Vegetable crop yields and the number of vegetable plants to grow for each person in your household will help you estimate the space needed for a home vegetable garden.Crop yield estimates and consumption predictions are largely base on experience.Keeping a food log and garden record can help you hone your vegetable garden needs and make for smarter planning.Vegetable crop yields will vary according to garden conditions and variety planted.Weather and growing conditions can change from year to year, and these changes can affect yield.Here are crop yield estimates, plants-per-person suggestions, and crop spacing requirements to help you estimate your garden space requirements and growing requirements.Yield 12 buds per plant after the first year.Grow 30 to 50 roots for a household of 2 to 4 people.Yield 3 to 4 pounds of spears per 10-foot row.Yield in pounds varies per variety.Space plants 1 to 3 inches apart in rows 2 to 3 feet apart.Bean, Garbanzo, Chickpea.Space bush lima beans 3 to 6 inches apart in rows 24 to 30 inches apart; increase distance for pole limas.Space plants 1 to 3 inches apart in rows 2 to 3 feet apart.Space plants 2 inches apart in rows 2 to 3 feet apart.Grow 5 to 10 mature plants per person.Space plants 18 to 24 inches apart in rows 3 feet apart.Space plants 18 to 24 inches apart in rows 3 feet apart.Space plants 6 inches apart in rows 2 feet apart.Grow 1 vine for 1 to 4 people.Set vining plants 10 feet apart and train to a sturdy trellis or wire support.Space plants 6 to 12 inches apart in rows 2 to 3 feet apart.Grow 6 to 8 heads per person.Space plants 15 to 18 inches apart in rows 3 feet apart.Space plant 4 to 6 inches apart in rows2 to 3 feet apart.Grow 3 to 4 plants per quart for pickling.Yield 8 fruits per Italian oval varieties; yield 10 to 15 fruits per Asian varieties.Space plants 24 to 30 inches apart in rows 3 feet apart.Space plants 6 to 12 inches apart in rows 2 to 3 feet apart.Yield 1 to 6 pound tuber per plant.Space plants 12 to 18 inches apart in rows 2½ to 4 feet apart.Yield 7 to 10 pounds of bulbs per 10-foot row.Space plants 2 to 4 inches apart in rows2 feet apart for bush peas, 5 feet apart for vining peas.Grow 1 plant to yield 5 to 10 potatoes.Space bush pumpkins 24 inches apart in rows 3 feet apart.Set 2 to 3 vining pumpkins on hills spaced 6 to 8 feet apart.Yield 1 to 5 pounds per plant.Spaces onion sets or plants 2 inches apart for scallions or green onions.Yield 2 to 12 cloves per plant.Space plants 5 to 8 inches apart in rows 2 to 4 feet apart.Space plants 3 to 4 inches apart in rows 1 to 2 feet apart.Grow 1 plant per person.Yield 1 to 2½ pounds of seed per flower.Space plants 12 inches apart in rows 3 feet apart.Space plants 10 inches apart in rows 2 feet apart.Space plants 3 feet apart in rows 35 to 45 inches apart.Grow 3 to 6 plants of each variety; this will yield 8 to 10 quarts. .
Grow A Rainbow Of Swiss Chard In Your Fall Garden – Seed Needs
If that isn't reason enough to add Swiss chard to a Fall garden plan, how about vibrant color?Why not up the wow factor of your Fall garden with a Rainbow Mixture of Swiss chard seeds that produce stems with hues of yellow, gold, tangerine, coral, rose, purple, and even white.Its distant cousin, Beta maritima, commonly called Sea Beets, grows wild along Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines throughout Europe.In the 19th century the vegetable began being cultivated commercially for the tender foliage fancied by so many families.It didn't take long for horticulturalists to develop varieties that were beautiful, tasty ornamentals that were also rich in vitamin and minerals.There are some amazing things packed into each one cup serving of delectable Swiss chard leaves:.13 different polyphenol antioxidants, like kaempferol, heart-healthy flavonoids, and syringic acid that helps regulate blood sugar.A single cup of chopped and boiled Swiss chard provides more than 600% of recommended daily value of Vitamin K. This nutrient regulates blood clotting and transports calcium.Planning The Garden Plot: Swiss chard likes plenty of sun but will tolerate a bit of shade.A 10 foot row of Swiss chard with a single plant every 12 inches will produce about 10 pounds of leafy greens over the course of the growing season.A garden that averages about 2-3 plants per person will produce enough leafy greens for a bountiful table of fresh Swiss chard throughout Fall and even into the early days of Winter.Transplant outdoors, about 12 inches apart, in the entire peat pot so as not to disturb young, delicate roots.Prepare soil by turning, creating a soft, rich loamy texture to at least a 4-6" depth.Feeding The Garden: Compost or grass clippings will discourage weed growth while also delivering nutrients to your plants.Strange colors, wimpy leaves, and odd textures are all signs that there is trouble in the garden:.Leaf spot : When the fungus Cercospora is running amok in the garden, lower area of outer leaves show the first signs.The grayish spores the fungus produces may give the leaves a fuzzy appearance and texture.: When the fungus Cercospora is running amok in the garden, lower area of outer leaves show the first signs.Mildew: When the Downy fungus affects Swiss chard, leaves appear coated in a greyish powder.: If leaves appear wilted or filled with tiny holes, look for beetles that are shaded in colors of bluish-gray to black.Leafminer : If it looks like tunnels have been eaten into leaves, the larvae of this insect is hard at work. .
