What are a few plants (veggies) that we can use or can/freeze that are somewhat easy to grow in the north east that wont overwhelm us? We did tomatoes and cukes last year but they all seems to ripen at the same time and we have 2 dozen tomatoes at one time. Help a newbie out please!We always do too much and fail, what should we start with?
Every year we have big plans and plant 10-12 things only to overproduce and have everything go to waste. What are a few plants (veggies) that we can use or can/freeze that are somewhat easy to grow in the north east that wont overwhelm us? We did tomatoes and cukes last year but they all seems to ripen at the same time and we have 2 dozen tomatoes at one time. Help a newbie out please!
What are a few plants (veggies) that we can use or can/freeze that are somewhat easy to grow in the north east that wont overwhelm us? We did tomatoes and cukes last year but they all seems to ripen at the same time and we have 2 dozen tomatoes at one time. Help a newbie out please!-
rainbowgardener
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- Posts: 25279
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
Succession planting like that is great for peas, corn, etc, but not appropriate for tomatoes and cukes that are going to just keep producing.
I think this is more a question of learning what to do with things. Two dozen tomatoes doesn't really sound like very many. It depends on what kind of tomatoes you are growing, but 15 pounds of tomatoes cook down to about 8 pints of tomato sauce. Your two dozen tomatoes, unless they are large beefsteak ones probably aren't much more than 15 #.
I usually turn all my tomatoes (that I'm not eating fresh as they come along) into tomato sauce or salsa. Then you can freeze or can the resulting product.
Some of it I cook up into things like lasagna, chili, etc. Make a double recipe of whatever you are making, eat one, freeze one.
But when you said you plant 10-12 things, does that mean 10-12 different kinds of veggies (e.g. cabbage, broccoli, peas, beans, tomatoes, peppers, etc) or 10-12 of one thing, e.g 10 tomato plants? Obviously if 10 tomato plants makes more tomatoes than you want to deal with, then plant fewer (and use the space to plant herbs, which are wonderful to have and don't overwhelm you or need so much processing). I get all the tomatoes I want to deal with from about 6 plants.
I think this is more a question of learning what to do with things. Two dozen tomatoes doesn't really sound like very many. It depends on what kind of tomatoes you are growing, but 15 pounds of tomatoes cook down to about 8 pints of tomato sauce. Your two dozen tomatoes, unless they are large beefsteak ones probably aren't much more than 15 #.
I usually turn all my tomatoes (that I'm not eating fresh as they come along) into tomato sauce or salsa. Then you can freeze or can the resulting product.
Some of it I cook up into things like lasagna, chili, etc. Make a double recipe of whatever you are making, eat one, freeze one.
But when you said you plant 10-12 things, does that mean 10-12 different kinds of veggies (e.g. cabbage, broccoli, peas, beans, tomatoes, peppers, etc) or 10-12 of one thing, e.g 10 tomato plants? Obviously if 10 tomato plants makes more tomatoes than you want to deal with, then plant fewer (and use the space to plant herbs, which are wonderful to have and don't overwhelm you or need so much processing). I get all the tomatoes I want to deal with from about 6 plants.
Different plants, I think we just get too excited. We had peppers (green, hot), tomatoes(two varieties), corn, cucumbers (pickle and regular), zucchini, squash, lettuce, strawberries, bunch of spices and we tried onions and carrots but neither got very big.
I'm thinking this year trying onions and potatoes in buckets then just cucumbers and tomatoes (cherry) since we can eat those like snakes. We don't really know what to do as far as canning/freezing and we tried to just freeze the tomatoes last year but they were pretty nasty when we tried to use them. I guess canning is the way to go though.
I'm thinking this year trying onions and potatoes in buckets then just cucumbers and tomatoes (cherry) since we can eat those like snakes. We don't really know what to do as far as canning/freezing and we tried to just freeze the tomatoes last year but they were pretty nasty when we tried to use them. I guess canning is the way to go though.
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applestar
- Mod
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- Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
I freeze tomatoes all the time. So far I prefer to only process/cook smallish batches of fresh or frozen tomatoes at a time. Easiest to freeze the peak ripeness ones halved or quarted and stem end and pithy core (if any) removed.
Cherry tomatoes are easy to eat fresh and freeze, but less easy to process later due to higher ratio of skin unless they have thin edible skin IMHO.
