Calculate How Many Vegetables to Plant (2024)

By: Marisa Reyes
Use this handy chart to figure out how many vegetables to plant in your garden so your whole family can enjoy the homegrown bounty.

Calculate How Many Vegetables to Plant (1)

Figure out how many vegetables to plant

When I first started vegetable gardening, I would sow every single seed in the envelope and plant every seedling in the pack, take care of hundreds of my growing babies and struggle with letting any of them go. Oversowing and overplanting left me with more produce than I could handle and sometimes weird-looking, stunted crops that were growing too close together. There was no way everything that germinated would fit in my garden, but watching those little seeds sprout and turn into plants was a treat in itself.

Adjust to your vegetable garden needs

Every year of experience with a vegetable garden helps you decide what to do the following year, but if you’re not sure if you’re planting enough or too much of a particular crop, start with the helpful chart below. It’ll help you decide whether to start with seeds or plants, how many to put in, and whether (and how much) to thin. If you’re getting started with vegetable gardening, this will help you mix and match your favorite crops into the space you have. These suggestions are based on fresh eating for a single person or a family of four, for four or five meals. You may decide you want to eat more than that, but it’s a starting point. If you’d like to freeze, can or pickle, decide how many meals you’d like to eat throughout the year and adjust accordingly.

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How many vegetable to plant for a family

In general, multiply the number of plants per person by 3 or 4 for a family-sized planting. We’ve done the work for you in adjusting the numbers of these plants in the chart so at harvest you aren’t overwhelmed with too many delicious veggies. Keeping a garden journal from year to year will help you track which crops you had more or less than needed so you can better plan for future growing seasons.

Vegetable cropPlants per 1 personPlants per 4 PeoplePlant spacingDirect Sow SeedsTransplant SeedlingsComments
Asparagus5 to 1025 plants12 to 18 in.XXIt takes 2 to 3 years before harvest but can last up to a decade
Beans10 to 1540 to 45Thin seedlings to 2 to 3 in.XPlant successive crops every two weeks for a continuous harvest; great for canning and pickling
Beets10 to 1240 to 48Thin seedlings to 3 in.XBeets store well; plant in spring and fall for two harvests each year
Broccoli1 to 24 to 615 in.XEvery time you cut a head, more smaller ones will form
Cabbage2 to 38 to 10Thin seedlings to 9 to 12 in.XXPlant cabbage closer together for smaller heads
Carrots20 to 3080 to 90Thin seedlings to 1 to 2 in.XLong shelf life; plant in spring and fall for multiple harvests
Celery1 to 24 to 68 to 12 in.XStronger taste than store bought; celery stalks will regrow after being cut
Corn10 to 1240 to 4812 in.XPlant in blocks for best pollination
Cucumbers1 to 23 to 4Thin seedlings to 12 to 24 in.XXPlant 12 in. apart if using a trellis system and 24 in. apart if they’re rambling on the ground
Eggplant2 to 34 to 638 in.XEach plant will produce about 8 to 20 well developed fruits depending on variety
Kale4 to 516 to 2012 in.XSow seeds 3 in. apart and thin to 12 in. the seedlings can be enjoyed as microgreens!
Lettuce4 to 616 to 24Thin seedlings to 9 in.XXStagger sowing for one head per week per person
Melons1 to 22 to 424 in.XPlant two seeds per hole in mounds 24 inches apart
Onions6 to 1224 to 484 to 6 in.XBuy sets (individual bulbs) or plants (in bundles) and plant two per person, per week
Peas15 to 2060 to 80Thin seedlings to 2 in.XXGrow peas on a trellis
Peppers1 to 31 to 1212 to 24 in.XMost hot peppers are prolific: one plant is enough for one or four people; for larger peppers, grow two to three plants per person
Potatoes4 to 612 to 2412 in.XSeed potatoes are tubers you plant in the ground; each plant will yield 1 lb. of potatoes
Radishes10 to 15604 to 6 in.XEnjoy radish seedlings as microgreens and are tasty on salads and sandwiches
Spinach4 to 816 to 32Thin seedlings to 3 to 6 in.XXPlant in spring and fall for two harvests a year
Squash (Summer & Winter)1 to 22 to 4Thin seedlings to 18 to 36 in.XXPlant summer squash 18 in. apart and larger plants of winter squash 36 in. apart
Tomatoes1 to 41 to 1612 to 24 in.XCherries: Grow one per person; slicing: grow one to two per person; paste: grow three to four per person
Zucchini1 to 2436 in.XFlowers from zucchini plants are also edible, fry them up and give them a try for something new

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Calculate How Many Vegetables to Plant (2024)

FAQs

How many vegetables do I need to plant? ›

How many vegetables needed
Crop (number of plants per ft. of row)Number of plants per person
Spinach (Thin to 6 plants/ft. of row)30-60 plants
Squash (1 plant/6 ft. of row)1-2 plants
Tomato (1 plant/2 ft. of row)2-4 plants
Zucchini (1 plant/3 ft. of row)1-2 plants
15 more rows

How do you calculate planting quantity? ›

Divide the width by the spacing to get the number of columns then divide the length by the spacing to get the number of rows. Finally, multiply the rows by the columns to find the number of plants needed.

