Maximize Your Vegetable Garden

One of my favorite ways to spend a cold, wintry evening is to look over several plant and seed catalogs and plan out what I'm going to grow in my garden in the coming year. If you're normally the kind of person who buys whatever random things jump out at you at the garden center in May, then you should try a different approach this year! Here are some basic steps you can take to get the most out of your vegetable garden this year. 

First, request a few free catalogs online. For beginners, I'd recommend Gurneys or Burpees. If you want a larger selection, try Johnny's or Territorial. My personal favorite is Baker Creek Seeds as their customer service is great, the prices are good and all of their seeds are open pollinated so you can get into seed saving. (Note, I'm not paid anything by these companies).

Second, keep in mind how much space you have. Sure, growing pumpkins may sound fun but if the plants take over your garden, you won't be getting a lot of edibles for your space. Great plants for small space gardening include lettuce, spinach, bush beans, beets, carrots and onions. You can also use vineing plants if you have a fence or trellis for the vines to climb on. 

Third, prioritize what your family loves to eat. Last year I had a very prolific patch of Swiss chard. Now, I do like Swiss chard but my husband won't touch it and a lot of it went to waste. This year, I'm zeroing in on what we really like to eat. Of course, it never hurts to try out a couple new things either. 

Fourth, look for varieties that are disease resistant and tolerant of weather variations. Sometimes the biggest and most colorful fruits are the ones that are the most susceptible to disease and bugs. Go with the safe bet and you'll have fewer problems in the growing season. 

Finally, write down on your calendar when you need to plant your seeds so time doesn't get away from you. Cold weather plants like spinach can be sown here in central pa as early as St. Patrick's Day. Others, like tomatoes, have to wait till May. 

With these tips in mind, I know you can harvest and enjoy loads of fresh, healthy vegetables from your garden this year. How do you decide what to grow? Feel free to comment below.