Cucumbers are easiest pickled. If you are not ready for waterbath processed ones, try making refrigerator pickles.
If you work out a succession planting scheme, it will be easier to grow a variety of things in a small/same space. I'm starting with peas and brassicas (broccoli and cabbage) and lettuce, spinach, etc. greens. Radishes, Carrots and beets will be next, then onion plants and potatoes. Corn will be planted a couple of weeks before tomato plantss, peppers plants and cucumbers a week or two after, etc. (Squash and beans, eggplants, too.)
Cherry tomatoes are easy to eat fresh and freeze, but less easy to process later due to higher ratio of skin unless they have thin edible skin IMHO.
Cucumbers are easiest pickled. If you are not ready for waterbath processed ones, try making refrigerator pickles.
If you work out a succession planting scheme, it will be easier to grow a variety of things in a small/same space. I'm starting with peas and brassicas (broccoli and cabbage) and lettuce, spinach, etc. greens. Radishes, Carrots and beets will be next, then onion plants and potatoes. Corn will be planted a couple of weeks before tomato plantss, peppers plants and cucumbers a week or two after, etc. (Squash and beans, eggplants, too.)
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jal_ut
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- Posts: 7447
- Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2009 10:20 pm
- Location: Northern Utah Zone 5
Do you have some home canning books for instruction on canning? Here the County Extension office has good literature available. Utah State University also has some info. Do you have a local college? Processing times for the different altitudes varies. Be sure to get proper info for your locale.
Green beans bottled, corn frozen, beets pickled, cucumbers pickled, potatoes in the pit, apples, apricots, peaches bottled.
Yes, when planting a garden we always have excess for immediate use. Give some away, store some, sell some, make compost, feed the chickens................. enjoy!
Green beans bottled, corn frozen, beets pickled, cucumbers pickled, potatoes in the pit, apples, apricots, peaches bottled.
Yes, when planting a garden we always have excess for immediate use. Give some away, store some, sell some, make compost, feed the chickens................. enjoy!
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jal_ut
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 7447
- Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2009 10:20 pm
- Location: Northern Utah Zone 5
Do you have some home canning books for instruction on canning? Here the County Extension office has good literature available. Utah State University also has some info. Do you have a local college? Processing times for the different altitudes varies. Be sure to get proper info for your locale.
Green beans bottled, corn frozen, beets pickled, cucumbers pickled, potatoes in the pit, apples, apricots, peaches bottled.
I am going to say plant what you like to eat. Corn, potatoes, beans and squash are what I call the big 4. They give us calories to go on. The green things are good for the vitamins they contain.
Yes, when planting a garden we always have excess for immediate use. Give some away, store some, sell some, make compost, mulch, feed the chickens................. enjoy!
Green beans bottled, corn frozen, beets pickled, cucumbers pickled, potatoes in the pit, apples, apricots, peaches bottled.
I am going to say plant what you like to eat. Corn, potatoes, beans and squash are what I call the big 4. They give us calories to go on. The green things are good for the vitamins they contain.
Yes, when planting a garden we always have excess for immediate use. Give some away, store some, sell some, make compost, mulch, feed the chickens................. enjoy!
rainbowgardener wrote:Succession planting like that is great for peas, corn, etc, but not appropriate for tomatoes and cukes that are going to just keep producing.
I think this is more a question of learning what to do with things. Two dozen tomatoes doesn't really sound like very many. It depends on what kind of tomatoes you are growing, but 15 pounds of tomatoes cook down to about 8 pints of tomato sauce. Your two dozen tomatoes, unless they are large beefsteak ones probably aren't much more than 15 #.
I usually turn all my tomatoes (that I'm not eating fresh as they come along) into tomato sauce or salsa. Then you can freeze or can the resulting product.
Some of it I cook up into things like lasagna, chili, etc. Make a double recipe of whatever you are making, eat one, freeze one.
But when you said you plant 10-12 things, does that mean 10-12 different kinds of veggies (e.g. cabbage, broccoli, peas, beans, tomatoes, peppers, etc) or 10-12 of one thing, e.g 10 tomato plants? Obviously if 10 tomato plants makes more tomatoes than you want to deal with, then plant fewer (and use the space to plant herbs, which are wonderful to have and don't overwhelm you or need so much processing). I get all the tomatoes I want to deal with from about 6 plants.
you could not be more wrong rainbowgardener RE:
Tomatoes are Day-neutral plants : Day-neutral plants do not initiate flowering based on photoperiodism.[9] Instead, they may initiate flowering after attaining a certain overall developmental stage or age, or in response to alternative environmental stimuli, such as vernalisation (a period of low temperature).[1][2]
Tomatoes as perfect for stage planting. What I suggest above would work perfectly
123
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applestar
- Mod
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- Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
Hmm.... A little bit strong in your comment there 123.
