How Many Vegetables to Plant (for Food)

[@sameskdc]

I need 10 jalapeno plants. So naturally I have 50 growing in the basement.

[@katloo5647]

😂

[@derekcox6531]

Naturally!

[@unboxedbybre]

😂Sounds about right. Story of my life

[@aphillips5376]

I did this with Kale. Need 4, probably have 30 seedlings. Lol

[@Terri_Stauffer]

😂 you got it😂

[@Gordie1450]

Like a drunken sailor I continue to buy seeds, so far I’ve planted 50 in trays but that’s such a small number, I need more. I did go out in the garden and stare at the snow today.

[@GuitarsAndSynths]

how many sprouted and germinated?

[@amymorales4622]

When I have more slicing tomatoes than what I can use fresh, I dehydrate them. To do that, I just slice them a little thinner than I would for sandwiches, I salt them on both sides, and arrange them on the trays of the dehydrator. Then I dehydrate them until they are crispy. These "tomato chips" make the most amazing snack.

[@kburkes4245]

I pretty much grow a "salsa garden". Tomatoes, peppers, garlic, onions. I usually seed more than I need and give the rest away.

[@inelouw]

To be honest, people often ask "how many plants do I need to grow?" but I'm more interested in how much a given plant YIELDS. This is something that experienced gardeners probably know, but that information is VERY hard to come by. I mean, one carrot plant grows one carrot, that's pretty easy. But how many zucchini can you expect to get from an average plant? How many potatoes? How many strawberries? I know it depends on climate and variety, but just having a RANGE would already be helpful. It's much more convenient for me to know that an average indeterminate tomato plant yields about 20 lbs or whatever of tomatoes, than someone telling me I need 5 tomato plants to feed a family.

[@GuitarsAndSynths]

bingo what the per plant crop yield is the key factor. My serrano has 50 bloom flowers and peppers growing already so that will be tons of peppers alone from one small plant! But I love hot peppers and can turn them into sauces and powder.

[@debbierhode6291]

I always grow more than I need, and my neighbor does too, and we swap. One year, I took the excess down to our High School Volleyball team and they loved it!

[@TJtheHAWK]

Great topic and ideas Scott. If anything these recommended numbers make it sound like my family eats a ton of veggies. I grew 300 onions last year for a family of 4 and we were finished with them in just 5 months. I must've grown over 200 carrots as well and they are gone too.

[@laundromatjones4337]

Hey, I use 20-30 onions in a single batch of French onion soup! 300 would go pretty quick.

[@kirstypollock6811]

Yeah, sounds like I'd fit right in with you guys

[@umiluv]

I’m focusing on availability for my needs (the closest Asian market is 50+ miles away), growing things organically that aren’t available at my local market, and flavor. I don’t have enough beds to feed my family just off the garden. But I moved from Los Angeles to rural TN and a lot of the produce and foods I’m used to just don’t exist out here. So I have to grow my own and make many of the dishes myself to enjoy them. So I’m growing stuff like a variety of Asian and SW chili peppers, Thai basil, lemongrass, perilla, Chinese leeks. And then I’m also growing organic versions of veg that I don’t see at the market - napa cabbage, basil, thyme, oregano, sage, cilantro, parsley, ginger, chives, leeks, garlic, baby bok choy, broccoli rapini, lettuce, mustard. Then I’m growing stuff that is really expensive at the market like organic strawberries and organic kale that our family enjoys all the time. I’m experimenting with growing celery, cabbage, and a wide variety of tomatoes. My son loves cherry tomatoes fresh from the garden so of course I’ve decided to grow 3 different kinds for him lol. Husband loves tomato sauce with his pasta so I’m growing 4 different paste tomatoes. I’m growing 2 slicing tomatoes for fun and flavor. I’m hoping to try out potatoes and purple sweet potatoes again this year. Failed miserably last year. Very excited for the year!

[@smas3256]

Are you saving your own seeds? I'm gonna put my cherry tomato in a bucket far far from my Roma so they don't cross pollenate. Good luck. Much food, happy family.

[@thisorthat7626]

@umiluv, your approach makes so much sense! Grow what you like to eat that you can't get locally at a decent price. Herbs are expensive in many stores, and you have a great list there. Sounds great. I hope you enjoy living in TN.

