Grow your own sauteed greens: plants for sauteed greens all season

Kale and chard with garlic. Greens shrink a lot, so you need more than you think.

For a family of 4 making sauteed garlic greens weekly in season (20 times a year), grow:

CropAmountPlantsBed sq ftYield assumptionSeeds
Swiss chard12 lb16 (8 to 23)167.5 lb per 10 ft of row, about 0.75 lb per plant over a season of picking.Shop Seeds Now
Kale17 lb14 (9 to 18)1410 lb per 10 ft of row at about 8 plants, so about 1.25 lb per plant.Shop Seeds Now
Garlic11 oz5 (4 to 7)1.54 lb per 10 ft of row, about one bulb (0.15 lb) per clove planted. Plant in fall.Shop Seeds Now
Total31.5

Garden ingredients per recipe (4 side servings)

  • 1 large bunch kale
  • 1 bunch swiss chard
  • 3 cloves garlic

From the pantry

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Strip and chop leaves, saute garlic, add greens and a splash of water, cook until wilted.

Change household size or combine dishes in the Plate to Plot tool

Sources and assumptions

Amounts include 15 percent extra for culls, pests, and kitchen trim. Plant counts use the typical yield; the range uses the high and low yields. Bed space assumes intensive beds at recommended spacing. Yields vary with variety, weather, and soil.

Guides and tools

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