The 27 Survival Garden Crops to Grow for Self-Sufficiency
In an era where self-sufficiency and sustainability are increasingly at the forefront of homeowners’ minds, the concept of a survival garden is turning into more than just a trend. This modern iteration of the victory gardens of yesteryears is designed to provide a reliable source of food in times of uncertainty, be it through economic downturns and inflation, job loss, natural disasters, or global pandemics.
Far from the traditional vegetable patch, a survival garden is planned to maximize yield, diversity, and nutritional value so that gardeners and homesteaders can achieve a degree of food security right in their own backyards.
The vegetables and fruits in a survival food garden will be calorically dense (though not always) and nutrient dense (though again, not always).
Some crops are on my list because they are considerably cheaper to grow than buy at the store.
Some are on the list because they can be stored for a long time or fermented (which makes them very valuable.
Planning Your Survival Garden
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Go outside and measure your growing space so that you understand how much square footage you’re dealing with.
Then get a pencil and paper and start drawing little squares and rectangles to represent your raised beds or growing areas.
Allow for room for pathways and consider how wide they need to be to accommodate you walking comfortably between them or something like a wheelbarrow.
Even more importantly consider the walkway space if you’re planning on having arched trellising between garden beds — which you should really seriously consider by the way.
Take note of how much square footage you have to work with.
Teaching you how to plan your garden from start to finish is obviously beyond the scope of this article. I’ll show you my rough garden plans at the end to give you an idea of what you can do.
But getting out of your head and going outside with a tape measurer and then starting to put your plans into paper is a great way to start envisioning the project — which brings me to my next point.
The Importance of Planting Vertically
We have a large annual garden and the space to keep expanding it — but that doesn’t mean I don’t prioritize planting vertically
SO many plants are better grown upwards on a trellis versus allowing them to sprawl wherever they want.
Even large melons and squashes can be grown this way.
A trellis will protect your plants from rot and fungus, give them better air circulation and more sun exposure, and make harvesting way easier.
From beans, to tomatoes, to cucumbers, butternut squash, pumpkins, melons — and more — growing up can double your growing space.
If your survival garden is in a small backyard, community garden plot, or even your balcony, you should absolutely grow your food vertically to maximize space.
Plant Perennials As Soon As Possible
The beauty of perennials is that you can plant them and then forget about them (mostly), and every year, they will dutifully return and feed you and your family with little to no effort from you.
Read More: 19 Edible Perennials To Grow For Self-Sufficiency
Potatoes
1 cup of boiled potatoes has 166 calories, 4.3 grams of protein, 36.6 grams of carbs, and is an excellent source of Vitamin C and other nutrients.
Potatoes are an obvious choice for a survival garden. They are delicious and as easy to grow as they are to cook.
Potatoes can be grown in a multitude of ways — in the ground, raised beds, grow bags, 5-gallon buckets, large trash cans, IKEA bags, etc. and are a beginner crop that anyone can master.
Potatoes also store very well if done properly (and if you choose a good storage variety to plant) and can be kept for months in the right conditions without refrigeration.
Potatoes are low-acid, which means they cannot be water bath canned, so you must use a pressure canner if you want to can them.
Conversely, potatoes are abundant and cheap, even organic ones where I am. If you’re short on space, you may choose to skip potatoes in favor of crops that are more difficult or expensive to obtain.
I won’t use a whole raised bed for potatoes and prefer to grow mine in containers or in the ground.
Beans
Beans are packed with calories and nutrients and are a great plant protein source.
Although plant protein isn’t as bioavailable as meat, beans are a must in a survival garden.
Although you can certainly buy dry beans for long-term storage (30 years if packed correctly), you can still also opt to grow your own shelling beans.
Organic dry beans are harder to find, pretty expensive, and come in limited varieties compared to what I can grow.
They’re also very easy to grow and dry yourself. That being said you need a lot of land to make this worth your while and buying dry beans might make more sense for your circumstances.
Along with shelling beans for drying, you should also plant beans meant for picking young and eating sautéed or steamed whole. Green beans are abundant producers that will keep you fed all year if you preserve them by canning or fermenting or even just freezing them.
Some varieties are great at both—shelling and drying close to the end of the season and eating fresh earlier in the season.
Flour Corn
Growing flour corn in a survival garden is a smart move for anyone looking to secure a steady supply of staple foods. Flour corn, known for its hard, starchy kernels, is ideal for grinding into flour, offering a base ingredient for bread, tortillas, and other essentials. Its cultivation is straightforward, requiring sunny spots and well-drained soil, making it accessible even to novice gardeners. With its ability to store well, providing sustenance throughout the year, flour corn not only enriches the garden with its tall, leafy presence but also bolsters food independence, making it an invaluable addition to any survival garden.
