How to Kickstart Your Garden Planning
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Have you ever wanted to grow your own food? Maybe you have been, but you need a reminder of how to kickstart your garden planning? 🌱🌿 As the new year begins, it's the perfect time to start prepping so that you can grow your own food this season. Follow our quarterly garden plan checklist guides, see the image below, and the “Grow Your Own Food Series” to make the most of your time in the garden and set the stage for a bountiful harvest this year.
Whether you're a seasoned gardener or a green-thumb enthusiast taking your first steps, the months of January-March lay the groundwork for a growing season with flourishing abundance. As the days gradually lengthen and the promise of spring beckons, our quarterly garden planning checklist will provide you with an indispensable guide, offering a roadmap to cultivate a thriving garden that will yield the fruits of your labor in the months to come.
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Take Inventory
As you are daydreaming about creating your “Pinterest perfect” garden plans (click here for inspiration) and all the tasty and beautiful plants you will grow this season, take the time to check your inventory for your current gardening supplies and seeds. If you are new to planning a garden, this may be pretty easy since you probably can count your supplies and seeds on one hand. And that’s ok — gardening is meant to be enjoyable and not complicated. Starting small is a great way to test whether gardening is right for you.
When I started gardening over 12 years ago, I had no idea what I was doing. Luckily, I inherited a very well-cultivated small garden plot when I purchased my first home. Through research and lots of trial and error, I gradually learned which gardening supplies could help me grow a flourishing garden.
Now that I am a more seasoned gardener, I have a stockpile of tools, supplies, and seeds that make my life easier when garden planning. As you determine what supplies you need, you may (like me) need to do a little organizing. I’ve started organizing my shed by storing supplies in tubs of various sizes and labeling them according to my needs (e.g., “Indoor Gardening,” “Outdoor Gardening,” “Drip Irrigation,” “Gloves & Tools,” etc.). This is always somewhat a work in progress as I pull out supplies for garden projects often.
When it comes to preserving my seeds and avoiding rot from moisture, I keep them in a stackable storage organizer labeled with each type of seed. Seeds are stored in small paper envelopes to avoid rot. Make sure that you add any items that you need to replace to your garden planning shopping list.
Plan Your Garden
Start garden planning according to your allotted space, USDA growing zone, and plant needs. I like to use Google Sheets, Canva, and even sometimes a good old pen and paper to plan out my garden visually and organize myself.
If you don’t have an established gardening space already, like when I moved into my current house, physically measure out the space you would like to use for gardening. Is it the area directly in front of your house? Is there space in your backyard or on your balcony? Wherever it’s located, make sure that it will have ample sunlight (most plants need full to partial sun for the majority of the day to grow) and you will have the ability to water it easily. Is there a big tree covering your backyard? Maybe your house casts a large shadow? It may not be a good spot to plan a garden space.
Consider whether you’d like to plant directly in the ground, in containers, and/or raised beds. There are pros and cons to each method, but there really is no right or wrong way to go. I personally use a combination of all 3 methods in my yard!
When it comes down to it, plants need soil, sunlight, and water to grow, so consider whether compost, dirt, or other growing mediums will be needed. I learned the hard way that my plants were not going to grow and thrive in my clay-heavy front yard unless I brought in nutrient-dense compost to add to it.
In the US, the United States Department of Agriculture (aka USDA) designates “growing zones” to locations by numbers according to the climate, geography, and other environmental conditions. Higher numbers indicate warmer climates and lower numbers indicate cooler climates. Enter your zip code into the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map to determine your growing zone and which plants will thrive in your garden. Despite your zone, many edible plants can be grown annually (grow during the warmer months and die off when it gets cold) throughout the US.
Look up potential seeds that you would like to grow and think realistically about how much space each plant will need to grow. Plant seed packets should include growing instructions including spacing needs between each plant. If you don’t have the space to grow more than a few plants, start with the ones you know you will love and enjoy!
Lastly, do not forget to write down this information in your garden plan so that you can revisit it time and time again. I like typing up seed growing specs in my Google Sheets document and using Canva to visually lay out where I am going to grow each type of crop.
