{"id":1124,"date":"2021-03-09T09:01:26","date_gmt":"2021-03-09T14:01:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/serresvandewalle.com\/?p=1124"},"modified":"2025-02-20T08:44:46","modified_gmt":"2025-02-20T13:44:46","slug":"productive-garden-guide-to-feed-four-people","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/serresvandewalle.com\/en\/productive-garden-guide-to-feed-four-people\/","title":{"rendered":"Productive garden guide to feed four people"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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If you\u2019re feeling like trying gardening for the first time, you’re probably asking yourself the following questions: What size should my garden be to feed four people? What type of garden should I pick: in-ground, boxed, or above-ground? How many cultivated plants will meet the needs of a family? What type of vegetable variety should I pick? Don\u2019t let the unknown scare you, but rather think of the numerous advantages that your garden will offer. <\/p>\n

First, growing your own vegetable is an ecological and economical way of eating fresh, and even organic, if you wish. Second, contrary to what you may believe, taking care of a garden requires little time and effort. In fact, you\u2019ll only need to dedicate one hour a week. Third, your children can help you with your crops, and trust us they\u2019ll be much more inclined to taste the vegetables they grew in their backyards than the ones from the grocery store!<\/p>\n

Now that you\u2019re reassured on the benefits of having a garden, time to answer your questions! <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Garden size to feed four people <\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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To feed a family of four from spring to the months of fall you\u2019ll need a surface area of roughly 8 m2<\/sup> , therefore 2 m by 4 m for an in-ground garden, two boxes of 2m by 2m; or 4 above ground planters of 1 m by 2 m. This space will allow you to cultivate all your family\u2019s favorite vegetables in sufficient quantities, without creating excessive surplus.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t forget that gardens that are square or rectangle are generally easier to integrate to your land, and easier to build if you\u2019re opting for an above-ground garden. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Different types of gardens<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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There are multiple types of gardens. In fact, there\u2019s one to meet every taste, you\u2019re guaranteed to find one that will fit your designated space. For now, we present you with the most popular gardens being the in-ground, boxed, and elevated gardens. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIn-ground gardens\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\tLike its name indicates, the plants of these vegetables are grown right in the ground. To create yours all you have to do is remove the grass, practice soil inversion until you\u2019ve reached a 30 cm depth, and then add bags of soil and compost. You can also make a wooden or cement block border to stop grass from growing in the gardening space. \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBoxed gardens \t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\tFor a boxed garden you\u2019ll have to build a box shaped wood frame to keep the soil in place. The borders of your garden will need to be 30 to 45 cm tall. Then at the bottom you\u2019ll have to put roughly 10 newspaper pages or geotextile fabric on the grass or ground to prevent weeds from growing. Lastly, you\u2019ll just have to fill your frame with a thick layer (at least 30 cm) of bought soil mixed with compost and natural fertilizer. \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAbove-ground gardens\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\tFor an elevated garden, you\u2019ll have to build a wooden planter on legs. The legs of the planter can have the height that you desire. Some prefer them a few cm from the ground while others prefer them at hip height so they do not need to bend down to perform gardening tasks. Lastly, it\u2019s essential that the bottom of your planter has drainage holes. \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Whether you opt for an in-ground, boxed, or elevated garden, make sure to position it in a well sunlit area, far from tree roots, and that your soil is rich and light. Besides, to get good results, your potting soil should contain compost and sphagnum peat moss slow release natural fertilizer rich in nitrogen and potassium (formulation approximating 5-3-8), as well as a mycorrhizal fungus.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Plant and seeding quantity needed to feed four people<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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To avoid having a lot of leftovers and needing to can your surplus of crops or being disappointed to not have planted more of those delicious peas, here are the quantities of plants and seeds to feed your family: <\/p>