I have to say here in the shorter growing season area, succession planting of tomatoes and even cucumbers could backfire because there are many tomato varieties that will not mature in time if planted too late.
Also, in some areas with hot summers, there is a period when tomatoes and cucumbers will shut down or even die from the heat, again, resulting in unsuccessful result if not planted at the ideal timing for growth and fruiting. For many of us, fall garden after the summer heat is limited to cool weather crops.
What are your ideal tomato and cucumber growing times of the year?
I have to say here in the shorter growing season area, succession planting of tomatoes and even cucumbers could backfire because there are many tomato varieties that will not mature in time if planted too late.
Also, in some areas with hot summers, there is a period when tomatoes and cucumbers will shut down or even die from the heat, again, resulting in unsuccessful result if not planted at the ideal timing for growth and fruiting. For many of us, fall garden after the summer heat is limited to cool weather crops.
What are your ideal tomato and cucumber growing times of the year?
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rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 25279
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
Where I am my tomato plants produce abundantly starting in June (because I start the plants indoors under my fluorescent lights 
) and going right through until killed by hard frost, usually sometime in October. (I only grow indeterminate varieties.) I would have no reason to start any more; I could not extend my tomato production season any by doing that, since it is determined by the frost dates on both ends.
) and going right through until killed by hard frost, usually sometime in October. (I only grow indeterminate varieties.) I would have no reason to start any more; I could not extend my tomato production season any by doing that, since it is determined by the frost dates on both ends.-
ElizabethB
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 2105
- Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2012 12:53 am
- Location: Lafayette, LA
Hi Detz - Welcome to the forum. I posted a reply yesterday and managed to lose it. 
It would be very helpful if you updated your profile to include your city and state or county and state. The forum members will be able to give you better advice/information with a specific location. USDA growing zone is not enough. Growing conditions vary widely in the same zone.
I well remember my early attempts at vegetable gardening. What a mess! Traditional row gardening that was labor intensive. Over planting which then required thinning then excess crops.
I have been a long time advocate of Square Foot Gardening. It is a raised bed system of intensive gardening. There is some work involved in building your boxes but not as much as tilling up a row garden. Once your boxes are built the management and upkeep of your garden is much easier than row gardening.
You do need to do some homework. If I knew your county and state I could help you out. You need to research vegetable varieties suitable for your region. Some will be cool weather crops and some will be warm weather crops. That impacts your planting time.
One of the aspects of SFG that I like is incorporating vertical gardening. I grow cucumbers and indeterminate tomatoes vertically. I have even grown cantaloupe vertically. Growing vertically reduces the amount of space needed and results in a great crop.
For example: if you research determinate tomatoes you will find that most require a space of 3' x 3' per plant. They bloom and produce profusely in a very short period of time. There you are with an excess of produce. Indeterminate tomatoes grown vertically require only 1' x 1' per plant. They produce fewer tomatoes at one time but produce over a much longer period of time especially if you break off the suckers. Cherry and grape tomatoes are another great option for growing vertically.
If I knew your county and state I would send you links with region specific information.
Planning is a big issue. Plant only what your family actually eats. Plant only enough plants to feed your family and maybe a little left over to can or freeze and to give away. With SFG the planting is very precise. If direct seeding you only plant enough seeds for the number of plants needed. No thinning and no wasted seed.
As for your excess crops both canning and freezing are great options. You can also share with family and friends, sell at a Farmer's Market or sell to locally owned produce markets. Don't forget donating to your local homeless shelters, battered women's shelter, or your local diner that feeds those who are not as blessed as we are.
I will be back with some links on canning and freezing home grown produce.
https://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/communica ... to-can.htm
https://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/communica ... tables.htm
These publications were put out by the LSU Ag Center. LSU is Louisiana's Land Grant University. Every state has a LGU. Every county has an Extension Office associated with the LGU. The amount of information available is mind blowing. It is free information and region specific. Unless you live in Texas. Texas is so large that the research done at College Station does not apply to all parts of the state. Gardeners living in the extreme southern, western and northern regions of the state benefit from using the LGU information provided by neighboring states.