Purchase Seeds & Supplies
Now here is the fun — and sometimes tricky — part. Buying your seeds and supplies. Make a list of your top favorite vegetables, fruits, and herbs that you would like to grow (if you haven’t already). Organize them by these categories: “Must Have,” “Would Like,” and “If There’s Space/Future.” This will help you prioritize the buying of seeds so that you can keep it manageable. Warning: It’s very easy to get carried away with buying too many seeds if you don’t plan ahead.
Seeds can be found in a lot of places — home improvement stores, grocery stores, online, locally at nurseries and seed swaps, and even the dollar store! I have acquired seeds from a variety of places and try to buy locally, when possible. I prefer to purchase unique, colorful varieties (hell yes, I want a purple carrot) and heirloom (tried-and-true seeds developed for their superior characteristics) varieties. The more people in your family unit, the more you may need to grow, but most people will need to supplement their produce supply with grocery- and/or farmers market-bought items.
When buying supplies, try to keep it simple. Purchase gloves, a shovel or trowel, and pruners. Depending on whether you are building an in-ground, container, or raised bed garden, your garden planning needs will vary. As your skills in the garden grow, you will learn which items are needed and which ones you can do without.
Review Growing Instructions
In order to determine whether you need or want to start your seeds indoors or outdoors, review the growing instructions provided on your seed packets or from the seed company. Some varieties will not grow or will have low germination rates if not followed. Luckily, many plants are forgiving and will grow even if you don’t plant them exactly as directed.
Though starting seeds indoors is not necessary, it will give you a head start on the growing season. For years, I directly sowed my seeds outdoors after the last frost (see this link for more on frost dates). I only started growing seeds indoors a few years ago, but I have already figured out which plants I like starting indoors versus outdoors.
If the thought of bringing mother nature indoors is not your cup of tea, another option is to purchase seedlings from your local nursery or online when your climate is warm enough to plant outdoors. I don’t often choose to do this since seeds are so cheap and seedlings are more expensive, but I might occasionally buy them if my seeds don’t germinate well or I want companion flowers like marigolds to ward off pests.
As stated previously, I like to create a spreadsheet with growing specs for each seed that I can follow easily and refer to whenever I need it (see list below for example categories). This is a great way to stay organized and make sure that you are planting your seeds properly.
Seeds Specs To Include:
Name
Variety
Indoor or Outdoor Sowing
Days to Germinate
Light Requirements
Water Requirements
Height
Width
Spacing
Thinning
Days to Harvest
Other Notes
Save, Make, or Purchase for Starting Indoor Seeds
Over the last few years, I have enjoyed seeing my seeds grow indoors and transplanting them outdoors in the Spring after the last frost. I have tested several different methods for starting indoor seeds and use a combination of them today.
If you’d like to set up your own seed starting station, I would recommend that you invest in a wire shelving unit. I purchased a basic 4-tier mini greenhouse wire shelving unit to place my seedling trays onto (I use shallow aluminum pans like the ones here from the dollar store to catch water spills).
Several years ago, I used to place seed trays next to a window, but despite turning them frequently, seedlings often ended up growing “leggy.” Now, I use indoor grow light fixtures to ensure that seedlings will grow up towards the light. Bonus: These ones come with chains that can be easily hung under wire shelving.
In terms of containers to grow seeds in, I often collect empty plastic food containers from leftover produce or drinks and reuse them. Note: Make sure that the containers you use have drainage holes so that seedling roots do not mold or rot. If there are no drainage holes, you can drill or poke holes into your containers.
Another option is to use seed starting plugs which you can add water to revive and plant seeds into. Jiffy also sells the tray with starting plugs which I have used in the past (even before I had grow lights) and comes with a humidity dome to keep plants from drying out. Plugs are great because they can be planted directly into the garden when they are ready to be transplanted.
Most recently, I have started using 3” or 5” biodegradable peat pots that can also be planted directly into outdoor soil as transplants since the pots will break down in the garden over time. I also use these seed starter trays with humidity domes to keep in the moisture.
