by Jason from The Self Sufficient Gardener

It’s generally considered blasphemy these days to be a survivalist and not garden. Food is the most important survival consideration next to water for the survival minded. It makes sense to be at least somewhat self-reliant when it comes to food production for you and your family. In other words if you don’t garden you should really consider starting.

For those of us who do mix gardening and prepping/survivalism the perennial question waits: What to grow?

Gardening prior to SHTF can be a challenge and doing so afterward will be even more of one. Therefore I’ve devised a rating system for choosing the best vegetables for my garden if I have to rely upon it in an emergency situation.

On a rating scale of 1-5, I rate the following attributes for each crop.

*Reliability—How susceptible is the plant to disease and pests. Can I count on production?

*Season—How often can the crop be grown? Does it take long to produce or can multiple crops be grown in one year.

*Nutritional Value—Not only calorie count but also vitamins and minerals. ATSHTF this will be critical!

*Sustainability—Can the crop be propagated year after year? We won’t know how long a disaster will last in some cases.

*Storage—Feast or famine? Eating great for a week won’t sustain a family. How easy is the crop to store long term?

*Yield—No sense growing things that won’t produce.

*Stealth—If TSHTF, how vulnerable will my garden become?

Of course, everyone’s rating scale will be different. You can even weigh some things heavier than others or disregard certain ones. The important thing is that you think about this beforehand and put it to use.

As an example I will rate three of my go-to crops if I had to survive on garden produce.

Beets

Reliability—4

Almost no pests eat beets. They are slightly temperature sensitive for germination and initial growth so planting at the right time is crucial.

Season—3

Can be started early and grown late. Germination as I mentioned above is the critical phase.

Nutritional Value—4

High in carbs/sugar. The green tops can be cut and come again harvested and the root of course is very nutritious.

Sustainability—2

Does not produce seeds until it over winters. This makes seed saving difficult.

Storage—4

Excellent capabilities. Beets will store great in a root cellar. They can be stored in a small box full of sand for a long time.

Yield—3

The greens and the root can be eaten as I mentioned.

Stealth—4

Other than the burgundy color, beets and inconspicuous laying low to the ground.

Tally the numbers and I get 24 for beets—not bad.

Potatoes

Reliability—2

Several pests like potatoes and we can’t forget about the blight that caused the great famine in Ireland.

Season—2

Potatoes grow well in cold weather but the require a long growing season.

Nutritional Value—5

This veggie is off the charts in nutritional terms.

Sustainability—3

The tubers can be divided or even just a small chunk can be used to grow another plant.

Storage—5

Outstanding storage life. Kept in a root cellar these will last quite a while.

Yield—5

Use a tire or tower setup and one plant can produce ungodly amounts.

Stealth—3

Potatoes don’t really have an obvious appearance for non-gardeners but they do get rather big in some cases.

So potatoes score high as well with a 25.

Amaranth

Reliability—4

Almost no pests or diseases to speak of affect amaranth.

Season—2

Growing season is somewhat long and limited to warmer times.

Nutritional Value—4

Very high in many vitamins, minerals and amino acids. Both the greens and the grains can be eaten.

Sustainability—5

Produces tons of seeds!

Storage—5

Though the greens do not store well at all, the grains will store almost indefinitely once dry.

Yield—4

Outstanding.

Stealth—1

Tall with bright flowers. The only saving grace is that most people have never seen amaranth.

Amaranth scores a 25.

Just for example I’ll give you a crop that most gardeners love but I consider a poor choice for survival gardens.

Tomatoes

Reliability—2

Cutworms are a problem. Disease is the real killer here. Early and late blights combined with blossom end rot leave tomato harvests in doubt.

Season—2

Only grows in warmer weather and takes a while to produce.

Nutritional Value—4

Good nutritional profile.

Sustainability—3

The seeds are easy to harvest and store and are generally reliable but only if the plant makes it to production.

Storage—3

Tomatoes are horrible for storage. The best bet is to harvest green and let them ripen on their own.

Yield—4

Good yields.

Stealth—1

Everyone knows what a tomato plant looks like and bright red fruit do little to disguise it.

Tomatoes score a 19.

I hope this rating systems has at least caused you to look at garden crops in a different way. Its good to know how to grow a variety of things but its also good to know which we can rely on when it comes down to it. 

