Develop a written plot plan (see below) for both your vegetable garden taking into account the need for crop rotation, and that often, cool season vegetables may still be in the ground and producing at the same time that you want to plant warm season vegetables.

A plot plan will also help if you want to grow in raised beds. Raised beds are great for growing a garden in areas with poor water drainage, and to keep the garden neat and tidy. If you can access the bed from both sides, the width of a raised bed should not be more than about 6 feet. If you only have access from one side, make the bed no wider than 3 feet. Otherwise, it can difficult to reach to the middle of the bed.

Written Plot Plans

• Plans for a Small Garden: When planning a small garden of 15 x 15.5’ or smaller, the goal is to produce the most possible in a small amount of space. You must be clear about the needs of your family relative to food product and avoid the temptation to grow crops that are room intensive such as corn, melons and pumpkins. Include crops to be grown, specific spacing between plants, trellising needs, planting and approximate harvest dates, and bed widths. This allows you to save space for later planting. See example of planting plan for a three-season vegetable garden.
• Plans for a Medium Garden: A medium size garden 25 X 30’  can include corn and melons as well as small space plants in larger quantity or sequential plantings of the same crop for a longer season of production.
• Plans for a Large Garden: A large garden can include all of the above as well as room for planting crops such as sweet potatoes, perennial crops such as artichokes and asparagus and multiple varieties of melons, pumpkins and winter squash.