How much sun does a garden need?

The sunlight requirements of a garden are largely determined by the species of plants cultivated there. However, a common guideline suggests that the majority of vegetables and flowering plants require a minimum of 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight daily for optimal growth. However, some plants, such as leafy greens or certain herbs, can tolerate partial shade. If your garden doesn't get enough natural sunlight, consider using grow lights to supplement. Keep in mind, however, that excessive direct sunlight can potentially damage certain plants, particularly in extremely hot weather conditions.

How much space does a tomato plant need?

The amount of space needed for a tomato plant depends largely on whether it is an indeterminate or determinate variety. Determinate tomato plants, characterized by a predetermined growth limit and simultaneous fruit production, typically need around 2 to 3 feet of spacing between plants and 3 to 4 feet between rows. Conversely, indeterminate tomato plants, which perpetually grow and bear fruit throughout the cultivation season and can attain heights exceeding 6 feet, require approximately 3 to 4 feet of separation between plants and 4 to 5 feet between rows. These spacing recommendations allow for good air circulation, which helps prevent disease, and also provide enough room for the plants to spread and grow.

How much sun does lettuce need?

Lettuce, a crop that flourishes in cooler climates with temperatures ranging from 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit, generally needs approximately 6 to 8 hours of direct daily sunlight. However, lettuce is versatile and can tolerate partial shade, making it a suitable choice for locations with less sun. Innovative growing techniques such as crop circle gardens, which utilize resource-smart plant propagation technology, can maximize sunlight exposure, and grow up to twice the plant matter compared to conventional row planting. This technology optimizes space, water, and nutrient use, allowing plants to receive optimal sunlight while reducing resource waste, thereby boosting overall yield.

How many green beans per plant?

The yield of green beans per plant can vary based on the variety of bean and the specific growing conditions, but on average, a single bush bean plant can produce between 30 to 50 pods. Pole beans, which have a longer growing season and continue to produce after bush beans have stopped, can yield up to 50 to 100 pods per plant under optimal conditions. Alternatively, a Crop Circle Garden grows mare beans per plant due to a root targeted feeding system.

How many tomatoes per plant?

The number of tomatoes each plant produces can vary depending on the variety. Cherry tomato plants, known for their prolific production, can yield up to 100 or more tomatoes per plant in a single season. Beefsteak tomatoes, which produce larger and fewer fruits, can yield around 10 to 15 tomatoes per plant. Patio tomatoes, a type of determinate variety designed for container growing, may produce between 50 to 100 smaller fruits per plant. Roma tomatoes, often used in sauces and canning due to their low moisture content, can yield approximately 75 to 100 fruits per plant.

How Many Bean Pods Will A Bean Plant Produce?

Pole bean plants are generally more productive than bush bean plants. Pole beans like yard long, blue lake, and rattlesnake can be quite prolific producing over 100 beans under the right conditions. Bush beans like, pencil pod wax, royal burgundy, and contender are less prolific but more popular because of their sweet taste. Bush beans average about 15 bean pods per bean plant.

How Many Tomatoes Will A Tomato Plant Grow?

The number of tomatoes a tomato plant will grow depends on plant type. An indeterminate beefsteak tomato plant produces about 20 tomatoes on average. An indeterminate cherry tomato plant will produce considerably more averaging 300 tomatoes per plant. A determinate tomato plant produces far less tomatoes for both tomato types.

How Many Cucumbers Will a Cucumber Plant Grow?

The number of cucumbers a cucumber plant will grow depends on plant type. A slicing cucumber plant produces about 15 cucumbers on average. A pickling cucumber plant will produce considerably more averaging 45 dill pickles per plant.

Garden Yield Calculator, How Much Will A Garden Grow

The amount a garden will grow depends on several factors such as the size of the garden, the type of plants that you will grow, the quality of the soil, the amount of sunlight, how much water the plants receive, and the level of care given to the garden.

How much a garden grows also depends on how garden plants are fertilized. Growing plants in a Crop Circle Garden for example, will grow more plants than a cultivated rowed garden because nutrient is targeted over time to each and every plant root.

Crop Circle Gardens use a cavitated system to keep nutrient close to the root of a plant. Close proximity of nutrient means that the plant uses only what it needs when it needs it saving a tremendous amount of water and fertilizer – there is no waste!

Cavitied Crop Circle Gardens can grow anywhere, in any soil because a column of nutrient charged soil installs with each garden. This means that Crop Circle Gardens® can be spaced a distance from one another to take advantage of plant preferred sun, shade, or semi-shade spots in the yard.

Use the garden yield calculator below to calculate how many vegetables a cultivated rowed garden will grow compared to a Crop Circle Garden by plant type and variety.

