After preparing your plot, outline the beds or rows you’ll use and begin planting crops suited to the current season, following proper spacing and fertilizer guidelines. Taking the time to plan each area will help ensure healthier growth and easier maintenance throughout the season.

It may be tempting to plant your entire garden at once, but many crops can’t handle early-season cold, so your garden will naturally fill in little by little as conditions improve. Staggering your plantings can also lead to a more continuous and reliable harvest.

As you move through summer and early fall, some crops will reach maturity and need to be removed, giving you the option to replant those spaces with new seasonal varieties. Other plants, such as long-season crops like parsnips or winter squash, will remain in place and continue growing for the entire season. During this time, consistent weeding and watering are essential to keep your garden healthy and productive.

As fall arrives and the days grow shorter and colder, some plants will start to decline even before the first frost. Keep an eye on the weather—either online or in the newspaper—to find the predicted frost date for your area, which occurs around 0°C or 32°F.

When frost is expected, there are several tasks you may want to complete beforehand, such as harvesting any remaining tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and cucumbers. You can also protect greens or other sensitive vegetables by covering them with floating row cover to help keep them warm.

Once you've done as much winter prep as you choose, there isn’t much left to do until January or February, when many gardeners begin planning their next season and ordering seeds. If you’d like to start plants indoors, February is an ideal time to get ready. Using expanding seed-starting soil pods can make the process easier and help your seedlings get off to a strong start.