[@stevenschnepp576]

For strawberries, I prefer growing the sort you can't get in stores. Pineberries are good and crazy expensive to buy (and most pests ignore them), and no storebought berry will ever be as good as a Mara des Bois fresh from the plant.

[@christinamoxon]

How do people manage without that list of things?! You live in an area where people don't eat herbs? 😮 Sounds like you've got it in hand though, well done.

[@wormulous]

As you know I'm trying new things at scale this year. Idk why I'll need 50 parsley plants , but I might end up with that many. I wanted to try indeterminate tomatoes so 48 seedlings sounds ab but it right. I dont know anyone that would need 24 cabbages, but we might just end up with that many. All the while I'll end up succession sowing things as time.goes by. Itll be a race of time, patience, care, and room to store and eat harvests. All I can say is you can't eat the grass so if some more of it has to go, it has to go. Heck idk if I even like turnips, but I want an early harvest of those bad boys as well. All of this is a super experiment. If I start 1 plant I might as well plant 6, and if I'm starting 6 might as well be 12.... or 24.

[@eliandkate]

Oh perfect timing for this advice. I just admitted that I’ve grown 200 onion seedlings than I have space for in my raised bed. 😂

[@heidiweinert3260]

The great thing about onions is they are easy to sneak into small empty spaces.

[@j.b.6855]

I usually start 200 onion seeds, most will come up. I have room for 100. So I give the extras away to friends, neighbors, and members of my church.

[@smas3256]

@@j.b.6855 Onions are great to interplant between other veggies because most bugs hate the smell. I don't need to spray the bugs.

[@j.b.6855]

@@smas3256 That would be ideal for in ground or raised bed gardens. My garden is mostly containers. Not a lot of free space. So I share extras.

[@j.b.6855]

I dont think its possible to grow everything my family eats in my backyard garden. But it is possible to supplement what we eat and eat healthier. I also focus on what we eat. I do like to grow something new and see if it will be something we like to eat, but I am limiting that in favor of what we really eat.

[@samljer]

yea, this is something all new gardeners come to terms with. People don't realize just how much space is required to feed one person 100%

[@j.b.6855]

@@samljer Im heading into my 5th gardening year, and I figured it out in my 2nd. At 20' x 150' my large garden doesnt come close to feeding one person even during gardening season. Im in 5b, Id likely have to have a farm to grow enough for my family for a year.

[@smas3256]

@@j.b.6855 Hopes this info helps. Cooler weather plants? Carrots freeze with out blanching and they keep there crisp, color and great taste. Pole beans make more sense than bush green beans. Tonight I cooked my last frozen 1/2 quart bag bush beans and this time tasted great. It would take another garden to get enough potatoes for 1/2 a years worth. Potatoes grown in bucket had small yield. I think I needed 1/2 bucket compost and wood ash and leaf mold. Ash doesn't change the PH. Fact is they store much longer according to another channel that tested the ash theory and proved it wrong. Ashes great for potatoes. Broccoli takes too much space so its Brussels sprouts this year. As you pick the leave and sprouts from the bottom the plant gets taller is what I've observed on another channel but milder climate. Have you had any luck with B. Sprouts? If my spouse was more agreeable my garden would be 2 times the size but I don't do the heavy lifting, compost stuff. We have a no dig no till garden. Hardly any weeding. We don't have to spray for bugs. Nesting birds love eating the bugs when they get the washed, air dried, crushed egg shells they need for calcium. We have a water source for them too.

[@redhandspunhandwoven6512]

Great approach to gardening

[@j.b.6855]

@@smas3256 I have been trying to get any brassica other than radishes to grow right for the last two years. This year they are going out very early and I am limiting myself to cabbage and kohlrabi to focus on them. Once I get one to work, the others should be easier.

[@dwaynewladyka577]

It all comes down to how much room you have, and what you can grow. This is very valuable information. Cheers, Scott!

[@stephenhope7319]

The best advice is keeping records. For 34 years pre-retirement I only grew tomatoes and basil and some companion flowers like marigolds etc. Now I am coming up on 4 years retired and keep spreadsheets on plantings. Without good records I would probably forget how many of A, and B and C I grew last year or the year before and keep note of how successful I was. EG dill can only be grown in my 9B zone until May then the heat kills it. Thanks Gardner Scott.

