How Much Food to Grow per Person?

It’s time to start planning for the growing season. In fact, I’ve already started Brussels sprouts and artichokes in my greenhouse! Before you can buy any seeds, you need to know what and how much to grow. This is different for every person or family. I grow a zillion tomatoes (35 plants to be precise) for example because I grow for fresh eating and preservation of all of our tomato products. This is calculated over time, based on my experience.

Here’s a rough guide from Garden Gate Magazine on how much to plant per person. It’s a great starting point!

GARDEN SIZE for growing food for a year:
Vegetarians: 4400 square foot of growing space per person
Omnivores: 200 square feet of growing space per person

HOW MUCH PER PERSON
Asparagus (1 plant/ft. of row), 5-10 plants per person
Bush beans (2 plants/ft. of row), 12-15 plants
Beets (Thin to 3 plants/ft. of row), 15-30 plants
Cucumber (1 plant/2 ft. of row), 1 vine, 2 bushes
Carrots (Thin to 12 plants/ft. of row), 48 plants
Corn (1 plant/ft. of row), 10-15 plants (plant in blocks for best pollination)
Eggplant (1 plant/2 ft. of row), 2-3 plants
Kale (10/10 ft. of row), 2-7 plants
Leaf lettuce (Thin to 3 plants/ft. of row), 24 plants
Melon (1 plant/6 ft. of row), 1-2 plants
Onion (4 sets/ft. of row), 12-20 sets
Peas (6 plants/ft. of row), 15-20 plants
Pepper (1 plant/ft. of row), 3-5 plants
Potato (1 plant/ft. of row), 10 plants
Radish (thin to 12 plants/ft. of row), 10-15 plants
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

Of course these numbers are based on a general guideline and should be altered to suit you or your family's dietary needs!