Survival Garden How To: Tips For Designing A Survival Garden
If you’ve never heard people talk about survival gardens, you may well ask: “What is a survival garden and are you sure I need one?” A survival garden is a vegetable garden designed to provide enough crops to permit you and your family to live on the garden produce alone. Without a crystal ball, nobody can say whether the economic situation in the country will deteriorate to the point that you and your family will need a survival garden to survive. However, like putting plans together in case of an earthquake or other disaster, the key to survival is preparation. Read on to learn about designing a survival garden and survival gardening tips.
What is a Survival Garden?
It would take quite a few plants to feed you and your family, if all you had to eat were the crops you raised. Take a moment and calculate the calories your family would need each day to survive – then see whether you could name plants that could provide the fat, carbs, and vitamins it would take to keep you healthy. If you just have no idea, you aren’t alone. That’s why family survival gardens have become a hot gardening topic. If you ever find yourself in the kind of emergency situation that would require you to consume only garden crops, you will be far better off if you learn something about survival garden how to well in advance of necessity.
Survival Garden How To
How do you start designing family survival gardens? Your best bet is to start by working a plot of land and learning hands-on. The garden plot can be small, or you can even use containers if need be. The most important thing is to start getting practice in growing crops. Start small in your backyard with a few vegetables that you like to eat. You might try easy-to-grow veggies like:
Use open-pollinated seeds, like heirloom seeds, since they will continue to produce. As time goes on and you get more familiar with gardening, consider what crops will give you the most calories for the space and also store well. Practice growing these. Calorie rich crops include:
Read up on survival gardening tips and you’ll learn that eating sunflower seeds is one of the best ways you can get necessary quantities of fats from a vegetarian diet. Peanuts are another. Look for crops that meet your nutritional needs that you can grow where you live. Remember that storing your crops is just as important as growing them, since you’ll have to make the garden riches last all winter. Veggies that store well include:
You can also dry, freeze, and can many vegetable crops. The more you practice growing these types of veggies, the better prepared you are for living off the land, if and when it is necessary.
Gardening tips, videos, info and more delivered right to your inbox!
Sign up for the Gardening Know How newsletter today and receive a free download of our DIY eBook "Bring Your Garden Indoors: 13 DIY Projects For Fall And Winter".
Teo Spengler has been gardening for 30 years. She is a docent at the San Francisco Botanical Garden. Her passion is trees, 250 of which she has planted on her land in France.
-
Forage For Herbs: 7 Tasty And Safe Wild Herbs To Pick Close To Your Own Backyard
In addition to growing your own herbal staples, did you know there are several wild options out there that are safe and tasty – and free? Try foraging these 7 wild herbs
By Amy Grant
-
Should You Cut Back Roses In The Fall? – When To Prune Your Prized Shrubs For Winter
Discover whether to cut back roses before the onset of winter – or to leave plants alone until spring.
By Melanie Griffiths
-
How Many Vegetables To Plant Per Person For A Year
Gauging how much to plant in a vegetable garden can eliminate waste while still producing enough for your family. Click for more.
By Bonnie L. Grant
-
13 Perennial Fruits And Vegetables You Only Have To Plant Once
Looking to set it and forget it? Find out which fruits and vegetables can be grown as perennials.
By Laura Miller
-
11 Edible Plants For A Year-Round Garden In A Bucket
Want to know how to grow food inside your house and which foods do best indoors? Click here to learn all about it.
By Bonnie L. Grant
-
Frost Tolerance Of Vegetables From Least To Most Hardy
How cold can vegetables tolerate? Knowing which veggies will survive frosts and freezes is essential for the success of your garden. Click here for more.
By Laura Miller
-
Best Vegetables To Pickle Straight From The Garden
Pickles aren’t limited to just cucumbers. Read on for tips on pickling your fresh veggies.
By Amy Grant
-
Benefits Of Planting In Fall Vs. Spring Vegetable Plots
Learn why some vegetables do better if you plant them in fall instead of spring.
By Laura Miller
-
Interplanting Vegetables In The Fall Garden
Learn all about the benefits of interplanting vegetables for your fall garden.
By Laura Miller
-
Best Vegetables For Growing In Perlite
Perlite is a natural growing medium that comes from super-heated volcanic glass. In some cases, it works better than soil. Read on for more info.
By Laura Miller