Vegetable Garden Layout

by Heidi
(Grand Rapids, MI)

Hello,

We would like to plant a garden for the first time, but are not sure how to arrange the vegetables.

We would like to plant peppers, beans, squash (acorn and yellow), cucumber, tomato, onions, pumpkins and possibly watermelon.

Thank you for your help!

ANSWER:

Hi Heidi,

Sounds like a delicious garden plan!

You will want to layout your vegetable garden in rows that run north to south.

Next, arrange the vegetables in order of their height. The seed packets or transplants will give the estimated height information.

The tallest vegetables such as (in your case) tomatoes, beans (if they will be pole beans rather than bush beans), cucumbers on a trellis or cage, should be on the north side of the garden. This will prevent them from shading the shorter plants such as peppers and onions.

Most vegetables prefer full sun, and won't do as well if they are shaded.

Squash, pumpkins, tomatoes, and cucumbers all grow quite large, so be sure to leave plenty of room between plants.

The spacing information for the plants you choose will also be given on the seed packets or transplants.

Most of us tend to plant our vegetable plants too close together. It's hard to imagine how large and how quickly healthy plants grow!