How much and what to plant?

Plant enough of each vegetable crop to meet your family’s needs for fresh, stored, and preserved supplies. For most vegetables, there are a number of varieties (cultivars) from which to choose. When choosing vegetable varieties, consider such factors as disease resistance, maturity date, flavor, compactness of plant and the size, shape, and color of the vegetable desired.

Keep in mind past experiences with a given variety and compare new varieties with your favorites. Whether purchasing seed or transplants, always note the specific crop variety. Avoid generic or unlabeled transplants, since characteristics can vary widely with different varieties of the same crop.

The California Master Gardener Handbook provides great recommendations on when and when to plant by seed (row) or young transplants (plants) and how much to plant for a family of four: 

North and north coast: Monterey County north, South coast: San Luis Obispo County south, Interior Valley: Sacramento, San Joaquin, and similar valleys, Desert Valley: Imperial and CoachellaValleys.