Can you remember exactly which tomato split in the rain this summer, or which bean row fed you for weeks? Right now you probably can. By February, it'll be a blur. That's why fall is the best time to plan next year's garden. In this guide, you'll walk through five simple planning steps you can finish in about an hour.
1. Write down this year's story
Grab a notebook and answer a few quick questions:
- What thrived beyond your expectations?
- What flopped, and why do you think it did?
- What did you run out of first?
- What did you plant way too much of?
- Where did pests or diseases show up?
Be honest. Nobody's grading this but you, and these notes will be the most useful gardening document you own.
2. Plan your crop rotation
Many pests and diseases overwinter in the soil where their host plants grew. The simple fix is to move each plant family to a new spot each year. The main families to rotate:
- Nightshades: Tomatoes, peppers, potatoes and eggplant.
- Brassicas: Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale and Brussels sprouts.
- Legumes: Beans and peas. They help build soil nitrogen, so they're great to plant before heavy feeders.
- Cucurbits: Cucumbers, squash, pumpkins and melons.
- Roots and alliums: Carrots, beets, onions and garlic.
You don't need a complicated chart. Even one rule, like moving tomatoes to a new bed every year, makes a real difference. Sketch this year's layout, then draw next year's beside it with each family shifted.
3. Build your seed list
- Star the winners: Mark the varieties you'll grow again.
- Replace the flops: Next to each disappointment, write what you'll try instead.
- Check your stash: Many vegetable seeds stay good for 2 to 5 years when stored cool and dry, so you may already have some of what you need. Do a quick germination test on anything older.
- Label saved seed: If you saved seed this fall, label it with the variety and year now.
4. Put dates on the calendar
Look up your average last spring frost date, then work backward:
- 10 to 12 weeks before: Start onions and leeks indoors.
- 8 to 10 weeks before: Start peppers indoors.
- 6 to 8 weeks before: Start tomatoes indoors.
- 4 to 6 weeks before: Sow peas, spinach, lettuce and radishes outside.
- After last frost: Plant warm-season crops and transplants.
Here in Minnesota, zone 5a, our last frost typically falls around mid-May, which puts tomato seed-starting in late March or early April. Write those dates down now and spring becomes a plan instead of a scramble.
5. Try one new thing
Every great garden has an experiment. Pick just one for next year: a variety you've never grown, a fall lettuce sowing or a trellis for your cucumbers. A few ideas to get you thinking:
- Green Zebra Tomato (about 75 to 80 days from transplant): a striped green tomato with a bright, tangy flavor.
- Minnesota Midget Cantaloupe (about 65 to 75 days): compact vines and small, sweet melons bred for short northern seasons.
- Northern Lights Swiss Chard (about 55 to 60 days): rainbow-colored stems that look as good as they taste.
Shop early, on your schedule
Planning now means you can order seeds at your own pace instead of rushing in April when favorites start selling out. Our packets start at just 99¢, and seed orders over $35 ship free, so a whole season's list often fits in one easy order. Every packet is non-GMO and USA grown, and I pack them myself here in Minnesota.
More growing guides