How much for a family of 4?

I apologise if there is a post asking this already  :roll:

Can we start a list of produce with how much it is likely to produce in a season

For example how many cucumber plants would be sufficient to keep a family of four and maybe parents in cucumbers through out the summer?

How many tomato plants or courgette plants will we need, I don't know how many courgettes are produced on one plant  :oops:

I really do not want to end up with a huge glut, but would like to give away to a few people aswell if I could.

I love Runners and could quite happily eat them everyday with boiled potatoes and gravy  

I just wanted a rough estimate really  :oops:  did not realise it was a how long is a piece of string question.

The book would be good though just to get a rough guesstimate

Thanks for that

Sorry if this is blindingly obvious but I should have added .. whatever number of plants you choose always have one or two in reserve to cover for the odd plant that dies off before it gets established (for a myriad of reasons).

Also, climbing beans have been mentioned: for runner beans, 3-4lbs per foot (double row) is reasonable. Can be more (or less) depending on variety and season, eg runners did not like the extreme heat in July last summer; for climbing french (if you grow them - they coped a bit better with the heat) 1.5-2.5lbs per foot (double row again).

Sorry, when I saw the title I thought it was an auction.

I'll go now.

    Don't think even eBay has got a category for that yet!

Part of the fun of having an allotmnet is dealing with the surplus. Being clever in the kitchen helps here but do not underestimate the barter aspect. Any good crop has a value and if it is in excess of your needs then swap for something else.

Judging quantities for your needs is almost imposible as crops will vary according to weather conditions. May I suggest that you start by writing down your normal shop purchases and multiplying up for a years consumption. If we know how many kilos you eat, there is a better chance of getting accurate planting guides.

Good tip about courgettes I got from the Real Seed Catalogue is that "in general you get a set amount of produce per square foot of plant," so be clear about whether you've chosen dwarf bushes or big vines. I had 4 of the variety  'Tondo di Piacenza'  which produced far too many for 2 of us. Also, pick them very small, they're much nicer (I kept finding marrows that had mysteriously grown when I wasn't looking - even though I looked every day!)

Fantastic, thanks everyone ) I am just out to put glass roof on greenhouse now while it is not raining for 2 mins!!! hopefully will have it up and running by the weekend!!

Just had an email to rehome some battery hens too which I am looking at doing towards the end of the year