[@roelven1282]

Greetings from the Netherlands, last year i upscaled my amateur food garden substantially... from mai to januari-feb i didnt have to buy 95% of my vegetables(i still have some packages in the freezer now in march) or herbs and NO potatoes at all. This year i upscaled even more so we will be able to trade potatoes with others for tomatoes (this year i will start my first try with tomatoes).... I dont have room to try to much new things (7 big raised beds/ 80 containers ranging from 80-50ltrs) and 40- pots with a diamater of arround 30 cm... So everything i grew last year i added a few plants of each (potatoes exception lol ... 4 times as much, due to my wifes double seed potato buy) .. .and i added just a few plants i never tried ... beets, tomatoes, cauliflour, cabbage, a second bean-race that can climb... But my core i grow alot of is herbs(oven drying), potatoes, onion, beans, courgette, pumpkin, broccoli, leeks, rhubarb, strawberries/raspberry/currants/gooseberries, carrots, garlic, vigs and sweet peppers, radishes and spring onions and ofc lettuce

[@elaines5179]

Have to give them away? Plan to grow some to give away. food banks will need them this year. Shortages are likely this year as well so supplementing from the store will be less sure.

[@aphillips5376]

I agree

[@dwaynewladyka577]

Very true. A food bank I know about, said to grow a row. Fresh vegetables are good to donate.

[@samljer]

A tip to spread out space further is to also choose faster turn over crops eg: bok choy instead of celery radishes instead of beets melons instead of watermelons, etc. (watermelon can take like 100 days, even if it says 85 on the pk) Ground cherries are great, as they can be made into jams/preserves storing a real long time.

[@alizaterrell7607]

I grew 68 tomato plants last year, and that was not enough for my world. Putting in 112; this year, based on last year's averages, that should cover us.

[@samljer]

People dont realize just how much plants it takes to feed a person. doesnt matter what it is, tomato, potato, lettuce. its crazy. if i went full salads every day id need 2 avg size lettuce/day just to cover break/lun/din. (2/3 or 66% of a head per meal) take that its 30-35 days. i would need, just for myself, 65 heads in a rotation per month.. bonkers. And that's for plain lettuce, id still need some cucumbers, tomatoes, etc. the best a back yard gardener can hope for is to supplement for a healthier diet; and maybe try some stuff they cant buy.

[@smas3256]

@@samljer I plant leafy lettuce and cut the outer large leaves and it keeps growing until frost. Pest don't bother it. Crushed egg shells along the rows attract nesting birds. They need the calcium and grit and eat the bugs, slug, cut worms. I give them a water source. Pruning the cucumbers we had in buckets correctly is the key to more cukes. Bell peppers for bucket variety gives a great yield when I picked a few early to encourage more blossoms. I covered them, looked like a halloween ghost because of it was staked. I got peppers until November. Zone 6b.

[@redhandspunhandwoven6512]

You are making me feel better about my 24 tomatoes for just me

[@leahness3588]

I will need more beets and carrots.😉👍❤

[@FrozEnbyWolf150]

I always have to grow way more than I think I need, because of all the pest pressure and unpredictable weather we have around here. I'd rather deal with having too many plants and too big a harvest, than have to deal with the alternative.

[@sliceableuser5968]

I need to grow as much as I can because it's fun

[@GuitarsAndSynths]

right? I mean you can sell, dry, pickle, can and preserve extra crop produced or give to neighbors and friends. Everyone loves fresh produce!

[@ttb1513]

Good topic. Easy to get wrong. Rampicante squash was interesting for me last year. I had only one seedling survive. But it seemed that it rarely had male flowers when a female flower was ready to be pollinated. I think I would have considerably more than twice as many by growing two plants. Tomatillos are another one. The first year I grew them I didn’t know they needed another plant nearby to get maximum pollination. The one plant that I placed far from the others had few pollinated tomatillos setting on. I trimmed a couple branches from these very bushy, sprawling plants and stuck the branches in the ground, which I kept watered until they, like tomatoes, developed roots and took hold. The flowers from the two small new plants helped pollinate the formerly ‘loner’ plant, and all was well.

[@82Julian]

Very thanks Scott i think this is a one of the biggest question for a real self-sufficient-gardner 👍 appreciated

[@annmc3878]

Our plans changed when I got a pressure canner and could can green beans. I joke that one day we will just have green beans, tomatoes and cucumbers. But we actually grow almost everything. I’m a sucker for peppers and since I can add them in grow bags, I can’t seem to limit myself. A patio of grow bag around the patio furniture, sure that’s not a problem 😂

[@Brenda-xc7sq]

Thank you Scott, a good system to make the best of a growing space and , as you say, the numbers will be particular to each family's needs. I will make good use of your advice in my small veggie patch at home.

