5 survival vegetables to grow in a crisis
In times of crisis, some of us rush to the grocery stores and some others to the nursery. Regardless of which camp you belong to, we (all of us) view food as a source of security in times of uncertainty. In this article, I’m going to cover 5 vegetables that are perfect to grow in a crisis. If you have never gardened before, this is a perfect opportunity for you to start your garden. And, if you already have a garden, you may want to expand it with these 5 vegetables. They are easy to grow, they grow fast, and they don’t require a ton of space.
- Potatoes
Any vegetable that tastes great baked, fried, roasted, boiled or that can be crisped, mashed, shredded, or stuffed, has to be on this list. Potatoes are a pioneer crop. They are one of the first plants you want to grow in the soil. They don’t need a lot, neither from the soil nor from you. Hands down, one of the best crops for a lazy gardener to grow.
2. Microgreens
Microgreens are nutrition-packed greens that are ready to harvest in 1–2 weeks. Pea shoots, broccoli, fenugreek, and radish are some of the easiest microgreens to grow. They don’t need much space and grow well indoors even without direct sunlight. For step-by-step instructions on how to grow microgreens, check out my article on growing pea shoots in sprout trays.
3. Tomatoes
There are many varieties of tomatoes with different growing times. Early Girl hybrid variety is one of the fastest to fruit, reaching full maturity in about 2 months after planting outdoors. I like to grow Early Girl (50–60 days to maturity), Jetsetter (64 days to maturity), and Sun Sugar (75 days to maturity) varieties.
4. Green Onions
Green onions can completely transform otherwise ordinary dishes. They are crunchy and pack a ton of flavor. They are also remarkably easy to grow. From seed, they take about 1–2 months to grow but you can get the same results much faster by regrowing store bought green onions. Simple slice the bottom 1/2 inch along with the roots, and put them in soil.
5. Spinach
Spinach is nutrition-packed, easy to grow, and can be grown throughout the year. Just toss some seeds in rich, well-drained soil, and water everyday. Once the leaves are ready to harvest, cut them at the leaf base leaving a little bit of stem so the crop can regrow. In a few days it’ll be ready to harvest again!
That’s it. That’s my list of top 5 survival veggies to grow in a crisis. I’ll leave you with one of my favorites quotes about gardening.
When the world wearies and society fails to satisfy, there is always the garden. — Minnie Aumonier
Happy gardening!
