Garden Planning
Plant with the mature size of your plants in mind!
As you plan your garden this season, consider the mature size of each plant to ensure optimal spacing, airflow, and access to sunlight and water. Proper spacing is especially crucial for crops like tomatoes, where good airflow can help prevent disease and promote healthy growth. My favorite planting guide which includes information for the mature size of many common vegetables can be found here: https://cmg.extension.colostate.edu/Gardennotes/720.pdf. Make sure that you aren’t crowding your vegetable garden, airflow is important for preventing disease and a less-crowded plant will be easier to monitor for pests. Catching pest issues early in the season makes management 100x easier! Consider Making a Grid Garden Plan or use one of the guides linked below. I am a fan of using a modified block layout, like what is described in this article: https://cmg.extension.colostate.edu/Gardennotes/713.pdf. I also like to bend the rules a little—planting root vegetables like carrots and radishes along the perimeter of raised beds to squeeze in extra productivity. While it isn’t time to plant tomatoes and squash, we are coming to the point where raddish, broccoli, and lettuces and other frost resistant vegetables can be planted! Sample Planting Guide (detailed plan, has all the information one needs to get started): https://cmg.extension.colostate.edu/Gardennotes/721.pdf Some ready-made plans can be found here in case you would like some great templates which are ready for the season: https://growgive.extension.colostate.edu/garden-plans/ | 
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