When you are growing your own vegetables-how much do you need? The answer will always be variable...it will depend on factors such as whether you are aiming to supply your entire vegetable needs, or to just supplement your purchases with freshly picked salad ingredients.
I was wandering the web when I stumbled upon this very handy chart:
Asparagus: about 10-15 plants per person
Beans (Bush): about 15 plants per person
Beans (Pole): 2-4 poles of beans per person (each pole with the four strongest seedlings growing)
Beets: about 36 plants per person.
Broccoli: 3-5 plants per person
Cabbage: 2-3 plants per person
Cantaloupe: figure on about 4 fruits per plant (estimate how much your family would eat)
Carrots: about 100 seeds per person (1/4 oz would be plenty for a family of six)
Cauliflower: 2-3 plants per person
Collards: about 5 plants per person
Corn: start out with 1/2 lb. seeds for the family and adjust as needed
Cucumbers: 3-6 plants per family
Eggplant: 3-6 plants per family
Lettuce: 4-5 plants per person
Okra: 3-4 plants per person
Onions: 12-15 plants per person
Parsnips: 12-15 plants per person
Peas: about 120 plants per person
Peppers: 3-5 plants per person
Spinach: about 15 plants per person
Squash (including Zucchini): about 10 per family
Sweet Potatoes: about 75 plants per family
Tomatoes: about 20 plants per family
Turnips: about 1/4 lb (200grams or so) seeds per family
Watermelon: about 1/2 oz.(10 or 20gr) seeds per family
By using the annual recommendations above and spreading your planting across the appropriate season, you should be able to calculate what you need to plant.
I found it over at New Life On a Homestead-so make sure you pop over and check out the whole blog. :)
That's interesting Deezy as I am only new to gardening and really didn't have much of an idea. I now have heaps of broccoli growing but it is all getting flowers on it due to the warm weather we are having I guess. That list provides some good guidelines. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThis is a question I have asked myself many times. It usually comes through season-long trial and error before I realise. First year of growing tomatoes we had nowhere near enough to satisfy our own needs. Second year we had enough to satisfy us from around January to April but none left over. So after two season, I am going to grow as many as I can fit - they are the one veg (fruit) that I think one can never have too many of. I eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner in summer. Over winter - I can barely stand the sight of them. :P
ReplyDeleteOver winter tomatoes are brilliant in soups, stews & pasta sauces. :)
DeleteVery interesting, thank you. Cold winter is nearing here but come spring we plan on expanding the vegetable area and fruit bushes to be more self suficcient. I found this year that a lot of plants need more shelter from wind to thrive and had a few flops as a result. Oh well, we learn as we go. Your post is most helpful on amounts. Pam in Norway
ReplyDeleteHi Pam,
DeleteI can imagine that it would be a *little* colder in Norway than it is here! :) All the best with your garden extension.