There are a ton of questions one asks when they make the decision to prepare for the possibility of a disaster. How do you prepare for survival? Unfortunately, there are no simple or clear answers. And that’s because no one knows exactly what kind of disasters we’re going to face. Since we are unsure of what’s to come, we could never be sure on how to prepare.

This is one of the reasons why most preppers come up with a broad-based strategy, trying to prepare for any disaster they can think of. Fortunately, the preparation for most disasters is the same. With the basics already done, it would only take a few additional items to be ready for each individual scenario.

But the real question is, how long do we need to be prepared to survive, before things return to normal? There are too many possibilities of disaster scenarios to know the exact answer. This question has led to two results in the prepping community. The first on is that many preppers are turning their homes into homesteads so they can grow food. The second is they are building giant stockpiles, with some people having enough supplies to last a whole year. We are going to talk about the first one.

 

Why Should We Garden?

Being in this preparedness mindset, we must accept that there are disasters that will have a long-lasting effect. We won’t be able to stockpile enough supplies to last. We will be required to grow our own food. Hunting and gathering doesn’t really compare to gardening and farming. If you garden or farm, it is much more efficient even if you live in an area where there are many edible plants and many animals to hunt. Luckily, gardening will provide you with nutritious food to keep you healthy and more importantly, alive.

Your Survival Garden

There are a lot of people who grow all their own food in their own backyards. Every once in a while you might even see an article pop up about one of them. The cool thing about each of them, is that their garden takes up their WHOLE yard. The reason they are able to grow enough food to live off of is because they have a huge garden and put a ton of effort into it. You won’t be able to live off of a four foot garden. To put it simply, you’ll need a big one. So if you’re planning on making gardening part of your survival plan, you’ll need to use as much space as you have available for it. While you’re still thinking big, you’ll have to plan and prepare big as well. You need to have enough seed on hand to plant your huge garden. You will also need fertilizers and any other chemicals to make it possible to grow what you want.

For your seed, make sure you’re avoiding hybrids and GMOs. You only want heirloom seeds. This way you can harvest seeds from your plants that you’ve grown and then plant more. You can’t do that with hybrids and GMOs. If you plant a hybrid, you’ll get one of the varieties they used in creating the hybrid. And seeds of GMOs are actually sterile.

Another thing to note is that it is very important to have good soil for your garden. Nutrients and water for your plant come from the soil. So your plants will need soil that is high in those nutrients. Most likely your backyard doesn’t have soil that is rich in the nutrients your garden needs. So spread compost or composted manure on your garden, and it will prepare it to be used for your plants.

Preserve Your Produce

Two great methods of preservation you will most likely need to use is canning and a root cellar. Canning will be easy to learn and do, and it requires little equipment. You will need a pressure canner, some canning jars, and a thermometer. Most fruits and vegetables can be canned, which makes this a very effective way to preserve food.

 

Root vegetables are able to be stored in a root cellar. A root cellar can be created by burying an old refrigerator on it’s back or a plastic storage bin underground. You’ll want the opening at ground level, and try to place it in the shade if you can for it to stay cool. Also add insulation above the lid or door to help the contents stay cooler.

Get Started

Survival gardening is something you’ll need to start as soon as possible. You can’t just wait until you need it. You need to learn how to garden effectively in your climate. Another reason to start now is that it can take a year or two to get your soil to where you need it to be. If you’re planning on using a garden in your survival strategy, you can’t afford for it to fail. You’ll need that garden to grow from the very beginning. For that to be possible, you need to be ready. And you need to have the knowledge to get the most from your garden. Gardening takes time to learn.