How Big of a Vegetable Garden Is Enough to Raise Your Own Food?
Determining how large a garden plot to till and how much of each vegetable to plant depends on a number of factors. Before you till a huge area for your vegetable garden, consider the best size for your family. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
-
Expert Insight
-
Iowa State University Extension recommends a 25-by-25-foot vegetable garden to provide fresh vegetables and surplus to can, freeze and dry for two people for a year. Doubling this size to 25-by-50-feet should provide more than enough fresh and preservable food for a family of four.
Considerations
-
Following Iowa State University's recommendation, add approximately 312 square feet for each family member. This would require a family of six to have a garden measuring approximately 1875 square feet.
-
Solution
-
Start with a garden based on Iowa State's recommendations and add or remove rows as you see how much your family uses after the first year. You may need to adjust the size each year, based on usage trends, especially considering any frozen, canned and dried vegetables that were used up during the winter.
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
