In the Garden ~ How Much Should you Plant

   

 

    It might seem early to start thinking about what and how much you want to grow in your garden this year but you might want to think about first how much you will need.  Right now is the perfect time to plant your onions, that will be ready for early spring.  But how many onions do you need to plant?  Of course if you do not like onions, then we can’t really be friends.  Just kidding! They do lend great flavor to dishes as a base so it might be time to rethink those onions.

For ease of simplicity we are going to use the base measurement of a family of four. For those who know my family, know that we are not a family of four but seven and four of those are teenage boys, which is sometimes like feeding two grown adults.  All this to say, take these numbers as a base and add in more of what you really like and maybe what you really want to eat.  Of course, how much space you have is also a contributing factor.  Are you only growing your garden in pots, then maybe you will have to ignore all these numbers.  If you have a good amount of space or friends willing to share and grow this will help guide for variety and fun.

Don’t forget that you can rotate items out as the weather changes. For example, those leafy greens and spinach will do very well during the cooler months, while tomatoes will not.  Rotate your choices to also add variety and diversification to your garden.  If you plan to preserve your items for use all year long, even better, that will stretch your garden into the winter months when you won’t be able to grow as much food.

I found a beneficial chart here: https://www.gardengatemagazine.com/articles/vegetables/getting-started/calculate-how-many-vegetables-to-plant/ They give a great breakdown of plants per person from one to four.  If this seems overwhelming, partner with neighbors or friends.  Do you grow tomatoes really well, volunteer to grow them all for everyone and see if they can handle all the zucchini and squash.  There are so many ways to grow your own food and be able to feed your family healthy, sustainable produce that won’t break the bank.  Of course each year you garden it gets easier.  As you learn more and figure out what works best for you and your garden, it becomes a source of pride and enjoyment.   

If you plan to preserve food you might need more space and more plants.  For example, you might need 5 tomato plants per person for a year's worth of tomato products, such as salsa, stewed tomatoes, and tomato sauce.  Whereas, you will only need one squash plant per person, to provide an adequate amount of squash for a year.  Those cucumbers are a higher number as well, such as 6 to 9 plants total for fresh and pickled cucumbers to last a year.  Create variety in having multiple winter squash plants that will yield enough for a year.  Five different options are, acorn, butternut, spaghetti, and the like.  These all have a stronger outer layer that will store well in dry storage along with those potatoes, onions and garlic.

Do not be afraid to try something new to see how it works out.  If your goal is not to preserve food but to share with others keep those numbers high.  If you want to only grow enough for your family, I hope this helps to get you started.  Of course, it’s never too early or late to start your garden, so give it a try.  We hope to hear from you about all your growing success this year.  We will regularly post our wins and misses from our garden so be on the look out.