Garden Plan - 2015: 20x20 Garden (2024)

FAQs

What can you plant in a 20x20 garden? ›

Some good options for a beginner 20x20 vegetable garden layout include tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, beans, and lettuce.

Map Out Your Plants

Sketch out your plan on paper. Use graph paper and draw to scale, keeping in mind the mature size and habit of each kind of plant. Site larger plants, like corn and tomatoes, where they won't cast shade over shorter plants. Choose compact varieties if you have limited space.

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.

Generally speaking, 200 square feet of garden space per person will allow for a harvest that feeds everyone year-round. For an average family of four, plan for an 800 square-foot garden—a plot that's 20 feet by 40 feet in size should do the trick. If your family is larger (or smaller), scale up or down as needed.

A general guideline for a summer vegetable garden is to plan on about 100 square feet per person. Advanced: If you're more ambitious and want year-round groceries, plan on about 200 square feet per person.

There are two basic rules when arranging plants in the beds: 1) space the individual plants so that they touch each other when they reach their mature size, and 2) overlap the masses of plants and connect them so that they flow without space between them. Avoid gaps or large open areas between masses.

Pro Landscape

You can simply use an image to add your plants, pavers, garden or patio furniture, grass, etc. to the layout. There are some stability issues but that is common for free design programs. Although the app is free to use, it does require in-app purchases for additional design features.

How deep should a garden bed be for vegetables? ›

As a tip, you should add an extra 2 inches of soil over your garden bed, and water the soil to see how much it compresses. Vegetable Beds: On the other hand, when it comes to vegetable beds, the bed must be approximately 12 to 18 inches deep to ensure adequate depth for the roots of your plants.

Start with a Small Space

You'll get a feeling for how much time gardening takes. You'll find out if you like spending time outside planting, watering, and weeding. You'll also learn how much produce you and your family can eat over the course of a summer. A good size for a beginner's vegetable garden is 6x6 feet.

Measure the space first, then draw out a scale plan on to which you can mark the desired locations of different functional areas of the garden. Bear in mind how sunny or shady these areas are and how this suits what will go on in the space.

How much land do you need to feed a family? In general, you'll need 150 to 200 square feet of garden space per person in order to feed everyone in your family year-round.

It is easy to bite off more than you can chew when you are a first-time vegetable gardener. As a rule of thumb, you should start small then add if needed. A good starting size for a garden would be between 75 and 100 square feet.