Survival Garden

Everyone has to buy food but you can benefit both monetarily and health wise from growing your own either in a garden or in containers indoors. For just a few dollars, you'll be able to save hundreds or perhaps thousands. Don't be dissuaded if you've never done it. Nature can take care of most of it for you. After all, things have been growing without our help for a long time. Some sites are daunting with all of the information out there but basically you need to dig a hole, plant a seed and water. (Seed packs display instructions also.)

You may have heard of heritage or heirloom seeds, which are simply seeds from plants that are passed down from back around 50 years ago or more when food didn't taste like the container that they come in, not to mention the greater health benefits. They will not be genetically modified as some that you may buy in stores or online today. If you search online, you'll locate many companies offering these types of seeds.

Note: It may be necessary to "hide" your plants to avoid thievery when it all hits the fan. Look for this to be a problem very soon. Try spreading your plots out in indiscrete areas around your house or even in public areas. Most people don't know what a potato or carrot plant looks like and won't mess with them.

Four seasons gardening is another option and will give you a year round food supply. You will probably need fluorescent or special grow lights for this but they will pay for themselves many times over. Just keep them on movable ropes or possibly a pulley system to keep them a few inches above the plants. A south facing window might just do the trick though as this will give them extended periods of sunshine.

You should try to water your plants at least every few days or more depending on the weather. One easy way to do this is to set up a sprinkler system or soaker hoses. Just buy some connectors where you can hook three or more hoses up as needed. If done right, all you'll have to do is turn on the faucet in the morning for about 20 minutes and everything is done for you. If you want to get fancy, you can even buy a timer for a few bucks from the garden section and hook that up, which is easier than you might think. Of course, to save on the o'le water bill, you can use collected rain and what they call gray water from doing laundry, dishes or baths as long as it doesn't contain bleach or other harsh chemicals. Dish soap, shampoo, conditioner, detergent and bar soap is okay.

Depending on the spare time available, you may want to maintain a compost pile of leftovers (no meats or dairy and some say to stay away from putting cooked food in to avoid vermin). Mix this with leaves, grass (unless it has been treated with weed killer, etc.), paper and cardboard strips (not glossy) and add water periodically to keep it moist. When it becomes the consistency of a crumbly soil, after about 3 months usually, it's ready to mix in your soil or spread on top. Peat moss is also good for that and comes in big bags for a reasonable price from a lot of places. Other things such as sawdust, cow and horse manure (not from pets), and sand (if your soil is more clay like) may also be added.