garden planning in the digital age

[vette-kid]

How many folks here use the Old Farmers Almanac garden planner? I just found this and I'm super excited about the update supposed to release later this year that will work for mobile applications and does away with flash player requirement. I struggle with garden planning and with timing, and I think this will help out. It does take a little work still, but easier for my mind to see whats going on and make a plan. Plus it gives you a plant list to purchase seeds or starters (even links to websites to find them) and gives you a date planner based on your location (or manually entered frost dates, I personally use the 50% dates rather than the 10%).

So here is my summer layout right now. I've already got plants in the ground this year, so my actual garden looks a bit different right now. These are all plants that go in between Feb and Apr. The bottom right is the start of a potato bed I want to add to it with a small herb garden (second picture). The dimensions for that will be 5x12 plus the triangle section. Current bed is 5x16 plus the triangle for carrots/beets/etc. I still need to work the winter plan. Winter crops that I will plant around October will be various lettuce, broccoli and cauliflower, hopefully some others, still searching. What would you recomend planting once the potatoes are finished. Main crop potatoes here seem to be done by around mid May (Most of mine are dying off now and probably will be harvested in another week or so). So I will have roughly a 25-30sq ft empty from mid may.

Am I overcrowding? Im really looking to increase our crop in the limited space we have, and some plants are difficult in our summer heat/humidity. Thoughts?

 

[vette-kid]

example of generated plant list and planting times

 

[Meadowlark]

Yes I like the almanac very much and used it a lot in my early days. Now I use my journal and mostly my memory.

I like your lay-out...a couple of tips...1) you can substantially increase bean production by using poles(trellis) and climbers 2) always pay attention to benefits of companion planting and always rotate crops, and 3) sometimes you can get more net production by spacing more. Its hard for me to visualize that spacing but it may be just fine.

I see you have celery...would appreciate a follow up on how it does. That's the one veggie I like but haven't grown much of.

Enjoyed your plan.

 

[Meadowlark]

.... What would you recomend planting once the potatoes are finished. …. Thoughts?

I always follow up potatoes harvest immediately with planting field peas...blackeye,purple hull, crowders, etc.
They (peas) will replenish that soil, add N2, and protect against weeds...in addition to being very tasty in their own right.

Always rotate...never plant potatoes or tomatoes especially in the same spot every year...I make it a three years rotation myself.

 

[vette-kid]

Thanks for the tips! I'll consider that for sure.

I think I can get a three year rotation by swapping the potatoes between the two halves of the long bed and the short bed, basically giving me three different 8ft sections. I think I'll make three different summer layouts with the planner so I have the plan set for rotations.