Planning a vegetable garden comes down to six decisions made in order: where it goes (6 to 8 hours of sun, near water), how big it is (start with about 100 to 200 square feet), what you will grow (crops your household actually eats), how the beds are laid out (4-foot-wide beds, tall crops on the north side), when each crop goes in (counted from your average last frost date), and how you will keep it going (succession sowings and rotation). Work through those on paper in late winter and you will plant faster, waste less seed and harvest more. This guide walks through each step, with spacing figures, a sample planting calendar and free tools that make the job easier.
Part of our Vegetable Gardening & Raised Beds guide →
In this guide
Key Takeaways
- Pick the sunniest spot you have, ideally with 8 hours of direct sun for tomatoes, peppers and squash.
- Start small. A couple of well-tended 4×8-foot beds outproduce a big, weedy plot.
- Keep beds no wider than 4 feet so you can reach the middle without stepping on soil; leave 18- to 24-inch paths.
- Find your average last and first frost dates, then schedule every crop backward and forward from them.
- Plan for succession: quick crops like lettuce and radishes can be sown every 2 to 3 weeks for steady harvests.
Step 1: Choose the Site
Sun is the single biggest factor in vegetable yields. Fruiting crops such as tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers, beans and corn need at least 6 hours of direct sun, and 8 or more is better. Leafy greens and many herbs manage with 4 to 6 hours, which makes them good choices for partly shaded spots. Track the sun across your yard on a clear day, noting where shadows from the house, fences and trees fall in morning, noon and late afternoon. Remember that deciduous trees leafing out in May will cast more shade than you see in March.
- Water access: A hose bib within easy reach matters more than you think. Gardens far from water get neglected in July.
- Drainage: Avoid low spots where water stands after rain. Raised beds solve marginal drainage.
- Level ground: Flat or gently sloped is easiest. On slopes, run beds across the slope.
- Away from tree roots: Large trees compete for water and nutrients well beyond their canopy.
- Visibility: A garden you walk past daily gets checked for pests, weeds and ripe crops.
Step 2: Decide on Size
Beginners almost always plant too much. A practical first garden is 100 to 200 square feet, for example two to four 4×8-foot raised beds or a 10×15-foot in-ground plot. That is enough for a few tomatoes, peppers, a row of beans, salad greens, herbs and one squash plant, and small enough to weed in an hour a week. Expand next year once you know how much time the garden takes.
If you are deciding between raised beds and planting in the ground, our comparison of raised bed vs in-ground gardens lays out costs and trade-offs, and our guide on how to start a vegetable garden covers building the beds themselves.
Step 3: Choose What to Grow
Start with a list of vegetables your household buys every week, then filter it by three questions. Does it grow well in your climate? Does homegrown taste noticeably better than store-bought (tomatoes, herbs, snap peas, sweet corn) or cost a lot to buy (herbs, salad mixes, peppers)? And does it fit your space? Sprawling crops such as winter squash, melons and pumpkins take 20 to 50 square feet per plant unless trellised.
Divide your list into cool-season crops (peas, lettuce, spinach, kale, broccoli, radishes, carrots, onions) and warm-season crops (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, beans, cucumbers, squash, corn, basil). The two groups go in at very different times, which is the backbone of your planting calendar. Our guide to warm vs cool season vegetables explains the split in detail.
Step 4: Draw the Layout
Use graph paper, a spreadsheet with each cell representing 1 square foot, or a free online planner. Draw your beds to scale first, then fill in crops.
Layout rules that work
- Beds 3 to 4 feet wide so you can reach the center from either side. Against a fence, keep beds 2 to 3 feet wide.
- Paths 18 to 24 inches, or 30 to 36 inches if you need a wheelbarrow.
- Tall crops on the north side (or the east-west north edge) so tomatoes, pole beans, corn and trellised cucumbers do not shade shorter plants.
- Trellises on the north edge of beds for vining crops.
- Perennials at the edges: asparagus, rhubarb and perennial herbs need permanent spots where they will not be disturbed by digging.
- Group by water needs so you can water efficiently.
How many plants fit?
| Crop | Plants per square foot (intensive spacing) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tomato (staked or caged) | 1 per 2–4 sq ft | Indeterminate types on stakes can go closer |
| Pepper, eggplant | 1 | Stake larger varieties |
| Bush beans | 9 | Sow every 2–3 weeks for steady harvest |
| Pole beans, peas | 8–9 along a trellis | Use trellis on north side |
| Lettuce (heads) | 4 | Leaf lettuce can be sown thicker |
| Spinach | 9 | Cool season only |
| Carrots | 16 | Needs loose, stone-free soil |
| Radishes | 16 | Ready in 3–5 weeks |
| Onions (from sets) | 9–16 | Wider for large bulbs |
| Bush squash, zucchini | 1 per 4–9 sq ft | One plant is plenty for most families |
| Cucumbers (trellised) | 2 | Sprawling plants need far more room |
| Basil | 2–4 | Pinch tips to keep bushy |
These figures follow common square-foot gardening spacing in rich, well-amended raised beds. In ordinary in-ground soil, give plants more room. For raised-bed specific plans, see our raised bed vegetable garden layout guide.
