Basic Vegetable Garden Design Plans and Tips (2024)

Basic Vegetable Garden Design Plans and Tips (1)

Download our basic vegetable garden design and planning worksheets.

Also, we provide free vegetable garden designs and plans to help layout yourgarden!

Design Your Own Vegetable Garden Layout Using our Free "Vegetable Garden Planner" Software!

Finding a basic garden design that fits your needs is an important first step in planning a garden layout.

Ifyou have a sunny location in your backyard for an in-ground garden,these two types of vegetable garden plans will work for you.

If you don't have room for an in-ground garden, there are many otheroptions available such as a container, four-square, or raised bedvegetable garden.

Whatever type you choose, growing your own produce can be a great adventure and learning experience!


Download Free Garden Planning Worksheets, Garden Diary, Zone Chart, Or Planting Guide

Traditional In-Ground Row Garden Layout

20 x 40 Sample Vegetable Garden Design

The traditional basic vegetable garden design has been straight and long rows running from north to south.

  • Usuallyanything growing tall, like corn, beans or peas are planted on thenorth side of the vegetable garden to keep them from casting shade onthe shorter crops.
  • Medium growing vegetables liketomatoes, cabbage, broccoli, squash and pumpkins are planted in thecenter, while the southern end of the garden contains the shorterplants, like carrots, beets, lettuce, radishes and onions.
  • In general, a vegetable garden design runs from south to north, to make the most of sun exposure and air circulation.
  • Thisvery basic vegetable garden design is meant to make cultivation easier,as well as for convenience when weeding and harvesting.

Withsmaller yards and urban gardens becoming common, the traditional basicvegetable garden design is no longer suitable in some situations.

Thisarticle will focus on showing you basic and easy methods of creatingyour own vegetable garden design.

Square Foot Garden Design

Click Here for a Free Square-Foot Garden Plan

This very simple and easy first garden design is called the square footgarden.

This gardening style was developed by Mel Bartholomew.

Click todownload plan and planting instructions.

Basic 4 Square Rotation Basic Vegetable Garden Design

Basic Vegetable Garden Design Plans and Tips (4)Basic Vegetable Garden Design

Take out a pen and paper and draw a square. Divide the square intofour by drawing a cross inside it.

You now have a diagram of foursquare beds that you’ll use as a plan for your very own vegetable gardendesign.

The four beds are for the four main groups of vegetable crops.

The plants are divided into four categories based on the amount of nutrients that they need to flourish.

Below is an example of these categories.

  • Heavy feeders:These heavy feeders demand a lot of nitrogen. Examples of these arethe large leafed plants like lettuce, corn, and even the vine crops likesquash.
  • Middle Feeders: These middle-of-the-road feeders are the mid sized leafed plants with above-ground fruits like tomatoes and peppers.
  • Light Feeders: These feeders include the root crops like turnips and carrots. They like potash in the soil.
  • Soil Builders: These types leave more nitrogen in the soil than they take out. Examples of these are the legumes like peas and beans.

How to Rotate Your
Four Square Garden

Now it’s time to explain the rotation for this most basic of vegetable garden designs!

  • Each of the four types mentioned above goes into one of squares that you’ve diagrammed, called beds.
  • From top-left and counter-clockwise; Heavy Feeders, Middle Feeders, Light Feeders and the Soil Builders.
  • After every harvest and when replanting each season, you rotate eachgroup to the next square, to reduce pests and soil problems.
  • Make sure that when you rotate these four types, they always follow the same order given here.
  • This means, that when you move the Heavy Feeders, they go to the Soil Builder’s previous position.
  • The Middle Feeders move up to the Heavy Feeders' former position, etc.

Basic Vegetable Garden Design Plans and Tips (6)Rotate Garden Vegetables Each Year

Tryto imagine a baseball game where in your players occupy bases.

Eachyear you move the location of each plant group by one space, changingthe location of your plant types.

Another benefit of this kindof rotation is that the Heavy Feeders will grow better by transferringto the Soil Builder’s former spot which gives them more of the nutrientsthey require to flourish.

Conditioning and Preparing Your Garden Soil

Basic Vegetable Garden Design Plans and Tips (7)Add Compost to Garden Each Year

Your garden will grow best in enriched well-conditioned soil.

If youdon't know your soil composition, it is best to find out by taking asample to your local garden center.

Then you can add compost, sand,humus, fertilizer and any other ingredients as needed to create the bestenvironment for your plants.

In order for your garden to thrive, thesoil should also be well-drained.

Watering Your Vegetable Garden

Basic Vegetable Garden Design Plans and Tips (8)Morning Watering of Vegetable Garden is Best

When planning your basic vegetable garden design, be sure to locate your garden near a convenient source of water.

Especially when the plants are small, they will need to be wateredfrequently as the root systems are small and will dry out quickly.

After your plants are well-established, less-frequent deep watering is best!

Basic Vegetable Garden Design Plans and Tips (9)Hand-Watering the Vegetable Garden

Plant your garden away from tree and shrub roots that can take moisture away from your plants.

