Don’t just plant like a gardener.
Sure you need to know spacing, timing, temperature and soil requirements. Any gardener can tell you that (or just Google it).
But when you go pro, it’s not just about planting for pleasure anymore. You need to produce not only the best tasting, best looking crops at market, but also make sure they get planted on time, in the right volume, with a minimal amount of stress, on you. That takes more than filling out a spreadsheet or template. If you plant according to just a spreadsheet and don’t allow for crop emergence, your crops run into each other. You need to see crop development and then start staggering your plantings. Otherwise all your crops will become harvestable at once, you’ll get overwhelmed, and be under-supplied going forward. It’s a mix of an art and scheduling, and you need to be aware of what’s going on, on the ground, rather than strictly adhering to a spreadsheet.
Growing for production means that for every crop you need to know:
✔ How does it contribute to the volume, consistency and diversity of your production?
✔ What scale of plantings make the most sense?
✔ How much labor needs to be allocated to it?
✔ What seasonal time frame does it belong to?
Find out how to plant strategically with specific crops that every farmer should grow, even when they make life hell. Plus, see the top 7 “Oh sh*t” problems and how to get out of them here.