Let's get down to some stuff my city dwelling friends can use. I did a post yesterday for Illinois Prepper Network and it has pictures of backyard gardens on it. Check it out for ideas on what you can do with your backyard to feed yourself. After you get your preps in order, you need those to eat while you garden is growing, you need to get things growing. Starting seeds is simple, I have excellent luck using ziploc bags and peat pellets. It can even be done with a little soil in a bowl and some plastic wrap over it. Once the seedling is an inch or so tall, I remove it to a sunny spot to grow some more.
Then, after it grows for a while, I transplant it to a cut off pop bottle to develop roots while I'm waiting for the weather to get warmer. If you start seeds right now, by the time they are a decent size, you can skip the pop bottle and go right to outdoors with them, in the ground or in the container you plan to use. Now you're well on your way to surviving anything the economy throws at you and your ahead of the curve for living self sustained! Anytime you don't have to spend your hard earned money on something to eat, you're ahead. Wouldn't you like to not spend that 2 or 300 hundred dollars a paycheck on food? Think about all the money you spend eating out. What could you have if you saved that money?
Let's face reality, no matter how much money our government throws away, it will not magically create jobs out there for us. Life will not be improved until our country realigns itself. All we can do now is wait and make it thru the unemployment etc the very best we can. Having something good to eat right from home is so much nicer than the alternatives.
Here's my last years garden spot, it's roughly 30x40 I guess, maybe a little smaller and I planted potatoes elsewhere on the place. That garden would have fit in my backyard in Cicero, or in any of the places I lived in the city before moving down here to the country. Every plant in it will grow in any part of the USA with the exception of Alaska. Not sure if their growing season is long enough for a couple of those plants.
Anyway, my point is, everybody can do this. It will make a serious impact on the amount of money you have left over each payday and you'll be eating healthier than you could ever imagine. This is how you become an Economic Survivalist.
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Outstanding post, my friend! I couldn't agree more with the points you make!
ReplyDeleteQuick question - when you start seeds in a plastic bag which way is 'up' when you transplant them into soil? I think there is an up and a down, right?! Great post! IMHO, the more land you have, the more work you have. My old yard was 2 acres and while I'd love to have that room now - it was a lot of work. The 1 acre I have now seems to be just the right size for our family. :)
ReplyDeleteMost seeds do not have an up/down on them. Bulbs do and potatoes but not seeds. Just plant them to the depth indicated on the seed package.
ReplyDeleteThanks Hermit!
ReplyDeleteMelissa, Mom beat me to it, I don't much look up or down unless it's beans, cucs or squash and then I plant them sideways. Some stuff is way too small to even try. Seems like the seedling always rights itself toward to the sun. :)
I totally agree with you. I live on a city lot in a small Oregon town and I am growing something to eat in every inch of dirt that is not covered by a deck or the garden shed! It is amazing how much food I pulled out last year and this year it is even more efficient. I've learned so much and i really enjoy reading your blog. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThank you Jenny, glad to be of help!
ReplyDeleteGood article, so true that you don't need lots of land to make food. Having a small garden goes hand in hand with the busy working lives folk have: A small garden means less soil to look after - less digging, mulching, weeding, watering, etc..
ReplyDeleteHowever, small gardens need ingenuity. Using raised beds as mmmpants said works great. Other techniques like no dig gardening, companion planting, square foot gardening, are all useful for the urban gardener.
MM taught me the ziploc method of starting seeds just a month or so ago - i am happy to report that i have 30 tomatoe seeds that have germinated this way, 28 lavender seeds, 14 sunflowers, 19 echinacea and 12 eucalyptus plants all ready sitting in the solarium waiting to go out to the cold frame soon (we can't plant until after may 24!)
ReplyDeletei will do my cukes, beans and a variety of other seeds using the ziploc method in a few weeks!
thanks MM for always being so willing to share your knowledge and experience and help motivate all of us to become more self-reliant and self-sufficient! You, girl, are the best!
I really like the term "Economic Survivalist". I think a lot of folks are going to fall in that category if they don't already now. It would be wise to be in that definition voluntarily, but if you get caught up short or by surprise, now's a good time to get your mind oriented in that direction.
ReplyDeleteYou are doing the Lords work here, Kat by encouraging folks to get into the dirt in their own yards.
It's not all that hard and the rewards are many.
Excellent Badger, thank you! I've been eading a bit on that "lasagna" gardening too. I think I'm gonna try it. I'll share of course...
ReplyDeleteThank you Kymber, always nice to see you here!
Hey Unk! Yah, "economic survivalist" kind of covers it all, doesn't it? Thanks for stopping in and all the support.