How to Grow a Survival Garden | Best Plants for Survival Garden

Want to grow fresh vegetables and herbs in critical times? Learn how to grow a survival garden without having a lot of space in this post.

While growing a survival garden, it is essential to know what plants to include and which ones to skip. It can significantly help you and your family to survive on the home produce alone, especially in the times of a pandemic like Corona Virus / Covid-19. Find out How to Grow a Survival Garden in this article!

Check out our article on plants that can boost your immunity against Covid-19 here! 

What is a Survival Garden?

Survival garden is not a common garden that is designed for planting alone. Instead, it is created to deliver an adequate supply of crops during the time of crisis or natural calamity.

If your family is stuck in a critical emergency, where you only have the option to survive on the garden crops, a survival garden is going to help you immensely by providing organic and fresh vegetables to sustain until the crisis comes under control.

Even if you don’t own a regular garden, you can start a survival garden in your balcony, patio, porch, rooftop, and terrace in containers. It’ll work!

Here’s how you can grow a smoothie garden at your home! 

Important Point to Consider While Growing a Survival Garden

Before you buy seeds or plants for the survival garden, make sure that you are considering the caloric value of food. You simply can’t survive by eating salads and herbs alone during a time of crisis. It might sound surprising to you, but Tomatoes, peppers, and other fruits, that people typically love to grow are low in calories. Here are some of the high-calorie crops that you should consider instead:

• Peanuts: Calorie count, 1200 per 10 oz.
• Sunflower Seeds: Calorie count, 800 per 10 oz.
• Soybean: Calorie count, 300 per 10 oz.
• Navy beans and Chick Peas: Calorie count, 250 per 10 oz.
• Kidney and Fava Beans: Calorie count, 200 per 10 oz.
• Carrots, Turnips, and Peas: Calorie count, 100 per 10 oz.

Check out our article on the best beans to grow here! 

Growing a Survival Garden

The first step for designing a survival garden is working on a piece of land. It can be small, or you can use containers as well. The next most significant thing is the selection of the crops that will provide enough nutrients to keep you healthy in a situation when you are dependent on the garden produce alone.

The big question often comes in the minds of gardeners that what to plant in a survival garden? Well, you can start with these 3 things in mind:

• Plant easy to grow nutritious vegetables, fruits, and herbs.
• Choose quick growing crops for fast harvest.
• Edible plants that don’t take space and produce more should be a priority.

1. Vegetables

Choose vegetables for your survival garden that are productive. Use open-pollinated seeds for continuous harvest. You can also use seeds from your pantry or fridge as they are going to save your cost as well.

• Peas
• Carrots
• Potatoes
• Beans
• Gourds
• Beetroot
• Root Vegetables
• Radishes and Other Plants for Containers
• Green Leafy Vegetables 
• Green Onions & Onions
• Garlic
• Tomatoes
• Peppers
• Eggplants

2. Fruits

Apart from having daily meals, fruits are also an integral part of your daily eating, which makes your immune system strong to fight against several diseases. You can grow some of the healthy, easy to grow fruits, that are going to provide you with essential antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.

• Lemon
• Apple
• Pomegranate
• Strawberries
• Figs
• Peaches and Nectarines
• Berries
• Guava
• Cherry
• Banana

Here’s a list of some of the best fruits to grow in pots! 

 3. Herbs

Cooking herbs are valued for their excellent aromatic properties. Herbs like parsley, lemongrass, mint, and catnip are nutrient-rich and have many medicinal properties. These qualities make an important space for the herbs in your survival garden, and you can also easily grow them indoors in containers.

Select herbs that you use most and grow quickly in your climate. Some other herbs you can grow are cilantro, sage, basil, chives, thyme, rosemary, and fennel. Check out our list of cooking herbs for more names.

Check out our article on the best herbs to grow indoors here! 

Edible Weeds in the Survival Garden

Yes! You read that, right! There are weeds that can be consumed. As they are easy to grow and nutritious, you should have them in your survival garden. These unwanted invasive plants are low in calories, contain minerals, vitamins, proteins, and fiber. Plants like purslane is an abundant source of Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E, and C. Wild Amaranth, Watercress, and Plantain are some other important names.

Here’s a list of edible weeds you can easily grow! 

Some Other Tips for Survival Garden

• You can also include medicinal plants like chamomile, ginger, holy basil, sage, feverfew, and peppermint. They are an essential addition to the survival garden.
• Protect your garden from trespassers by strategically placing a perimeter. You can use thorny bushes for this purpose.
• Do remember to save your plants from pests. Here are some of the best natural remedies you can use.
• Also, keep them safe from harsh sun, winds, rains, and frost by taking required measures.