Want to Plant the Ultimate Survival Garden This Spring? You Better Start Planning Right Now

It takes a lot more than a pack of seeds and a shovel to enhance your food security with a backyard survival garden. You need a solid, practical plan. Maybe you’ve never planted a single seed before, or maybe you’ve been working in the family garden since you were old enough to walk. Either way, there’s work you should be doing right now, even if the ground is frozen. You can start planning ahead.

Look Back to Gardening History Before Looking Ahead
Many Americans planted “Victory Gardens” during World War I and II, with the goal of increasing the nation’s food supply. In 1943, for example, there were more than 20 million war gardens in the U.S. The need and interest were there, and the citizenry responded. This patriotic planting produced an estimated 8 million tons of food, which was nearly half of the food consumed that year in the nation.

Jumping forward to last year, Americans responded to a crisis once again by rolling up their sleeves and getting dirt under their fingernails. For those who were paying attention to the self-reliance boom that took place at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, you may have noticed that a lot of stores ran out of basic gardening supplies and seeds. This spring, supply chains are in much better shape than those at the end of winter and early spring of 2020, but it’s wise to remember those empty shelves. Buy the things you need when they are available. Late winter is a great time to buy seeds and garden supplies. You can get them before the spring rush hits and you’ll have the best selection. If you want to grow the ultimate garden this spring, you don’t want to wait until the resources are “picked over” in late spring.

Scout the Best Survival Garden Location
Abundant sunlight and good soil are two of the biggest factors in a successful garden, and these are features that you can begin scouting for even in the winter. If you can get a soil map of your area (these are usually available at your local agricultural extension office), you can get some great insight into the type of soil you already have. You can also get a soil test, to determine your soil type and which nutrients are lacking. And even when the leaves are down from deciduous trees and the winter sun is lower in the sky, you can still get an idea about sunny locations. It’s a major rookie mistake to build your garden where a tree or some structure will cast a shadow across it. You’ll want at least 10 hours of uninterrupted sunlight shining down on your garden, though more daylight is better.



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