Seed Order Planner: how many seeds to buy for your household
Pick your crops and household size. The planner uses extension plants-per-person amounts and plantings per year to count plants, then adds extra seed for thinning and weak germination. If you rated crops in the Harvest Log, it grows the ones you ran short on and trims the ones you had too much of. Your plan saves on your device. No account needed.
Free seed order planner. Set your household size and crops to get plants per planting, plantings per year, and how many seeds to buy, with extra for thinning and germination. Adjusts from your Harvest Log.
Plants per person per planting
| Crop | Per person, each planting | Spring and summer plantings | Fall plantings | How to sow | Seed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomatoes | 2 to 4 plants | 2 | 0 | Start indoors | Shop Seeds Now |
| Peppers | 3 to 5 plants | 2 | 0 | Start indoors | Shop Seeds Now |
| Eggplant | 1 to 3 plants | 1 | 0 | Start indoors | Shop Seeds Now |
| Bush beans | 10 plants | 4 | 0 | Direct sow | Shop Seeds Now |
| Pole beans | 3 to 5 plants | 2 | 0 | Direct sow | Shop Seeds Now |
| Lima beans | 4 to 8 plants | 1 | 0 | Direct sow | Shop Seeds Now |
| Southern peas (cowpeas) | 20 to 30 plants | 1 | 0 | Direct sow | Shop Seeds Now |
| Sweet corn | 15 to 20 plants | 3 | 0 | Direct sow | Shop Seeds Now |
| Cucumbers | 2 to 4 plants | 2 | 0 | Direct sow or start indoors | Shop Seeds Now |
| Summer squash and zucchini | 1 to 2 plants | 3 | 0 | Direct sow | Shop Seeds Now |
| Winter squash | 1 to 2 plants | 1 | 0 | Direct sow | Shop Seeds Now |
| Pumpkins | 1 plant | 1 | 0 | Direct sow | Shop Seeds Now |
| Cantaloupe (muskmelon) | 2 to 3 plants | 2 | 0 | Direct sow or start indoors | Shop Seeds Now |
| Watermelon | 2 plants | 2 | 0 | Direct sow or start indoors | Shop Seeds Now |
| Okra | 3 to 5 plants | 2 | 0 | Direct sow | Shop Seeds Now |
| Garden peas | 20 to 30 plants | 2 | 0 | Direct sow | Shop Seeds Now |
| Broccoli | 3 to 5 plants | 2 | 3 | Start indoors | Shop Seeds Now |
| Cabbage | 4 to 8 plants | 1 | 2 | Start indoors | Shop Seeds Now |
| Cauliflower | 3 to 5 plants | 1 | 2 | Start indoors | Shop Seeds Now |
| Brussels sprouts | 2 to 5 plants | 0 | 1 | Start indoors | Shop Seeds Now |
| Kale and collards | 3 to 7 plants | 1 | 2 | Direct sow or start indoors | Shop Seeds Now |
| Kohlrabi | 3 to 6 plants | 1 | 2 | Direct sow or start indoors | Shop Seeds Now |
| Head lettuce | 5 to 10 plants | 3 | 3 | Start indoors | Shop Seeds Now |
| Leaf and baby lettuce | 10 to 15 ft of row | 2 | 3 | Direct sow | Shop Seeds Now |
| Spinach | 15 plants | 2 | 2 | Direct sow | Shop Seeds Now |
| Swiss chard | 3 to 5 plants | 1 | 2 | Direct sow | Shop Seeds Now |
| Mustard greens | 5 to 10 plants | 1 | 2 | Direct sow | Shop Seeds Now |
| Chinese cabbage and bok choy | 6 to 8 plants | 1 | 2 | Direct sow or start indoors | Shop Seeds Now |
| Carrots | 10 to 30 plants | 1 | 2 | Direct sow | Shop Seeds Now |
| Beets | 10 to 20 plants | 2 | 2 | Direct sow | Shop Seeds Now |
| Radishes | 2 ft of row | 2 | 4 | Direct sow | Shop Seeds Now |
| Turnips | 10 to 20 plants | 1 | 1 | Direct sow | Shop Seeds Now |
| Rutabaga | 10 to 20 plants | 0 | 1 | Direct sow | Shop Seeds Now |
| Onions from seed | 20 to 30 plants | 1 | 0 | Start indoors | Shop Seeds Now |
| Leeks | 10 to 12 plants | 1 | 1 | Start indoors | Shop Seeds Now |
Amounts and plantings are from Virginia Cooperative Extension for zones 6 to 8. In zones 3 to 5, plan fewer plantings of warm crops and skip most fall plantings. In zones 9 and warmer, fall and winter is the main season for cool crops. Count a young child as about half a person.
How the seed count works
Plants per planting times plantings per year gives plants for the season. Buy about 1.5 seeds per plant for transplants and large seed such as beans, peas, and corn, 2 per plant for squash and melons, and about 3 per plant for small seed you thin such as carrots and spinach. If your seed germinates below 85 percent, add more.
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