Companions and rotation
Group crops by plant family so you can rotate them each year: tomato family (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, potatoes), cabbage family (broccoli, kale, cabbage, radishes), squash family (squash, cucumbers, melons), legumes (beans, peas) and onion family. Moving each family to a different bed every year, on a three- or four-year cycle, reduces soil-borne diseases and pests. Interplanting flowers like marigolds, calendula and zinnias attracts pollinators and beneficial insects. Our companion planting guide covers useful pairings.
Step 5: Set Planting Dates by Frost
Look up your average last spring frost and first fall frost dates. Your state’s cooperative extension service usually publishes them by county, often alongside a vegetable planting calendar tailored to your region. Then schedule each crop relative to the last frost date.
| Crop | Start seeds indoors | Plant outdoors |
|---|---|---|
| Onions | 10–12 weeks before last frost | 4 weeks before last frost |
| Broccoli, cabbage, kale | 6–8 weeks before | 2–4 weeks before |
| Peas | Direct sow | 4–6 weeks before |
| Lettuce, spinach | 4–6 weeks before (optional) | 2–4 weeks before |
| Carrots, radishes, beets | Direct sow | 2–4 weeks before |
| Tomatoes | 6–8 weeks before | 1–2 weeks after, when nights stay above 50°F |
| Peppers, eggplant | 8–10 weeks before | 2 weeks after, when nights stay above 55°F |
| Beans, corn | Direct sow | 1–2 weeks after, soil above 60°F |
| Cucumbers, squash, melons | 3–4 weeks before (optional) | 1–2 weeks after, soil above 65°F |
| Garlic | Plant cloves | Fall, a few weeks before ground freezes |
For fall crops, count backward from the first fall frost using each variety’s days to maturity, plus about two weeks for slower growth in shortening days. Our guide on starting seeds indoors covers lights, trays and hardening off.
Step 6: Plan for Succession
Instead of sowing all your lettuce at once and drowning in it in May, sow a short row every two to three weeks. Do the same with radishes, bush beans, carrots, cilantro and beets. When a cool-season crop finishes, replant the space with a warm-season crop, then follow summer crops with fall greens or garlic. A single bed can produce three crops a year this way. See our succession planting guide for timing charts.
Free Garden Planner Tools
- Graph paper or a spreadsheet: Still the most flexible planner. Use one cell per square foot and a separate tab for planting dates.
- Extension planting calendars: Free, local and based on your climate. Search your state university’s extension site for “vegetable planting calendar.”
- Seed company calculators: Several seed companies offer free seed-starting date calculators where you enter your frost date and get a schedule.
- Planner apps and websites: Many garden layout planners offer free versions or trials with drag-and-drop beds and spacing guides. Paid tiers add reminders and crop rotation tracking.
- A garden journal: Record what you planted, when, and what worked. Next year’s plan is much easier with notes.
Step 7: Prepare Soil and Watering
Get a soil test before your first season; extension offices offer them for a modest fee and tell you pH and nutrient levels. Most vegetables prefer a pH of 6.0 to 7.0. Work 2 to 3 inches of compost into new beds, and top-dress with an inch each year. Plan irrigation at the same time: drip lines or soaker hoses on a simple timer save water, keep leaves dry and reduce disease. Most gardens need about 1 inch of water a week, more in hot, dry spells. Our guide on preparing soil for planting covers the details, and our vegetable gardening hub links guides for each crop.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I start planning my vegetable garden?
In winter, about two to three months before your last frost date. That leaves time to order seed and start onions, peppers and other slow crops indoors.
How big should a beginner vegetable garden be?
About 100 to 200 square feet, such as two to four 4×8-foot raised beds. It is easier to expand a successful small garden than rescue a large, overgrown one.
Which direction should garden rows run?
North to south rows give the most even sun in many gardens. More important is placing tall crops on the north side so they do not shade shorter ones.
What should I grow in my first vegetable garden?
Reliable, productive crops: cherry tomatoes, bush beans, zucchini, lettuce, radishes, peppers, kale and herbs like basil and parsley.
Do I need a garden planner app?
No. Graph paper, a spreadsheet and your extension service’s planting calendar work well. Apps help mainly with reminders and multi-year rotation records.