[@Sakura-zu4rz]

I love the kind and generous heartwarming atmosphere that you create, your kind, easygoing, warm vibe.❤❤❤My favorite thing to do in life is eat good food. ❤

[@amyk6028]

Great video! I’m always trying to figure out how many plants of this or that I need to grow to feed my family of 4. Typically I choose not only the ones we eat the most of, but also the ones that are the most expensive in the grocery store, like lettuce. I eat a salad every day, so I grow a lot of lettuce, tomatoes & cucumbers ❤

[@smas3256]

I never liked lettuce until I grew some. It gets boring though. Have you tried lettuce seed packet with a few different lettuce varieties in one pack? How they aren't sold out.

[@jaytoney3007]

Great topic. I'm still learning how much to plant for each food crop, and still experimenting to see what I like best, The problem is, I like a lot of variety. I do canning, freezing, and dehydration. I use peppers in a lot of my cooking, so based on last years harvest, which was plentiful, I need between fifty and seventy plants. Squash and cucumbers were a problem last year from a moth that migrates up from Florida, and lays its eggs during he night-pickleworms. They are very destructive for squash and cucumbers, but I found an organic solution-Spinosad. It was too late for last year, but I'm ready for them this year. Tomatoes did okay, but could have done better-my fault. I burnt them with too high a concentrate of Neem oil treating a white fly infestation. This year I expect they will do much better, and half of my plants are being grown in raised beds inside a polytunnel greenhouse. It will be covered later in the season with a shade cloth. The greenhouse is letting me put tomatoes in the ground six weeks early. They've been in the ground since March first, and are growing rapidly. There is frost in the forcast, but they should do fine inside the greenhouse. I'm growing 8 varieties of squash, one or two plants each. I'm not worried about it being too much squash. It is an experiment to see what grows best, yeilds, flavor, and resistance to pests. I'll adjust it for my needs next year. I've tripled the amount of Swiss chard I am growing, trying two new varieties of spinach, Chijimisai, and New Zealand Spinach. Asian greens grew well form me up until the winter storm last December, so I've replanted them. Russsian Red Kale survived the coldest temperaures and hard freeze. I have two plants still growing, and am growing two additional plants. I over planted beans last year, and had multiple abundant harvests. There is such a thing as too many beans, Dragon Tongue, Blue Lake bush, Cantare, Tongues of Fire, Yellow Butter Wax, and Blue Lake pole beans. I have enough beans to last through June, maybe longer. This year, I am only growing pole beans, Oriental Yard Long, and Rattlesnake. Next year, I will plant Red Noodle beans, and Blue Lake Pole Beans. The following year, I will have a better idea how many beans I need to plant, of what varieties. The Blue Lake pole beans were planted in the beginning of April last year, and produced through October-tons of beans. Once I started picking, I was picking nearly every day into October before they started slowing down.

[@lauriecampbell1586]

I'm thinking of really cutting back on the amount of squash I plant, simply because squash bugs are so bad here. I think that space would be better used for something else.

[@smas3256]

Research what do squash bugs hate. Companion plant. Research what you should not plant near squash.

[@lispottable]

You also need to think about where and how you will store your bounty! Great video as always Scott. Lol I should have listened to the end. Of course you covered preservation!

[@heidiweinert3260]

I love freezing gallon bags of cherry tomatoes for sauce. Just my preference.

[@katloo5647]

That’s what I tried last summer with some of my tomatoes and so far, just as tasty as the tomatoes I canned!

[@heidiweinert3260]

@Katloo I watch Pastagrammar vlog and she is a very particular Italian. Last summer they made sauce with cherry tomatoes two different ways and she loved it. They said they would start growing cherry tomatoes for sure! I mean it when I say she is very picky.

[@k.p.1139]

Thanks Scott! I'm about average on your list. Except tomatoes. I think I have close to 50. That was done on purpose, and with a plan! We have not had a good tomato harvest in a couple of years. So, there was very little preserving. This year- spring, that is the target crop, with some beans and squash planted. Everything I grow this year is for a specific purpose! When the tomatoes are done, then my next target crop will be going in.