Sorry for rambling. I tend to do that.
Please update your profile or send me your information via PM. I will be happy to do some research for you.
Good luck
It would be very helpful if you updated your profile to include your city and state or county and state. The forum members will be able to give you better advice/information with a specific location. USDA growing zone is not enough. Growing conditions vary widely in the same zone.
I well remember my early attempts at vegetable gardening. What a mess! Traditional row gardening that was labor intensive. Over planting which then required thinning then excess crops.
I have been a long time advocate of Square Foot Gardening. It is a raised bed system of intensive gardening. There is some work involved in building your boxes but not as much as tilling up a row garden. Once your boxes are built the management and upkeep of your garden is much easier than row gardening.
You do need to do some homework. If I knew your county and state I could help you out. You need to research vegetable varieties suitable for your region. Some will be cool weather crops and some will be warm weather crops. That impacts your planting time.
One of the aspects of SFG that I like is incorporating vertical gardening. I grow cucumbers and indeterminate tomatoes vertically. I have even grown cantaloupe vertically. Growing vertically reduces the amount of space needed and results in a great crop.
For example: if you research determinate tomatoes you will find that most require a space of 3' x 3' per plant. They bloom and produce profusely in a very short period of time. There you are with an excess of produce. Indeterminate tomatoes grown vertically require only 1' x 1' per plant. They produce fewer tomatoes at one time but produce over a much longer period of time especially if you break off the suckers. Cherry and grape tomatoes are another great option for growing vertically.
If I knew your county and state I would send you links with region specific information.
Planning is a big issue. Plant only what your family actually eats. Plant only enough plants to feed your family and maybe a little left over to can or freeze and to give away. With SFG the planting is very precise. If direct seeding you only plant enough seeds for the number of plants needed. No thinning and no wasted seed.
As for your excess crops both canning and freezing are great options. You can also share with family and friends, sell at a Farmer's Market or sell to locally owned produce markets. Don't forget donating to your local homeless shelters, battered women's shelter, or your local diner that feeds those who are not as blessed as we are.
I will be back with some links on canning and freezing home grown produce.
https://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/communica ... to-can.htm
https://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/communica ... tables.htm
These publications were put out by the LSU Ag Center. LSU is Louisiana's Land Grant University. Every state has a LGU. Every county has an Extension Office associated with the LGU. The amount of information available is mind blowing. It is free information and region specific. Unless you live in Texas. Texas is so large that the research done at College Station does not apply to all parts of the state. Gardeners living in the extreme southern, western and northern regions of the state benefit from using the LGU information provided by neighboring states.
Sorry for rambling. I tend to do that.Please update your profile or send me your information via PM. I will be happy to do some research for you.
Good luck
I still haven't figured out quite how to manage the plantings, but I am getting better
I don't eat a lot of tomatoes so I only plant three. It still produces enough to give away
I try to plant greens successively. 10 lettuce every 2-3 weeks and still some of it will bolt. Beets, I can eat a lot of so I plant about 30 and I can make harvard beets which I love.
I plant a patch of tatsoi or spinach about 2x4 ft. I harvest most of it all at one time, but it isn't much after it is cooked and it will freeze.
Asian greens, well still working on this one. Unless I pickle, or make kim chee, even 8 are too many without succession planting.
The other thing to do and I still make mistakes on this one is to space the succession plants out. If I have lettuce, Asian cabbages, and spinach all ready within a few days of each other, I cannot eat them all and they don't keep in the garden.
I have to do a better job of planning the harvesting dates so I don't have too much to harvest in the same week.
Plant things like swiss chard, kale, hot peppers, herbs, carrots if you live in a cooler place, beets, long green eggplant, green onions, chives. They can be harvested repeatedly over a long period of time.
Some things take up a lot of space, need to be harvested in a short window, like corn. It is only worth it if you don't mind the opportunity cost of dedicating so much space to something that doesn't usually yield more than a couple off ears per plant and you really like corn.
I don't eat a lot of tomatoes so I only plant three. It still produces enough to give away
I try to plant greens successively. 10 lettuce every 2-3 weeks and still some of it will bolt. Beets, I can eat a lot of so I plant about 30 and I can make harvard beets which I love.
