Vegetable Planting and Yield Guide

[Harvest to Table]

Artichoke. Grow 1 to 2 plants per person. Yield 12 buds per plant after the first year. Space plants 4 to 6 feet apart.
Arugula. Grow 5 plants per person. Space plants 6 inches apart.
Asparagus. Grow 30 to 50 roots for a household of 2 to 4 people. Yield 3 to 4 pounds of spears per 10-foot row. Space plants 12 inches apart.
Bean, Dried. Grow 4 to 8 plants per person. Yield in pounds varies per variety. Space plants 1 to 3 inches apart in rows 2 to 3 feet apart.
Bean, Fava. Grow 4 to 8 plants per person. Space plants 4 to 5 inches apart in rows 18 to 30 inches apart.
Bean, Garbanzo, Chickpea. Grow 4 to 8 plants per person. Yield 4 to 6 pounds per 10-foot row. Space plants 3 to 6 inches apart in rows 24 to 30 inches apart.
Bean, Lima. Grow 4 to 8 per person. Yield 4 to 6 pounds per 10-foot row. Space bush lima beans 3 to 6 inches apart in rows 24 to 30 inches apart; increase distance for pole limas.
Beans, Snap. Grow 4 to 8 plants total of each variety or several varieties per person. Yield 3 to 5 pounds per 10-foot row. Space plants 1 to 3 inches apart in rows 2 to 3 feet apart.
Beans, Soy. Grow 4 to 8 plants per person. Yield 4 to 6 pounds per 10-foot row. Space plants 2 inches apart in rows 2 to 3 feet apart.
Beets. Grow 5 to 10 mature plants per person. Yield 8 to 10 pounds per 10-foot row. Space plants 3 inches apart for roots–1 inch apart for greens.
Broccoli. Grow 2 to 4 plants per person. Yield 4 to 6 pounds per 10-foot row. Space plants 18 to 24 inches apart in rows 3 feet apart.
Brussels sprouts. Grow 1 to 2 plants per person. Yield 3 to 5 pounds per 10-foot row. Space plants 18 to 24 inches apart in rows 36 inches apart.
Cabbage. Grow 4 to 8 plants per person. Yield 10 to 25 pounds per 10-foot row. Space plants 24 to 30 inches apart.
Carrots. Grow 30 plants per person. Yield 7 to 10 pounds per 10-foot row. Thin plants to 1½ to 2 inches apart in rows 12 inches apart.
Cauliflower. Grow 1 to 2 plants per person. Yield 8 to 10 pounds per 10-foot row. Space plants 18 to 24 inches apart in rows 3 feet apart.
Celery. Grow 5 plants per person. Yield 6 to 8 stalks per plant. Space plants 6 inches apart in rows 2 feet apart.
Chayote. Grow 1 vine for 1 to 4 people. Set vining plants 10 feet apart and train to a sturdy trellis or wire support.
Chicory. Grow 1 to 2 plants per person. Space plants 6 to 12 inches apart in rows 2 to 3 feet apart.
Chinese Cabbage. Grow 6 to 8 heads per person. Space plants 4 inches apart in rows 24 to 30 inches apart.
Collards. Grow 2 to 3 plants per person. Yield 4 to 8 pounds per 10-foot row. Space plants 15 to 18 inches apart in rows 3 feet apart.
Corn. Grow 12 to 20 plants per person. Yield 1 to 2 ears per plants, 10 to 12 ears per 10-foot row. Space plant 4 to 6 inches apart in rows2 to 3 feet apart.
Cucumber. Grow 6 plants per person. Grow 3 to 4 plants per quart for pickling. Yield 8 to 10 pounds per 10-foot row. Space plants 1 to 3 feet apart in rows 3 to 6 feet apart.
Eggplant. Grow 1 to 2 plants per person. 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.
Endive and Escarole. Grow 2 to 3 plants per person. Yield 3 to 6 pounds per 10-foot row. Space plants 6 to 12 inches apart in rows 2 to 3 feet apart.
Garlic. Grow 12 to 16 plants per person. Yield 10 to 30 bulbs per 10-foot row. Space cloves 3 to 6 inches apart in rows 15 inches apart.
Horseradish. Grow 1 plant per person. Space plants 30 to 36 inches apart.
Jicama. Grow 1 to 2 plants per person. Yield 1 to 6 pound tuber per plant. Space plants 8 to 12 inches apart.
Kale. Grow 4 to 5 plants per person. Yield 4 to 8 pounds per 10-foot row. Space plants 12 inches apart in rows 12 inches apart.
Kohlrabi. Grow 4 to 5 plants per person. Yield 4 to 8 pounds per 10-foot row. Space plants 4 to 6 inches apart in rows 30 inches apart.
Leeks. Grow 12 to 15 plants per person. Yield 4 to 6 pounds per 10-foot row. Space plants 2 to 4 inches apart in rows 6 to 10 inches apart.