See Also: How To Grow Corn In A Raised Bed {Maximum Yields}
Winter Squash
Winter squash and pumpkin varieties can be stored and are a delicious way to enliven meals as the garden is dying and winter is approaching.
Winter squash can be turned into roasted and mashed sides, nourishing soups (squash and bacon is a favorite here), tempura, or simply steamed.
And don’t throw those seeds away! Wash them and roast them for a tasty snack.
Eggs
Okay, so eggs are not technically a crop in the strictest of definitions, but I’m adding them to this list anyway. If you have the space and ability to have chickens and/or ducks, why aren’t you keeping a flock?
Did you know you can water-glass fresh raw (unwashed) eggs at room temperature for up to 18 months or more?
Read More: 18 Best Egg-Laying Chickens: Which Breed Is Right For You?
Sweet Potatoes
One cup (200 grams) of baked sweet potato with skin on has 180 calories, 41 grams of carbs, 4 grams of protein, more Vitamin C than potatoes, and a good amount of potassium and B6.
Although sweet potatoes are not related to potatoes, they can be cooked in many similar ways.
Sweet potatoes are often expensive to buy and cannot be found in all grocery stores.
You should know that sweet potato green tops are also as edible as the nutritious bright orange (unlike potatoes where the greens are poisonous) and can be prepared as a green, much like spinach, chard, or kale.
They’re a bit fussier to grow than potatoes but are still a great choice for your survival garden plans.
Peanuts
Peanuts are packed full of calories, nutrients, and plant protein. They’re so delicious too.
We think of peanuts as a Southern crop, but the truth is that they can grow as far north as Canada.
You have to plant a variety that matures in 100 days if you live in a colder region.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are expensive. And that is primarily why they are on this survival garden list.
But they are mostly on this list because the worst tomato you grow yourself will still be better than anything you can buy in the grocery store. And there are so many amazing varieties to choose from.
Tomatoes are extremely easy to grow too so they are a fantastic beginner crop and there are endless recipes and preservation methods — tomatoes can be fermented or water bath and pressure canned depending on the recipe.
Amaranth
Amaranth pops up in most survival garden crop lists and garden plans I find online. And I can understand why — even if I disagree.
Amaranth can be grown for its greens as well for its calorically dense, protein packed, and nutritious seeds. It also grows like a weed and is virtually maintenance-free.
Amaranth is a fascinating grain and was once a staple crop amongst the first peoples in North America.
I’ve never considered amaranth before but I found a random seed packet in my collection and went down a Google rabbit hole.
The result is that I’m adding amaranth to my survival garden. Both for myself and for my chickens, geese, and ducks.
Amaranth is actually even not a true cereal grain. It is sometimes called a pseudo-grain, an herb, or even a vegetable.
That being said — this is not something most people are used to growing and eating. And if you’re short on space or a beginner, I don’t think this is the most rewarding crop. Plant it for fun and see how you feel, but I’m not betting on amaranth as becoming some mainstay in my survival garden.
Beets
Beets are a must-have crop. They can be grown virtually year-round in many places as they are very hardy and cold-tolerant.
Beet greens are edible and great sautéed with garlic and seasonings.
You can make probiotic-rich beet kvass by fermenting or pressure canning beets, and use it to make borscht soup.
And the roots store for a decent time too.
See Also: Beet Kvass {With Apple & Ginger Variation}
Summer Squash
As you wait patiently for your winter squash to ripen and mature in your survival garden — your summer squash will be growing abundant fruits for you to eat all season.
Summer squash is prolific so you can get a lot of food from even a single plant that will produce all summer long.
And it can be cooked in many ways, fermented, pressure canned as well as dehydrated into powders and flours or freeze dried.
Summer squash refers to things like zucchini, cousa, and tatuma but there are honestly so many varieties to choose from.
Sweet & Hot Peppers
Sweet peppers are extremely expensive here, especially organic ones. And grocery stores and even farmer’s markets can be very short on varieties and selection.
And don’t forget hot peppers! They can be easily dried and stored to make chili and other dishes all year long.
You can also ferment hot peppers into your own hot sauce and that process mellows them out and makes them milder.
