How Much to Plant Per Person For A Year of Food (2024)

If you’ve ever wondered how much to plant for a year’s worth of food then you’re in luck! It’s something that I’ve put in a lot of time researching (plus hands-on experience) and I’m going to share my findings.

How Much to Plant Per Person For A Year of Food (1)

Understanding Your Climate

First off, you need to know what your climate is for growing your own food. Do you have a very short growing season? Can you grow plants outdoors all year? Somewhere in the middle?

In my zone 8b garden, I can easily grow outdoors for 3 seasons with the most cold-hardy crops “storing” in the garden for harvest through the winter. With the use of our unheated greenhouse I can grow cold-hardy crops throughout the winter (albeit slowly).

Speaking of Food Storage…

For those that can’t grow plants all year, it becomes necessary to store food for the winter months. Old homes often have basem*nts and root cellars designed to store crops, canned goods, and dried goods.

But newer homes often don’t have those and even some old homes in certain areas don’t have them. Basem*nts aren’t common in Western Oregon even in the oldest farmhouses due to the high water table (underground swimming pool anyone?).

Food storage is a big struggle for us. Our house is small by modern standards (1300sqft) and we simply don’t have anywhere to store a year’s worth of multiple different foods. As such, I plan our garden to maximize foods that we do store (like tomatoes), foods that can “store” in the garden (like kale), and fresh foods that we eat in season.

Eating Fresh vs Preserving

So, are you planning on eating only fresh from the garden or are you wanting to store some or all of your food needs for the year?

What You Should Grow to Feed Your Family

Let’s be real here. Don’t grow what your family won’t eat! Granted, I’m not suggesting you let a 5-year-old child dictate what vegetables you plant (none, would be what my youngest kid recommends) but you definitely don’t want to waste time and space growing plants that aren’t going to be utilized.

My Planting Rules:

Gardener’s Choice – while I’m the only one who likes eggplant in our home, I’ll still plant a few because I enjoy them and I’m the one taking care of them anyway.
Adults Only – if all adults (or older teens) like a veggie then it’s worth planting.
Because the Kids Want To – it’s always worth reserving a little garden space to grow some plants that the kids want, even if they won’t eat them. It’s good to teach them how to garden and they’ll love harvesting and helping to cook.

If you’re gardening for the very first time, I have a short post and worksheet here that can help you decide on what to grow.

Highest Calorie Crops

The 3 crops that maximize calories for the amount of space they take are potatoes, flour corn, and dry beans. While it would lead to a very boring diet if they’re all you grow, these 3 crops pack in the most calories if you have the space to grow them and if you’re able to eat them.

Planting Amounts Per Person

Plant yields can and will vary based on multiple factors including weather and variety chosen. My estimations are based on the lower end of yields.

Tomatoes

Estimated tomato yield per plant is 5 pounds.
For fresh eating, plant 1/person. I recommend planting both cherry and slicing varieties.
For preserving, plant 1 for each quart plus 1/person for in-season eating. I recommend paste tomatoes for preserving (less water and more flesh).
In my own garden, I usually aim to plant 60 tomatoes (55 paste, 2 cherries, and 3 slicers). From this, I can expect about 50 quarts of preserved tomatoes and lots of fresh tomatoes.

Green Beans

Estimated bush green bean yield per plant is 1/2 pound and pole beans is 1 pound. Bush beans bear faster but for less time. Pole beans produce longer but take longer to start bearing.
For fresh eating, plant 10 (bush)/person or 5 (pole)/person.
For preserving, plant 100 (bush) plants or 50 (pole) for 50 pounds of green beans. Planting a mix of bush and pole will maximize your harvest season.
In my garden, I typically plant about 12 bush beans and 30ish pole beans. It yields enough to eat fresh and preserve some for the winter. We eat green beans maybe 1x a month (not a favorite).

Sweet Corn

Estimated yield of 1 ear per plant.
For fresh eating, plant 6 – 10/person.
For preserving, plant 400 for 50 quarts.
We don’t have the space to plant a year’s worth of sweet corn. I plant an 8’x8′ block and we have enough to freeze some.

Pumpkins (eating not decorative)

Estimated yield is 1 pumpkin per plant. Pumpkin sizes differ based on variety, my numbers are based on pumpkins weighing 10 – 20 pounds.
For fresh eating, plant 3 – 4 pumpkins.
For preserving, plant 1 for every 2 quarts of puree OR plant 1 for every meal you’ll be roasting one for. Many pumpkins can store for 6 or more months under the right conditions.
I love growing pumpkins and dedicate lots of space to them. I always grow minis for fall decor and lots of eating varieties (usually C. maxima). Typically I freeze 12 quarts of puree for us and feed whole pumpkins to our chickens, geese, and other animals.