Lettuce. Grow 6 to 10 plants per person; plant succession crops with each harvest. Yield 4 to 10 pounds per 10-foot row. Space looseleaf lettuce 4 inches apart and all other types 12 inches apart in rows 16 to 24 inches apart.
Melon. Grow 2 to plants per person. Yield 2 to 3 melons per vine. Space plants 3 to 4 feet apart in rows 3 feet wide.
Mustard. Grow 6 to 10 plants per person. Yield 3 to 6 pounds per 10-foot row. Space plant 6 to 12 inches apart in rows 15 to 30 inches apart.
Okra. Grow 6 plants per person. Yield 5 to 10 pounds per 10-foot row. Space plants 12 to 18 inches apart in rows 2½ to 4 feet apart.
Onion, Bulb. Yield 7 to 10 pounds of bulbs per 10-foot row. Space onion sets or transplants 4 to 5 inches apart in rows 18 inches apart.
Parsnip. Grow 10 plants per person. Yield 10 pounds per 10-foot row. Space plants 3 to 4 inches apart in rows 24 inches apart.
Peas. Grow 30 plants per person. Yield 2 to 6 pounds per 10-foot row. Space plants 2 to 4 inches apart in rows2 feet apart for bush peas, 5 feet apart for vining peas.
Pepper. Grow 2 to 3 plants per person. Yield 5 to 18 pounds per 10-foot row. Space plants 18 to 24 inches apart in rows 28 to 36 inches apart.
Potato. Grow 1 plant to yield 5 to 10 potatoes. Yield 10 to 20 pounds per 10-foot row. Space seed potatoes 10 to 14 inches apart in trenches 24 to 34 inches apart.
Pumpkin. Grow 1 to 2 plants per person. Yield 10 to 20 pounds per 10-foot row. 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.
Radicchio. Grow 5 to 6 plants per person. Space plants 6 inches apart in rows 18 inches apart.
Radish. Grow 15 plants per person. Yield 2 to 5 pounds per 10-foot row. Space plants 1 inch apart in rows 12 to 18 inches apart.
Rhubarb. Grow 2 to 3 plants per person. Yield 1 to 5 pounds per plant. Set plants 3 to 6 feet apart.
Rutabaga. Grow 5 to 10 plants per person. Yield 8 to 30 pounds per 10-foot row. Space plants 4 to 6 inches apart in rows 15 to 36 inches apart.
Salsify. Grow 10 plants per person. Space plants 3 to 4 inches apart in rows 20 to 30 inches apart.
Scallions. Yield 1½ pounds per 10-foot row. Spaces onion sets or plants 2 inches apart for scallions or green onions.
Shallot. Yield 2 to 12 cloves per plant. Space plants 5 to 8 inches apart in rows 2 to 4 feet apart.
Sorrel. Grow 3 plants per person. Space plants 12 inches apart in rows 18 inches apart.
Spinach. Grow 15 plants per person. Yield 4 to 7 pounds per 10-foot row. Space plants 3 to 4 inches apart in rows 1 to 2 feet apart.
Squash, Summer. Grow 1 to 2 plants per person. Yield 10 to 80 pounds per 10-foot row. Space plants 2 to 4 feet apart in rows 5 feet apart.
Squash, Winter. Grow 1 plant per person. Space plants feet apart.
Sunchokes. Grow 5 to 10 plants per person. Space plants 24 inches apart in rows 36 to 40 inches apart.
Sunflower. Grow 1 plant per person. Yield 1 to 2½ pounds of seed per flower. Space plants 8 to 12 inches apart in rows 30to 36 inches apart.
Sweet Potato. Grow 5 plants per person. Yield 8 to 12 pounds per 10-foot row. Space plants 12 inches apart in rows 3 feet apart.
Swiss Chard. Grow 2 to 3 plants per person. Yield 8 to 12 pounds per 10-foot row. Space plants 12 inches apart in rows 18 to 30 inches apart.
Tomatillo. Grow 1 to 2 plants per person. Yield 1 to 2 pounds per plant. Space plants 10 inches apart in rows 2 feet apart.
Tomato, Cherry. Grow 1 to 4 plants per person. Space plants 3 feet apart in rows 35 to 45 inches apart.
Tomato, Cooking. Grow 3 to 6 plants of each variety; this will yield 8 to 10 quarts. Space plants 42 inches apart in rows 40 to 50 inches apart.
Tomato, Slicing. Grow 1 to 4 plants per person. Space plants 42 inches apart in rows 40 to 50 inches apart.
Turnip. Grow 5 to 10 plants per person. Yield 8 to 12 pounds per 10-foot row. Space plants 5 to 8 inches apart in rows in rows 15 to 24 inches apart.
Watermelon. Grow 2 plants per person. Yield 8 to 40 pounds per 10-foot row. Space plants 4 feet apart in rows 4 feet wide and 8 feet apart.