Saving Seeds 

The truly self-sufficient gardener saves his/her seeds for replanting during the next season.  In most cases this is a simple task that will reduce costs of the garden to almost nothing.  The bottom line is that you can spend the labor yourself or pay someone else to do it.  If you pay someone else, expect to incur shipping costs.  Worse yet, you may not get what you’ve paid for.  F1 hybrid tomato seeds look exactly the same as Roma VF seeds to most if not all gardeners.  One year, eight Roma tomato plants I started from purchased seed turned out to not be Roma tomatoes.   

Saving seeds from hybrid plantings can be done for some plants.  However, be aware that hybrid seeds may be either sterile or the resulting offspring will not produce true to form. 

Here I will address saving techniques for some common garden plants.

Tomatoes

 

1. Scoop or squeeze the seed and jelly from a fully ripe tomato out into a container.  This can almost always be done in a way that saves the rest of the fruit for consumption.
2. Add water to bring the mixture to twice the starting volume.
3. Let the mixture ferment for 2-3 days in a warm place.
4. Add water to loosen the debris.  The seeds will settle quicker than the debris.  Anything floating should be discarded.  This includes non-viable seeds that float.  Keep adding water and pouring off the debris until what remains is almost strictly seeds and water.
5. Pour the seeds onto a paper towel or screen and let them drain.  Place the seeds in a warm place to dry for a few days.

Peas/Beans/Okra

 

1. Let the pods dry on the plant until you can shake the pods and hear the seeds rattle.  Monitor closely as the pods will open and spill the contents.
2. Remove the pod carefully.
3. Open and remove all seeds.

Peppers

 

1. Open the fully ripe pepper carefully. 
2. Gently scrape the seeds and collect on a paper towel.
3. Let dry.

Lettuce

 

1. Let the lettuce plant bolt and form the stem and dandelion like flower head.
2. Once the head is somewhat dry, remove it and place it into a plastic bag or other container. 
3. Shake the head to remove the seeds. 
4. Let the seeds dry for a few days.

Squash/Pumpkin

 

1. Scoop out seeds.
2. Let dry.

Carrots/Beets/Onion

 

1. These plants must be left in the ground over the winter to produce seeds the second year.
2. Cover the plants with mulch and/or leaves.
3. Uncover in the spring when you would replant the variety.
4. The plants will form seed heads. Remove the heads when the seeds are somewhat dry. 
5. Shake the heads to remove the seeds.

 
 

Longevity 

Seeds from onions, corn, parsnip and peppers should be used within a year or two. 

Seeds from beans, carrots, broccoli, asparagus, celery, leeks, spinach or peas are viable for up to about 3 years. 

Seeds from cucumbers, lettuce, eggplant, radish, chard, cabbage, beets, watermelon, tomato, squash and pumpkin are viable for about 4-5 years.

The Best Crops for a Survivalist’s Garden is a post from: The Survivalist Blog dot Net © M.D. Creekmore. All rights reserved. Content theft will be prosecuted. Please report abuse.

Related posts:

1. Indoor Survival Garden
2. Dangers and Rewards of the Home-Garden
3. Two comments: Salmonella in the Garden

by Jason from The Self Sufficient Gardener

It’s generally considered blasphemy these days to be a survivalist and not garden. Food is the most important survival consideration next to water for the survival minded. It makes sense to be at least somewhat self-reliant when it comes to food production for you and your family. In other words if you don’t garden you should really consider starting.

For those of us who do mix gardening and prepping/survivalism the perennial question waits: What to grow?

Gardening prior to SHTF can be a challenge and doing so afterward will be even more of one. Therefore I’ve devised a rating system for choosing the best vegetables for my garden if I have to rely upon it in an emergency situation.

On a rating scale of 1-5, I rate the following attributes for each crop.

*Reliability—How susceptible is the plant to disease and pests. Can I count on production?

*Season—How often can the crop be grown? Does it take long to produce or can multiple crops be grown in one year.

*Nutritional Value—Not only calorie count but also vitamins and minerals. ATSHTF this will be critical!

*Sustainability—Can the crop be propagated year after year? We won’t know how long a disaster will last in some cases.

*Storage—Feast or famine? Eating great for a week won’t sustain a family. How easy is the crop to store long term?

*Yield—No sense growing things that won’t produce.

*Stealth—If TSHTF, how vulnerable will my garden become?

Of course, everyone’s rating scale will be different. You can even weigh some things heavier than others or disregard certain ones. The important thing is that you think about this beforehand and put it to use.

As an example I will rate three of my go-to crops if I had to survive on garden produce.

Beets

Reliability—4

Almost no pests eat beets. They are slightly temperature sensitive for germination and initial growth so planting at the right time is crucial.

