Knowing the simple and renewable ways to grow your survival foods will solve some of the issues associated with long-term food storage in an SHTF scenario. Remember that storage is very pertinent in disasters, but what do we do to solve storage difficulties? Some of these problems are budget, storage space & the hunger for fresh produce.
The typical question many ask first on gardening is what to cultivate. While you always have the choice to choose what you want to plant and eat, there are recommended foods to plant in a survival garden.
Once you solve the problem of what to grow, the next is how to grow, which is what method to use for the cultivation. That is what we will be addressing in this article.
2 Renewable Ways to Grow Your Survival Foods
Backyard Gardening
Backyard gardening has always been the most conventional means of growing foods, and I assume you’re quite familiar with it. A backyard garden may or may not give you sufficient space to grow in, but it is much safer even without storage facilities. You can easily grow your foods and harvest them to eat at home. Some plants do grow best in close proximity, for example, the three sisters technique, which uses corn, squash & beans.
Backyard gardening is very affordable. I mean, it’s simple to make a hole & bury a seed in it. The only difficulty here is maintenance. You will have to keep weeds in check, deal with pests & diseases, handle fertilizer application & provide adequate watering. All these surely sound time-consuming and difficult to keep to but do not be discouraged. Backyard gardening has remained a viable method of planting for millennia.
Pros:
- Easily set up;
- You can leave it unattended for days & even weeks;
- Typically the most natural method to grow plants;
- An opportunity to exercise.
Cons:
- You have to consider protection from your wildlife;
- Weeds have to be kept in check;
- Prone to insects & diseases;
- May need a lot of resources.
Container Gardening
Container gardening is more ideal for tight spaces, which is common in urban environments. The system works by growing different plant types or those that do well together in individual containers. However, this technique does not necessarily have to be used due to only space constraints.
Containers can be used if you do not want to tear up your yard. Also, these containers can be moved if necessary. If you wouldn’t like to spend much, you can check local bakeries or big stores where buckets & containers are regularly thrown away.
Pros:
- Easier to cater for;
- Doesn’t care about space;
- Can be practiced indoor or outdoor;
- Fertilizers & other requirements can be closely controlled.
Cons:
- May not lead to a nice harvest;
- Startup costs can be expensive sometimes. You may need to buy containers, a framework for the containers, soil & grow light (in the absence of sunlight).
Concluding the Renewable Ways to Grow Your Survival Foods
Keep to the simple and renewable ways to grow your survival foods, as discussed above, to eliminate storage issues. There’s no denying, though, that having storage facilities for your produce is much better, but when they are unavailable, backyard or container gardening to the rescue!
