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Vegetable Yield Calculator

Ready to calculate
25+ Crop Yields.
Revenue Forecasting.
Extension-Service Data.
100% Free.
No Data Stored.

How it Works

01Choose Crop

Pick from 25+ common vegetables.

02Enter Bed Area

Square feet or square meters of planting.

03Pounds Yield

Per-square-foot rate × area.

04Optional Revenue

Multiply by per-pound price for dollar yield.

What is a Vegetable Yield Calculator?

The Vegetable Yield Calculator estimates harvest weight (kg or lb) and revenue from a specific crop and area. Built on USDA and university-extension yield data per crop per square meter (or square foot), the calculator helps market gardeners, CSAs, and home gardeners plan plantings, set sales targets, and forecast revenue at season start.


Pick crop (tomato, lettuce, carrot, kale, etc.), enter bed area, and (optionally) market price per kg/lb. Output: total expected yield, yield per unit area, and gross revenue. Yield estimates assume average growing conditions and recommended planting density; intensive market gardens often exceed these by 30–50%.

How to Use the Calculator

Pick crop: calculator references a yield-per-area table (e.g., tomato 4 kg/m²).
Enter area: in m², ft², or acres.
Optional: enter market price per kg or lb.
Calculate: Returns total kg/lb, kg per m²/ft², and gross revenue.

The Math Behind It

Total yield (kg) = area (m²) × yield per m² (kg)


Revenue ($) = total yield (kg) × price per kg ($)


Yield/m² varies by crop, variety, and management intensity. Calculator uses average values from extension publications; high-intensity small-plot growers (e.g., Eliot Coleman, JM Fortier methods) often achieve 1.5–2× these averages.

Real-World Example

Worked Example

20 m² of indeterminate tomatoes at $5/kg market price:

  • Yield = 20 × 4 kg/m² = 80 kg total
  • Revenue = 80 × $5 = $400
  • That's $20/m² gross — competitive with most market crops.

Who Uses It

1
🥬 Market Gardeners: Plan crop mix to hit revenue targets.
2
🌽 CSAs: Forecast share contents from planted area.
3
🏡 Home Gardeners: Estimate canning/preserving needs.
4
👨‍🍳 Restaurant Gardens: Match production to menu volume.
5
📊 Ag Extension Educators: Demonstrate revenue potential of intensive vegetable production.
6
🌱 Urban Farmers: Justify lease costs with projected gross revenue per square foot.

Technical Reference

Average yield (kg per m² per season):

  • Tomato (indeterminate): 4–8
  • Tomato (determinate field): 2–4
  • Lettuce (head): 2–4
  • Lettuce (baby leaf): 1.5–3 (multi-cut)
  • Carrot: 3–5
  • Onion: 3–4
  • Potato: 3–5
  • Bell pepper: 2–3
  • Cucumber (slicing): 4–6
  • Bush bean: 1–2
  • Kale / chard (multi-cut): 3–5
  • Broccoli: 1.5–2.5
  • Garlic: 1.5–2.5
  • Strawberry (annual): 0.5–1

Key Takeaways

Yield averages are a starting point — your actual numbers depend on variety, climate, irrigation, fertility, and pest pressure. Track your real yields over 2–3 seasons to refine your own per-area benchmarks. Intensive growing methods (close spacing, succession planting, season extension) can multiply yield per square foot.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are these yields realistic?
They're averages from university extension data for direct-soil plantings with recommended care. High-intensity market gardens, hoop houses, and skilled growers often produce 1.5–2× these. Beginners may produce 0.5×. Track your real numbers.
What about succession planting?
Succession (planting the same crop in waves through the season) multiplies effective yield per square foot. Lettuce in cool climates: 3–5 successions/year. Adjust the calculator output by your number of successions.
Does this account for losses?
No — these are gross harvest weights. Subtract 10–20% for non-marketable culls (pest damage, splits, undersize). Pre-harvest weather losses can be much higher (hail, frost).
How do I get a price per crop?
Local farmers market surveys, USDA terminal market reports, or your CSA/wholesale price list. Direct-market prices (CSA, farmers market) typically 2–3× wholesale.
Can I model intercropping?
Roughly — calculate each crop separately based on its share of the bed area, then add the yields. True intercropping math (e.g., land equivalent ratio) is more complex and worth its own analysis.
What about greenhouse vs field yield?
Greenhouse production typically 2–5× field for indeterminate crops (tomato, cucumber, pepper). Add a multiplier or use greenhouse-specific yield references (Cornell, Wageningen).

Author Spotlight

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The ToolsACE Team

Our specialized research and development team at ToolsACE brings together decades of collective experience in financial engineering, data analytics, and high-performance software development.

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Disclaimer

Yield estimates are based on averages from university extension publications. Actual yields vary widely with variety, climate, soil fertility, irrigation, pest/disease pressure, and management intensity. For business planning, use conservative estimates and adjust based on your own historical data.