How many plants per person

How much of each crop to plant for one person, for eating fresh and for preserving.

Multiply by the number of people you’re feeding, then adjust: a family that loves salsa needs more tomatoes, and quick crops like lettuce and radishes go further when sown a little at a time every 2 to 3 weeks. Amounts come from US extension planting tables and vary with variety, soil and season.

Plant	Eating fresh	For preserving	Note
Tomato	2–5 plants	add 5–10 plants
Pepper	3–5 plants	add 5–10 plants
Eggplant	1–3 plants	—
Cucumber	2–4 plants or 1–2 hills	add 3–5 plants	The extra plants are for pickling.
Zucchini	1–2 plants or 1–3 hills	add 1–3 hills	A hill is a small mound sown with seeds, thinned to 2–3 plants.
Butternut Squash	1–2 plants or 1–3 hills	add 1–3 hills	Winter squash keeps for months, so the extra hills are for storage.
Acorn Squash	1–2 plants or 1–3 hills	add 1–3 hills	Winter squash keeps for months, so the extra hills are for storage.
Pumpkin	1 plant or 1–2 hills	—
Green Bean	Bush: 5–16 ft of row; pole: 5–6 ft of row	add 10–20 ft of row	Pole beans yield more per foot, so they need less row.
Lima Bean	Bush: 10–15 ft of row; pole: 5–6 ft of row	—
Pea	15–20 ft of row	add 40–60 ft of row
Lettuce	10–20 ft of row	—	Sow a short row every 2–3 weeks for a steady supply.
Spinach	5–10 ft of row	—
Kale	5–10 ft of row	add 15–20 ft of row
Collard Greens	5–10 ft of row	—
Swiss Chard	3–5 plants	—
Cabbage	3–8 plants	add 5–10 plants
Napa Cabbage	3–10 ft of row	—
Broccoli	3–5 plants	add 5–10 plants
Cauliflower	3–5 plants	add 5–8 plants
Brussels Sprouts	2–5 plants	add 5–7 plants
Kohlrabi	3–5 ft of row	add 5–10 ft of row
Carrot	5–10 ft of row	add 10–15 ft of row
Beet	5–10 ft of row	add 10–20 ft of row
Radish	2–5 ft of row	—	Sow a short row every 2–3 weeks for a steady supply.
Turnip	5–10 ft of row	—
Rutabaga	5–10 ft of row	add 5–10 ft of row
Parsnip	5–10 ft of row	add 10 ft of row
Onion	3–5 ft of row	15–25 ft of row in all	The larger amount includes onions to store.
Garlic	1–5 ft of row	—	Each clove you plant grows one bulb.
Leek	3–6 ft of row	—	This amount covers fresh eating and storage.
Potato	50–100 ft of row	add 50 ft of row	The extra row is for potatoes to store.
Sweet Potato	5–10 plants	—	This amount covers fresh eating and storage.
Corn	10–15 ft of row	add 30–40 ft of row	Plant a block of 3 or more short rows for better pollination.
Okra	4–6 ft of row	—
Cantaloupe	2–4 plants or 3–5 hills	add 3–4 plants	The extra plants are for freezing or juice.
Watermelon	2–4 plants or 2–4 hills	add 3–4 plants	The extra plants are for freezing or juice.
Asparagus	5–15 plants	about 20 plants in all	A perennial bed that produces for many years.
Basil	5–10 plants	add 5–10 plants	The extra plants are for drying or freezing.
Parsley	1–3 ft of row	—

Sources: Vegetables, Fruits & Herbs (crop-by-crop productivity notes) (Utah State University Extension); Vegetable Garden Planting Guide (MF315) (Kansas State University Research and Extension); Virginia's Home Garden Vegetable Planting Guide: Recommended Planting Dates and Amounts to Plant (Virginia Cooperative Extension); Easy Gardening: Planning a Garden (E-289) (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension)