There are two ways you can add plants to your garden: by growing them from seed, or by buying seedlings.
But with all of the assortment out there, how do you know what will grow best in your garden? Or even what you should dedicate the space to?
By answering these 5 questions, it will help you navigate how to pick the right plants for your garden.
1. What do you eat the most often?
Thinking about what you eat most often is a great way to determine what to grow. Not only will you get joy from seeing your favourite food grow, but you will also save money on your grocery bill.
Often times we get caught up in trends (hello, luffa) or things that just look COOL. However, most of us have limited garden space because we are growing in our backyards, and don’t own a farm. Leave a small space for growing something fun and inspiring, but otherwise, make a list of the food you buy the most often from the grocery store and plan to grow those.
2. What is your growing zone, or, how many frost free days do you have in your growing season?
Once you have made the list of must grow items, research the growing zone for each plant and compare it with your growing zone. If it can be grown in your zone, or its days to maturity is less than your frost free days, than add it to the list of items to grow.
3. How much space do you have to grow?
Some plants require a significant amount of space to grow (zucchini, cabbage, brussel sprouts, some tomatoes), while others require very little (lettuce, beans, carrots, beets). Knowing how much space you have to grow will help determine what you will grow. If you have a small growing space, you will have to decide if you want to grow a small number of large plants, a large number of small plants, or a mix.
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4. How much sunlight do you have?
Each plant has a specific amount of sunlight they require to grow. It’s important to document and understand how much sunlight you have in the space where you plan to grow. If the area is mostly shade, than you will be limited in what you can grow. The only vegetables that will grow in mostly shade is leafy greens such as kale, swiss chard and lettuce. Most plants require 6+ hours of sunlight. If you have midday to evening sun than you will have no limits on what you can grow.
5. Are you willing to grow from seed?
Growing from seed increases your opportunities to grow plants that aren’t easily found at garden centres or greenhouses. Some seeds can be planted directly in the garden, while others require starting indoors up to 10-12 weeks in advance. If you don’t want to grow seeds indoors, than what you can grow from seed will be limited. The rest of your garden would be supplemented with seedlings purchased at a greenhouse or farm stand. Before purchasing seeds, it is important to learn if they can be direct sown (like radish, lettuce, beans, carrots) or if it requires being started in late winter to early spring (like peppers, eggplants and tomatoes).
Knowing the answers to the above 5 questions will help set you up for a successful garden year.
