Planting Vegetables: The Best Methods for Bumper Crops
- In This Quick Guide:
- Planting Methods
- Seeding Methods
It may seem that planting vegetables is easy—just dig a hole and put in the seed! You could do that, of course, but you run the risk of overcrowding and drainage issues. Using the right method for the vegetable you’re planting will not only stimulate growth, it will protect your plants and give you the bumper crop you’ve always wanted. Here are the best planting and seeding methods for all of your favorite vegetables.
Planting Methods
No matter what method you use, all plants should be set up in rows—that way, you know what’s a weed and what’s supposed to be growing there. It helps if you first make a garden plan detailing how many rows you need, what size they should be, and how much space you need between them. Check the seed packets to determine proper spacing for your seeds.
To lay out the rows: measure the length of each row, and use stakes and string to mark them. Chalk string that you snap against the soil so it leaves a mark is a good approach. Leave the stake and string in place until you’ve finished planting each row, to keep your rows straight and the spacing the way you want it.
The Hill Method
Crops such as beans, sunflowers, and any other large seeds should be planted in rows of small, evenly spaced hills (check your seed packets for spacing requirements). A hill might be as small as 6 inches or as high as about 1 foot, depending on what you are planting.
To create a hill, just scoop up a handful of soil in each hand, pull the handfuls together in one pile, and smooth it down. When scooping the soil, be sure you pull it evenly from all sides. You can even make a tiny moat around the base of the hill to trap water during dry weather. One you have the hill ready, you just plant one big seed right in the center.
The Mound Method
A planting mound is a large hill of soil pulled up from the surrounding area to create a raised planting environment. Traditionally, mounds are used for growing big and sprawling vegetable plants such as zucchini, cucumber, summer and winter squash, pumpkins, and melons. A mound can be anywhere from about 18 to 24 inches high.
Determine the spacing for your mounds based on the distances for the vegetable you’re planting (noted on the seed packet). Mark a midpoint for each mound. Then using a garden rake or a hoe, pull soil from the surrounding ground until it forms a pile. Be sure you take soil away evenly so there are no big dips around the mound, although a shallow moat at the base of each mound does help retain water in dry weather.
Flatten the pile a little on top and smooth the sides so the soil is evenly spread all the way around. Then follow the planting directions for each type of vegetable. Seeds or seedlings are generally planted in a circle or a triangle on a mound.
Planting in Furrows
A furrow is a shallow trench (a long, narrow hole with a flat bottom). Using furrows makes sense when you’re planting a lot of one kind of plant that requires a little more depth, such as asparagus, rhubarb, turnips, and potatoes.
Using a hoe, mound the soil up on one side of the furrow to make it easier to push back in on top of the seeds or roots you put in the furrow.
Seeding Methods
There are also a couple different methods for planting seeds, depending on the size of the seeds you’re using and the size of your garden.
Planting Seeds One by One
Some seeds—most notably beans, corn, cucumbers, melons, and squash—are quite large so handling them one at a time is easy to do. When you plant one seed at a time, you have a lot of control over your spacing. But if many of the seeds don’t germinate or fail to grow well, you’ll need to replant in those spaces.
The Scatter Method
Scattering or “broadcasting,” is a good method of sowing seed if you have lots of space and want large quantities of one kind of plant. Broadcasted seed won’t necessarily space itself evenly in the garden, but you can thin out young seedlings that are too close together. You can also scatter seeds in very confined spaces such as a large pot or planting box.
The scatter method won’t work for seeds that need a soil cover. Be sure to check the information on individual seed packets before you start throwing seeds around your garden.
Transplanting Seedlings
First, to ensure the health of your plants, transplant seedlings on an overcast day if possible. If you live where there never seems to be a cloudy day, do your transplanting in the late afternoon or early evening when the sun is low in the sky, to protect tender, new plants from a heavy dose of sunlight.
Dig a hole that’s about twice the width of the container you are transplanting, and the same depth. Be sure the sides of the hole are roughed up a bit; tender young roots will find it easier to push into than soil that has been made smooth by the blade of a spade or trowel.
After you’ve placed the seedling in the hole, fill the hole with soil, gently pressing down all the way around. Be sure you haven’t left any voids that could fill with water and drown your seedling, and that the soil is evenly distributed around the roots.
Water all the seedlings well before and after transplanting. While you’re planting seedlings, pick off dead or damaged leaves, flowers, and any tiny fruits. This allows the plants to put all their energy into producing thick, healthy foliage that will, in turn, help the plant make plenty of its own food for later fruit production.
With the instructions from your seed packets and these few simple methods, you’ll have a bumper crop of vegetables in no time. Happy gardening!
From The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Vegetable Gardening by Daria Price Bowman and Carl A. Price
