# How big is your vegetable garden?



## Mrs. Mucket (Apr 22, 2010)

I know there is no answer to the question, "How big should my garden be?" because personal taste, shopping habits and other factors vary so much. But I'm just curious what size garden some of you have to feed your family throughout the year including preserving for winter. I've always raised just some of our produce for the growing season and preserved some, but now I finally have space and time to grow what we need for the entire year. There are just two of us now--middle-aged hubby and myself--and occasional guests. We eat a lot of fresh produce all summer. We will freeze, can, and dehydrate produce and are putting in a root cellar. My tendency is to just start somewhere and see how that size works, but I thought I'd ask--how big is your garden, and how many people does it feed? Thanks


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## Phoebesmum (Jan 4, 2009)

Well my garden is 320 square feet of planting area and I use an intensive gardening method--more plants, closer together, lots of vertical growing---and it is providing three adults with fresh produce and a lot of canned items...would probably need about 200 feet or so to put up ALL my vegetables for the year though.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Which one? Right now I've got 4 but didn't get much produce this year between the tree in the garden and the heat. Since I have no more ducks I planted in their old pens and have got 1 tomato. Cucumber vines are just flowering, peas got flattened by last weeks rain, squash is looking at me, zuchini just started growing. 

The big garden with the tree in it is about 30 x 30 feet. The small one is 12 x 16 feet. The shaded one is 16 x 23 feet and the one at our other property is currently 15 x 25 or so. That one will be greatly expanded next year. I want to grow more crops that require a lot of room. More potatoes, popcorn, beans and grain. And I want to grow some stuff to sell. Gourds and mini pumpkins are in next years plans.


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## Vickie44 (Jul 27, 2010)

Mine is 110' by 35' and is more than I can use even with canning. I even have a small table with two chairs by a small Zinnia patch for watching the sunset and the squash grow.


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## Cheryl in SD (Apr 22, 2005)

2010 sq. ft. between the garden, the greenhouse, & the squash beds. That's plnted area. The garden area is around 4500 sq. ft.


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## ronbre (Apr 26, 2009)

i have some vegetables and other edibles in all my beds..but i also have a food forest garden that is where i plant MOST of my annual vegetables mixed with fruit trees, nut trees, flowers, herbs, root crops, etc..and it is 40 x 60..and supplies everything we need..

i also have a greenhouse but right now it has nothing in it cause i just moved it to a new location, just filled it with compost and am hooking up the hose to it to plant fall garden in it..


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## olivehill (Aug 17, 2009)

We currently have 256 sq ft of planted area in raised beds using intensive planting methods. We used to have a lot more garden area by square footage, but using traditional rows in that space means that we barely fit in any more plants than we do now. We put the raised beds in last year and are very happy with them. We'll be doubling them up for next year and I expect that to provide everything we need for our family of four. What we have now produces a lot of what we need as it is both for eating fresh and for canning/freezing for the winter). 

That said this does not include certain things I buy at local farms/farmers' markets instead of growing (berries, sweet corn, apples, pears), any large plants (squashes, pumpkins, gourds, etc) or herbs (which are grown in ornamental beds around the property instead.)


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## ChristieAcres (Apr 11, 2009)

I know a local gardener who feeds her family of 3 all year around with veggies using just over 1,000 sq ft, planting intensively in raised beds (also gardens in her little greenhouse over the Winter). She cans and makes jelly/jams. My garden is 2,500 sq ft, at least the main one. There are other areas we are gardening in around our property, including (2) new beds by our home. While there are only two of us and we grow quite a variety of produce (including herbs), we easily produce enough for a family of six. The extra is shared with family & friends. This gives us a bit of insurance that we will produce enough for ourselves and any extra is just that for us to give away. Some of my garden space is devoted to plants I propagate and sell. Since there is a local need, I will be growing a lot more garlic & onions, so adding another 800 sq feet to our garden area (outside the fenced garden area). Our orchard did very well last year, but won't produce much at all this year. Since I put up so much, we have plenty still left to use.


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## SquashNut (Sep 25, 2005)

35 x 50 foot. we can and feed 2 people and 2 dogs from it. as well as feeding 20 rabbits.


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## ChristieAcres (Apr 11, 2009)

Thanks for reminding me, I am feeding my 12 rabbits and 18 chickens a lot of veggies out of my garden, too. Sam, our dog, used to eat green beans, but has given them up for some reason.


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## shanzone2001 (Dec 3, 2009)

My garden is not as large as I would like it to be (30x40), yet it is already more than I can handle without drip lines.


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## hippygirl (Apr 3, 2010)

Our main garden "will" be 30x50 next year. As we continue to clear each year, it will grow to "about" 30x150.

We already have a separate plot ready for an asparagus bed...about 20x20.


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

Hard to put an accurate square footage to mine. 8 rented plots of 432 square feet each to start and that would be 3,456. Then about another 1,250 at home. Not included is about a 400 foot row on 2 sides of the community gardens with a pair of tomato plants every 15'. Still not nearly enough for all I want to grow but hoping to cut back next year!

Martin


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## upnorthlady (Oct 16, 2009)

I have two gardens. One is 50 x 150 and the other is 35 x 120. I like to grow everything.!


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## fetch33 (Jan 15, 2010)

I have two 4X8 raised beds. I am getting about 3-4 lbs of green beans and 20-30 lbs of tomatoes a week. I got enough beets for a small canner load. The lone cucumber plant produces plenty of fruit and I need to make some pickles this week. The lettuce and spinach bolted before yielding much. The yellow squash and zuchinni died before producing more than a handful of fruit. I am getting ready to plant a fall garden in the empty spaces and I am already planning on doubling the garden when I get some time this fall.


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

6000 sq ft. It includes the space for my small fruits - raspberries, blueberries, grapes, and strawberries.. It is as much as I can handle alone. I feed 3 of us...but only one of us eats anything fresh out of the garden. Me. I do a lot of canning and freezing. I give away probably 1/2 of what I produce every year. Yes, I should sell it, but I am too lazy. I want that much in cultivation with the soil kept soft and improved just in case..... I usually can right around 900 bottles of produce each year. This year, I will be lucky to hit 500.


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