See Also: How To Grow Shishito Peppers {Complete Guide}
Carrots
In a square foot garden layout like we use, you can plant 16 carrots per square foot. And that plot can be succession planted with even more carrots — carrots you can then leave in the ground and use throughout fall and winter as needed.
It’s true! The cold actually makes them sweeter and you don’t have to worry about storing indoors.
In a standard 5×5 raised bed that means one single bed can potentially yield 800 carrots in a single season if each plant grows successfully.
Carrot tops are also edible and can be sautéed, turned into pesto.
Jerusalem Artichokes
A Hardy perennial tuber that looks like a bush with pretty yellow flowers, Jerusalem Artichokes are common in permaculture projects and can be added to borders of land for privacy.
Cabbage
The main benefit of growing cabbage in your survival garden is turning it into nutritious, probiotic-rich sauerkraut you can enjoy all year long.
One of the easiest, most fool-proof ferments imaginable (the gateway ferment), sauerkraut is great for your gut, can be used in many recipes, and the brine can be used to augment or kickstart all sorts of other fermented vegetables too.
Cabbage in general is just so tasty. Try it sautéed in lard or bacon fat and added to soups.
Read More: Traditional European Sauerkraut Recipe
Kale
Kale grows easily and can be grown well into the winter, making it a versatile, maintenance crop.
Berries
Like tomatoes and peppers, berries like strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries are some of the most expensive foods you can buy.
But they’re some of the most delicious and healthiest plants and it makes sense to grow them.
Read More: 35 Intriguing Berries to Grow in Your Garden
Mushrooms
I never gave much thought to mushrooms, certainly not to growing them.
But the price of some mushrooms is out of control. I also started learning about functional mushrooms that are also culinary varieties (like lion’s mane) and the potential health benefits and medicinal properties blew me away.
You can grow mushrooms easily and cheaply indoors or even outdoors. Although an outdoor setup requires a bit more work and materials up front, the mushrooms will return year after year with no additional work from you.
Shallots & Onions
One of the most used crops in my kitchen — onions and shallots.
You can’t make a good bone broth without it, and French Onion soup is an example of cheap, nourishing, peasant food.
Make sure you choose and grow avarieties that store well and can be used all fall and winter long.
And look into something called ‘Egyptian Walking Onions’ if you want something unique and perennial.
Garlic
Plant garlic every fall and harvest it in the summer for year-long use.
Garlic is another expensive crop that is easy to grow. In the spring, garlic produces delicious green shoots that must be picked for the continued growth and health of the plant. It’s one of the tastiest, unexpected treats.
Read More: All You Need to Know About Planting Garlic In Fall
Cucumbers
Grow cucumbers because they can be eaten fresh and turned into pickles too!
An excellent choice for vertical trellising, cucumbers are a prolific and easy plant.
See Also: How To Grow Cucumbers In Raised Beds {Complete Guide}
Herbs
Fresh herbs are one of the most expensive foods in the grocery store.
Growing herbs makes sense. They’re easy, don’t require much space, and can even be intercropped with other plants (basil with tomatoes, dill with cucumbers, etc.).
Your garden herbs can be preserved easily for use all year, and with the right seup, herbs can also be grown indoors.
Herbs really make so many meals come alive, and they can also be used as the primary ingredient, as with sauces like basil pesto, for example.
See Also: 8 Ways To Preserve Fresh Herbs
Survival Foods To Buy In Bulk & Store
These foods are better bought in bulk and stored rather than attempting to grow them yourself — although this isn’t true in every case, and some we do both (like tomatoes and beans) for various reasons.
Dry grains can be stored in Mylar bags and food-grade buckets with oxygen absorbers. Others can be vacuum sealed. This is a general list and not meant to be comprehensive, as everyone has different needs.
- White rice (brown goes rancid quickly)
- Wheat berries
- Rye berries
- Buckwheat
- Oats
- Salt
- Sugar
- Coffee
- Cocoa
- Lard
- Honey
- Maple Syrup
- Alcohol
- Apple cider vinegar
- Canned meat and fish
- Pasta
- Pemmican
- Jerky
- Portable soup
- Beans
- Lentils
- Ghee
- Canned Tomatoes and tomato paste
- Spices and dried herbs
- Freeze-dried food
Perennials To Grow
Read More: 19 Edible Perennials To Grow For Self-Sufficiency
Best Egg-Laying Chickens
Read More: 18 Best Egg-Laying Chickens: Which Breed Is Right For You?
Beating Inflation & Food Shortages
Read More: 25 Real Ways To Prepare For Food Shortages in 2024 & Beyond