How To Use The Garden Yield Calculator

Simply choose the type of vegetable, herb or flower from the drop-down menu and click. The difference in number of vegetables, herbs and flowers cultivated from a garden and a Crop Circle Garden will appear in the labelled boxes.

Methods And Calculations That Improve Yield From A Garden

There are methods that can be used to improve the yield of a garden including calculating the proper depth of composted soil, continuous picking, early season cover and growing with a Crop Circle Garden.

Calculating The Depth Of Composted Soil

Soil depth should preferably be deep enough to accommodate the root of a plant. It can be calculated by matching soil depth with known length and breadth of plant roots. For example, here some examples of vegetable root length, which will help you calculate the proper depth of composted soil:

Potatoes: 8-12 inches
Radishes: 1-3 inches
Parsnips: 12-15 inches
Beets: 3-5 inches
Turnips: 4-6 inches
Sweet Potatoes: 4-6 inches
Onions: 4-6 inches
Garlic: 2-4 inches
Rutabaga: 5-7 inches
Jerusalem artichokes: 4-6 inches
Ginger: 3-5 inches
Turmeric: 3-5 inches
Basil: 6-8 inches
Cilantro/Coriander: 8-12 inches
Parsley: 10-12 inches
Dill: 10-12 inches
Rosemary: 12-15 inches
Thyme: 6-8 inches
Mint: 12-18 inches
Tomatoes: 24-36 inches
Peppers (Bell or Chili): 12-24 inches
Watermelon: 36-48 inches
Squash (summer varieties like zucchini): 24-36 inches
Zucchini: 24-36 inches
Pumpkins: 48-60 inches
Sunflowers: 24-36 inches, but some varieties can have roots as long as 6 feet
Marigolds: 6-8 inches
Zinnias: 6-12 inches
Petunias: 6-12 inches

Black Gold, The Best Soil Is Composted Soil

Deep composted soil, sometimes referred to as "black gold," is a nutrient-rich soil composition that is created by breaking down organic matter over a long period of time. The exact composition of deep composted soil can vary depending on the materials used, but typically it contains:

Humus: This is the dark, organic material that results from the decomposition of plant and animal matter. Humus is the primary component of deep composted soil, and it provides many of the nutrients that plants need to grow.
Nitrogen: Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for plant growth, and it is often added to compost in the form of grass clippings, food scraps, or other organic materials.
Phosphorus: Natural sources of Phosphorous are found deep down in composted soil from the decomposition of bone meal or animal bones, which you can purchase from a local butcher.
Potassium: Potassium content in soil can be increased with the addition of wood ash.
Microorganisms: DBeneficial microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, and protozoa help break down organic matter and release nutrients into the soil. Keeping you soil moist and organically fertilized will create a beneficial environment in which these microorganisms can thrive.
Aged animal manure: Aged animal manure goes hand in hand with aged compost as key ingredients for enriched soil. To create aged animal manure, fresh manure, or green manure, is left outdoors to partially be broken down by microorganisms, which convert the nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in the manure into forms that plants can use.
Decayed plant matter: A material that results from the decomposition of plant material like leaves, stems, and roots. When plant matter decomposes, it releases nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium into the soil, which can be used by plants for growth. Decayed plant matter can also help to improve soil structure and water retention and support beneficial soil microorganisms.

Deep composted soil is an excellent soil composition that can improve soil structure, fertility, and water retention. It can help promote healthy plant growth and is the perfect soil construct for “Drill Don’t Till” Crop Circle Gardens.

Improve Garden Yield With A First Flower Pick

A tip learned by accident when deer grazed the tops of the garden peppers taking all the flowers. After some initial disappointment, the plants quickly recovered and grew twice as large as before with twice the flowers, which of course grew more peppers. A gardeners can pick all flowers from the plant themselves as soon as they appear in numbers and achieve the same results.

Increase Garden Yield With An Early Season Cover

Covering seeds or plants at the start of the season with a semi-transparent germination cloth speeds up germination and protects young plants from cold temperatures, the wind and frost. Acting like a greenhouse, plants typically get a 2 or 3 week start and shortens time to harvest, which is important in a northern, short-season climate.

Calculate The Number Of Vegetables A Plant Will Grow

Calculate How Many Pounds Of Vegetables Are Produced By A Farm Acre

Crop Circle Gardens

Crop Circle Gardens ® are small, round planters that insert in soil anywhere you want to grow plants. These high-density gardens are prolific plant growers designed to get the most out of a plant. Designed for top growth plant varieties rather than root varieties (with the exception of radish), they create an environment extremely favorable for massive leaf growth, flowering, and fruit set. It’s not uncommon for a single Crop Circle Garden to grow 10 pounds of bush beans from one planting and 3 picks.

