Is Your Survival Garden Sustainable?

[@OakSummitNursery]

I enjoy this survival gardening series. If you run the thought experiment about how a long term supply chain disruption would play out - suddenly everyone would place a higher value on a back yard garden for food production.

[@bcrouch2626]

You can also throw your grass clippings in the chicken coop and it will help to cut the smell plus they will flip it by scratching and it will give you good fertilizer for your garden

[@scrappyquilter102]

You had me looking up "raspberry cane borer" Was that why my new blackberry canes were suddenly falling over? I learn something new every time!

[@memorysmaid9551]

I'm in year three of my serious backyard gardening, and I've learned so much information from your videos that has helped me become better each year. This one is especially helpful now, as it becomes more difficult and expensive to count on "outside" resources rather than my own gardening practices to keep my garden growing well. Thank you for the encouragement and the great sustainable ideas.

[@nickthegardener.1120]

Have you heard of jadam microbial solutions? JMS for short, natural homemade fertilizer.👍 Check out garden like a Viking.👍

[@waynesell3681]

Thank you Gardener Scott... two or three years of watching videos and learning. Seeing some results this year from your direction. Here in Michigan zone 5b...

[@loveishope4406]

I container garden in empty cattle electrolyte tubs-23 gallon. I have a question. My potting soil is 3 years old and before I plant for the season, I amend with insoluable fertilizer. What about micronutrients? I have 13 tomato plants and they look decent considering the drought (Tulsa). I have a feeling its missing micronutrients. How do you add the micronutrients back in. Peppers are good and productive but tomatoes are producing nothing. On another note, I am growing my first comfrey :) and can't wait for it to get big enough to harvest some to make comfrey tea. Thank you Gardener Scott.

[@classicrocklover5615]

Personally, I would lasagna garden/compost inside your tub. I am assuming they are fairly deep? Remove all the soil then build up layers for the lasagna garden. Add in a shovel of healthy soil every once in awhile for the good bacteria. Add in earthworms - a couple, you can dig or just buy at the fishing store. You can buy rock dust (amorite?) Online and sprinkle throughout. I would amend this in the fall, after removing this year's dead plants, and let everything blend and work over autumn and winter.

[@lesliescully3544]

Do you have a live show today?

[@HavaWM]

Thank you for this video, Gardener Scott! I follow several gardening, prepping, and/or farming channels, and it’s always the prepper channels that say things like, “I’ve got this 5-galling bucket with survival seeds in it. If the SHTF, I’ll grow a garden!” 🤨🤨🤨 Only someone who has never attempted to grow their own food would think this was a good plan. It takes a long time to learn, learn, and learn some more. I follow one food forest / permaculturist who’s had her food forest for 14 years, and she’s having huge crop failures bc of the insane weather this year. If this weather is tripping up a 14-year veteran with established plants, it’s going to DECIMATE someone who thinks that all there is to planting is dropping some seeds in the ground. Keep up the good work! 🌱

[@char8a291]

This is my 3rd attempt at container gardening. It’s so challenging considering pests galore Tx heat and watering. Everything is looking bad except some beans and a banana pepper. I will not give up! I know it’s important and no one in my family believes in gardening. You have convinced me not to buy from the big box store. I’ll order seeds from now on. Thanks!

[@jubblybits6155]

You can throw any and all sort of plant/grass/vegetable scraps in a barrel or bucket full of water and let it rot/ferment in there. Once it gets good and stinky, you can use that for fertilizer.

[@amymorales4622]

Wonderful video! I will be sharing this with friends who are relying on their gardens more than ever in these tough economic times, when we are also suffering drought.

[@TheTrock121]

I think that growing your own seeds is an important part of a survival garden. I grow mostly heritage crops and have dabbled w/ seed production for decades. Biennials can be tricky, and I'm going to harvest my first Beet Seeds this year.

[@bcrouch2626]

You just need to remember to allow for pollinators to get to the plants

[@hugelpook]

Growing greens for chickens is a good idea. However, they will need animal or insect protein. Mealworms are a sustainable idea that can be farmed in tubs. Cow or goat milk is good protein for them too. You don't need bought feed. They do appreciate grains though. Buckwheat is a great crop to grow as they can harvest their own grain. Amaranth and sunflowers too. Mangle worzels are a good starchy food for them and are easy to grow.

[@vegadog30]

This year has been building beds and making compost whatever harvest I get is a bonus. I’ve already learned I can’t grow peppers here. They are all inside under lights now.

