Which Seeds Should I Get?
Although it is getting harder to find quality non hybrid seeds, heirloom seedsor open pollinated seeds for survival gardening, they are still available.
It may take more searching to find good survival seeds, and if you want to purchase a complete survival gardening seed kit, it may actually be easier to get that, than to find individual vegetable seed packets.
Survival Seed Bank has one of the best combinations of garden seeds but I am sure there are others out there as well.
The beauty of it is that once you DO find your survival seed supply – you will be set for life as far as garden seeds go, unless you simply don’t harvest them in the fall. 🙂
Saving Your Non Hybrid Seeds for Next Year…
If you are a true-blue (ah, green) gardener, there is just something about gathering your own non hybrid seeds in the fall and storing them, knowing that you are all set for the following year, no matter what happens to the economy… that just makes your day!
If this is your first try at saving seeds, start with beans, squash, dill, and/or marigolds.
Once the seeds have been collected it is very important to dry them thoroughly before storing them.
Excess moisture can cause the seeds to mold and rot.
Use a fine screen or a sheet of plastic or glass to dry the seeds on.
Do not use paper towels–the seeds will stick and become hard to separate.
Dry the seeds in a warm place out of direct sunlight.
Seeds that you have collected can be stored in coin envelopes, small pill bottles, empty film canisters, or other small envelopes and containers.
Label each container or packet with seed type and any other relevant information.
Believe me, you may think now that you will remember what each seed is, but when spring rolls around, you will be so glad you labeled them!
Then store in a dry, cool place.
If you use envelopes to store the seeds you may also want to place them in a jar with an airtight seal to keep out moisture.
If you don’t have a lot of space available to do survival gardening, or the soil in your area is poor, you may want to consider growing your garden in containers as an alternative form of gardening.
Or try your hand at Indoor Gardening…Any room in the house can be used to grow plants.
Or how about some of these places….
- Open sections between bricks and concrete
- Along fences, river banks, or train tracks
- Around storage sheds or boulders
- On a raft at anchor in a pond (protection from animals)
- Soil beds on a roof built like flower beds and filled with fertilized soil
In an emergency, your imagination is the only thing that can keep you from growing a non hybrid seed garden.
Be creative.
The same places that weeds and other unwanted plants grow can be used to grow vegetables, fruits, or even herbs!