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Planning Your Garden

Step 1. Determining the type of garden

There are many types of gardens. The first step to planting a garden is to determine its purpose. Functions of a Garden may include art and aesthetics, production, drain water management or recreational. At the Rooftop Kitchen, Our focus will be on gardens for food production.

Step 2. Chose a Site

The vegetable garden site should have the following qualities:

8 to 10 hours of full sun per day
Steady supply of water
deep, well-drained, uncontaminated soil
A level location

Herbal gardens are usually heartier; growing is nutrient poor locations, but need:

Well Drained Soil

For specific Plant Requirements, visit the Plant Directory.

Step 3. Determine Restrictions

Location. Chose native plants, or plants that grow well in your climate. Check our climate chart.

Space. Determine the overall square footage of your garden. Ration out space is relationship to the amount you will use.

Time. Determine how much time you can devote to garden maintenance A 400-square-foot garden (20' x 20') requires a minimum of a half hour per day early in the season. In late spring and summer, this garden plot will require at least a half hour every 2 or 3 days.

Step 4. Method of Growing

Based on your individual contingencies, establish a method or way to grow.

Conventional Growing

The common form of gardening, planting in open soil.
Benefits:

Less initial effort needed
Low cost

Disadvantages:

Soil impurities
Flooding

Raised Bed

Freestanding garden beds constructed several or more inches above the natural terrain
Benefits of raised bed vegetable gardening:

Improves drainage
efficient use of soil amendments
soil warms up faster in the spring which can give you an earlier harvest
soil is less compacted as you usually do not walk on it
less bending as you plant, weed and water your garden
can be a better use of space in your garden
gives your garden a clean and tidy look
enhances your garden by adding structure
can be of any height to suit your needs
easy to trellis

Disadvantages for raised bed vegetable gardening:

takes time and effort to build
some cost involved unless you can recycle materials in your garden
beds may need more watering in hot weather

Container Gardening

A downsized version of a Raised Bed
Additional Benefits:

Utilize Space
Mobility
Grow on non soil surfaces, such as patios
Can be done indoor

Disadvantages:

Limited crop yield

Hydroponics

Planting in mineral nutrient solution, no soil involved.

Step 5. Choosing Plants

Chose plants that will grow well under your contingencies and method of growing.

Economic Value of Crops. Select plants that based upon what you will be using in your kitchen.