Planning a garden, especially during a pandemic year, is more important now than any other year. Below are my best tips for planning your garden this winter to have your best spring, summer, and fall garden. You'll learn about the best seed choice, the correct number of crops to plant, and how to plan for starting seeds indoors or planting at just the right time for your garden zone.
Do you have a vegetable garden or want to start one this year? Now is the time to plan for your best year yet in gardening. Whether you're a seasoned gardener or first-timer, you'll benefit from these tips.
In this BONUS episode of The Pioneering Today Podcast, I'm sharing how you can actually get three garden seasons in a year, where to buy seeds, when to get seeds started or planted, plus many more tips on cold-weather gardening.
Don't let a pandemic leave your family wanting, start growing your own food at home to be one step closer to living a self-sufficient lifestyle.
In the video above I'm discussing:
- How you can actually get THREE gardens throughout the year instead of one.
- Where to order the best seeds for the best germination rate, and why you should order heirloom seeds.
- I show how I store my seeds for the best shelf life.
- Which crops grow best during the colder fall and spring months.
- How to know when to get crops planted for best success.
- Know how much to plant per person.
- How to make adjustments year by year to grow enough food for YOUR family's specific needs.
What Vegetables Grow Best in Cold Weather
When thinking about an early spring and late fall vegetable garden, you need to consider which crops (and which varieties of specific crops) do best in cold temperatures. By planting a spring and fall crop, you're getting two crops in the same year of cool weather plants. Couple that with a regular summer garden and you've got three in one year!
- Cauliflower
- Broccoli
- Beets
- Lettuce (hearty varieties)
- Cabbage (both regular and Napa)
- Brussel Sprouts
- Daikon Radish
- Kale
- Potatoes
How Much of Each Crop to Plant
I'm sure you're wondering how much of each crop should you plant for your family? If you haven't grabbed my book, the Family Garden Plan, this can really help you in the years to come.
Once you have your copy of the Family Garden Plan, you can grab my accompanying book called the Family Garden Planner. This planner is filled with all my notes, gardening tips, planting calendars, and plenty of space for you to fill in the information regarding your specific garden and zone.
I've discussed how to plan for your garden in detail in this blog post as well as growing enough food for your family for a year.
Be sure to also read my post on the biggest garden planning mistakes and how to avoid them.
Where to Buy Heirloom Organic Seeds
I have purchased seeds from many different companies over the years. The following companies have always given a high germination rate, even after years of properly storing my seeds.
Read more on buying heirloom seeds.
More Gardening Posts
If you use the search bar at the top of my blog, you'll find posts on so many different gardening topics. Gardening has been in my family for generations, and I love passing along the knowledge I have gleaned over the years.
Here are a handful of blog posts that will help you have your best garden season ever:
- Storing vegetables in the garden over winter.
- Mulching the garden with wood chips (18-month update)
- 10 things most organic gardeners forget about.
- 8 common mistakes made by new gardeners.
- How to improve your soil for gardening.
- Crop rotation in the garden based on plant families.
- The best location for a vegetable garden.
- List of Heirloom Varieties to Grow in the Garden This Year
- Planning and Preserving Q&A with Melissa
- New Gardening Techniques & Varieties to Grow in 2022
Resources:
- The Family Garden Plan
- The Family Garden Planner
- FREE printable garden planning guide
- Seed organizer
- Seed companies I recommend
- The best way to germinate seeds
Want to grow a year’s worth of food?
Get my FREE planting chart!
My bigest problem is over planting! Three years ago we moved and I have about 5 acres I can plant! We actually plant about 1/2 an acre but this year there are going to be a lot less summer squash and winter squash and will try some new beans for winter storage
Can’t wait to plant
I enjoyed your podcast bonus that is, planning has never been a strong part of my life, but life has slowed me down very much so I can only do physical things a very short time or in heavy blocks and suffer there after for a time.
But I wanted you to know, my real enjoyment was your ending, God bless you for being strong enough to go outside today’s lack and add God’s word. Thank you.
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