Zucchini

Yield is at least 6 pounds per plant.
For fresh eating, plant 1 – 2 plants per adult.
Zucchini and other summer squash don’t store well. Your best options are freezing, dehydrating, of canning into tomato sauces.
I plant a max of 8 zucchini each year, but usually around 6. Not only do I have plenty for fresh eating but I also freeze lots of zucchini in the form of zucchini bread.

Peppers

Estimated yield is 3 pounds per plant.
For fresh eating, plant 1/person.
For preserving, plant 20 for 60 pounds.
We primarily grow sweet peppers and I usually plant 10 – 12 each year. This gives us enough for fresh eating and some extra to freeze.

Eggplant

Estimated yield is 5 – 8 fruits for Italian varieties and 10 – 15 for Asian varieties.
For fresh eating, plant 1 – 2/person.
For preserving, plant 5 – 8/person.
I’m the only one in our house that likes eggplant, so I only plant 1 or 2 each year.

Potatoes

Estimated yield is 4 pounds per plant.
For fresh eating, plant 1/person.
For preserving, plant 30 for 120 pounds.
We aren’t able to store a year’s worth of potatoes. I usually plant 10 – 12 potato plants.

Peas (shelling)

About 1.6oz of shelled peas per plant.
For fresh eating, about 10 plants/person.
For preserving, plant 500 for 50 pounds of peas.
I try to plant around 240 peas, half for the spring garden and half for the fall.

Carrots

Yield is 1 carrot per plant. The weight will depend on the variety.
For fresh eating, plant 10 – 15 per person.
For preserving, plant 250 – 300 for 50 pounds.
Carrots aren’t a favorite in our household and only get used in soups, stews, and pot pies. We can get by on 30 carrots a year.

Cucumbers

Estimated yield is 5 pounds per plant.
For fresh eating, plant 1/person.
For preserving, plant 10 for 50 quarts.
My husband is the only one who eats cucumbers (I’m allergic to raw cucumbers). We grow 2 plants for him and a few extras to pickle.

Cauliflower & Broccoli

Yield is 1 head per plant.
For fresh eating, plant 1-2/person.
For preserving, plant 10 – 15/person. These can only be preserved by freezing.
I typically plant 20 – 25 each of broccoli & cauliflower in both the spring and fall.

Cabbage

Yield is 1 head per plant. Cabbage sizes will vary and my estimates are for 2 lb cabbages.
For fresh eating, plant 1-2/person.
For preserving, plant 8-10/person.
We like cabbage but don’t eat a lot of it, so I tend to plant only about 8 a year (4 in the spring, 4 in the fall).

Garlic

Yield is 1 bulb per plant. The size and amount of cloves per garlic bulb vary depending on the variety.
For fresh eating, plant 5 – 10/person.
For preserving, plant 50/person. Most garlic can be stored for months in the pantry.
I don’t plant any specific amounts and simply tuck cloves of garlic in the garden here and there.

Onions

Yield is 1 bulb per plant. The size of the bulb will vary depending on the variety.
For fresh eating, plant 5 – 10/person.
For preserving, plant 40 – 50/person. Choose a storage variety for longer pantry storage.
I typically plant 200 – 300 onions and pull them out of the ground when I need them until the end of the season when I pull up most of the remaining bulbs for storage.

Leeks

Yield is 1 stalk per plant. The size of the leek will vary depending on variety and when you harvest.
For fresh eating, plant 5 – 10/person.
To preserve, plant 10 – 15/person. Preservation is by freezing.
I try to plant 30 – 50 leeks in the fall to overwinter in the garden.

Radishes

Yield is 1 root per plant.
For fresh eating, plant 10 – 12/person.
For preserving, plant 20 radishes for each pint of pickled radishes you need.
We like roasted radishes a lot, but I don’t plant any particular amount. I simply toss seeds out in the early spring and late summer and harvest as needed.

Turnips

Yield is 1 root per plant.
For fresh eating, plant 10 – 12/person.
For preserving, plant 20 – 30/person. Turnips store best if frozen.
Like radishes, I simply toss seeds out twice a year and harvest as needed.

Lettuce, Spinach, & Other Salad Greens

Yield varies greatly depending on variety and size when harvested.
For fresh eating, plant 10 – 12 per person every 2 weeks.
Do not preserve well.
I give the kids seeds to plant wherever they want in the garden and we harvest as needed.

Hopefully this guide to planting amounts helps you out with planning your garden!