For plant medium (aka seed starting mix), I recommend purchasing a sterile, seed starting soil that is very fine without big clumps (seeds need good seed-to-soil contact) and includes moisture control to ensure that they germinate properly. Both Miracle-Gro Seed Starting Potting Mix and Jiffy Seed Starting Mix can be found in most local stores or online.
You can also make your own! This year, I am using an equal parts mix of coconut coir, vermiculite, and perlite for good drainage and moisture retention. I mix the combination in a big, clean tub (70qt) and store it with the lid on to keep it from drying out.
Added to my garden planning this year are seedling heat mats. Most seeds germinate and grow faster if kept at a warmer temperature.
Each day, inspect your seedlings growth, mist with water to keep moist, and adjust your indoor set-up if needed. If you have issues with gnats buzzing your plants, you can use a pesticide-free natural fertilizer like Neem oil mist or concentrate and indoor plant gnat traps to ward them off. Note: Remember not to get too excited and plant your seeds too early or you could end up with 5’ tall tomato plants indoors like I did one year!
Tidy Up Your Garden
January through March is a great time to tidy up your garden and clean your supplies. If you haven’t already done so, cover your existing beds and containers with mulch or landscape fabric tacked down with landscape staples to prevent weeds from growing.
Trim back any shrubs, trees, and dead plants that need it. Pull off any dead vines on trellises and fences. Rake any leftover leaves and add them to your compost pile to be used as future, nutrient-rich dirt.
Store any leftover cages, bamboo, and plant stakes until you need them. I also put away my garden solar lights. This way, your garden will be ready to go by the time you transplant your seedlings outdoors.
How to Kickstart Your Garden Planning: In Summary
This article is more than a checklist; it's an invitation to connect with the earth, nourish your body with homegrown goodness, and revel in the satisfaction of sowing the seeds of self-sufficiency. From strategic garden planning and tidying up to the gentle care of delicate seedlings, each task is a step towards a sustainable and bountiful harvest.
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References:
2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map | USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/. Accessed 16 Feb. 2024.
2024 Frost Dates: First and Last Frost Dates by ZIP Code | The Old Farmer’s Almanac | Almanac.com. https://www.almanac.com/gardening/frostdates. Accessed 16 Feb. 2024.
What Are Heirlooms? (Heirloom) | Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County. https://lancaster.unl.edu/hort/articles/2011/Heirloom.shtml. Accessed 16 Feb. 2024.
West Virginia University Extension | Germinating Seeds. 1 Feb. 2021, https://extension.wvu.edu/lawn-gardening-pests/news/2021/02/01/germinating-seeds. Accessed 16 Feb. 2024.
GardeningChannel. “Causes of Long, Leggy Seedlings.” Gardening Channel, 21 July 2011, https://www.gardeningchannel.com/causes-of-long-leggy-seedlings/. Accessed 16 Feb. 2024.
Suggested Citation: Loufman, Larissa M. Growing Your Own Food Series: How to Kickstart Your Garden Planning. (February 19, 2024). The Global Harvest RD LLC, 2024. Available at: https://www.theglobalharvestrd.com/resources/articles/howtokickstartyourgardenplanning.
Author Bio
Larissa M. Loufman, MPH, RD, LD, CLC, CCRC is a Registered Dietitian and Public Health Professional with a passion for healthy living & supporting people in their wellness journey’s. As Founder & Owner of The Global Harvest RD, she empowers others to discover their healthiest & happiest lives through nutrition, gardening, and travel.
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Disclaimer: Although Larissa holds the designation of Registered Dietitian (RD), it is important to clarify that she does not provide Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) through this website and her company, The Global Harvest RD. The information presented on this site is intended solely for educational and informational purposes. It is crucial to recognize that nothing within this site or the resources provided should be construed as professional medical advice. Readers are advised that the author assumes no responsibility for any losses or damages arising from actions or the failure to act based on the content found on this website. It is emphasized that the information presented here is not intended for the diagnosis or treatment of any health conditions. For personalized medical advice, it is strongly recommended to consult directly with your local healthcare or medical provider team to make sure that this advice is right for you.
