Guides

• A Simple 4×8 Raised Bed Plan for Beginners

  A ready-to-use planting plan for one 4×8 ft raised bed with tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, beans, lettuce, carrots, onions and radishes, square foot by square foot.

• Bagged vs. Bulk Soil and Mulch: Which Is Cheaper?

  How to compare the cost of bagged and bulk soil or mulch per cubic foot, when delivery pays for itself, and the practical pros and cons of each.

• Best Mulch for Vegetable Gardens

  Straw, shredded leaves, grass clippings, compost and wood chips compared for vegetable beds, with how deep to spread each one and when to put it down.

• Best Soil Mix for Raised Beds

  Three proven raised bed soil mixes compared, including topsoil and compost, the square foot gardening mix and bagged blends, with costs and what to avoid.

• Cool-Season vs. Warm-Season Vegetables

  Which vegetables tolerate frost and which need warm soil, with planting times for each group counted from your last frost date.

• Hardening Off Seedlings: A 7-Day Schedule

  A day-by-day schedule for moving indoor seedlings outside without sunscald, wind damage or transplant shock, plus signs your plants are ready to plant.

• How Deep Should a Raised Bed Be?

  Most vegetables grow well in raised beds 10 to 12 inches deep. See when 6 inches is enough, when to go deeper, and how much soil each depth takes.

• How Much to Plant per Person (Vegetable Garden Chart)

  A per-person planting chart for 16 common vegetables, for fresh eating and for preserving, with the garden space a family of four needs.

• Planting a Fall Garden: Counting Back from Your First Frost

  How to work out the last planting date for fall vegetables by counting back from your first fall frost, with a worked example and the best crops for fall.

• How to Protect Plants from a Late Frost

  How to tell when frost is coming and how to protect tender plants with covers, water and cloches, plus which vegetables need protection and which don’t.

• What Is a Frost Date, and How Should You Use It?

  Frost dates are averages, not guarantees. Learn what your last and first frost dates mean and how to plan planting around them.

• When to Plant Tomatoes

  Plant tomatoes outside 1 to 2 weeks after your last frost, once nights stay above 50°F and the soil has warmed to 60°F. Here is how to time it for your area.

• When to Start Seeds Indoors: A Week-by-Week Schedule

  A week-by-week seed starting schedule counted back from your last frost date, with timing for onions, peppers, tomatoes, basil, cucumbers and squash.