It’simportant to know that there are many variations of vegetable gardendesigns.

These are two of the most basic and easiest garden plans.

Youcan certainly use what you’ve learned here and design your own gardenby basing it on one of these easy methods.

Whether you are a beginner oran experienced gardener, finding the right design for your vegetablegarden is part of the adventure.

So experiment, and have some fun!


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Basic Vegetable Garden Design Plans and Tips (2024)

FAQs

Basic Vegetable Garden Design Plans and Tips? ›

As a general rule, put tall veggies toward the back of the bed, mid-sized ones in the middle, and smaller plants in the front or as a border. Consider adding pollinator plants to attract beneficial insects that can not only help you get a better harvest, but will also prey on garden pests.

How should I layout my vegetable garden? ›

Additionally, arrange the plants in such a way that the tallest ones are at the north end of the row, followed by medium-height veggies, and finally, the shortest ones at the south end. This arrangement maximizes sunlight exposure for all the plants.

How to design a vegetable garden from scratch? ›

6 Secrets to Starting Your First Vegetable Garden Off Right
  1. Start with a Small Space.
  2. Grow What You Love to Eat.
  3. Choose the Spot for Your Garden.
  4. Plan Your Vegetable Garden Layout.
  5. Start Plants in Rich Soil.
  6. Be Ready for Pests and Diseases.
Jan 23, 2023

What is the most common garden layout for growing vegetables? ›

The most basic garden plan consists of a design with straight, long rows running north to south orientation. A north to south direction will ensure that the garden gets the best sun exposure and air circulation. A garden that runs east to west tends to get too shaded from the crops growing in the preceding row.

How to plant a vegetable garden for beginners? ›

To get started, here are 10 steps recommended by the National Gardening Association.
  1. Choose the right location. ...
  2. Select your veggies. ...
  3. Prepare the soil. ...
  4. Check planting dates. ...
  5. Plant the seeds. ...
  6. Add water. ...
  7. Keep the weeds out. ...
  8. Give your plants room to grow.
Aug 9, 2020

What vegetables should not be planted next to each other? ›

14 Vegetables You Should Never Plant Together—Gardening Experts Explain Why
  • 01 of 14. Beans and Onions. ...
  • 02 of 14. Tomatoes and Potatoes. ...
  • 03 of 14. Corn and Tomatoes. ...
  • 04 of 14. Tomatoes and Brassicas. ...
  • 05 of 14. Cucumber and Squash. ...
  • 06 of 14. Lettuce and Celery. ...
  • 07 of 14. Fennel and Tomatoes. ...
  • 08 of 14. Peppers and Cabbage.
Jan 16, 2024

What should tomatoes not be planted with? ›

10 Plants You Should Never Grow Next to Your Tomatoes
  • 01 of 10. Fennel. Fennel is not a good companion for any garden crop. ...
  • 02 of 10. Cabbage. Getty Images. ...
  • 03 of 10. Pole Beans. Neyya / Getty Images. ...
  • 04 of 10. Dill. Oxana Medvedeva / Getty Images. ...
  • 05 of 10. Corn. ...
  • 06 of 10. Okra. ...
  • 07 of 10. Potatoes. ...
  • 08 of 10. Broccoli.
6 days ago

What is the most efficient garden layout? ›

Square-Foot Gardening Layouts. Square-foot gardening (SFG) makes efficient use of space. Normally, an SFG garden is made of multiple 4 x 4 foot “boxes” (deeply-raised beds) that can be densely planted for multiple harvests. A lattice is laid across the top to separate each square foot.

What is the easiest vegetable garden for beginners? ›

Beets, lettuce, kale, cucumbers, peas, radishes, cherry tomatoes and green beans are some of the easiest vegetables for beginners to grow. Summer and winter squash are also good choices for first-time gardeners.

What is the basic pattern in garden design? ›

Grid lines drawn at 45 degrees can be used as a guideline to design the garden. Rectangular themes are the most popular and widely used. They are adapted to give a formal look to the garden. Long or narrow gardens can be easily divided into even sections using this particular theme.

What vegetables grow best together? ›

Which Vegetables Grow Well Together?
VegetableCompanion PlantDon't Plant Together
OnionsBeets, carrots, Swiss chard, lettuce, peppersAll beans and peas
PeasBeans, carrots, corn, cucumbers, radish, turnipGarlic, onions
PotatoesBeans, corn, peasTomatoes
SquashCorn, melons, pumpkinsNone
11 more rows
Jun 26, 2021

What is the 4 square garden layout? ›

The four-garden classic requires a space that's square (or nearly square) in shape and at least 15 feet wide. Each of the raised beds in this garden layout are the same size, typically 4 feet, 6 feet, or 8 feet long and 2 to 4 feet wide.

What is the best orientation for a garden? ›

Gardens that face north receive the least light and can be damp. Gardens that face south receive the most light. Gardens that face east receive light in the morning. Gardens that face west receive light in the late afternoon and evening.

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