[@auntiereeses5864]

Fantastic! One additional consideration I make is plant size based on where it's grown. I have limited in-ground and raised bed space and so I supplement with lots of pots. Therefore, I grow more zucchini and summer squash plants because I choose to put them in pots instead, and the pots stunt their growth. Plant variety, too, can make a difference. We just discovered last year that we love the flavor of Costata Romanesco zucchini, but they have a lower production rate. Excellent video, Gardener Scott, thank you!

[@GuitarsAndSynths]

yeah these plants need in ground beds to really grow well same for watermelon and other melons

[@elaines5179]

Also, thank you for recommending Eli and Kate, I thoroughly enjoy them.

[@IndigoCobalt]

This is an excellent video… I was just starting to wonder about this topic, and here’s exactly what I needed!!! 🌱

[@WILLITGROW]

i agree with you the tomato sauce making is a must for me now every year.good luck sir

[@annettehill4490]

U can plant ur seedlings weeks apart and then u have a consistent supply throughout the planting season

[@KatesGarden]

Great video and we’ll said! This is a great place to start if you’re not familiar with a crop. And as you said, amount vary widely depending on your eating habits etc And don’t forget, it will also depend on the variety like mini sized zucchini vs standard and the short chantenay carrots vs the big ones. But you have to start somewhere and then you can adjust as required 😀👍

[@littlebiscuit53]

Thanks Scott! That list is going to be so helpful. I've been trying to figure out how much to grow and usually end up with way too much or not enough for the two of us. The space in my urban garden gets tight and now I have an idea of how to fit our favorites.

[@alotus2u]

Thank you for your videos! First season starting garden from seed as transplant prices have skyrocketed here in France. I was too anxious about getting everything right until I listened to your videos. You are the Mr. Rogers of the gardening world. Thank you!

[@janetthornton7909]

To copy list of how many plants to grow, slow the play speed down as slow as it will go. That gives you enough time to jot it down. Plus it’s very funny listening to Scott speaking very very slowly 😂.

[@sejalpatel2422]

I have 3 beds. 8 by 6. It’s not enough for us to grow all at once. Thanks for this video. Watching your videos I’m getting so much knowledge. Today I sow tomatoes, 3 different kinds of peppers after your reply. Thank u so much.

[@GuitarsAndSynths]

cool! I have a dozen kinds of hot peppers growing in my garden

[@nomathembazwedala7704]

I never thought of that theory, and now that you are highliting it really gives sense. Thanks for the mind openning.

[@judithhobson5868]

i think the recommendations of yours are more realistic for a common 1/3 acre backyard home gardener for eating and preserving . tyvm

[@chrismc1967]

Love your channel. Very practical advice coming from an experienced back yard gardener.

[@richbattaglia5350]

Thank you for sharing your insights about gardening! I’m trying to grow garlic now, but want to try potatoes and melons next.

[@heidiclark6612]

Great information! It is so hard to narrow it down to how many. This year I am really figuring out how i am going to use the harvest from my garden. I am doing a lot of canning and am going to try to grow enough of everything i need for canned salsa, tomatoes, pickled peppers. We will see.

[@calliebolstad1345]

Your videos are so helpful! I’m getting ready for my first real garden this year and you are one of my main sources of info to get started. Thank you!!

[@smas3256]

😊

[@freakygardener8033]

I honestly hope I will end up with extra! That way I will take some to work to share, and see how many people believe they came from my driveway! Lol

[@GuitarsAndSynths]

I did first garden this year in raised containers and pots and have a dozen pepper plants, several tomato and cucumber plants and lots of herbs, garlic and green onion. Should be fun experiment. My green onion green over 3 feet tall and bloomed flowers! Half will fail so half to plant twice as many as expected.

[@thisorthat7626]

I start by looking at what veggies cost locally. Carrots are $1.50 - $2.00 for 2 pounds. Potatoes are $3-5 per 10 pound bag. Lettuce costs 3 heads for $2-5. And water is a limiting factor where I live. So I won't grow carrots or potatoes, but I will grow lettuce, chard and other greens that provide a continual harvest. Tomatoes, peppers, garlic, herbs, rhubarb and other more expensive produce are also on my list. And I will try some new plants like sweet potatoes and beets because I enjoy eating them. What works for me may not work for you. But realistically I will always need to buy some produce from the store. I want to make sure that I am spending my money wisely and not investing a huge amount of work in growing something that isn't economically reasonable for my area.

