In most survival situations, knowing your own limits proves to be a huge advantage. The same is true when starting a garden. So let’s focus on the simplest and most effective vegetables to get what you’re looking for…
Easy To Grow
If you are like me and new to the whole gardening endeavor, you might be most interested in starting simple. Starting with a “Simple Salad” can be super effective and relatively fool-proof.
Lettuce: With a reputation of growing quickly and easily, lettuce is a great option whether you’re in pots or directly in the ground. It is fairly sturdy and will still often do well in partly shady areas. Harvesting and eating is also a piece of cake: just snip the leaves you want to eat! Given that the entire plant is literally the food, it’s a very space efficient option as well.
Tomatoes: This is probably the most common starting place for new and hobby gardeners. That’s because it produces a lot, and it grows in most environments as long as it has some support for the stalks. It does well in hanging baskets or next to walls and produces seeds that are easy to harvest and reuse.
Cucumbers: Another salad staple, cucumbers are hearty and “grow like weeds” according to many gardeners. They want lots of sun and are great in small spaces and containers due to the support they get. Cucumbers also produce a lot for the small footprint they require.
Space Matters
With limited space, a true Survival Garden focuses on maximum nutrition and production in the designated space. Some of the best vegetables for this are Root Vegetables. Most are meatier vegetables that go a long way for feeding your family, and many are still easy to grow.
Carrots: Well-liked and versatile for cooking, Carrots have exceptional nutritional value. Deeper soil is better for carrots to make sure they aren’t stunted, but with plenty of dirt and water, Carrots are easy to grow. They prefer full sun, but are resilient enough to handle some slightly shady corners of the yard.
Radishes: They aren’t the top of most peoples’ list of favorite foods, but it’s a compelling addition to a home garden. Radishes are easy to grow and only take about 20 days to reach full size. So once you get comfortable with tasty ways to cook them, they’re a great option.
Potatoes: Have you ever let potatoes sit too long in the cupboard and notice that they have grown? Those are ready to be turned into Seed Potatoes! Cut them into pieces and bury them in loose soil and watch them grow. They like lots of sun and plenty of water. They’re easy to eat, and obviously easy to re-plant and make more.
Companion plants
There are lots of other options, some of which will increase your odds of being successful. Think about sprinkling these in with the others mentioned above and enjoy some variety.
Basil: A perfect companion when eating tomatoes, basil also helps tomatoes produce higher yields and repels flies and mosquitoes.
Green Beans: Beans are known for adding nitrogen to soil which helps a lot of plants and they are known for growing really well with broccoli, cucumbers and potatoes.
Marigolds: Yes, they are a flower, but they are very effective at keeping away aphids and beetles to support your vegetables. And if you’re really in need, they are indeed edible.
Corn: An excellent companion for beans, squash, or anything that grows on a vine, the corn stalk provides enough support for most vines to grow.
Learn even more about companion plants from https://www.thespruce.com/