Moving beyond potatoes for more calories in a small space

21.08.2023 - 12:00 / theunconventionalgardener.com / guest

At times, usually when I supposed to be doing something else because I’m a grad student and procrastination of some form seems to be part of the gig, I find myself planning what plants I would include in an imaginary biodome on a inhospitable planet many astronomical units away. Imaginary biodomes are one of my favourite thought exercises – to me it is the perfect fusion of my love of space exploration and my attempts to grow as much as my own food as I can in my small backyard.

Right now, one of my food-growing issues is producing enough calories to feed my family of three. I have no problem growing plenty of nutritious food to eat year round, but this food is generally low in calories. I understand that the most calorie-dense food one can grow is the potato. Fortunately, I love potatoes, so I devoted an entire bed (of 6 beds) to them. On St. Patrick’s day I planted all my potatoes and by the beginning of August they were ready to dig up. I thought it was a great harvest (at least he best I’ve had so far), yet now in September it’s clear my potatoes will run out in October.

I have parsnips, salsify, carrots and beets on the go, all of which are more filling than kale (a staple here) but not enough to feed my family for long. I’m glad we live in an era where we aren’t at risk of starvation – the grocery store is only a short walk away. I’d just like to do better with my calorie production.

Since I’m already thinking about next year’s garden, producing more calories is at the forefront of my mind. This gives me an excuse to do more research on the enjoyable topic (for me) of biodomes for space exploration. From checking out what has been successful in biodomes, the following has made my list of calorie-dense foods to grow at