[@cindynielson4231]

Thanks for tips about deer. We have a real big problem with deer, squirrrels. and porcupines. I have a gotten small animal trap so we can release and release in a better location. Now we are waiting on delivery of trap for the larger animals. Yes all catch and release. TFS 👍

[@firefalcon100]

this is probably the best overview of survival garden roadblocks and things to consider. A lot to think about

[@VomitYou]

If I need a survival garden then I'd imagine the deer population would be in trouble. My plan is to use my garden as bait, if things are that bad.

[@sweethometreasures]

Very true! We moved from the Northwest to the Mid-Atlantic last year. I was so sad to discover that several of my "trusty" varieties just don't work here. Thank God we don't absolutely need the food just yet.

[@sweethometreasures]

@Ratz Patootie sure! We are in Southern Maryland. The big surprises have been Black beauty zucchini and Amish paste tomatoes. I'm not giving up on either next year because it may be a soil issue (though other varieties in the same plots are doing just fine). There's always so much to learn in gardening 😊

[@sweethometreasures]

@Ratz Patootie yep, it seems that black beauties are a delicacy for vine borers 🙄 I'm encouraged to hear that it wasn't just our garden though! I will try Roma's next year. Thank you for that tip. Our cantaloupe and pumpkins are also going nuts, which is pretty exciting. Are you doing any fall crops?

[@sweethometreasures]

@Ratz Patootie I've never done a cover crop before, I just leave fall crops to wither and die, add compost thru winter and till a bit in the spring. Sorry to hear about your pumpkins- pests are the worst. Ok, fall crops we're trying: chinese cabbage, long isl brussels, yod fah brocc, durgesh & rober cauliflower, scarlett kale and a random assortment of carrots. Hoping for good harvests!

[@mulph7738]

Very true. Great video! I am thinking just like that. I make a lot of compost. Thisvyear. NO pest. None! Love compost.

[@tranthiduyen615]

Xin chào anh lời chào từ Vietnam, video của anh rất tuyệt vời

[@apiecemaker1163]

I learned this year thru many years of trying different varieties that jet star and Roma tomatoes grow best in my garden. Also that epsom salt helped cure my blossom end rot in one of my tomato beds. Now to figure out how to seed save. I’ve always bought seeds from co-op or online but I want to learn how to save my own. Always learning even after 35 plus years. A sub stainable garden is a protected garden. I like that statement. Thank you Mr Scott.

[@LaraFabans]

My biggest pest in suburbia are rats and squirrels. I'm using pepper spray and it seems to be helping. At least i can grow hot peppers for a survivalist garden. I need to start building more structures.

[@brandonzawaski]

I will keep watching this so I don't end up making my own dirt eating video. But in all seriousness, great perspective.

[@EastxWestFarms]

This is one of the best videos on gardening. I love your take on sustainability. We are struggling with some of the issues you mention; every year a different issue. This year the unprecedented drought is our main concern.

[@anchorageprepper9008]

Great points today. I’ve learned so much over the past 2 years of my growing garden. Thanks for the help Gardener Scott!

[@brianseybert2189]

I began the switch to sustainable gardening last year. Added the production of leaf mold, improved composting and expanded my worm bins. I have a celery bed that i used some free composted manure and ended up loosing 3 out of 32 plants from 2-4--D poisoning. I will only use materials that I produce in my garden from now on.

[@NashvilleMonkey1000]

Last year we planted two garlic cloves from the store, and we now have 38 cloves, and planted 25 back into the dirt. We still have our legacy 50 year garlic in abundance, but now we can have a second variety, and see if it expands how we use it. Other than that, the peaches are doing well~

[@johnhpalmer6098]

All good ideas for those that want to do sustainable gardening, however, don't know about others out there, but this spring has been challenging as far as the weather is concerned. Living in Western Washington, we have had a cool and wet spring with temps in Puget Sound not even reading 70+ on even a semi regular basis until at least late May, early June, and the weather began to dry out by then. Right now, my grass is beginning to turn brown and some years that begins in May, not this year and I was worried I'd not have any tomatoes that I grew from seeds to harvest, but ONE plant did eventually survive growing in the house, then hardening off, then getting planted in the soil in June. Now it's growing nicely and is beginning to form blooms for eventual fruit, so there is that. The only change I made was adding an additional 2gpm emitter to each pot (a grow bag) and watering that almost daily for 30 min, instead of the 45 or so with the single emitter and not exactly every day. I just reused the soil, amended with more Tagro fertilizer from the waste treatment plants (now safe for growing food crops) and so far, well, we'll see how it all fairs when the season ends in October. All that and the challenges of the first seeds not even germinating, except for one, maybe 2, then I replanted with fresh seeds from a different brand of same variety and they did better germinating and I think the ONE plant came from the first packet too. Hopefully next year will be more successful.