I plant a patch of tatsoi or spinach about 2x4 ft. I harvest most of it all at one time, but it isn't much after it is cooked and it will freeze.
Asian greens, well still working on this one. Unless I pickle, or make kim chee, even 8 are too many without succession planting.
The other thing to do and I still make mistakes on this one is to space the succession plants out. If I have lettuce, Asian cabbages, and spinach all ready within a few days of each other, I cannot eat them all and they don't keep in the garden.
I have to do a better job of planning the harvesting dates so I don't have too much to harvest in the same week.
Plant things like swiss chard, kale, hot peppers, herbs, carrots if you live in a cooler place, beets, long green eggplant, green onions, chives. They can be harvested repeatedly over a long period of time.
Some things take up a lot of space, need to be harvested in a short window, like corn. It is only worth it if you don't mind the opportunity cost of dedicating so much space to something that doesn't usually yield more than a couple off ears per plant and you really like corn.
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Gary350
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 7415
- Joined: Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:59 pm
- Location: TN. 50 years of gardening experience.
Been there done that been gardening for 50 years. First thing you need to do is decide what you EAT. Plant what you eat.
Certain crops come in big then fizzle out and some produce more than others.
My #1 crop is tomatoes for soup, stew, all kinds of other things. I have 30 plants, the first months harvest is a BIG one then when weather turns hot tomatoe slow down about 95%. I try to do a years worth of canning in 2 weeks. I can 100 pints and 20 quarts every year. I tried a freezer 2 different times things get freezer burn after 1 year plus I have to buy a freezer and pay electricty to keep it running that can cost you $1000 to get started, CANNING JARS are cheaper and they last for ever.
My #2 crop is green beans. I plant 3 rows of blue lake bush beans. First harvest will be 75% of the total summer harvest. Second and third harvest of the year are small so I pull all the plants up after the first harvest and plant something differert in their place. I get enough beans in the first harvest to can 65 pints of beans this will last all winter and until my next garden a year from now.
My #3 crop is corn. Corn does not do well as a small crop so I plant it too close together to make it act like a large crop so it gets good polination. I plant my rows 1 foot apart and seeds 6" apart in each row. I plant the crop is the width = the length and exact square for best polination. I can get a lot of plants in a 20 ft x 20 ft square. Corn comes in almost all at once the harvest will last about 10 days. Eat all you can eat and CAN the rest.
You need to do the same thing decide what your 1, 2, 3, 4, crops are going to be.
Unless you plan to sell squash at the farmers market don't plant more than 3 plants. They make squash a short time then slow down or die so plant 3 more plants ever 1 month so when the other plants died you still have plants.
Vine plants will work you to death keeping out weeds and grass plus the plants take up a lot of valuable space like melons, cucumbers, sweet potatoes.
There are spring crops, summer crops and winter crops. This all takes practice. University research studies have proven North South rows produce about 10% better than East West rows. This normally does not make much differents to small home gardens but for a farmer that plants 2000 acres a 10% larger crop can be $20,000, extra dollars.
don't believe everything you read and hear about canning. You can do water bath canning for tomatoes and you not need to add vinegar to RED tomatoes they already have acid. You do not need to boil jars, lids or seals they get boiled during the canning process so why do double work you do not need to do it twice!!!
Certain crops come in big then fizzle out and some produce more than others.
My #1 crop is tomatoes for soup, stew, all kinds of other things. I have 30 plants, the first months harvest is a BIG one then when weather turns hot tomatoe slow down about 95%. I try to do a years worth of canning in 2 weeks. I can 100 pints and 20 quarts every year. I tried a freezer 2 different times things get freezer burn after 1 year plus I have to buy a freezer and pay electricty to keep it running that can cost you $1000 to get started, CANNING JARS are cheaper and they last for ever.
My #2 crop is green beans. I plant 3 rows of blue lake bush beans. First harvest will be 75% of the total summer harvest. Second and third harvest of the year are small so I pull all the plants up after the first harvest and plant something differert in their place. I get enough beans in the first harvest to can 65 pints of beans this will last all winter and until my next garden a year from now.
My #3 crop is corn. Corn does not do well as a small crop so I plant it too close together to make it act like a large crop so it gets good polination. I plant my rows 1 foot apart and seeds 6" apart in each row. I plant the crop is the width = the length and exact square for best polination. I can get a lot of plants in a 20 ft x 20 ft square. Corn comes in almost all at once the harvest will last about 10 days. Eat all you can eat and CAN the rest.