Calculate How Many Vegetables to Plant
The chart also includes about how many plants can be grown per foot of row so you can figure out how much space you’ll need.Use this handy chart as a guideline when planning how many vegetables to plant, but feel free to adjust to your preferences!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. .
How Much to Plant Per Person in the Vegetable Garden
To grow all the food for one person's needs for the whole year requires, for most people, at least 4,000 square feet—though some diet designs are possible that can use a smaller area.ft. isn't possible for most of us, but you can grow enough of your favorite vegetables in a much smaller footprint to eat fresh all summer and put up some for the winter months.In truth, you won’t really know how many vegetables to plant for your family until you’ve got a few years experience under your belt.If you have limited space, you can extend your harvest season by planting different types of the same vegetable: early, mid and late maturing varieties.Use the chart below as general guidelines of how much to plant, for a family of four, for the most commonly grown vegetables.
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How to Grow Swiss Chard in Containers
On top of that, if you like having edibles that are ripe for the picking all over your yard, but you don’t want to offend any neighbors or the HOA, Swiss chard is your plant.Plant them as a leafy centerpiece with some low-growing edible flowers or a few trailing herbs, and you have a stunning container with ornamental appeal that no one will suspect doubles as part of your kitchen garden.However, you don’t want the container to tip over or crowd those shallow roots, so make sure it’s at least 12 inches wide as well.Terra cotta tends to dry out a little bit faster than cement or plastic, so you’ll need to be more attentive with watering if you select it.You could always use a drip irrigation system or self-watering planter if you aren’t perfect at checking on your patio plants (something I’m guilty of!If you want to take your plants indoors in advance of the winter, during hot summer conditions, or move your pots to follow the sun, you’ll need to be sure you can lift them.Whatever you choose, it should have plenty of drainage holes in the bottom to ensure that the roots don’t get waterlogged.If you don’t have either of these, you can use a colander to shower your plants with fine droplets of water, or a spray bottle.If you’ve purchased nursery starts, fill your pot with soil and make a hole the depth and twice the width of the container that the plant came in.If you like the idea of creating a collection of plants in your selected container, put chard with friends that have the same growing requirements, such as kale, chives, marigolds, lavender, or mint.For an edible ornamental display, try putting Swiss chard in the center of the pot with small nasturtiums and some sweet alyssum on the outside.I won’t lie, Swiss chard will tolerate some abuse, but don’t let that turn you into a neglectful plant parent.Indoors, the care requirements are the same, though you’ll be entirely in charge of making sure your Swiss chard gets enough water.Plants also need at least four hours of direct sunlight or illumination provided by a supplemental grow light each day to thrive.Once the first hard frost arrives, you can harvest the entire plant, or bring your pot indoors to overwinter.If you want to grow chard microgreens in a container, soak the seeds in cold water for 24 hours before planting to help speed up germination.Your goal is to create a miniature greenhouse effect to help keep the moisture levels steady until germination.Check the seeds every few days and add water with a spray bottle if it looks like the soil is drying out.Swiss chard isn’t too troubled by pests or diseases, but here are a few things to watch out for when you’re tending to your crop.Leaf miners are one of those pests that mostly do cosmetic damage, but when your goal is to eat the foliage, that kind of destruction can be devastating.These pests chew tunnels into the leaves of your plant, which is unsightly (and kind of gross, if you bite into a leaf and imagine the little wigglers once crawling inside).You can place netting over your containers in the spring and early summer when the pests emerge and start to feed, or you can keep your plants indoors.Swiss chard prefers cooler temperatures, so once the thermometer climbs up past 75°F or drops below freezing, your plants may bolt.If things heat up in an unexpected heatwave, some afternoon shade will go a long way towards extending the life of your plant.It’s a sad fact that many plants grown indoors are often attacked by aphids and spider mites.These tiny insects suck the sap out of your plant and leave a sweet residue called honeydew behind.I like to stick my container in the bathtub and use the shower head to blast my chard leaves to knock the bugs loose. .