[@ThatBritishHomestead]

I try and error it! so far i keep doubling and seeing what happens, we have got to 50 tomatoes, 20 peppers and 25 chillis etc and we just see how winter goes. at the moment wr are running low in everything but squash! LOL but then we will see what happens as we now have greens coming in!

[@danielasmith4928]

Thank You Scott!

[@lynnlovessoil]

There are so many factors to consider. Weather and pest pressure are big ones. Every year I try to grow more and more of what we eat. I’ll never be able to grow it all. I have had to realize how much time and effort I want to spend in the garden and away from family and other responsibilities and include that in my decisions for how many plants to grow.

[@smas3256]

Don't get discouraged. Get organized. Your family can't help? If they are old enough they can help or not eat. There. Tough love at your service. It does have to be hard. Do your children have ipads and play with that? Hint. Then they need more time outside. The sun does not cause cancer so don't put poison on their skin. Make it a game with rewards. STRAWBERRIES. BLUEBERRIES.

[@stevenschnepp576]

​@@smas3256 "The sun does not cause cancer" Objectively false. Ultraviolet damage from overexposure to sunlight is causatively linked to skin cancer later in life. Avoid sunscreens with benzene, but use sunscreen to avoid sunburn where prudent.

[@kelrune]

Yeah them artichokes do take lots of space and takes 2 years for me to get one per plant. they are tastey though.

[@elaines5179]

Answer far more than you need ,to accommodate the unexpected. Like a child plowing through the middle of your garden out of control on his bicycle.

[@Ma1ingo]

Or a husband felling a tree right onto your tomato bed...

[@margaretalice6343]

Wonderful topic. I need to be mindful of how many of each plant I grow. Example last year we grew 75 each of kale & cabbage (way too many cos my seedling area was far too crowded for my space). Extras went to charity plant sale but thanks for the reminder 🤩

[@nolagirlhomestead]

Good information. Kinda glad I ignored average broccoli plants because only 4 of 12 made it through the arctic freeze! On the other hand, can one person ever have too many tomato plants! Only problem is 9b is limited mostly to hybrids, none of the fancier heirlooms can take the heat and humidity.

[@garynorcal4269]

My problem is that my broccoli either bolts or gets infested with aphids before we can harvest 10-12 plants.😢 but, we have generally been able to harvest 6 of the 12😅😅

[@nolagirlhomestead]

@@garynorcal4269 The horrors of zone 9, aphids and horn worm on my tomatoes 😑. Have a good one!

[@smas3256]

@@nolagirlhomestead Songbirds are voracious predators of bugs, including aphids, whitefly, scale, caterpillars, ants and earwigs, especially early in the season when they are feeding baby birds. Do a Search. How to attract birds to my garden I get nesting birds every year and very few bugs. Water source and crushed egg shells along rows. The birds need the calcium and grit, water and bugs.

[@nolagirlhomestead]

@@smas3256 Thx. Plenty of birds already, however, they are enjoying the berries more than the aphids! They're interesting to watch and listen to as well.

[@brendanelson1027]

I'm 8b/9a. The only tomato plants that consistently produce for me are an heirloom called Matt's Wild Cherry tomato. It was discovered in Mexico, vines over 20 feet long, so I plant along a fence & produces tiny little red gems of exquisite bright tomato flavor. It even out produced the Everglades Cherry tomatoes. I freeze any excess tomatoes to use in soups, spaghetti, etc. The Matt's Wild Cherry tomatoes also produce until really hard frost, so I am normally still harvesting in December or January. Blessings from NW Florida!

[@DougPowell01]

Okay Scott how much total square footage do you have in your garden beds? My method is a spreadsheet that calculates the total square footage needed for the type and number of plants I'm planning. I also factor in companion plants and a small percentage for plant failures; since my household is two adults, also in Colorado. By the way, I have a total of 320 SqFt for veggies. And I use a modified version of Mel's Square Foot Gardening recommendations, along with succession plantings.

[@GardenerScott]

I currently have about 400 sq ft available for vegetables. While I plan by bed, calculating total square footage is a good idea.

[@thisorthat7626]

@DougPowell01, I have family new to CO. May I ask what plants do well in your garden? It's a totally different zone so it has been trial and error to this point. Thank you.

[@cocobrwngl]

This is very helpful. Is there a place your list recommendations can be printed?