You need to do the same thing decide what your 1, 2, 3, 4, crops are going to be.
Unless you plan to sell squash at the farmers market don't plant more than 3 plants. They make squash a short time then slow down or die so plant 3 more plants ever 1 month so when the other plants died you still have plants.
Vine plants will work you to death keeping out weeds and grass plus the plants take up a lot of valuable space like melons, cucumbers, sweet potatoes.
There are spring crops, summer crops and winter crops. This all takes practice. University research studies have proven North South rows produce about 10% better than East West rows. This normally does not make much differents to small home gardens but for a farmer that plants 2000 acres a 10% larger crop can be $20,000, extra dollars.
don't believe everything you read and hear about canning. You can do water bath canning for tomatoes and you not need to add vinegar to RED tomatoes they already have acid. You do not need to boil jars, lids or seals they get boiled during the canning process so why do double work you do not need to do it twice!!!
I agree with Gary that you should plant what you most like to eat.
Her Majesty uses SFG techniques which maximize the use of space and efficiency and one 4x4 foot square can produce enough produce for one person. Some of the planning work can easiy be found on the internet. There are many pre planned SFG designs.
The only thing I don't like about SFG is that I find it hard for me to plant in blocks. I am more of an intensive mixed planting person, so I tend to broadcast seeds more than row plant. I prefer to plant bigger plants like tomatoes and zucchini that take up a lot of blocks in the SFG or veggie plot in pots in their own space. They get the space they need and I make better use of the garden space with plants that can be grown closer together.
I agree with a lot of the commentators that some things just don't cooperate and produce evenly over a season. Tomatoes will give you a lot of fruit unless you cull to get bigger fruit and they will peak abundantly when the weather is just right. When temperatures soar, tomatoes will start dropping blossoms and won't set until the temperatures come down again, even heat tolerant tomatoes have their limits as to how much heat they will handle. When tomatoes, citrus, beans, and other plants ripen a lot of fruit at once, you need to find ways to preserve the harvest for the days when there won't be anything fresh to eat.
Some plants though will give you an extended harvest over a long time and can keep longer so have a longer harvest window. These are usually the herbs which will be kitchen ready whenever you need it and you just have to shear many of back (dry the stems and leaves if you want) and wait for it to grow again. Swiss chard, kale, eggplants, peppers, will produce over a long period of time if you keep taking the fruit and older leaves off and can live more than one year in a mild climate.
Figuring out how many of each plant you need and timing is everything.
You can always give the excess to friends and family and if you plant a row for the hungry, there is usually at least one food bank that is willing to take perishables.
Her Majesty uses SFG techniques which maximize the use of space and efficiency and one 4x4 foot square can produce enough produce for one person. Some of the planning work can easiy be found on the internet. There are many pre planned SFG designs.
The only thing I don't like about SFG is that I find it hard for me to plant in blocks. I am more of an intensive mixed planting person, so I tend to broadcast seeds more than row plant. I prefer to plant bigger plants like tomatoes and zucchini that take up a lot of blocks in the SFG or veggie plot in pots in their own space. They get the space they need and I make better use of the garden space with plants that can be grown closer together.
I agree with a lot of the commentators that some things just don't cooperate and produce evenly over a season. Tomatoes will give you a lot of fruit unless you cull to get bigger fruit and they will peak abundantly when the weather is just right. When temperatures soar, tomatoes will start dropping blossoms and won't set until the temperatures come down again, even heat tolerant tomatoes have their limits as to how much heat they will handle. When tomatoes, citrus, beans, and other plants ripen a lot of fruit at once, you need to find ways to preserve the harvest for the days when there won't be anything fresh to eat.
Some plants though will give you an extended harvest over a long time and can keep longer so have a longer harvest window. These are usually the herbs which will be kitchen ready whenever you need it and you just have to shear many of back (dry the stems and leaves if you want) and wait for it to grow again. Swiss chard, kale, eggplants, peppers, will produce over a long period of time if you keep taking the fruit and older leaves off and can live more than one year in a mild climate.
Figuring out how many of each plant you need and timing is everything.
You can always give the excess to friends and family and if you plant a row for the hungry, there is usually at least one food bank that is willing to take perishables.