Its never too early to think about surviving self-sufficiently if the aid of our government ever ceases to provide for us. But someday it may be too late. What I am saying is that there are many great reasons to start growing your very own garden. This post is going to be a somewhat generic introduction. And as I learn and experience more, I will share my updates and knowledge through this blog.
As I write this it is early February of 2012. A great time to start planning your “Survival” garden. One day not so far off there may be a food budget for your family like never before. We have had our share of crisis in the past so the talks of possible famine never surprise me when they arise. The last thing I would ever want is to lose the ability to provide food for my family. But for the love of god if our economy ever hits the dirt.. the price of food could burden all or even become a rarity. And with the way our Nation is projected to be headed a collapse is all but certain in the not too distant future. But if we think we can just wait for a collapse to happen and then pop up a garden to feed our family we need to think twice. Gardening takes time and experience like anything else and practice makes perfect. Your land alone has a personality you probably need to learn it over the course of a few seasons. It may take several seasons before your able to yield enough to feed your family properly, so why not start working on one now before its too late?
I have read that one can raise enough food for a family of 4 in a 50×50 ft space. I would like to think that is impossible. Ive talked to enough farmers to think that maybe an acre or so of good earth could put up enough food for a few years. But 50×50 is really impossible.
First off we are going to need some basic tools. Here is a list of things we should have:
General fertilizer – enough for a few years.
Wire Mesh
Shovel
Handheld garden rake
Plastic bags
Wire Mesh
Seeds
Shovel
Twine string
Bucket for carrying water and tools in
Hand saw
Soil testing kit
Seeds
Start planning your “survival garden” this spring. I would want to think more about planting hardy vegetables that are also easy to grow and could fight off pending issues with various elements. As I mentioned I am still learning. So rather than give bad advice I will not give much until I have learned more!
I understand winter to be a great time to break ground and till up the earth as long as it is not frozen. We should try and find a spot that gets a lot of sunlight throughout most of the day and is not near a septic system. If you live in the city I am sorry. This probably is not the article for you. So moving on. We want to break up the earth pretty good, removing divots, grass and rocks. We want our earth to look and feel as much like loose soil as possible. We might even have to being in some soil. If you are one of those proud lawn owners that uses a lot of lawn chemicals you may want to remove the soil completely. I sure wouldn’t want my produce growing though that. We also need to avoid manure that has not been composted as it can burn new growth out.
In the spring we should want to grow varieties that can endure most seasons of the year to survive. I am sure most Agway’s or local garden centers could have a planting schedule that accommodates your area. I would not stray from it.
In early spring we can plant lettuce varieties that resist the cold weather. Some peas are also tolerant to the cold. Greens are also an important role in our garden as only a couple of rows of greens can provide several meals a day and can be very high in several vitamins. Beans can also supply a lot of food for your table when other sources fail to come in.
Root crops in conjunction with ground vegetables are important. Potatoes have been a key famine beater all throughout history and we should not forget that so easily. They are hardy and filling. I would also want to dedicate a small portion of my garden to spices that I can use in daily cooking such as basil, cilantro and dill weed.
In conjunction with the root crops listed I would also want to grow tomatoes, sweet corn, carrots, cucumbers etc etc. The list really does go on for sometime and it all depends on our climate and our earth.
A survival garden can save lots of money in these difficult times or someday be the link between famine or food. I have not even bothered to touch the topic of organic food which above all else will keep us healthier and living longer. But that, is a whole separate monster in itself.
I would want to stay ahead of the pest and rodent department, and implement measures and precautions to keep my crop loss to a minimum. I would also want to properly learn how to seal and store my yield. Alas, I am still learning. Are you interested in learning more? So am I. And this is a learning process for me. As I learn and experience more in this field I will share it through this site with various blog and video posts to aid all of us. I’m passionate about it already and I have yet to break ground. Let this page be a placeholder of sorts to mark what it will become. Stay tuned, as this will be updated frequently.
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Wow that was strange. I just wrote an extremely long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn't appear.
Grrrr... well I'm not writing all that over again. Anyway, just wanted to say great blog!