Why Won't My Pumpkin Grow?

Scholar, your task is bigger. A 1/4-acre family garden is good for one year — but in 3 years the soil will be exhausted and the same plant families will start attracting disease. Design a 9-month, multi-bed plan that includes succession planting, crop rotation across seasons, soil amendments, and a real yield budget. Include cost-benefit numbers: dollars spent vs. dollars worth of food produced.

• EX-01A family of 4 needs roughly 200 lbs of vegetables per year for full self-sufficiency.
• EX-02Crop rotation prevents disease: don't plant the same plant FAMILY in the same bed two years running. (Tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, eggplant = same family.)
• EX-03Soil tests cost $15–$25 and tell you exactly what nutrients to add.
• EX-04A 4x8 raised bed costs ~$80 in lumber + ~$60 in soil and compost to build.
• EX-05An average $1 of seeds produces $20+ in vegetables if the season is managed well.
• EX-06Succession planting (replanting beds after early harvests) can produce 2–3 crops per bed per year.

1. Day 1
   Get a real soil test of your site (kit or extension service). While waiting, sketch the existing site to scale.
2. Day 2
   Build a 9-month planting calendar — what goes in each bed, what month, what comes out, what replaces it.
3. Day 3
   Lay out a 3-year crop rotation table for plant families across all beds.
4. Day 4
   Build a yield budget: estimated lbs harvested + estimated $ value vs. estimated $ cost (seeds, soil, supplies).
5. Day 5
   Write a 1-page proposal to the family with the plan, costs, and projected return.

Other tracks tackle this same case at their own depth — see the catalog.

This mission asks your scholar to think like a small-business owner, not just a gardener. The numbers matter as much as the layout. If they can defend the budget, they're ready.