Season—3

Can be started early and grown late. Germination as I mentioned above is the critical phase.

Nutritional Value—4

High in carbs/sugar. The green tops can be cut and come again harvested and the root of course is very nutritious.

Sustainability—2

Does not produce seeds until it over winters. This makes seed saving difficult.

Storage—4

Excellent capabilities. Beets will store great in a root cellar. They can be stored in a small box full of sand for a long time.

Yield—3

The greens and the root can be eaten as I mentioned.

Stealth—4

Other than the burgundy color, beets and inconspicuous laying low to the ground.

Tally the numbers and I get 24 for beets—not bad.

Potatoes

Reliability—2

Several pests like potatoes and we can’t forget about the blight that caused the great famine in Ireland.

Season—2

Potatoes grow well in cold weather but the require a long growing season.

Nutritional Value—5

This veggie is off the charts in nutritional terms.

Sustainability—3

The tubers can be divided or even just a small chunk can be used to grow another plant.

Storage—5

Outstanding storage life. Kept in a root cellar these will last quite a while.

Yield—5

Use a tire or tower setup and one plant can produce ungodly amounts.

Stealth—3

Potatoes don’t really have an obvious appearance for non-gardeners but they do get rather big in some cases.

So potatoes score high as well with a 25.

Amaranth

Reliability—4

Almost no pests or diseases to speak of affect amaranth.

Season—2

Growing season is somewhat long and limited to warmer times.

Nutritional Value—4

Very high in many vitamins, minerals and amino acids. Both the greens and the grains can be eaten.

Sustainability—5

Produces tons of seeds!

Storage—5

Though the greens do not store well at all, the grains will store almost indefinitely once dry.

Yield—4

Outstanding.

Stealth—1

Tall with bright flowers. The only saving grace is that most people have never seen amaranth.

Amaranth scores a 25.

Just for example I’ll give you a crop that most gardeners love but I consider a poor choice for survival gardens.

Tomatoes

Reliability—2

Cutworms are a problem. Disease is the real killer here. Early and late blights combined with blossom end rot leave tomato harvests in doubt.

Season—2

Only grows in warmer weather and takes a while to produce.

Nutritional Value—4

Good nutritional profile.

Sustainability—3

The seeds are easy to harvest and store and are generally reliable but only if the plant makes it to production.

Storage—3

Tomatoes are horrible for storage. The best bet is to harvest green and let them ripen on their own.

Yield—4

Good yields.

Stealth—1

Everyone knows what a tomato plant looks like and bright red fruit do little to disguise it.

Tomatoes score a 19.

I hope this rating systems has at least caused you to look at garden crops in a different way. Its good to know how to grow a variety of things but its also good to know which we can rely on when it comes down to it. 

Saving Seeds 

The truly self-sufficient gardener saves his/her seeds for replanting during the next season.  In most cases this is a simple task that will reduce costs of the garden to almost nothing.  The bottom line is that you can spend the labor yourself or pay someone else to do it.  If you pay someone else, expect to incur shipping costs.  Worse yet, you may not get what you’ve paid for.  F1 hybrid tomato seeds look exactly the same as Roma VF seeds to most if not all gardeners.  One year, eight Roma tomato plants I started from purchased seed turned out to not be Roma tomatoes.   

Saving seeds from hybrid plantings can be done for some plants.  However, be aware that hybrid seeds may be either sterile or the resulting offspring will not produce true to form. 

Here I will address saving techniques for some common garden plants.

Tomatoes

 

1. Scoop or squeeze the seed and jelly from a fully ripe tomato out into a container.  This can almost always be done in a way that saves the rest of the fruit for consumption.
2. Add water to bring the mixture to twice the starting volume.
3. Let the mixture ferment for 2-3 days in a warm place.
4. Add water to loosen the debris.  The seeds will settle quicker than the debris.  Anything floating should be discarded.  This includes non-viable seeds that float.  Keep adding water and pouring off the debris until what remains is almost strictly seeds and water.
5. Pour the seeds onto a paper towel or screen and let them drain.  Place the seeds in a warm place to dry for a few days.

Peas/Beans/Okra

 

1. Let the pods dry on the plant until you can shake the pods and hear the seeds rattle.  Monitor closely as the pods will open and spill the contents.
2. Remove the pod carefully.
3. Open and remove all seeds.

