Deciding What to Plant

I. We don't eat much broccoli or cauliflower at our house, so we seldom grow them. On the other hand, we love tomatoes, so Big Beef and Grape tomatoes are our largest crop.

II. Crops that produce the most fruit with the highest value include tomatoes, cucumbers, pole beans, peppers, eggplant, zucchini and yellow crookneck, as well as cantaloupe or other small melons and climbing squash.

These are all ever-bearing, and most can be grown vertically (another article you'll want to read), so they take up relatively little space in your garden. Single-crop varieties like cabbage can also be good growing choices, but they should be harvested quickly at maturity, before they become over-ripe and infested with pests and diseases.
Corn is not a good choice for the small family garden because it takes so much space and produces very little, unless you're able to use the leaves and stalks. For example, a single corn stalk takes the same space as a tomato plant, but only produces one or two ears, while a single indeterminate tomato plant can produce as many as 50 tomatoes.
And potatoes are usually much less expensive than tomatoes, so if space is limited they may not be a high priority.
On the other hand you may want to consider that potatoes, along with winter squash, cabbage, carrots, etc., will store for many months and feed you through the winter, if you take care of them right.

III. The third rule in deciding what to grow is finding things that grow well in your climate, and planting at the right time of year. Cooler climates have shorter growing seasons, so you may not be able to grow sweet potatoes and peanuts.

Large watermelons also require at least three months of warm weather. Find what does well in your climate by looking on the seed packet or a catalog, or in a plant database such as the Garden Master CD.

And guess what! There is a way of getting around rule three! By growing your own seedlings and using greenhouse-plastic coverings - which we call mini-greenhouses -over your plants in the garden you'll be able to extend your growing season by several weeks in both spring and fall. This can even help you to grow long-season crops you thought were not possible in your area.

Remember the three rules for deciding what to plant in your garden, namely plant what you will enjoy eating, "get the most bang for your buck", and choose varieties that will do well in your area.
And if you follow the recipe provided in the Mittleider gardening books we promise you "a great garden in any soil, in any climate."