Plan your garden to avoid unpleasant surprises

Planning your garden 2 (1111 × 424 px)
What's better than the cold month of January to plan your vegetable garden? We have time to think about it, with the first sowings only starting in a few weeks. By doing this, we avoid disappointing mistakes during the summer.

Define family tastes 

It is important to select edible plants that will be eaten. Tastes can change from one year to the next, so a quick survey of family members, especially children, avoids wasting time growing edible plants that no one will want.

If we decide to expand the family circle, providing relatives, friends, non-profit organizations, etc., we consult them in order to get the most out of the cultures.

Determine the number of people you want to feed

This information is essential since it impacts both the dimensions of the vegetable garden and the time that will need to be devoted to it. We can include people who live under the same roof and also parents, friends, etc., or offer part of the harvest to the most deprived helping organizations in our society.

Decide on the type of vegetable garden

This can be solely dedicated to harvesting fresh vegetables, or can be used to stock up on supplies for the winter:

  • A fresh vegetable garden meets needs during the summer, as all types of vegetables are ready;
  • A conservation vegetable garden allows you to eat vegetables all year round by consuming fresh vegetables in summer and using various preservation methods: freezing, drying, canning in jars, etc.
You can opt for a hybrid formula where certain varieties of vegetables will be grown for a summer harvest while others will be consumed as soon as they ripen or preserved.

Evaluate the number of plants

Using all this data, we try to evaluate the quantities, in weight and number of plants. For fruiting vegetables, it is difficult to give their number per species, because each variety can produce a different number of units. Using the table above, we can calculate the number of plants needed.

Yield per plant

VegetableWeight
Aubergine1,8 kg
Swiss chard1,2 kg
Beet250 g
Broccoli1 kg
Carrot125 g
Groundcherry400 g
Cauliflower1 kg
Kale1 kg
cabbage1 kg
Cucumber4 kg
summer squash4 kg
winter squash7 kg
Zucchini3 kg
Spinach90 g
Climbing bean550 g
Dwarf bean450 g
Melon2 kg
Turnip40 g
Onion500 g
Parsnip250 g
pimento200 g
Leek250 g
Because400 kg
Pepper700 g
Potato800 g
Tomato2,5 kg
Note: quantities may vary depending on climate and growing conditions.
Source: The urban vegetable garden, easy and natural by Éditions MultiMondes.

This little planning task allows you to properly order your seeds from Jardins de l'écoumène. In fact, on our website we indicate the number of seeds per sachet. For example, if we want to obtain 30 kilograms of Amish Italian tomato, a single sachet of 35 seeds is sufficient: 12 plants at 2,5 kg per plant. We will then sow about half of the packet.

Save money

If you lack space, you can also choose to save money by growing the vegetables that cost the most and buying those that cost the least. This information takes into account both the yield per square meter harvested and the average market price.

From the largest to the smallest economies: cucumber, cauliflower, broccoli, potato, carrot, beetroot, peas, tomato, pepper, leek, lettuce, radish, zucchini, onion and beans.

A guide… to adapt

To help with decision-making, the tables below indicate the number of plants to grow, on average, for a fresh vegetable garden or a conservation vegetable garden. It is not, of course, a question of using this information as is. For example, if we really like eggplants in the family, we can increase the number of plants and if we like leeks less we can then reduce the quantities grown. Hence the importance of clearly defining the family's tastes.

Quantity of vegetables for 4 people

VegetableFresh vegetable gardenConservation vegetable garden
Ail30 bulbs50 bulbs
Aubergine3 floors5 floors
Swiss chard5 floors10 floors
Beet30 floors65 floors
Broccoli3 floors6 floors
Carrot40 floors150 floors
Cabbage6 floors12 floors
Cauliflower5 floors7 floors
Cucumber3 floors
Zucchini3 floors6 floors
Dwarf bean30 pockets60 pockets
Leaf lettuce70 floors-
head lettuce15 floors-
Turnip15 floors30 floors
Onion10 floors30 floors
Leek10 floors30 floors
Because15 pockets30 pockets
Pepper4 floors10 floors
pimento5 floors10 floors
Potato8 floors14 floors
Radish100 floors-
Medium and large tomato8 floors12 floors
Tomato in sauce-20 floors
Cherry tomato3 floors-

Quantity of fine herbs for 4 people

FinesFresh gardenConservation garden
Basil3 floors12 floors
Chervil3 floors5 floors
Chives2 floors5 floors
Coriander3 floors6 floors
Common laurel1 floor1 floor
Oregano2 floors4 floors
Persil3 floors5 floors
Rosemary1 floor1 floor
Savory1 floor1 floor
Sage1 floor1 floor
Thyme2 floors3 floors
Source: The urban vegetable garden, easy and natural by Éditions MultiMondes.

Evaluate the time you have

From sowing to harvest, to succeed in the vegetable garden, you have to devote time to it. It is therefore important to carefully estimate the hours that you can, not necessarily those that you want, dedicate to it. It is also necessary to take into account the time required for the various operations, the time to devote to the vegetable garden not being equal throughout the season. It is often higher at the start of the season, when it is necessary to prepare the soil, sow, plant, etc., and at the end of the season, for harvests and closing of the vegetable garden. We distinguish :

  • Plants requiring little time: tomatoes, Swiss chard, kale, lettuce and mixed greens, beans, onions, zucchini and squash, radishes, and the vast majority of fine herbs;
  • Plants requiring a little more time: cucumber, garlic, ground cherry, carrot, beetroot, spinach, pea, bell pepper and chilli, leek and cabbage and potato;
  • Vegetables requiring more availability and generally more knowledge: asparagus, eggplant, broccoli, cauliflower, celeriac, corn, melon and turnip.

If you lack space, you can choose to grow the plants that are most contaminated by pesticides: spinach, kale, peppers, celery and tomatoes. Please note that these are imported products. According to a report from the Quebec Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, of the 7 foods produced in Quebec and tested in 2019, all comply with standards.

For more information on growing all of these plants, see the sections vegetable seeds et grass seeds on our website.

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📅 Thursday, July 31 and Friday, August 1, 2025

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