How do I calculate how much food I need to grow? ›

Create a list of plants, and note how much you eat per week – so if you eat 5lbs (about 2kg) of potatoes a week, that's 20lbs (9kg) a month and 240lbs (109kg) a year. You'll need to grow this amount at least, plus a little more to make up for any lost to disease, pests and other problems.

How many vegetables for a family of 4? ›

How many vegetable to plant for a family
Vegetable cropPlants per 1 personPlants per 4 People
Peas15 to 2060 to 80
Peppers1 to 31 to 12
Potatoes4 to 612 to 24
Radishes10 to 1560
18 more rows
Mar 12, 2018

What is the best layout for a vegetable garden? ›

As a general rule, put tall veggies toward the back of the bed, mid-sized ones in the middle, and smaller plants in the front or as a border. Consider adding pollinator plants to attract beneficial insects that can not only help you get a better harvest, but will also prey on garden pests.

Is it cheaper to grow your own vegetables? ›

Growing your own food is a healthy way to save money and enjoy fresh produce at home. When done correctly, even the smallest backyard plot can produce copious amounts of fruits and vegetables and possibly even a significant saving to the grocery budget.

What is the formula for planting rate? ›

Using the seeding rate calculation equation {(Seed/ac factor) / (seed/pound) = pound/ac} it is determined that the proper seeding rate is 2.0 PLS pounds/ acre.

How do you figure out how many plants you need? ›

How Many Plants Do I Need?
  1. For a square bed, multiply the length of the bed by its width to determine how many plants per square foot.
  2. For a circular planting bed, you can calculate how many plants per square foot is ideal by multiplying 3.14 by the distance from the center to the edge of the bed.

How to calculate the number of plants? ›

A hectare is ten thousand rectangle metres in size in general. Divide ten thousand by the result of multiplying the plant spacing and row spacing among each other. plant populace= ten thousand ÷ among plant life spacing (m) × among rows spacing (m).

What size vegetable garden for family of 4? ›

Generally speaking, 200 square feet of garden space per person will allow for a harvest that feeds everyone year-round. For an average family of four, plan for an 800 square-foot garden—a plot that's 20 feet by 40 feet in size should do the trick. If your family is larger (or smaller), scale up or down as needed.

How to calculate garden size? ›

Multiply the length by the width to determine the square footage—or area—of a square or rectangle. Find the square footage by multiplying the length and width of the area in question. Make sure to keep your units the same (feet or inches).

How big of a garden to be self-sufficient? ›

The general rule of thumb when it comes to growing a garden is to have 100 square feet of gardening space (traditional row gardens) per person for fresh eating only. To preserve food and put it up for the non-growing season, you're looking at 200 square feet of gardening space per person.

How many tomato plants should I plant? ›

In order to stock my pantry with the tomato products we eat regularly, I'll need to grow 252 pounds of tomatoes (Roma tomatoes are meatier). That means I'll need between 17-25 tomato plants in order to accommodate my family's needs.

What vegetables are worth growing? ›

10 Vegetables That Provide the Best Payback
  • Tomatoes. These aren't the easiest to grow, but if you can nurse tomato plants through issues such as blight, septoria leaf spot, and groundhog attacks, the payoff is huge. ...
  • Peppers. ...
  • Cucumbers. ...
  • Asparagus. ...
  • Onions, Leeks, Shallots, Garlic. ...
  • Lettuce. ...
  • Squash. ...
  • Rhubarb.

How far apart should you plant vegetables? ›

  1. Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cabbage: 2' - 3' row spacing.
  2. Tomatoes: 2' - 4' row spacing.
  3. Summer Squash: 3' - 5' row spacing.
  4. Winter Squash: 5' - 6' row spacing.
  5. Cucumbers: 5' - 6' row spacing.

Do vegetables need to be planted in pairs? ›

Companion planting is an effective way to repel pests, attract beneficial pollinators, and stimulate healthy growth. But pairing certain vegetables together can also have adverse effects on the plants growing in your garden.

How many vegetables do we really need? ›

Daily Vegetable Table
Daily Recommendation*
Women19-30 yrs2½ to 3 cups
31-59 yrs2 to 3 cups
60+ yrs2 to 3 cups
Men19-30 yrs3 to 4 cups
9 more rows

What is the best plant food ratio for vegetables? ›

A common recommendation for vegetables is to apply 1 pound of a 10-10-10 fertilizer or 2 pounds of a 5-10-5 (or 5-10-10) fertilizer per 100 feet of row.

What size garden for a family of 4? ›

Generally speaking, 200 square feet of garden space per person will allow for a harvest that feeds everyone year-round. For an average family of four, plan for an 800 square-foot garden—a plot that's 20 feet by 40 feet in size should do the trick.

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