Smart Vegetable Gardening: What to Plant for Maximum Yield and Enjoyment

Don't waste space on crops you won't eat. Our family skips broccoli and cauliflower but grows pounds of Big Beef and Grape tomatoes. Follow three rules for a garden that feeds you well.

Rule 1: Plant What You Love to Eat

If you won't eat it, don't grow it. Enthusiasm drives care; indifference drives neglect.

Rule 2: Maximize Value per Square Foot

High-value, ever-bearing, vertical crops win:

• Tomatoes (indeterminate: 50+ fruits/plant vs. corn's 1–2 ears/stalk)
• Cucumbers, pole beans, peppers, eggplant
• Zucchini, yellow crookneck squash
• Cantaloupe, climbing squash

Single-harvest crops (cabbage, corn) need prompt picking or they attract pests. Potatoes store well but are cheap to buy—prioritize space for high-value fresh eaters.

Rule 3: Match Crops to Your Climate and Season

Cool climates = short seasons. Check seed packets or databases (e.g., Garden Master CD) for days-to-maturity. Sweet potatoes, peanuts, and large watermelons need 90+ hot days.

Bonus: Extend Your Season

Start seedlings indoors. Use mini-greenhouses (plastic-covered frames) over beds in spring and fall. Gain weeks on both ends—making "impossible" crops possible.

The Mittleider Promise

Follow the Mittleider method (precise nutrition, vertical growing, targeted watering) for "a great garden in any soil, in any climate." It works because it removes guesswork.