most of the space you have.

In limited spaces, direct your growing ambitions toward vegetables that are difficult to find in grocery stores, such as heirloom tomatoes or carrots in unusual colors. It also makes sense to grow crops that are costly to purchase, including most herbs, fruits, chives, zucchini, and pole beans.

Many types and varieties of fruits and vegetables are well-suited for container gardening. Micro-vegetable varieties, naturally compact salads, and tree fruits grown on dwarf rootstocks can turn an empty patio or balcony into a produce-filled paradise, as long as they receive adequate watering during summer.

You can use our garden planner to maximize your garden space. The planner will accurately display the number of each vegetable or fruit you can plant within the available space without overcrowding. Choosing crops is as simple as scrolling through the selection bar and clicking to select. Move the cursor onto your plan, then click and drag to position it. The software will automatically calculate how many plants can be grown in that area. Click on the accompanying plant list to see the exact number of plants required for each crop, ensuring accurate and predictable sowing and planting.

Make gardening easy.

Don't let your vegetable garden get ahead of you. Some vegetables require more work than others, so if you have limited time, choose easy-to-grow vegetables. For example, perennial herbs require minimal maintenance once established and can be harvested as needed.

Pay attention to the descriptions of varieties and choose those that suit your growing conditions as well as the time and resources available to you. If you value ease of maintenance, then disease and pest resistance are worth considering!

Timing is crucial.

Placing your vegetable garden near the house makes it easier to tend and harvest, while frequently used herb pots can be placed near the back door. Most crops require watering during dry weather, so ensure there is a water source nearby your garden. Install additional water barrels to collect rainwater from the greenhouse or shed roof.

The paths between beds should be wide enough to accommodate a wheelbarrow, and the proportions of beds should be appropriate for maintenance and crop rotation.

A garden planner can assist you in laying out your garden like a professional. Arrange the placement of paths, beds, and containers, including essential garden items like compost bins and water barrels, and mark the location of planting aids such as irrigation lines and plant supports.

Mark your harvests and enjoy more homegrown produce for longer. Quick-growing crops like radishes can be sown in small quantities and sown frequently to stagger the harvest. Productive crops like snap peas, beets, and zucchini should be picked sparingly and frequently to encourage more produce to follow. With careful planning, one crop can be planted immediately after another, continuously utilizing the land and maximizing its potential.

A garden planner is a powerful tool to help plan such succession crops. By viewing plans for specific months, you can see where and when gaps occur. Then, you can click the custom filter button to display only crops that can be sown or planted in the same month and select from the filtered crop options to fill the gaps in your plan.