CraftSaints Garden Planner, Vegetable Planting Chart Wheel, Perpetual Outdoor & Indoor & Greenhouse Plant Care Guide, Homestead Planting Almanac, Essential Accessory for Gardeners & Farmers

What this planner is and who it’s for

I’ve been trialing the CraftSaints garden planner wheel through late winter seed-starting and into spring bed prep, and it has quickly become the reference I keep within arm’s reach. It’s a 9×9-inch, splash‑proof cardboard wheel that condenses the essentials for 21 common vegetables: seed quantities, planting depth, row/hill/post‑thinning spacing, days to germination and maturity, sunlight and soil temperature needs, expected yield, and companion planting suggestions. You set your local frost dates, align the wheel, and it maps spring and fall timing at a glance—useful whether you’re starting trays under lights, direct‑sowing outdoors, or planning a greenhouse rotation.

If you like having a single, physical snapshot of “what, when, and how,” this planner fits the bill. It’s especially handy for small to medium gardens where you’re juggling succession plantings and want to avoid overbuying seed or wasting bed space.

Setup and first use

Setup is straightforward: find your average last spring and first fall frost dates (I used my county extension’s data), align the indicator on the wheel to your dates, and you’re in business. The wheel is double‑sided; to switch between spring and fall, you slide the rotating insert through a slit to the opposite side. That motion feels odd at first—almost like you’re taking it apart—but it’s intentional and holds together well once you get the hang of it.

My first afternoon with it, I ran through tomatoes, lettuce, peas, carrots, and cucumbers. For each crop, the wheel gave me:

• How many seeds I’d need for my planned area.
• Planting depth and spacing (rows, hills, and post‑thinning).
• Days to germination and maturity windows.
• Sun/soil temperature requirements and basic companion suggestions.

I built a quick sowing plan for the next six weeks without opening a book or app. The timeline windows are especially useful when you’re planning successions; I blocked out my second sowing of lettuce and radishes right on the calendar after checking the maturity ranges.

Design and durability

The planner is splash‑resistant, not waterproof. It shrugs off damp hands and a mist of hose water, but I wouldn’t leave it in a puddle or the open bed of a truck in the rain. The cardboard stock is thick and the metal rivet feels solid. After a month in my potting shed and a few rides in a tote, there’s minimal edge wear. It stores flat in the side of a seed‑starting tray.

Two design notes:

• The type is small. I’d call it somewhere around an 8–10‑point font with dense line spacing. I can read it fine in good light, but in the shed I sometimes took a quick phone photo and zoomed in to confirm a number.
• The face is busy at first glance. There’s a lot of information packed into a small area, and the learning curve is real for your first use. After that, the layout becomes predictable and quick to read.

Information quality and scope

For the 21 vegetables covered, the data has been accurate and consistent with what I expect from reputable seed catalogs and extension guides. The spacing recommendations are practical, not aspirational; they line up with what I plant in raised beds and in‑ground rows. The days‑to‑maturity numbers are presented as ranges, which is the right choice given cultivar and climate variation. Soil temperature guidance for germination has been spot on—I avoided a too‑early bean sowing thanks to that note.

The seed quantity guidance is more helpful than I anticipated. It prevented me from oversowing carrots (again) and kept my tomato starts to a number I could actually accommodate under lights. The companion planting suggestions are concise; they won’t replace a full companion guide, but they’re a smart nudge when you’re sketching a bed layout.

Limitations are expected for a compact format:

• It covers popular vegetables but not herbs or niche crops.
• It doesn’t dive into varietal nuance (determinates vs indeterminates, bolt‑resistant lettuce, etc.).
• Pest/disease specifics aren’t included—this is strictly a planting and planning tool.

That said, as a planning backbone it’s robust.

In the garden: how it changed my planning

Two scenarios where the planner helped right away:

• Spring peas and lettuce: Aligning to my last frost date, I used the germination and soil temperature notes to time peas into cold soil while starting lettuce under lights. I staggered lettuce sowings two weeks apart based on the maturity window. The spacing guidance kept me from crowding the lettuce transplants—harvest has been steadier as a result.
• Warm‑season ramp‑up: For tomatoes and cucumbers, the wheel kept my transplant timeline realistic. It encouraged me to wait for soil temperatures that support good germination and early growth rather than forcing a too‑early direct sow. The expected produce note helped me estimate trellising and harvest buckets ahead of time.

The biggest win is the headspace it freed up. Instead of cross‑checking three sources for every crop, I confirm on the wheel and move on. It’s also fast for fall planning; flipping to the other side and aligning first frost let me slot in broccoli and carrots without guesswork.

What I didn’t love

• Readability in low light: The small, compact type is the planner’s main weakness. In bright light it’s fine; in a shaded shed, it’s squint‑worthy. A slightly larger font would improve usability without growing the footprint.
• First‑use friction: Sliding the inner wheel through the slit to switch seasons feels odd at first. It’s secure, but the motion isn’t intuitive until you’ve done it once or twice.
• Scope ceiling: If your garden revolves around specialty crops, cut‑and‑come‑again greens beyond the staples, or herbs, you’ll still need supplemental references.

None of these are deal‑breakers, but they are worth knowing before you buy.

Tips to get the most out of it

• Nail your frost dates: Use a trusted local source (extension service or long‑term NOAA averages) rather than a generic map. The planner’s value hinges on this alignment.
• Pair with a calendar: I jot sow/plant/harvest windows in a shared digital calendar right after consulting the wheel. It prevents “I’ll remember that” mistakes.
• Use decent lighting: Keep it near a bright window or toss a small task light in the shed. If you struggle with small print, snap a phone photo and zoom.
• Protect the edges: It’s splash‑proof, not dunk‑proof. Store it flat and dry; don’t leave it in damp soil or a wet tray.
• Mark your common crops: A tiny sticky flag on the edge speeds finding your most‑used vegetables during the busy season.

Alternatives and how it fits

• Gardening apps: Great for reminders and zone‑specific suggestions, but they can be fussy and slow when you just need a spacing number or maturity window. I prefer the wheel for quick checks and use an app for notifications.
• Extension PDFs/books: Deep and authoritative, but not as portable or glanceable. I still reference them for pest management and variety selection.
• Spreadsheets: Excellent for detailed record‑keeping, but they take time to build and maintain. The wheel is faster for real‑time decisions.

For me, the planner has become the fast‑twitch layer: immediate answers at the potting bench, with apps and guides as the slower, deeper layers behind it.

Pros and cons

Pros
- Compact, at‑a‑glance guidance for 21 staple vegetables
- Practical spacing, germination, and maturity ranges
- Works for spring and fall by aligning to your frost dates
- Splash‑resistant, durable enough for regular shed use
- Seed quantity and companion notes reduce guesswork

Cons
- Small, dense type can be hard to read in dim light
- First‑time season switch is unintuitive
- Limited to common vegetables; no herb or specialty coverage

Recommendation

I recommend the CraftSaints garden planner wheel to gardeners who want a clear, physical planning aid that streamlines the basics—what to plant, when to plant it, and how far apart to space it—without diving into an app or book every time. It’s strongest as a quick‑reference backbone for a typical kitchen garden, especially if you grow a mix of cool‑ and warm‑season staples and plan both spring and fall rotations. The small print and initial learning curve are real, but manageable with good lighting and a few minutes of practice. If you value glanceable, accurate guidance and like the feel of a tangible tool at the bench, this planner is a smart, low‑maintenance addition to your kit.