At the beginning of the gardening season, it can be tempting to simply start seeds and plant them or to just toss some seeds in the soil. However, a crop plan is essential for gardening success.
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What is a Crop Plan?
A crop plan is a detailed garden plan that serves as a roadmap about what to plant, where to plant it, and when to harvest crops throughout the growing season.
Why do You Need a Crop Plan?
Whether you’re a beginner gardener or an experienced grower, here several reasons why you should create a crop plan:
- Optimize Space– A crop plan allows you to make the most efficient use of your garden space. This can be particularly important if you have limited space or are growing in containers.
- Succession Planting– Many crops can be planted in succession to maximize your harvest throughout the growing season. Succession planting allows you to schedule plantings in a way that as one crop is harvested, another is ready to take its place. This can help extend your harvest and keep your garden productive for longer.
- Crop Rotation– Rotating crops from year to year is great for maintaining soil health and reducing the risk of pests and diseases.
- Reducing Stress– Finally, having a clear plan in place can help reduce stress and uncertainty, especially for beginner gardeners. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by the seemingly endless choices of what to plant and when, you can approach your garden with confidence, knowing that you have a plan in place.
What to Consider When Creating a Crop Plan
When creating a crop plan for your garden, there are several key factors to consider to ensure a successful and productive growing season.
- Crops– What do you want to grow? What will you and/or your family eat? Do you want to preserve any produce?
- Garden Layout– Start by assessing the layout and size of your garden space. Determine how much area you have available for planting and whether you’ll be gardening in raised beds, containers, or directly in the ground. Consider factors like plant spacing, trellising, and vertical gardening techniques to maximize your growing area and increase yields.
- Planting Dates– Research the recommended planting dates for each crop based on your location and climate zone. Plan your planting schedule to take advantage of the growing season and avoid potential frost dates or extreme weather conditions. Johnny’s has an excellent calculator for this, here.
- Succession Planting– Plan for succession planting to maximize your garden’s productivity. Stagger plantings so that you have a continuous harvest throughout the season. Johnny’s also has a succession planning spreadsheet, here.
- Harvest and Storage– Consider how you will harvest and store your crops once they reach maturity.
How to Create a Crop Plan
A crop plan can be created in Google Sheets or Excel. However, this can be cumbersome especially for new gardeners. If you are looking for an easier alternative, Seedtime is great option for creating your crop plan. Seedtime uses your last and first frost dates to help guide you in your planning. When you input your crops, Seedtime will automatically calculate seed starting dates, bed prep dates, cultivation times, and even the harvest window. In addition, you can quickly create succession plantings right inside of Seedtime. It truly takes the guess work out of crop planning. I cannot recommend it enough.
What to do after you have created your crop plan
After you have created your crop plan, it’s time to get started starting seeds. Some recommended reading can be found here:
- How to Start Seeds Indoors Using Grow Lights
- How to Start Seeds Indoors Without Grow Lights
- The Best Seed Starting Supplies
SOme of our favorite places to order seeds:
Some of oUr Favorite Gardening Books:
- The First-Time Gardener: Growing Vegetables: All the know-how and encouragement you need to grow – and fall in love with! – your brand new food garden by Jessica Sowards
- The New Organic Grower, 3rd Edition: A Master’s Manual of Tools and Techniques for the Home and Market Gardener by Eliot Coleman
- The Tiny But Mighty Farm: Cultivating High Yields, Community, and Self-Sufficiency from a Home Farm – Start growing food today – Meet the best … yourself, your family, and your neighbors by Jill Ragan
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