I don't know how much to plant!

[janeyo]

Hi I am starting to plan my crops and have got the seeds etc and am quite confused as really don't know how many of things I need to plant.

I only have small beds (8ft by 3 ft) and we are a family of 2 adults, one almost 4yr old and an 8 month old. We eat lots of fresh veggies and fruit. I do have chickens to give any extras to.

Obviously it doesn't matter if I end up with loads of strawberries as my little boy is MAD for them and none of us got a look in last year.

I have got 6 raspberry plants and 10 asparagus crowns. I know these will not do much yet but it's forward planning.

I have done some seeds, (tomato and peppers) on the window sill, but don't know how many would be reasonable for a family of this size. I know there will be casualties along the way (the plants not the family with my cooking, lol) and I can give extra plants and / crops away but would rather plan for the amount we will prob be able to eat.

Does that make sense? So from my new potatoes for example, how many potatoes would one potato make?

Thanks if you got this far!

janeyo

[Snadger]

You say your beds are 8X3 but not how many of them you have?

If you are going down the self sufficiency route it can be hard to estimate how many veg you need! You need to decide what you like to eat and what is expensive to buy.

I reckon two 8X3 beds could see me self sufficient in carrots. Four beds for onions, 4 for leeks, 12 for tatties and the list goes on!

If you plant your early spuds in buckets, once they are ready to harvest if you tip one bucket out you will have one meal! Two seed tatties per meal for your family, I reckon!

[SarzWix]

The Dr Hessayon 'Vegetable Expert' book gives a rough guide to expected yields from each vegetable, although it's a little out of date it could give you some idea of how much to plant?

[veg4681]

Are the raspberry and asparagus going in the 8x3' bed? You could squeeze in a nice variety of vegetables but you can only grow each veg type in small qty at a time. We're two adults and a small child aged 3 and we had a glut from just one courgette and two runner beans but it can be a bit of a hit and miss with courgettes as I had a incredible harvest last year (but have had poor harvest before). So two courgettes should be safe bet. Tomato around 4-6 plants and no more. Spinach (6-9), lettuce (6-9) and swiss chard (2-3) are relatively easy to grow so have a few of those as cut and come again. If you want aubergines and peppers, between 2-3 should be more than enough and one cucumber, all grown in pots. French beans can be grown in window boxes. Can't comment much on root vegetables as I'm experimenting with them myself. I thinking of growing 6 at at time and sow every 3 weeks.

Winter vegetables (leeks, parsnips, swede, psb, cabbage, sprouts) are good ones to have but they hog the bed for a long time.

[zazen999]

Hi
I would also add that you need to look at successional planting to extend the season. So, when stuff comes out of the ground you need other baby plants to go straight into the space.

There's no real calculation, as if we have a good year then you can get a glut; and if a bad year you could lose loads.

Sarah Raven says:
your first batch should be those veg which need to be picked fresh [toms, peas, asparagus, sweetcorn, baby carrots, new pots].
then, look at unusual veg [which you can ditch if you want, but it is stuff that you can't actually buy], for me that is heritage french beans, leaf coriander, tomatillos, peppers/chillis, different squashes etc - but don't grow unless you actually like them!!!
Lastly, it is the staples, maincrop spuds [if you have space], carrots, onions, salads, maincrop courgettes, commonly used herbs.

Mainly, to grow what you eat, depending on your space.

The only way to tell if you have that space is to grow it!

Stuff like the brassicas - lots of space used up for a long time, and lovely when it is harvested; but unless you grow one or two [for example] sprouting broccoli, which you can harvest over a long time in small amounts; then i wouldn't grow it.

leeks, need a long time but are happy over the winter; so they could go in the space vacated by the beans for instance, once those crops are done and dusted.

[janeyo]

Thanks, that's a big help!
I have 6 beds at the mo, but room for more in subsequent years.

janeyo

[Two_Sheds]

i like to have veg in winter so grow mostly sprout and kale. you can grow salad in between them.
strawbs take up a lotta room for a 3 week crop.
i love beans so grow LOTS ... a glut is dried for soups, curries

[janeyo]

My strawbs are still in pots and troughs from when we had no room at the other house. So they will stay put til I can make a place just for them. If they are happy and I can grow them well then why move them yet! My little boy is generally in charge of them, he waters them and talks to them, etc so will keep the pots for now. Maybe have a big bed next year.
Last year he cracked me up, I found him sitting on the floor staring at the pots and he told me he was waiting for them to grow! He was only just 3 at the time. This year he has planted his own and is tending to them himself as a grown up boy of almost 4! lol

The winter veg doesn't get planted yet though does it?

janeyo

[Flummery]

No not yet Janeyo. Mine are in the bed that some of my early potatoes came out of last year. I sowed them in May - grew them on a bit in pots then banged them in when there was space. The purple sprouting, curly kale and spring cabbage are still cropping well. It's really worth having something you can pick fresh in the winter.

[veg4681]

Thanks, that's a big help!
I have 6 beds at the mo, but room for more in subsequent years.

janeyo

6 beds and more coming!!! I gather that 6 of 8'x3' beds. Don't worry too much, grow whatever takes your fancy, you can afford it with the growing space you've got, even overwintering veg for winter and spring harvest.

[jeannine]

That's fantastic that your 4 year old is enjoying gardening, what are his favourite veg?