I may have put some of the vining plants on the west side, so that they will help provide afternoon shade for other plants that need it. But that also depends on your region and if the temps get that high or not.

Looks fine and maybe you just showed one pic instead of all of them, so I'll go ahead and mention not to forget about succession planting. For example, maybe at some point, your radishes finish and your lettuces get too hot to keep going -- what will you put into those spots? Also, everything being planted on same estimated date, you then will have the same veggies ripe around the same time. That may be a lot to harvest or eat all at once.

For additional considerations, you could try to plant same items about 2 weeks apart, so that you don't lose all plants at the same time to some act of nature or bug, as well as you get to harvest and eat them over several weeks, instead of all at the same time.

However, as I look at the diagram again, you may have already considered those things by implying that in the same square, you might plant other same veggies at a later date.

Keep in mind that gardening is a huge experiment and each year we can fine tune and change things for better (or worse). The following suggestions are offered w/o knowing where on this glorious planet you are located :)

If it were my garden I would leave no less than four feet between each bed.
I would also plant the larger (and vining) plants on the north side - having them on the southside will shade plants to their north which need sun.

Also keep in mind that potatoes like an extremely low Ph (and dry soil) or they will develop a scab that will live in the soil for years to come. Sweet potatoes aren't that fussy and have some pretty trumpet style blossoms which you can vine "Up" to save space.

Summer squash will take a 4x4 square when they get enuff sun and are happy. Growing a winter squash between them and the sun prob not the best idea.

Keep a notebook for things you want to change next year. Include things like planting dates, varieties, location, etc. I like to include ideas for next year as when next year comes I will forget. Winters are for planning the next experiment. :)

Good Luck

It looks great :)

But some suggestions... I wouldn't plant in everything at once. For instance, I have already planted in my peas and spinach... but won't be putting in my tomatoes, peppers, squash, and cukes for a while yet. Some plants thrive in the cooler weather of early spring and fall, and will not do well in the middle of the heat- others do better in the warmer weather but don't like the cool.

I would allow more than one sqft for the squashes- there are a couple that stay fairly small, but most of them bush up a lot. And depending on what kind of winter squash, you might need to plan for vining space. Same goes for the cucumbers, those can get pretty bushy depending on the kind- or very vine lengthy depending on the kind.

I wouldn't plant my potatoes and sweet potatoes side by side- they will likely end up competing for root space. And keep in mind that if you give those two a bit more space instead of 4 per square, you will likely get a bigger crop at the end of the season.

Also keep in mind that strawberries are semi-perminant plantings. Pretty much everything else in your pic gets pulled at the end of it's season- but strawberries normally stay in place.

And gumbys suggestion.. take notes, keep notes... write it all down. That way you will know for sure what works and what does not in the years to come.

And above all... don't get overwhelmed or feel defeated by all of this. Enjoy your gardening, cheer your successes and sigh over your failures- and move on to planting more goodness. No gardener gets everything right their first time- some of us don't get it right even after years of gardening. Like me, I've been gardening for over 20 years and still have a lot of trouble with peas.

On the summer squash - what I have been able to do is plant two seedlings (6in. apart) in the middle of a 4x4. IF you direct seed try 2-3 seeds but it will fill the whole 4x4 esp. when they are happy (in FULL sun).

You will be throwing squash at your neighbors. <smile>

HTH

I like your set up a lot. I just have a couple of things to add and for you to keep in mind as you develop your future plans and continue to learn. Place your larger vegetables on the North Side of the Garden so they do not shade things to the south . Also, I know this is a frequently argued topic, but I only give me my tomatoes one square foot. I have a 2X7 box and have all 7 on the north side with tomatoes, and all 7 on the south containing peppers. I haven't had issues with them needing extra space yet. You can experiment with this and maybe add some extra plants in those empty spots. At least spinach or bush beans in those sections. The strawberry comment above is very important as you have to leave those put. They really don't start producing until year 2 anyway.

I'd do more strawberries. The first year you won't get many, but subsequent years will be better. You will have to replace the strawberries every 3-4 year, so it might be a good idea to plant what you have for now and then save room to plant another variety next year. Also, with your aisle being only 1 ft I'd be concerned about your walking space when plants start spilling out of boxes. Wen I grew potatoes a few years ago they were spilling out of their 4x4 box, so maybe put those not along an aisle.

Do you have any advice for potatoes? Thanks everyone! So excited!

I've done potatoes, and I love them. My best advice though...find another spot outside of your sft. With potatoes it works well to keep piling on the dirt (aka soil) in a mound so they keep producing along the stem under the dirt. While you can do that by placing hats on the squares, I think it's easier to do it in a pot. Also, at harvest time it's going to be a lot easier to find your potatoes if you can just dump the pot on a tarp and sort through the dirt. Just my experience from doing it both ways. Actually, Google "tire potatoes". That's what I'd really like to do, but I don't think my HOA would approve!

I think it is important to remember that potatoes like the Ph about 4.5-5. Also worth remembering if growing potatoes in a container outside that it needs to be very well drained (or covered from rain).

Potatoes are ALL formed above where the seed piece is planted which is why they are hilled, so you would want a deep container, barrel, or bag.

OTH - sweet potatoes can be grown in a large container but will need room to sprawl or a pole to climb. They do produce some attractive blossoms so can be placed in front if so desired.

I use Mel's string idea to grow vines up. This makes cukes both straight and much easier to harvest.