Planting in a Survival Garden

The winter months are a great time to start planning your 'survival garden' for the spring. Now, more than ever, having a garden can help with the food budget. You will probably want to focus on hardy vegetable varieties that are good producers. If you don't already have a garden winter is a good time to start on the soil and prepare it. Pick a spot that gets a good amount of sunlight through the day and is not situated on or near a septic system.

Break up the ground well with a pick and loosen the dirt clods. Rake out the grass roots and any rocks. This may mean bringing in more soil. If you have been a lawn chemical user it may be a good idea to remove the soil and bring in some organic topsoil from somewhere. Try to avoid using manure that has not been composted since it can severely burn new growth.

A good survival garden should include varieties that produce throughout most seasons of the year. Try and get hold of a planting guide to suit your climate. Your local garden centre will also be able to help with dates and varieties to plant.

In early spring you can plant lettuce, especially some of the reddish varieties that resist cold weather. Some types of peas are cold tolerant as well.

Greens, such as kale, beans and lettuce are an important part of a survival garden. Since only a couple of rows of greens can provide enough for several meals a day they are definitely worth adding. Beans also provide a great quantity of food for the table. Once they start producing, one twenty foot row of beans should provide all you need for eating now and freezing later. In early autumn you may be able to grow cold tolerant vegetables like broccoli and cabbage depending on your area.

Potatoes are another important addition to a survival garden. Although potatoes are cheap in the stores there is nothing better than 'new' potatoes that you can cook along with green beans or serve covered with butter or cheese.

Sweet corn is also a good survival garden component although it does take quite a while to grow.

One of the most productive survival garden plants are tomatoes. Plant both cherry and regular tomatoes. Check with your garden centre for the kinds that will do best in your location. Don't forget to pad out the salad vegetables with carrots, parsley and cucumbers.

Set aside a small portion of the garden for spices that you can use in preserving (pickling) and cooking. A survival garden can save you a great deal of money in these difficult times and will provide you with healthy, organic produce too.

Ask a local organic nursery about some of the organic pest control methods you can employ.

Happy surviving!