Wondering how much food your vegetable patch can actually produce? Enter your bed dimensions and the crops you plan to grow to get a realistic harvest estimate — in kilograms, meals served, and money saved.
Choose all the crops you plan to grow. The calculator divides the bed area equally between them.
* Yield estimates are based on average well-maintained home garden performance under good growing conditions. Actual yields vary with soil quality, weather, pest pressure and gardening experience.
| Crop | Yield / m² | Servings / m² | Seasons / yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🍅 Tomato | 4–8 kg | 25–50 | 1 |
| 🥒 Zucchini | 6–10 kg | 30–50 | 1 |
| 🥬 Lettuce | 2–4 kg | 20–40 | 2–3 |
| 🌿 Spinach | 1–3 kg | 15–30 | 2 |
| 🥕 Carrot | 3–6 kg | 20–40 | 1–2 |
| 🟣 Beets | 3–5 kg | 15–25 | 1–2 |
| 🥦 Broccoli | 1–2 kg | 8–16 | 1–2 |
| 🫛 Pea (shelled) | 0.5–1 kg | 5–10 | 1 |
| 🫘 Green Beans | 3–5 kg | 15–25 | 1 |
| 🧅 Onion | 3–5 kg | 30–50 | 1 |
| 🥔 Potato | 3–6 kg | 10–20 | 1 |
| 🌿 Basil / herbs | 0.3–1 kg | 30–100 | 2–3 |
A well-managed 10 m² vegetable bed can provide a significant proportion of a family's vegetable needs through the summer months. Studies from organizations like the National Gardening Association suggest that a typical home vegetable garden produces around 0.5 kg of produce per square foot per season — roughly 5 kg per m².
Of course, what you grow matters enormously. High-yielding crops like zucchini, tomatoes and green beans produce far more edible weight per square foot than crops like onions or garlic, which take up the same space but produce less total weight.
If maximising yield from limited space is your goal, prioritise crops with a high output-to-space ratio. Courgettes are among the most productive plants you can grow — a single well-cared-for plant can produce 20–30 fruits per season.
Climbing crops like runner beans and cucumbers are particularly space-efficient because you can grow them vertically on a trellis, freeing up bed space for other crops below. Indeterminate tomato varieties trained up a single stake also give impressive yields from a small footprint.
Lettuce and cut-and-come-again salad leaves are another smart choice: you can harvest outer leaves repeatedly over many weeks from the same plant, getting a continuous supply from a small amount of space.
The biggest lever is soil quality. Rich, well-structured soil full of organic matter holds moisture, drains freely, and provides the nutrients plants need for vigorous growth. Adding compost before each growing season is the single most impactful thing most gardeners can do.
Succession sowing — planting small batches of the same crop every 2–3 weeks rather than all at once — keeps harvests coming steadily throughout the season rather than in one overwhelming glut.
Interplanting compatible crops (such as fast-growing radishes between slow-growing carrots) is another way to squeeze extra production from every square metre.
The answer depends heavily on what you grow and your local food costs. Heritage tomatoes, salad leaves, fresh herbs, and baby vegetables carry a significant premium in shops — making them the most financially rewarding crops to grow at home.
According to National Gardening Association research, a well-planted raised bed growing a mix of vegetables can save a household $500–$800 per growing season, once setup costs are recouped. Seeds and compost typically cost $30–$60 per bed per year after the first year.
How accurate are these yield estimates?
These are realistic averages for a well-maintained home garden. Actual yields vary with soil quality, variety chosen, pest and disease pressure, and how consistently you water and feed. Think of these figures as a planning guide rather than a guarantee.
Should I grow for calories or variety?
For caloric output, potatoes and beans offer the most energy per square foot. For daily variety and the best return on grocery prices, mix tomatoes, salad greens, zucchini and herbs. Most home gardeners prioritize variety and flavor over pure caloric output.
What is the best way to track my actual harvests?
Keeping a simple harvest log — even a notebook entry noting the crop, date and approximate weight — is surprisingly motivating and helps you plan better next season. Apps like EdenVatika let you log harvests digitally and track your growing history over time.
Can I grow enough food to feed a family from a small garden?
A 10 m² bed growing the right mix of crops can provide a meaningful portion of a family of four's vegetable intake during summer. For near self-sufficiency, you need significantly more space — typically 100–200 m² per person for a full diet. But even a small garden makes a real difference to vegetable bills.
Does raised bed growing produce more than in-ground gardening?
Generally yes. Raised beds allow you to control soil composition precisely, often resulting in better drainage, warmer soil (extending the season), and fewer weeds. Studies suggest raised beds produce 1.5–2× the yield of equivalent ground-level beds over time.
Estimates are a starting point. The app tracks your real harvests — weight, date, bed — so each season you can compare, learn, and grow more.
Garden journal
Log every harvest with weight, date and notes — free, unlimited history
Advanced analytics
Compare actual yield across seasons and see which beds perform best (Pro)
Bed history insights
See year-on-year performance per bed and what conditions drove the best harvests (Pro)
Data export
Export your full harvest log to CSV for your own records (Pro)
Custom plant varieties
Add your own varieties with custom yield notes and growing tips (Pro)
Free to start
2 beds included · task reminders · plant database
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