What To Grow?

"What should I grow this year?" The question every good gardener asks themselves this time of year. It's a good question, especially when you have limited space. What are some of the things you like? How about your family? How much can you use? Will it go bad before you can use it?

Last year I grew some white onions and some purple onions. Roughly 30 of each. Some of the white ones I grew in clumps so they would stay small and others spaced out so they would become bulbs. The problem was I am the only one in my house that eats onions. The wife will eat a little, but not much. So even though I hung them in a mesh bag in a shady spot outside, they all sprouted before I could use them.

I also grew carrots, but since I didn't stagger their planting, they pretty much all were ready at the same time. Pickles grew well, but with only a few vines there weren't many ready to pickle/can at the same time. And corn, oh how I hate growing corn.

So think about what you can eat and what you want to eat. If you don't like okra, don't grow it unless you now someone who will eat it. Don't grow 10 tomato plants unless you want a lot of tomatoes. Don't grow watermelon or pumpkins unless you have a lot of space for the sprawling vines.

My suggestion is to take a look at the The Vegetable Garden Planner put out by Mother Earth News. It can really help. It costs like $30 a year, but there is a 2-week free trial. Design your garden space and fill it with vegetables. There is tons of information about various varieties of crops you could plant.

Careful planning now can really pay off.