- http://www.harvesttotable.com/2011/06/vegetable_crop_yields_plants_p/

Growing Your Own Food - Self Sufficiency (Part III)

[Results]

Now the growing season is coming to another cold end here in New Hampshire. I'm still not entirely satisfied with our edible yield. Still learning by doing...

This is what we had planted and what the yield was:

Lettuce - 30 leaves 
Spinach - 20 leaves 
Zucchini - 5 (very large)
Summer Squash - 2
Red Pepper - No yield
Jalapeño - 7
Tomato - 6
Cherry Tomato - 24
Mini Eggplant - 4

A couple of our large zucchinis

Growing Your Own Food - Self Sufficiency (Part II)

[Second Attempt]

Yet another go at vegetable gardening and this time it's actually working. Last year we started gardening with seedlings inside and transplanting them into our raised garden when we thought they were ready. We were dead wrong. Not only were the seedlings not ready, it was too early in the season as a few cold New Hampshire nights pretty much killed everything in about a week's time. The only yield we had was literally ONE summer squash. On top of everything else the soil wasn't exactly in perfect condition for planting either.
This year I decided to do it right - gutted the garden bed early on and added fresh soil with a mixture of compost and waited till there was no more cold nights in the forecast. Also made sure that the nearby family of groundhogs would have a hell of a time breaking in with two layers of fencing. It ain't pretty, but it gets the job done.

Learn from your mistakes and evolve - otherwise you won't survive.

Current vegetables growing: Tomatoes
Lettuce
Spinach
Zucchini
Summer Squash
Red Pepper
Jalapeño

Alternate Heat - Winter Months Part III

[Last minute changes]

So I've run into an issue with converting my less than efficient fireplace with an exterior-wall chimney into a super-heating machine. My new wood stove with included blower, being as small as it is... is still too big. Just small enough to be inserted, but after that you'd never get your hands in there to attach a lined chimney to it. So... back to plan B!

Back a couple months I got myself a barely used wood stove and now I think I'll be using it this season and in the room I originally wanted to utilize one in. Instead of heating my den at the far end of the house I'll be heating my living room, which is more central to where we spend most of our time in the homestead. Not only that, the floor above it is where our bedrooms are located so with enough heat it should transfer upstairs a bit as well - especially if we cut registers into the floors for the heat to travel up.

