While I was researching approximately how much fruit production a family needs, I found myself putting together an actual chart which I believe will be beneficial to other families to help as a standard guidance for how to plot out their acreage. When looking at this chart you have to factor in the reality that not every tree/plant will be producing year-round due to seasonal changes and species. Strawberries, for example, can come in a variety called ‘June Bearing’ or ‘Ever Bearing’ and it’s a must to understand the differences.
You have to take into consideration that you will only have raw produce for a fairly short period of time due to fruit having the tendency to go into ripeness around the same time. What this means it that for a while you will have lovely fresh produce, but you must quickly process extra by drying, baking or canning the abundance or you will lose a fair amount to birds and pests.
Any excess rotted fruit or vegetable produce can be fed to pigs, chickens, turkeys, ducks or rabbits. In fact, many farms will give free reign to pigs in the orchard as long as they aren’t there long enough to start disturbing the tree roots within the orchard. Some property owners will pen up pigs in an area where there are loads of acorns as it’s said that acorns fed to pigs will give the pork a lovely, finished flavor.
A year’s supply of perennial fruits, based on mature fruit tree production
Apples 2 trees per person
Blackberries 5 plants per person
Blueberries 3 plants per person
Grapes 1 plant per person
Peaches 1 tree per person
Pears 2 trees per person
Strawberries 50 plants per person
Bananas 3 trees per person
Lemons 1 tree per person
Oranges 1 tree per person
Pineapple 10 plants per person
Pomegranate 1 tree per person
Raspberries 30 plants per person
Cherries 2 trees per person
Cranberries 2 plants per person
Nectarines 1 tree per person
Avocado 2 trees per person
Olive 5-10 trees per person
Plum 2 trees per person
Elderberry 2 trees per person
Rhubarb 2 plants per person
Mulberry 1 tree per person
The problem with these numbers is the reality that we don’t know what the future brings, so while this is a great start, you shouldn’t stop adding a particular tree just because you’ve reached the total number on this list for you family. If you come upon some clearanced $15 fruit trees in good condition, just load them up and find uses for excess fruit in the future.
I left out nut trees that grow well in Florida because I haven’t yet studied the numbers and researched things properly, but feel free to do that yourself. Nut trees usually have a larger financial investment and can take many more years to produce even a small crop. If you have a large sized property, you might consider planting nut trees but small properties in suburban locations would do well to skip them.
Due to all the varieties and growing zones, it’s best for you to purchase your trees from a reputable seller within your community. You can locate sellers by creating posts on local social media groups or checking out ads on craigslist.
I’ve left off “exotic” fruits like loquats, strawberry guava and others due to those not being the most commonly consumed produce in the United States, but you are welcome to research those on your own as well.
Happy gardening!
Suburban & Rural Homesteading Today 