[@heidiclark6612]

Great video on sustainability! I guess we all have to consider this.

[@LeverActionLarry]

Great tips as always, this is the approach I have been taking.

[@classicrocklover5615]

I've never heard of hail cloth - thank you!

[@dwaynewladyka577]

In this era of rising food prices, having a long term sustainable survival garden is a good thing to have. It's good to be organized, and utilize things that will help you, if what you normally use for gardening isn't there. Long ago, they had to use strategies that would help them with their gardens, harvesting and food preservation, in case if something happened. We also can learn from history, as to how farmers and gardeners looked after their gardens and produce, during difficult times. Thanks for sharing this information. Cheers, Scott! ✌️

[@toosense]

You’ve given me a lot to think about. My focus over the last few years has been on adding fruit trees to my back yard garden and learning to keep them alive during colder than usual winters. Other than tomatoes and cucumbers I’ve not grown much food. This spring I converted some space in my flower garden for red onions, lettuce, kale, and potatoes. Heat killed the potatoes but I did get some small ones out of the batch. I’d like to add a system to collect rainwater from gutters, it’s just been too hot.

[@Barrell60]

Thank You

[@trytobetheballpeople]

Very Good!

[@halfmoongardens3345]

As a biologist turned gardener seeking self-sustaining systems I employ Biochar. Biochar allows me to garden regardless of beginning soil conditions. My gardens require no outside inputs. Developing a biologically diverse habitat really does reduce pest damage and this starts with healthy soil. No fertilizer or pesticides required. Great video, love your channel and all you share, have a great day!

[@drewmorrison9248]

Outstanding advice!

[@ericverdusco8969]

This is my first serious attempt at trying to grow veggies. Thank you so much Gardener Scott for all of the information. It is very useful and interesting for me. AND I LOVE THE AUTISM SPEAKS SHIRT!!!!

[@gailthornbury291]

17 minutes and 15 seconds of solid sensible advice. Your experience shines through. Thank you.

[@lorencolt]

The premise is a survival garden , so we will have more worries in times of need. It seems to me that not getting the right nutrients to your plants and not getting the produce that you need is something that can be avoided. The use of commercial compost is what most people use and they will not make their own. I do not believe that it is herbicide free. Just do 1 old raised bed that is not as productive in the interest of a SURVIVAL GARDEN for a side by side. I myself cannot produce enough "Natural" fertilizer for my garden to be productive. I still use it as much as I can. I will use any method that is a production plus in my garden. All of the above method.

[@shineyrocks390]

I thank God almighty everyday for the day I found you and Paul Gautschi, James Prigioni, Paul Stamets. All of you pioneers absolutely changed my life and I found abundance through your teaching. God bless you Scott!! It's never to late to learn. Amen

[@DanCooper404]

First a video about zombies, now a series about survival gardens. I think GS is a time-traveller from the future, trying to keep humanity going through what's to come.

[@hands2hearts-seeds2feedamu83]

8 have a different kind of survival garden, my survival garden is the garden I plant and I hope it survives, & pruduces food, the more food the better...

[@kburkes4245]

I'm not a survivalist or a prepper, but I do recognize the value of learning over years of gardening. I started 8 years ago, and every year I learned something new. Still learning how to get maximum productivity.

[@connorhus]

You make all those plastic and synthetic shade/hail covers from local materials you can count on being available year after year in a grid down situation? All your mulch and composted material comes from your own growth on your own property you can count on every year? Is it enough for all the compost/fertilizer you will need? All that hardware you have can you replace that without a supply chain? Ready to save and then plant about a full acre of beans for each person you need to feed? That would be just the tip of the sustainable gardening (really more than gardening small agriculture at that point) iceberg.

[@apiecemaker1163]

Such a wealth of information. I have the opportunity to take master gardeners classes but am visually impaired so don’t know how helpful I would be as a volunteer. Do you recommend that I take the classes for the information or just keep learning from books and online? I still garden, preserve, quilt, and many homestead skills but have to do it at a different pace now that I’m legally blind. But I’ll do as much as I can as long as I can. My garden is definitely my happy place.

[@debrablum1632]

Master Gardener groups have a variety of projects that you could participate in! Call your county extension office and ask. The classes should be able to accommodate your vision problems. Good luck!