[@stephenluna7932]

Great info

[@Mastadex]

Nice video. My own spreadsheets seem to have roughly the same numbers your list has (Ontario 5b). Except potatoes, hmm.

[@phylliscrockett8123]

Give your extras to farm animals they like it and it saves money

[@richardcranium8066]

Love your videos!

[@HealthyDisrespectforAuthority]

Re Zucchini.. I had 9 plants last year. I got a whopping 3 squashes total... critters got the other 4 or 5 Re Cauliflower.. 1-2 plants? Don't they each only produce one head per plant? I have a few plants that so far, only have leaves and I think it's going to be too hot for them before they produce.. Georgia zone 8

[@garynorcal4269]

I grow as a hobby and supplement my family diet. Every year .. I end up giving excess produce to friends or neighbors and some stored produce ends up in the compost.😂😢😅

[@stevenschnepp576]

Is it the sort of produce that you could can or dehydrate?

[@garynorcal4269]

@@stevenschnepp576 In short .. yes .. but we/I have chosen not to .. I do some, but not excessive amounts.

[@Steve197201]

I would consider how much produce you eat in a typical week and multiply it by 52. Then plant your garden based on that.

[@LoraCreates]

I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned it or if you already know but there is a type of artichoke for cooler climates. Check out Colorado Red Star artichoke. If I recall it's hardy to zone 7 but double check me. The brain doesn't always remember correctly. ;)

[@GardenerScott]

I have looked into varieties like that that are good to zone 7, but in my zone 5 they should be treated as annuals.

[@LoraCreates]

Ah, I didn't realize you were in zone 5. Brrr!

[@kirstypollock6811]

I eat 4kg + of veg a week, typically. I have room but I'm daunted by trying to grow that much, plus I haven't had success with brassicas. I easily kept up with eating everything from 4 zucchini plants. Isn't it also random what you lose to pests or bad weather?

[@stevenschnepp576]

Bad weather is beyond your control, but you can plan for it once you know what to expect. For example, I know I'm going to get some impressive winds - so I'm planting my tomatoes in line with the direction of the wind storms, with a sturdy trellis that can support them. Pests are more in your control - there are quite a few mitigation techniques for just about everything. You don't need to take those varmintous depredations lying down.

[@johnmullis6589]

I growing 30 past tomatoes plants.

[@heidiweinert3260]

Well, thanks to bugs and whatever else I did wrong, I got 4 zucchini off of 6 plants. The tromboncinos were serious champions though once I cut off all the squirrel chew marks.

[@stevenschnepp576]

Make friends with the local stray cats. If you can get them to hang around your garden, they'll drastically reduce the varmint attacks.

[@ginninadances]

Did anybody get that list? I'm lazy but saw a few I wanted to try

[@jenniferlroberts5994]

I have to disagree with the stats when it comes to the artichoke. Think about how many of those you need to have just to make dip. I would suggest, for those, at least three per person.

[@gregbluefinstudios4658]

Curious, Scott... do you have a "factor" you use, for Germination issues? Say, tomato, and you want 5 per person, so, how many seeds do you sow?

[@GardenerScott]

Most of what I sow germinates. I will do a few extra, so I would do 12 tomato seeds if I want 10 plants.

[@gregbluefinstudios4658]

@@GardenerScott makes sense... for me, if a seed is older, I may double. For tomato, I grow 15 or so varieties, and often multiples, per... so, if germination is not 100% I am ok with it. (I am one of those gardener's who freezes, makes sauces and salsa's)

[@nates2526]

I want to peal the label off the plastic bin so bad.

[@dustyflats3832]

Lol, really? Is that a list of fresh use only because it doesn’t come close for preserving. Carrots 15-20? 😂Rows?😂 JK. Seriously though it takes much more to preserve for a year to get even just two people through a year to next harvest. I put in 3 bundles of onions last year (approximately 70/bundle) and I have just a small basket of fresh and several packages of frozen and couple jars dehydrated left. This could probably make it a few more months. I’m still in the process of figuring out all the varieties and variables. It depends a lot on how you will use the vegetables/fruit to preserve. Tomato sauce and ketchup could take more because you remove more water to condense it down. Some things are mixed with others. Lately I’ve been getting into freezing soup bricks where I may pull out bags of different veggies for soup and freeze them in bricks for quick nutritious meals on the fly. Yes, those numbers would be much higher for preserving a years worth for just two people.