How Many Crops Do I Need to Feed Family
Growing Enough Nutrient to Feed a Family
A common question nosotros are asked here at the Garden Planner is "How much of the nutrient nosotros eat as a family tin can we abound ourselves?" This depends on a number of factors, so here are the key things yous need to consider…
How much space do you lot have?
The biggest factor that will decide how much you tin grow is how much land y'all have. At that place are many means to maximize the crops you tin can abound in whatsoever given infinite, but quite merely, the more land you have, the more than crops yous can abound. Then how much land is enough for a family unit to grow everything they need for a twelvemonth?
Research in the 1970s past John Jeavons and the Ecology Activeness Arrangement found that 4000 square feet (about 370 square metres) of growing space was enough country to sustain one person on a vegetarian nutrition for a year, with about another 4000 square feet (370 square meters) for admission paths and storage – so that's a plot around 80 feet x 100 feet (24m x 30m).
How much you lot can grow in this infinite will depend on your climate, weather condition and soil and, crucially, how much time you have. Tending to 4000 square feet, peculiarly at the height of the growing season, will accept many hours a week.
What would y'all grow and how many plants of each vegetable would you need per person?
Choose to abound plants that you already similar to consume – information technology'south not worth putting the fourth dimension and effort into growing asparagus if no one in your family is very groovy on it.
Your grocery bills or a trip to a local farmer's marketplace are good places to first working out how much you lot demand to grow. Create a list of plants, and note how much you lot swallow per calendar week – so if you swallow 5lbs (about 2kg) of potatoes a week, that'south 20lbs (9kg) a month and 240lbs (109kg) a year. Y'all'll demand to grow this amount at least, plus a piffling more to make up for any lost to disease, pests and other bug.
How much you want to harvest will dictate how many plants yous demand to grow and how much infinite y'all'll need to grow them in. Some crops, such equally tomatoes, produce many vegetables or fruits per institute, then you'll need fewer of these plants to obtain a large harvest. Others such as carrots produce just one vegetable per plant and require correspondingly more to be sown. Here are our suggestions for some of the most common crops, remembering that yield volition vary depending on your season length, soil, watering and the varieties you cull to grow:
Potatoes
- Harvest per person required: 75-200lbs (34-91kg) per person
- Yield per 10 pes (3m) row: 10-20lbs (4.five-9kg)
- Row length needed: 75-100 feet (23-30m), which is nearly 85 plants
- Harvest per person required: 7-20lbs (3-9kg) should be suitable for one person
- Yield per 10 foot (3m) row: 7-10lbs (3-four.5kg)
- Row length needed: ten-20 feet (3-6m) which is virtually 30-60 plants
- Harvest per person required: 15-65lbs (7-29kgs) per person
- Yield per 10 foot (3m) row: 15-45lbs (7-20kg)
- Row length needed: x-15 feet (3-5m), which is 6-10 plants
Carrots
Tomatoes
The Garden Planner makes it easy to piece of work out the row length required for a certain number of plants, so for other crops just proceed this process of working out how much you'll swallow, researching how much each plant yields, and how long the row will need to be.
How to get the most from your space
There are some tried and tested growing techniques which assist you to become the most from any garden, no matter how big or how small.
Utilize different varieties.
Where possible, institute early, mid and late varieties of your crops. This will provide a steady menstruation of produce spread throughout the season, and can also help to reduce losses due to pests and diseases as your plants will exist in different stages of growth at different times.
For example, if yous're growing potatoes you could choose 3 unlike varieties –one each of first early on, second early and maincrop varieties. Many other crops have seasonal varieties too, including peas, beans, apples, onions and corn.
Succession plant
Succession planting is all most maximizing the infinite y'all accept bachelor, ensuring that there is always something growing in the basis. Equally you harvest your offset early potatoes in June, you lot could and then plant a quick growing crop such as some beets. The Garden Planner tin assist to keep track of this – set the dates that crops will be in the footing and select a specific month to see what infinite will exist bachelor, then pop in a few rows of your called succession crop.
Extend your flavor and protect your crops.
Employ greenhouses, common cold frames or a hoop house to add an extra few weeks at the get-go and stop of the growing season. In libation climates this will ensure you are much more successful with tender crops like tomatoes, cucumbers and melons. They will also assist to protect your crops from unseasonal weather such as wet summers and from some pests such every bit birds, small mammals and deer. Plus, it'due south always welcome to exist able to harvest fresh produce early in the flavour.
Grow calorie crops
Calorie crops are those which have a loftier calorie content per weight of crop. If you're growing lots of your own food, you'll desire to include the top five of potatoes, corn, beans, winter squash and perhaps grains such every bit wheat. These crops fill yous up, are generally much less work than other crops and are very versatile – they store well, for long periods and are endlessly useful in the kitchen.
Growing any fresh nutrient in your garden is a great way to feed your family – it doesn't take to exist about being totally cocky-sufficient. Whether you have a few containers past your dorsum door or have a 2 acre plot y'all'll be able to add fresh ingredients to your meals and reduce your grocery bills, and if you garden organically and sustainably you'll be reducing your environmental impact too.
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Source: https://www.growveg.com/guides/growing-enough-food-to-feed-a-family/
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