[@apiecemaker1163]

@@debrablum1632 thank you ever so much 👩‍🌾💙☀️

[@GardenerScott]

I suggest doing everything you would like to learn more. Most master gardener programs have an option for students to learn the material but not volunteer. The master gardener program has a wealth of information but what I gained most was the new gardener friends who also took the classes.

[@apiecemaker1163]

@@GardenerScott I believe I have decided to take the program with volunteering. When I read the application, even with my limitations, there are many ways to help and learn. Mostly though, the fellowship and being around like minded people is what I look forward to. Thank you for your encouragement.

[@apiecemaker1163]

@@debrablum1632 Thank you so much for the encouragement. I have decided to take the program. I appreciate you responding and giving me a lift in my journey. Happy gardening.👩‍🌾💙👍

[@joycedagostino8869]

I've gardened for quite a few years and each year I learn from what works and doesn't. You're right that a survival garden really depends on time to learn what works for your climate and what doesn't. For anyone starting now who doesn't have that prior experience needs to talk to fellow gardeners in your area, contact your extension service or check farmer's markets to see what's being grown and sold as a clue to what might work for you. Also important to go with what you and your family likes to eat, makes no sense to do the time, expense and effort to grow a certain fruit or vegetable just because it's trendy but not something your family even likes to eat. Great comment about learning how to garden without chemicals or synthetic fertilizers and improving your soil fertility as the more sensible way to grow. Growers this year are running into what it's like to not have things like fertilizers available that they purchase often from overseas. Maybe we will finally have more growers who enrich the soil and grow that way which will also mean more nutritious food too. Also have the same hail situation as you do.

[@bonnieballew7762]

You might want to try Egyptian walking onions in your survival garden. They are easy to grow and propagate.

[@crystals14acregarden61]

I have so many plans, and the material for so many projects, to make our garden not only sustainable, but easier to keep up with. Problem is, between work and the heat, I feel like I'm not accomplishing what I want to quickly enough. I know I'm impatient, but I have a huge pile of limbs in the front yard that need to be cut down and put in beds. I have the lumber and need to build more beds to put it all in. I have several barrels for rain water catching, but I need the time to set them up with spigot and I need gutters and tubes to get the water into them. I also have a problem with falling if i overdo it. So i have to stop and sit down often. Yes I'm overwhelmed, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm also setting up drip irrigation little by little. I'd eventually love to be able to just turn on the spigot and sit down to enjoy the garden...maybe. waiting for the weather to break and I'll take a vacation to knock out some of this. I'm determined to get it all set up the way I want eventually. My son is a lot of help. I'm teaching him to can, and he seems to enjoy it. This seems to be getting him more involved in the garden itself. Now if it would just cool off enough for the tomatoes to go wild...

[@crystals14acregarden61]

Also my worm castings have sprouted me some volunteers. They are some of the best plants I have this year. I have no clue what type of tomatoes I'll get from one of them but nothing has attacked it, and it's producing great compared to all my other plants. I also have a few melons or maybe Cucumber plants from volunteers. It will be fun to watch and see what they are. What I actually planted in those spots never came up.

[@GardenerScott]

It can be overwhelming and patience can help. Accomplish what you can, when you can, and learn along the way, and you should find the success you want.

[@matthawkins4579]

For a survival garden it's not just about saving seeds from a variety you like but also about saving seed from plants that do better than the others. Better yield, better disease resistances better whatever.

[@lorencolt]

If you are getting your compost from a waste facility see if they test it for herbicides. The ones nearest to us do and they all are contaminated.

[@brianramsey3824]

Think my Tom's are going to sucum tomato spotted wilt virus this year

[@LisadeKramer]

This was an excellent video. You are so right on with everything you say.

[@robertzinke7370]

You are saving lifes with your videos Scott! 🙏

[@chines68]

OMG, so much great info in this video. So thrilled I found it.

[@cybinnaturaldomaincnd3955]

Great job Scott! Great points!

[@bcrouch2626]

You just need to remember not to allow cross pollination

[@takeitslowhomestead5218]

Thanks for this inspiring lesson.

[@TheJerseyGarden]

You are awesome

[@nationaljones9574]

Great video!