Planting A Crop Circle Garden, Calcualte Placement Of Sun, Shade, Semishade Plants

To calculate the best plants that grow in sun or shade in a Crop Circle Garden will depend on a variety of factors, including the climate, where in the yard you place the round planter, soil type, and the amount of sun or shade the garden receives. Here are some suggestions so you can calculate type and positioning of plants that will do well in different light conditions:

Vegetable Plants That Love To Grow In Full Sun

Tomatoes: All varieties of determinate and indeterminate tomato plants require full sun to proliferate, ripen and mature.
Bell peppers: All varieties of peppers including both sweet and hot, also require full sun to grow to their fullest potential.
Cucumbers: Slicing, pickling, heirloom, and container varieties of cucumbers require full sun to flower and set fruit.
Zucchini: Zucchini (summer squash) plants require at least 7 hours of sun each day.
Eggplant: Every type of eggplant not only need full sun but plenty of heat to produce fruit.
Squash: These sprawling plants (winter squash like spaghetti squash, for example) need lots of sunlight to produce fruit.

Herb Plants To Grow In Full Sun

Basil: The “pesto plant” grows best in full sun but not as mu heat as eggplant otherwise it tends to bolt and go to seed.
Thyme: This sun-loving plant is easy to grow and produces hundreds of small leaves to flavor any cooked meat.
Rosemary: This popular herb is also a sun-loving plant that thrives in warm, dry conditions – perfect to grow in the Arizona desert.
Sage: Not used as much as other more popular sun-loving herbs, sage is still used by herb gardeners to flavor meals.
Oregano: This is the herb grown for in Italian and other Mediterranean recipes. It grows best in a hot, dry climate with 8 hours of sunshine per day.

Flowers That Prefer Full Sun

Sunflowers: By far the most popular flower to grow in the garden are sunflowers, the bee pollinator.
Zinnias: Zinnias are colorful, bright and thrive in full sun.
Black-Eyed Susans: Great flowers for the garden and planters, Black-Eyed Susans grow well in 7 to 8 hours of full sunlight.
Cosmos: Delicate and beautiful, these flowers will produce an abundance of blooms in a variety of colors providing they grow in the full sun.
Marigolds: Yellow, orange, and tricolor marigolds will only grow and spread in full sun.
Petunias: These sun-loving fragrant flowers are available in a full range of colors and will add a splash of color to your garden.

Vegetable Plants To Grow In Shade And Semishade

Leafy Greens: Vegetables like lettuce, spinach, and kale thrive in partial shade, producing tender leaves from several harvests throughout the season.
Broccoli: This plant can grow in full sun and tolerate some shade. It is important however to grow broccoli in cooler temperatures to prevent the plant from bolting.
Cauliflower: Cauliflower is another cool weather vegetable that can produce beautifully formed heads, although they are a little smaller in partial shade.
Peas: Unlike telegraph peas that need full sun to climb and produce, bush peas can grow in partial shade and produce an abundance of pea pods just like their tall cousins.
Radishes: Although they prefer full sun, these popular root vegetables can grow in partial shade.
Spinach: This leafy green vegetable can tolerate partial shade; however spinach plants grow bigger leaves in full sun providing temperatures are cool.
Lettuce: Leaf lettuce grows best in partial shade while romaine lettuce prefers to grow in full sun.

Herbs That Grow Best In Shade And Semishade

Mint: This herb is a shade-loving plant that can spread and take over your garden given the right growing conditions.
Chives: Chives are shade-tolerant plant but grow best in full sun.
Parsley: This herb prefers to grow in the shade when daytime temperatures consistently rise above 80 degrees.
Dill: There are varieties of dill like Long Island Mammoth that prefer to grow in shade or semi shade and other varieties like Bouquet that prefer to grow in full sun.
Cilantro: This herb can grow in partial shade but likes to grow in the full sun in temperatures ranging between 75 and 85 degrees.

Flowers That Love Shade And Semishade

Hostas: These low-maintenance plants come in a range of sizes and colors and can add texture to a shady area..
Impatiens: These colorful flowers thrive in shade and can add a bright spot to a dark corner.
Bleeding hearts: These delicate flowers are shade-tolerant plants that produce lovely heart-shaped blooms in pink and white.
Begonias: These versatile plants come in a range of colors and can thrive in both shade and sun, making them a great choice for mixed gardens.
Hydrangeas: These beautiful flowering shrubs come in a range of colors and can add a touch of elegance to any garden.