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Using a Garden Plan to Organize Your Yard

A garden plan can help you organize and visualize the ideas that you have for your yard. If you are using a paper and pencil or a program like EdrawMax, this step will assist you in ensuring that your garden bed is what you imagine it to be.

Most vegetables grow best in a sunny location near the water source for irrigation. Many gardeners agree that it is best to plant rows north/south to prevent taller plants shading shorter ones.

Sun and Shade

When you are planning your garden, it's important to consider how much shade or sunlight each area receives. If you plant a sun-loving plant in a shady spot it won't flourish and could not flower well. Conversely, a shade-loving plant that is placed in too much sunlight will burn and eventually die.

The cardinal directions as well as the location of large trees and buildings can impact the amount of sun each area of your lawn receives. One way to gauge the levels of light in your yard is to make a sun map. Take note of the area for about an hour or so per day, taking into consideration shadows from tall trees and structures. Over the course of several days, note when each area receives direct sunlight and for how long.

If you're struggling with a lot of shade, think about climbing up the tree to reduce the shade. This allows more sunlight to reach the lower branches, making shady areas appear healthier. You can also use containers to grow herbs, grasses, and flowers in shady areas. Annuals that are planted directly in the soil will not flower as well as those in containers. The Old Farmer's Almanac Garden Planner makes it easy to select plants suitable for shaded areas. Select the 'Partial Shade-Tolerant' filter to see all the possibilities.

Water

To keep the use of water in the garden under control, this plan relies on sturdy plants that can get by with only minimal irrigation. Nature has equipped drought-tolerant plants with special features that make them more resilient. These include the thick succulent leaves that hold moisture and a slight fuzzy layer that holds morning dew. Begin by penciling in the plants and shrubs. Planting larger plants first is ideal because they need more space. It's best to hold off on adding any border ornaments such as steps or mulch, until the garden is nearly complete. These elements can add up quickly, and they are typically expensive to install.

Compost

Incorporating compost into your garden improves soil quality increasing its nutrient content and water-holding capacity. Compost can introduce soil microbes that suppress pathogens, reduce diseases, and reduce the need for chemical fertilizers. Compost is made by decomposing organic material - including pet waste, plant clippings, and food scraps that are edible into a humus rich in nutrients that acts as a natural plant fertilizer.

The best place to start composting is on bare soil, rather than in a bin. This lets worms and other beneficial organisms to be able to access the pile. Add a few inches straw or twigs over the bare ground to help aerate the compost and slow its breakdown. The pile should be put in a partially shaded area and an area that has drainage that is good. Avoid placing a compost heap close to a dry or shaded area that may attract rodents.

You should aim for a ratio of two and three parts of carbon-rich (browns), and one part of nitrogen-rich (greens). Alternate layers of green and brown ingredients. Avoid adding large amounts of a single type of ingredient, such as all of your leaves at one time. This can impede air flow and cause the heap of ingredients to become too hot.

Digging a trench in order to hold the ingredients, then covering it with garden soil is a variation of the traditional compost pile. This is often used for vegetables like climbing beans which grow in rows. The moisture-retentive, nutrient-rich compost feeds the plants and encourages a vigorous growth and bumper crops.

Fertilizer

Photosynthesis is a process by which plants make their own food, but it takes time. Manmade fertilizer steps in to supply nutrients when the plant food sources are not available or depleted. Most commercial fertilizers include nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. There are other elements that are beneficial in smaller amounts like calcium and magnesium.

Fertilizers are available in both natural and artificial products, but it's important to read labels to determine the most suitable one for your garden and soil type. Certain fertilizers can contain weed or insect control chemicals, which may have a negative impact on the environment, but they must be used in conjunction with the fertilizer to avoid any undesirable effects.

Before you buy seeds or transplants, spend time to determine what crops you are interested in and how much of your space you can dedicate to a garden. Determine your zone of hardiness and consider what vegetables thrive in that area. Plan to rotate your crops to increase soil fertility and crop yield.

A garden plan will also aid in determining the best locations of borders, beds, pathways and garden structures. This will make it easier to avoid confusion and save time. It also gives you the chance to mark out on your scale plan which hardscape and softscape features you want in your yard. For instance, you could include some creative pergola ideas to create shade or a seating space in the sun. You could also add pathways made of gravel or paving stones between your vegetable plants.

Pests and Diseases

Pests and diseases can affect the plant, even though gardeners generally enjoy it. Fortunately, a number of easy strategies can prevent many pest and disease problems before they have the opportunity to be spread.

Start with a healthy, well-drained soil. The more nutritious it is the better your plants will be able to withstand the damage caused by fungi, viruses and bacterial. Incorporate regular additions of organic matter such as compost to help encourage the growth of populations of the microbes and other organisms that help promote the health of your plants.

Grow a variety of crops that attract beneficial insects. These beneficial insects feed on pests which could otherwise eat or pollute your crops. By attracting these natural predators, you can reduce the amount of pesticides that you use and stop aphids from destroying your vegetables.

Check your plants frequently for signs of pest or disease infestations. Look for Garden Plan distorted leaves, scant growth and discoloration, wilting or wilting stems, leaves and flowers. These are the first signs of a problem with the plant. It is important to treat them promptly to avoid an outbreak.

Determine the kind of disease or pest that is causing the problem and then take the necessary steps to correct it. If your tomato plants have brown spots, look for indications of verticillium or nematodes. These diseases are transmitted through pests. They can kill quickly the tomato crop.

Tools

A garden plan can help you manage the various aspects of gardening, from the type of plant to plant next to the border to the optimum times for harvesting. It can assist you in keeping track of crucial tasks like watering, fertilizer application and the control of pests. Online, you can discover a myriad of free programs for garden planning. These programs are great for those who are brand new to gardening beginner tips or want to maximize their garden space.

Some of these plans come with pre-designed templates to assist you in your first steps and others allow you to start from scratch. Most of these garden plans let you zoom in or out and move the drawing around to make it exactly what you want. You can also include boundaries like walls or fences, design a sprinkler system and place plants, trees and bushes.

This browser-based tool from Anglian Home was originally designed as a guide for vegetable gardeners but has evolved into a powerful interactive online tool that can be utilized to design any kind of garden. It will guide you through the process of choosing plants and vegetables that thrive in your climate, giving you the top tips to succeed in growing and harvesting. It will also analyse weather conditions in your region to provide you with the most optimal timings for planting and harvesting.

This garden plants planner is geared towards trees and flowers rather than vegetables, but it is worth checking out. This garden planner utilizes 3D rendering to give you a birds view of your backyard.