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What gardening plants/projects/techniques have high value per effort? Now that I'm married and we have our own place I actually have control over a garden rather than helping with my parents as I did growing up. I'm fairly picky about what foods I like to eat, but there's still a wide range within that, and my wife is less picky, so we have a vegetable garden with a bunch of stuff. We also recently got a variety of berry bushes we are trying to go, and I'm experimenting with growing potatoes in cloth bags. So right now we have a bunch of different plants and I don't especially know any of the details about which ones like what conditions or what makes the difference between a mediocre yield and a good yield. We put down mulch to help block weeds, and a wire fence to keep out critters, but aside from that, what are things I can do that are especially beneficial relative to their effort and cost? Also, which plants give disproportionately high value relative to their effort to grow? For context, I am in the northeast U.S. with a relatively unshaded yard, at least where the garden is, and partially clay-ish soil.
My stance is that you should grow things that are expensive, delicious, and/or rare. You shouldn't grow things that are cheap and abundant unless you're trying to be self-sufficient. So don't grow onions and potatoes, do grow soft fruits, fresh herbs, and/or varieties that can't be bought. Throw in some cut flowers too if you like. For pure disproportionately high value to effort it has to be perennial herbs or a mature nut tree. Whatever you choose try to choose your varieties so that they cover early, mid and late season instead of having a glut that lasts two weeks and then nothing for a year.
It's a lot of work up front, and potentially not feasible if you don't have a blank canvas, but I think one of the best investments you can make is to really thoroughly prepare the ground. Ideally you want it to be nice soft fertile material that you can easily dig down to at least 6". It makes everything afterwards much easier and more productive. I suppose the short cut there is getting a pig to dig the ground over while it fertilises it for you. Likewise chickens make for near autonomous organic slug control.
I'd guess that the single highest value per effort is probably in choosing the right plants. If you can find plants that thrive in your garden you'll get a much better result for less effort than any amount of techno-fixes being spent on the wrong plant.
How do I figure that out? Do I try to google a database for what plants grow optimally in my region? Or do I have to trial and error if soil quality and sunlight amounts vary enough such that my yard is somewhat unique?
Yes, USDA zones are a good start.
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