Free Printable Garden Planner

Sharing is caring!

Don’t let the thought of starting a garden scare you. Whether you’ve have garden success or failure in previous years, taking the extra step of planning your garden will save you time, money, and sanity! Use this easy planning guide to get you started growing your own garden.

Whether you’re planning a spring or fall vegetable garden or considering growing one next year, my free printable garden planner will get you off the ground and running (or planting)!

Please note this planner is for personal use, so if you’d like to share this wonderful free download with a friend, simply send them a link to this page! Thank you for supporting The Kitchen Garten through sharing this free tool!

Make Garden Planning Easier

Whether you have a spare acre or just a small corner in the backyard, planting a garden is a project, so you definitely need a plan. What are you going to grow? Where are you going to put it? What do you need?

This post may contain affiliate links, which simply means I may earn a commission off of links at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my site!

So I came up with a super simple printable free garden planner to help you put down all of those ideas for your spring garden (or any season really) that will set you up for success for future years. This planner will help you create a to-do list for your garden space!

The benefits of planning a garden

Want to know why planning a garden is a great way to have garden success? Here are some of the benefits of planning for your vegetable gardening endeavors each season.

1. Save money on seeds: If you plan what you’re intending to grow ahead of time, then you’re much less likely to fall victim to buying lots of plants and seeds that you really don’t have the garden space for. Seed packets aren’t very expensive, but they do add up if you’re buying seeds you won’t use year after year. Keeping a seed inventory will also help with this issue.
2. Know when to plant: Planning your garden, including figuring out when the best time of year to grow certain vegetables, will save you the frustration of growing crops in the wrong season, limiting their growth and potential. Look at the little details on seed packets and plant tags for ideal planting dates, germination rates, and days to harvest. Seed catalogs are also a great resource for this valuable information, and by ordering from catalogs, you can compare what varieties will work best in your space. See my full post of the best seed companies with free catalogs.
3. Succesion planting: Instead of planting all of a certain type of vegetable at the same time (such as lettuce). Instead, plan out enough space to plant them in waves week by week. This means all of that crop won’t be ready for harvest all at one time. Instead, you’ll be able to harvest your own food week by week.
4. Intensive planting: With planning a garden, you’ll also be able to make the best use of the space you have by using intensive gardening methods. Plan out where everything will go, so there’s very little open spots in your garden. Intensive gardening takes planning, but it’s worth it as you save time on weeding and save money on watering.

What the free printable garden planner includes

Just like with all projects, there are certain decisions that have to made before you can actually begin, and the same is true for planning and growing a garden. The free garden planner helps break those steps down into manageable pieces for both the beginner gardener and someone who is expanding an existing garden.

Here’s what you’ll find in the free garden planner:

• Location selection: Where are you planning on putting your garden based on sunlight in your yard. It’s helpful to know that a successful garden needs at least 6 hours of sun per day and really 8 is best. Consider this when selecting a spot for your row, raised bed, or container garden.
• Garden type: Determine what type of garden style will work best for your space and schedule. This includes either a traditional row garden or raised garden beds. There are certainly pros and cons to each method of gardening, so choose the style that works best for you and your space.
• Planner Pages: For either row or raised bed gardens, these planning pages help put ideas on what to plant on paper. Print these pages as many times as necessary for as many garden areas as you have.
• Supply Checklist: Check off supplies you might still have from last year and write down what you’ll need to get this year. This helpful checklist includes supplies and tools common for most gardens.

Square-foot, Row, or Container

No matter what style of garden you’re planning for this year, you can benefit from this planner. There are specific pages for square foot plots and a planning rectangle for those row gardeners, so you can literally map out what you will plant and where.

I’ve added a newer section to the garden planner for this coming spring that gives you a little space to record some data. For the organizer in all of us, there’s a small place to record when you fertilized your plants. Also new for this year is a reflection section.

This simply allows you a space to write down what worked and what didn’t. Every year I garden I’m learning new things, and I usually forget to write them down, relying totally on my memory. My memory isn’t always quite as sharp as I think, so writing down any thoughts on what I’d like to do differently next season will get my next spring off to a great start.

So, submit your email address here to receive your Free Kitchen Garden Planning Guide via email. You could also click the banner in the sidebar. Be sure to share this page with any other gardeners you think would be interested in planning out their next garden space. Happy Gardening! (Disclaimer: I absolutely will not sell information or send spam.)

How to Use the Garden Planner Printables

If you’re ready to start planning your garden, there’s no better time than now! Here’s what you’ll need to do:

1. Fill out the info in the box below and click submit.
2. Check your email for a download of the free printable planner.
3. Check out all of the pages included in the planner and determine whether you want to print them all or just some or if you’d like multiple copies of certain pages .
4. Print out the pages you want to use and place them in a 3-ring binder or a pronged folder so all of your pages stay neat and together.
5. Start planning! Walk through the planner filling in all of the ideas you have an what you’d like to grow. And remember, you don’t have to grow everything all in one year. If you’re a beginner gardener, starting small may be the perfect first step. If you’re an experienced gardener, try branching out to things you’ve never grown before.
6. Save the garden planner pdf file somewhere on your computer or phone for quick access next time. You are welcome to print pages as needed for as long as you would like.

Additional Gardening Helps

Some of the information you’ll need to include in your planning includes information about your growing zone and plant hardiness zones. You may also want useful information on how to test your garden soil or improve the soil in your current garden space. Here are some helpful links to help you plan your garden season and can easily be added to your garden binder for future reference:

• Zone Hardiness Map
• How to Test Garden Soil (Youtube video)
• How to Improve Garden Soil
• How to Read a Soil Report (Youtube video)
• Free Seed Starting Printable (very helpful printable pages to help you keep track of your garden seedlings). Add this to your garden planner printables.
• Best Garden Watering Systems: Find my favorite recommendations for watering systems for gardens that won’t break the bank, but will help you water your garden effectively. Consistent watering is one of the keys to a successful garden.

I hope you find this resource helpful as you begin to plan your own garden. If you’re looking for a more in depth garden planner, feel free to check out all of the options at The Kitchen Garten Shop, including both downloadable pdf planners and a print planner that can easily fit in a garden apron or potting bench, complete with spiral binding!

Visit The Kitchen Garten shop here for books, printables, and garden wear.