does someone know approx. how big of a garden you would need

to plant to feed a family of four for the year? counting canning, freezing and storing of vegetables?

-- pattie DeRoche (pattieroc@yahoo.com), March 16, 2002

Answers

Alot would depend on where you live and how intensive you plan to garden along with how much work you would be willing to invest. Both Countryside magazine and Backwoodshome Magazine covered this. It would be alot smaller than you think if you are very dedicated and did some intensive gardening. Also depends on what you plan to grow and what zone you are in? Keep looking in the forums to get ideas. Dave

-- Dave in Ohio (dr43147@yahoo.com), March 16, 2002.

We have a family of four and our garden is approximately 50' X 50'. We do a spring garden, summer garden, and fall garden. I try to plant spring vegetables that can get picked (like peas, carrots, etc.) and replaced with tomato plants, peppers, etc.; which will be replaced with kale, turnips, rutabagas, etc. for our fall garden, so the space can be best utilized. We don't plant much in the way of space takers either like corn. If we plant corn we generally plant it elsewhere unless we're just doing a little to eat fresh. We also either try to plant bush varieties or use cages for squashes, cucumbers, etc.; to minimize how much space they need. The most important thing I've found is it is better to start smaller and get bigger; I've overplanted a dozen times and end up not being able to properly take care of the garden. I get so excited come spring, but those hot muggy summers somehow aren't always as inspiring. I do a lot of canning and enjoy it very much. Another thing I do is can a couple years worth of green beans one year and go heavy on tomatoes the next (although we always have some tomatoes for fresh eating). I know I've rattled on, but I hope this helps.

-- Sharon (chessyemailaddy@notreal.com), March 16, 2002.

If you look in the ball canning book it has planning guides to give you an idea of how much you need for canning, freezing etc how much to plant/yields-it should give you a pretty good idea of what you want to know.

-- Terri in WV (mrs_swift_26547@yahoo.com), March 16, 2002.

thanks for the help everyone, found this great site that will help anyone with a similar problem http://www.waushara.net/garden/faq/howmuch.html

-- pattie DeRoche (pattieroc@yahoo.com), March 16, 2002.

never had less that an acre never had more than 4 daughters and a wife, always had some for the farmers market

oscar

-- Oscar H. Will III (owill@mail.whittier.edu), March 17, 2002.

In Californi, with it's looong growing season, my mother used 3 tomato plants to provide the family with 2 quarts of tomato sauce a week all year round. Out here in Kansas, people put in 2 dozen plants to get that many tomatos! Where you live counts, some places you can double-crop so you end up using less land!

-- Terri (hooperterri@prodigy.net), March 17, 2002.