Once you know how many servings your family needs per year of fruits, use this chart to estimate how much space to dedicate to them in your garden. We’ve provided a range of yield estimates because yields will vary widely based on the climate, soil quality and other factors of your garden. For step-by-step instructions on how to apply the numbers in this chart, see “Plan How Much to Grow” in Self Sufficient Homestead Plan for Food.
Biointensive Yield
Using biointensive gardening methods, most gardeners can come close to the low end of the ranges below, and more experienced gardeners can expect the high end yields. These ranges are from How to Grow More Vegetables and Fruits, Nuts, Berries and Other Crops Than You Ever Thought Possible On Less Land Than You Can Imagine by John Jeavons.
Average Yield
The average yields below are from Jeavons’ book and the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service.
Servings Per Pound
The number of servings were calculated using data from So Easy to Preserve, Bowes & Church’s Food Values of Portions Commonly Used, and The Book of Yields: Accuracy in Food Costing and Purchasing.
Homegrown Fruit
| Crop |
Biointensive Yield |
Average Yield |
Half-Cup Servings |
| Apples | 50-75 | 51 | 2.8 |
| Blackberries | 24-36 | 15 | 4.1 |
| Cantaloupe | 50-72 | 59 | 2.6 |
| Cherries | 17-34 | 15 | 3.4 |
| Grapes | 45-67 | 31 | 1.9 |
| Peaches, clingstone | 60-90 | 53 | 3.4 |
| Peaches, freestone | 39-59 | 40 | 3.4 |
| Pears | 36-72 | 67 | 3.4 |
| Plums | 19-38 | 27 | 3.4 |
| Strawberries | 40-80 | 102 | 6 |
| Watermelon | 50-100 | 59 | 2.7 |
More Charts for Crop-Specific Garden Planning
- Guidelines for Growing Vegetables
- Guidelines for Growing Grains
- Guidelines for Growing Legumes
- Growing Nuts and Seed Crops for Homegrown Cooking Oils
Cindy Conner is a permaculture educator and the managing partner of Homeplace Earth, LLC. Her newest book is Homegrown Flax and Cotton: DIY Guide to Growing, Processing, Spinning & Weaving Fiber to Cloth. Read all of her MOTHER EARTH NEWS posts here.