Luckily a local vendor is going to assist with the process and make sure the outside double-walled chimney will be up to code when being run up the side of our house. More on this soon...

Wood Stoves - Self Sufficiency

[Challenges of Heating an old New Englander ]

Long have I wished for owning a wood stove (or multiple wood stoves) and now that I have one I'm worried it isn't quite right for our house. In an oblong and quite frankly uniquely laid-out house heating is a big challenge.  The original 1858 house, was much smaller and simpler, but since then multiple add-ons (including the addition of a second floor about a hundred years ago) have made this house quite odd. The front room is a long, slightly narrow living room with 4 windows where we spend most of our time either relaxing, reading or watching TV. Quite frankly it's the perfect room to plop down a hearth and wood stove to cut oil usage during the winter, but... there lies a number of challenges. 

First and foremost the positioning of the wood stove would be a challenge due to the placement of the windows and existing baseboard heating AND on top of that (or rather, below that) the oil tank sits under this room. Second, there's two entrances to the living room - one on either end and I don't want to block or obstruct an exit. Third, the floor would need major reinforcing in order to support a 300+ lb. wood stove as well as a brick or stone hearth. Fourth, just the pure cost of the chimney that would have to be ported through the exterior wall.
  
Other than that it should be easy? Right? Ugh...

Besides the wood stove placement in our living we do have an existing fireplace on the opposite end of the house in a den-like room that is on a slab, rather than the house's original stone foundation. It's a small fireplace and hearth and it's cozy, but the chimney itself is built on the outside of the house, which is inherently inefficient due to the loss of heat outside of exterior walls. What would help mitigate this? A wood fireplace insert and the internal chimney that comes with it. What it comes down to these days is just pure cost effectiveness versus efficiency of the end product. Will a wood stove and wood fireplace insert eventually be worth the initial costs in the long run? Hard to say. More on this very soon...

Cozy, but sadly inefficient fireplace

Growing Your Own Food - Self Sufficiency

[The Concept]

There is something to be said for growing your own vegetable gardens and I know flower gardens are beautiful and smell nice and so on, but you can't eat much from them.  The practicality of having your vegetable garden grows everyday as of lately. Less and less foods in grocery stores are grown nationally and more and more foods are GMO-based or frozen by the time you get to set eyes on them.

Not too long ago I spoke with someone who was originally from Columbia who moved to the US a couple years ago. It wasn't until she moved she found that she was getting sick more than she ever had and then before she knew it she developed food allergies. So much for the standards of the FDA, huh? Coming from a country and living years eating foods that don't have preservatives, chemicals, etc. and then being thrust into something most of us have been used to our entire lives doesn't mix well...  She is now lactose intolerant and has a sensitivity to gluten and she'll never get back to the healthiness she used to enjoy back in her home country. Granted now she eats very carefully and well, but she was forced down that road because of our generally unhealthy food choices in the United States.

Health concerns aren't the only reason to grow your own vegetable garden though. A good-sized and successful vegetable garden saves you money too. With endless bills, gas prices rising everyday it's nice to know you're saving money somewhere. The ability to grow your own salad is certainly a benefit, but if you or someone close to you has decent cooking skills your choices for meal choices multiply exponentially.

Seedlings sprouting in our kitchen

I find that there's also a level of self-satisfaction directly linked to a successful vegetable garden as well. One things for sure though - patience is required. As with all kinds of gardening you must be a master of patience and attention to habitual routine. As my vegetable and herb seedlings are all finally beginning to sprout I continue my regiment of making sure they have enough sunlight and watering them daily.

Soon as they're transplanted into a raised garden outside I'll have to put up a chicken fence to keep some critters out as well as our curious dog Fiona.  The regimented process continues outdoors of course, except for the sunlight obviously. Going forward I can't see any better way to get fresh veggies than to grow your own. It's a subject that's been beaten to death, I know, but it's all the more reason to jump on this healthy band wagon. Jump on, why don't you? 

Current vegetables growing:
Tomatoes
Greenbeans
Squash
Red Pepper
Lettuce

Current herbs growing:
Dill
Parsley
Basil