Peppers

 

1. Open the fully ripe pepper carefully. 
2. Gently scrape the seeds and collect on a paper towel.
3. Let dry.

Lettuce

 

1. Let the lettuce plant bolt and form the stem and dandelion like flower head.
2. Once the head is somewhat dry, remove it and place it into a plastic bag or other container. 
3. Shake the head to remove the seeds. 
4. Let the seeds dry for a few days.

Squash/Pumpkin

 

1. Scoop out seeds.
2. Let dry.

Carrots/Beets/Onion

 

1. These plants must be left in the ground over the winter to produce seeds the second year.
2. Cover the plants with mulch and/or leaves.
3. Uncover in the spring when you would replant the variety.
4. The plants will form seed heads. Remove the heads when the seeds are somewhat dry. 
5. Shake the heads to remove the seeds.

 
 

Longevity 

Seeds from onions, corn, parsnip and peppers should be used within a year or two. 

Seeds from beans, carrots, broccoli, asparagus, celery, leeks, spinach or peas are viable for up to about 3 years. 

Seeds from cucumbers, lettuce, eggplant, radish, chard, cabbage, beets, watermelon, tomato, squash and pumpkin are viable for about 4-5 years.

The Best Crops for a Survivalist’s Garden is a post from: The Survivalist Blog dot Net © M.D. Creekmore. All rights reserved. Content theft will be prosecuted. Please report abuse.

Related posts:

1. Indoor Survival Garden
2. Dangers and Rewards of the Home-Garden
3. Two comments: Salmonella in the Garden

Guest Post by Danielle

A survivalist and gardener at heart, my area of research over the last couple of years has been perennial vegetables. I wanted a hands off garden that would just keep giving year after year, no matter my physical ability and time constraints to manage it.

My studies have lead me down grocery isles and begging gurus in Europe to send me clippings of their perennial kale. There is a wealth of usually untapped veggies to be had, with just a little research… now if only I could convince the deer to let me eat them.

There are the usual candidates: asparagus, fruit/ nut trees, strawberries, rhubarb, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, herbs… of which I have many, but then there are the rarer species of which I had never heard (but maybe that’s just me).

I live in zone 5, mid Michigan area. This limits me a bit, but also has it upsides. Many of the plant diseases and pests that ravage warmer climates can’t handle the freeze.

I highly recommend the book “Four Season Harvest” by Coleman if you want to extend your growing season year round, or as I do, increase the number of varieties available to you perennially.

The methods in his book will increase your growing zone by at least one (zone 6 for me), with a little winter protection.

After much Googling and a little time I was off to the grocery store. I found a wealth of goodies in the bulk bins. I found garlic, jerusalem artichokes, leeks, shallots, horseradish… they are still growing strong after 2 ½ years!

Attention to my fellow northerners, the garlic in the grocery stores is better suited to southern climates (soft neck), mine grew but never quite fully.

I have ordered some hard neck garlic (better suited to northern climates) to be delivered this fall. Also, if you plant jerusalem artichokes, give them a garden of their own, they are very prolific. I look at their garden as an underground refrigerator.

Some of the other varieties were a little harder to find. I found a little seed company out in California, Bountiful Gardens. There I found some greens: Lovage (celery-like), Good King Henry (greens), Scorzonera, Sorrel, Salsify, Chickory, Sea Kale.

They have a great catalog, with info on each seed they sell: growing zone, sun requirements, annual/ perennial. Love them.

So here’s a list I have found, suitable to zone 5, I have not found all of them yet, but maybe this can get you started on your perennial garden adventure…

Lovage, Scorzonera, Sea Kale, Good King Henry, Chinese Yams/ jinenjo, Turkish Rocket, Chickory, Perennial Onions (Leeks, scallion, garlic chives, topset onion, egyptian onion, Welsh Onions, Walking Onions), Multiplier Onions (Potato Onion, Shallots), Giant Solomon’s Seal, Wofberry, Musk Mallow, Fragrant Spring Tree, Sorrel, Stinging/Wood Nettle, Udo, Skirret, Ostrich fern, Day lily, Camass, Linden (basswood/ lime tree), Fuki, Water cress, Garlic, jerusalem artichokes, horseradish, bamboo, chau daubenton kale.

The Chau Duabenton Kale is what I found online from a master gardener, I think he was in Belguim. He was generous enough to send me clipping of three varieties of perennial kale, the names of the other two I can no longer remember. I planted them last year, and they are still growing strong, and delicious.

Happy gardening!

Related posts:

1. What You Should Know About Wild Onions
2. What’s a home garden worth?
3. Two comments: Salmonella in the Garden