How Many Plants Does It Take to Feed a Family for a Year?

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Would you believe me if I told you that you’re capable of growing the plants needed to feed your family for an entire year? No, I’m not crazy – well, not usually – but I’m on the same journey as you, looking to be self-sufficient and grow what my family needs to survive.

Now, every family is of a different size. For example, I have four kids, which plops my family into the “larger family” category. You might not have kids. Everyone’s situations are different, so this plan won’t be perfect for everyone.

You have to think about food likes and dislikes as well as food allergies. For example, if you really dislike peppers and no one in your family eats peppers, it’s not necessary to add them to your garden. If your child is allergic to corn, swap that space out for more of what you do love. Every plan is adjustable and flexible. Diversity is the spice of life, right?

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How to Pick the Right Plants

Before you make your plan, think about what you buy from the store. Don’t forget to consider fruit as well! Fruit trees feel complicated, but most people have enough space to add a few dwarf fruit trees and some berry bushes.

Once you write out what you typically buy, think about how much you purchase of that particular item. For example, my family of six needs at least 10 pounds of potatoes for two weeks. We love fries and baked potatoes.

Now is the time to really think about your family and what you need. Don’t forget about herbs, garlic, and onions. They aren’t complicated to grow, and herbs can make or break a dish.

How Many Plants to Grow For a Family of Four

This chart is based on the assumption that you will be preserving the harvest. Preserving requires more plants than fresh eating, but most people don’t live in a climate that allows them to grow year-round vegetables.

Crop	Harvest in Pounds Needed	Plants Required
Artichoke	12	6
Asparagus	24	16
Basil	3	6
Beets	40	80
Broccoli	32-40	30-40
Brussel Sprouts	24	22
Cabbage	40-60	20
Carrots	40-60	120
Cauliflower	32-40	24
Celery	16	32
Cherry Tomatoes	68	35
Cilantro	2	5
Corn	125-240	125-200
Cucumbers	40-60	24
Dill	1	12
Eggplant	16	8
Garlic	8	64
Kale	4	4
Leek	12	60
Lettuce	24	42
Lima Beans (bush)	20	165
Melons	24	7
Onions	32	96
Parsley	1	6
Parsnips	12	36
Peas	20-40	120
Peppers	12	15
Potatoes	200-400	100
Pumpkins	40	8
Radish	15	60
Snap Beans (Bush)	32-60	150
Soy Beans	60	144
Spinach	14	60
Summer Squash	40	14
Strawberries	52	23
Sweet Potatoes	12	11
Tomatoes	80-160	40
Turnips	20	54
Watermelons	48	5
Winter Squash	24	5

What About Grains?

If you noticed, I didn’t include grains to this list. That’s because most people don’t have the amount of space required to grow enough grains to feed a family of four.

To grow a bushel of wheat, which equals 60 pounds of wheat berries, you need about 1,000 square feet. A bushel of wheat is enough to bake around 90 loaves of bread, but that’s not including pasta, crackers, and other goods that need wheat.

So, devoting a simple garden bed to wheat isn’t enough for a family of four. If you have an extra acre of land, consider devoting it to wheat or other grains.

You should also consider adding more corn. You can dry corn and grind it into cornmeal and grits. It can be used as chicken feed, and corn does well in small spaces. Plus, you can use it as a succession plant if you get an early maturing variety.

Maximize With Succession Planting

You’re probably thinking, hold up! How can I grow all of this at one time? The answer is – succession planting (see my article about it). It’s a gardening secret that lets you produce extra pounds of food in the same space, and it’ll help feed your family.

Not all plants can be succession planted, but many can. Let me explain how this works.

A few weeks before your final frost date, you can start planting things such as carrots, spinach, lettuce, and cabbage. Instead of planting everything at one time and waiting for it to grow to maturity, you plant a few rows or plants.

Then, in 2-3 weeks, you do another planting. You continue this process throughout your entire growing season. Throughout the process, you’ll end up with several stages of plants – harvesting, growing, and new plants. You’ll always have fresh lettuce available and more growing behind it.

You can use succession planting with:

• Asian Greens
• Beets
• Carrots
• Corn
• Cucumbers
• Lettuce
• Melons
• Peas
• Radishes
• Spinach
• Turnips

If you want to use succession planting, it’s best to pick early maturing varieties. I usually select carrots that harvest within 60 days, and I use the earliest peas and radishes possible. Compare the days of maturity when picking the plants for your garden.

Certain plants, like tomatoes, peppers, and potatoes, don’t work well as succession plants. Instead, you do need to plant the right amount at one time to get the harvest desired.

Fruits and More

Don’t forget that you can add fruits to your garden. A single dwarf apple tree can produce 3 to 6 bushel of apples, equaling around 120 to 240 pounds of apples. Dwarf trees only take a few short years to produce and require less space.

Consider adding a raspberry patch if you have space. 25 raspberry plants would produce around 50 quarts of raspberries!

Growing enough food for a family of four takes a lot of work and dedication, along with hours in the garden. However, food and financial freedom come with it. You can rest assured that, no matter what comes your way, you can feed your family. The peace of mind is worth the work.

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