Category: Gardening

Holey Ground — The Use of the Auger in Homestead Food Production, by M.S.

When planning to grow their own food, many people understandably focus on the plants. A plant, however, simply expresses its genetic blueprint to the extent it can based on the energy and materials available from the sun and soil. We can therefore state that a critical aspect of successful vegetable production is the quality of the soil. Given the limitations of either the amount of warning you might have before needing to produce food for your family, or the amount of money you are able to put toward improving your soil to the point it will yield reliably, amending your …


A Fruit and Nut Tree Primer by Jujubee

I am seeing fruit and nut trees for sale now in the Southeast where I live so I wanted to share some thoughts on how I approach tree cultivation. I usually try to plant trees earlier in the winter in order for the roots to get a good start but retail outlets know that people start getting restless towards the end of winter and want to get their gardens and orchards going and they are only too happy to accommodate them. I am an arborist by trade and I’ve provided some guidelines I follow in raising trees. It is not …


Letter Re: Non-Hybrid Seeds at COSTCO Stores

Jim, While perusing the Costco web site, I noted that Costco is now stocking “Preparedness Storage Non-GMO Garden Seeds” — and they’re non-hybridized, which makes them good for saving seed in a true survival situation. The bucket contains 24 varieties of seeds, including the “usual suspects” like corn, peas, tomatoes, and carrots as well as some more unusual plants like eggplant, swiss chard, cabbage and kohlrabi. Just finding it interesting that it seems like prepping has gone totally mainstream, and that Costco is leading the charge! Best, – S.J. JWR Replies: In my Rawles Gets You Ready Preparedness Course, I describe …


MYDS: My Resolution For 2013, by J.L.

What is MYDS? It’s not prepping, it’s not hoarding, it’s not a disease or even a mental condition and it certainly isn’t unpatriotic or terrorism.  What is it about, then? It is about being provident. Actually, MYDS stands for Make it Your Darn Self!  That is my Philosophy and Motto for 2013! Provident means to prepare for the future.  Why?  Why take the time, the effort, or the expense to be provident?  Look around us.  Look at the world we live in.  Look at the economic and political climate.  There seems to be no rhyme or reason to anything.  Everything …


Survival Seeds-Plan Your Survival Garden Now, by Jennifer A.

Let’s say that the SHTF scenario you prepared for has happened.  You are in your bug-out location or somewhere with a bit of land and you envision a return to a normal society will take a few months or years.  You know you need to grow food and fast to prevent depletion of your stores and for a well-rounded diet. You’ve got your survival seed bank, but now what? Hopefully in your survival seed bank you’ve given some thought to the order and priority in which you will plant, tend, grow and harvest those fruits and vegetables. My first recommendation …


A Widow’s View of Preparedness, by Catherine T.

I am a widow of over three years whose youngest son was serving our country in the Middle East when my husband’s death happened.  My husband lost his job and was forced into early retirement before his death.  I will not go into the details of all the turmoil then and of having a child home with injuries of war.  In a SHTF situation there will be many people with war injuries in our own neighborhoods.  My other children and I are so glad he is still alive.  My income dropped further not long after this.   It was the end …


Family-Scale Permaculture Gardening, by Tod P.

I started trying to grow my own food, on a small scale, about 10 years ago.  Only this year, did I really begin to see the possibility of growing most of what we need to feed our family.  I have learned to garden through a combination of books, experimentation and tips from others.  I would like to share some of my education and sources so that others can ramp up to self-sufficiency faster than the time it took me.  Permaculture.  Previous SurvivalBlog contributors have mentioned the term “permaculture”.  It is a general term that describes (mostly) self-sustaining production through diversity, …


A Corn Chronicle, by ShepherdFarmerGeek

This spring I purchased Painted Mountain Corn seed from two suppliers following the stirring encouragement of New Ordinance (“Rocky Mountain Corn: The Secret Weapon”). In spring of 2012 seed was selling for around $20/lb. This fall I see it’s commonly selling for around $30/lb and up! I’m planning on saving a lot of seed, selling a little, and experimenting with cooking this amazing field corn in a variety of ways. (Remember, it’s field corn, not sweet corn. You dry it and grind it into flour to make tortillas, tamales, chips, and much more!) GROWING Using a marked measuring line, I …


From the Kitchen to the Garden, by G.T.

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Let’s just say I have a fair amount of time on my hands and not a whole lot of money. Add to that a curious mind with a bit of a preparedness mindset and you get someone who likes to experiment with produce and gardening. I wanted to share some of my experiences with growing plants straight out of my kitchen, often from produce bought at the grocery store that was meant to be eaten but didn’t make it to the table, or had the seeds removed first. If you’ve seen some of the propaganda out these days on our food supply, …


Survival Uses For Stretch Wrap, by James M.

Not Saran Wrap, I’m talking about what is commonly referred to as pallet wrap. I thought there was no way possible that something as versatile and useful as stretch wrap could have been overlooked in the survival community, but after hours of searching it certainly looks that way. I’ve only found a few vague references to other possible uses for it. Today I hope to enlighten you and further prepare you for TEOTWAWKI. Firstly, it’s a lot of bang for your buck. You can pick up an 18 inch wide roll of stretch wrap that’s 1,500 feet long for less …



Fruit Trees: The Long Term Garden Companion, by Christopher G.

With the cost of groceries going up peppers know that being self-sufficient and creating their own garden is critical, but are you really looking at plants for the long term? Heirloom variety plants like tomatoes are essential to keep around, but if a day comes that you can no longer buy those seeds it is going to be a real pain to try and sort the seeds out from your food source. Taking a closer look at adding fruiting trees to your property and where they can fit into your landscape will make a huge difference in what your land …


Two Letters Re: The Aesthetic Pantry: Trading Ornamentals for Edibles

Dear James, In his otherwise excellent article on replacing ornamental species of plants with useful, edible species in landscaping, Matthew C. mistakenly advises getting rid of hawthorns (medium and small size perennial shrubs). Hawthorn is valuable medicinally, tactically, and nutritionally. Hawthorn is one of the most potent heart and blood pressure medications available.  It has been extensively researched, and has been approved by the German Commission E Report.  Unlike digitalis, which is much better known, hawthorn is extremely non-toxic, and is not known to interact with any other medications.  The earliest recorded medicinal use was in ancient Greece. In a …


The Aesthetic Pantry: Trading Ornamentals for Edibles, by Matthew C.

Henri Frederic Amiel once said, “Any landscape is a condition of the spirit.” While once standing on the kopjes of South Africa, gripped by the panoramic view of vast bushveld, scrub thorn, and columns of azure African sky, the condition of my spirit was one of breathtaking wonder at our God’s creation.  When once overlooking the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, eyeing this deep and seemingly never ending chasm of layered and painted earth, the provision of my soul was that of mute and wide-eyed awe. Twice, the state of my existence soared on the wings of angels when …


Two Letters Re: Grow Your Own Nutrient Dense Fruits and Vegetables

James, You are correct about the risks of only using a wood mulch in gardening.  In his book Gardening When It Counts, Steve Solomon discusses the normal carbon/nitrogen ratio in soil — 12:1 — and compares that to various fertilizers.  Woody products such as tree bark can have C/N ratios in excess of 100:1, causing "nitrogen robbing": the nitrogen already in the soil is retained by soil microbes until the wood decomposes and the excess carbon is burnt off, leaving even less nitrogen for the plants in the meantime.  As you mention, it can take years for wood to decompose, leaving the …