[@lorencolt]

I love your videos and use a lot of your advice. But how is hydroponic different from the Mittleider garden? What is sustainable fertilizer? I have ground that kills plants and it is the site of a 1860s livestock barn and pens and has not been in use since the 1960s. The salts in this area is overwhelming. Where as in the Mittleider raised beds I have no such issues and the soil test come back as optimal for growing plants in and out of the beds, no run off. At the rate that it is fed there is no chance that it will become a hazard site. I get weeds from animal crap and it is not balanced for the 13 nutrients, plus the air born Oxygen, Hydrogen, and Carbon that plants need. See what the so called commercial natural fertilizers have in them and ask your self if you want that in your food supply. The over all area for my 10 year supply of fertilizer is less than a 5'x5' space. I compost as well but if you get ingredients from a sketchy source it can break you. The plants can not tell what form they get their nutrients from they just use them. If one is not sure, try it in one bed then decide. Do a side by side in an old bed for comparison.

[@GardenerScott]

The methods are similar. Typically, hydroponic systems grow plans indoors and Mittleider is outdoors, but the use of nutrients to feed the plants is the same. I think fertilizers made form plants is sustainable.

[@rufia75]

Did you talk about perennials (I often listen to your videos in the background)? Not just the popular ones, such as asparagus, rhubarb, and berry bushes (though berries would be important). From what I can tell, alot/most gardens used to (way back in our history, when much of society had a garden for food production and survival) to have several perennial vegetables that you never hear about nowadays. But obviously folks then found and relied on these plants heavily. Also reduced your reliance on seeds. I will also say that alot of permaculture-types have plenty of knowledge about many of these. Some for calories and nutrients, and some for more medicinal benefits: -lovage, sorrel, good king henry, Jerusalem artichoke, walking onions, dandelions, fiddlehead ferns, horseradish, nettle, sea kale, many more

[@GardenerScott]

I have talked about some of the other perennials in previous videos but I don't have a dedicated one that covers the classics you mention.

[@amyhill1126]

First of all, I'm a new gardener, we live near you (Ellicott) and we love your videos. They've been extremely helpful. We noticed your greenhouse and have questions. We have a greenhouse frame (the wind tore up the cover) that we're adding wood to for stability and we're planning on using "tuftex" or polycarbonate panels added to the wood framing. Can you suggest whether it would better to use the clear or opaque-white or maybe a colored panel. We're using roof tin on the back, just not sure about the front, sides and roof front. Any advice you can provide would be helpful. Thank you for your time. Amy Hill

[@GardenerScott]

The amount of light will be affected by the color choice. If you plan on heating the greenhouse for growing in cold seasons, clear will let more sun in. If you're planning on growing during summer, opaque or colored will reduce light and possibly be cooler inside.

[@stephaniehart4772]

I enjoy your videos. Where did you purchase your shade cloth and what percent of shade is provided? Thank you.

[@GardenerScott]

I got mine from greenhousemegastore.com. I use 30% or 40% on different beds.

[@margaretlebs6346]

Gardner Scott, please help! My cucumbers are coming on, straight eights and pickling, I pick young so not a lot of seeds. This year every one of them is so bitter they dry out your tongue like powdered alum. We have had moderate drought to a little worse and high heat until last 2 days. Could that cause it? I live in central Missouri.

[@GardenerScott]

It is usually due to hot, dry weather. Stressed plants release a chemical that causes bitterness.

[@ltac8194]

Thanks for the informative videos. I have learned so much. Also where did you get the awesome garden pin wheel?

[@GardenerScott]

Thanks. I got them at local plant nurseries.

[@Octoschizare]

I wish the cowboy products that you use would be more easily available where I live; I've never seen for purchase anything like cattle panel, straw/hay bales, tall sheet metal for raised beds, big bags of chicken feed, etc

[@classicrocklover5615]

Where do you live? I think most of those things would be available at TSC, a lumber yard or Home Depot, or maybe even a farmers co-op elevator?

[@vanicee5142]

Do you cut your raspberry canes down in the fall? I have Heritage raspberries this year as well.

[@GardenerScott]

I usually cut them in winter when I prune my trees. This year I left some of them uncut. They can give an early crop in the second year when left without cutting, but it does raise the risk of cane borers.

[@kcmckillip8115]

That rain barrel looked like fabric. Do you have a video where you talk more about them?

[@GardenerScott]

It is a PVC mesh fabric. I don't have a video on them yet, but plan one in the future.

[@hfrench789]

If I could give this video 100 thumbs up, I would. Scott, what timely and important advice. Thank you so much. Your content is always meaninful and helpful. Learning a lot from you!

[@ritalr15]

Is that a rain barrel cover with a center spot to let water in and bugs out? If so where dis u get it.

[@GardenerScott]

It's to let water in and the mesh keeps bugs out. I got it at walmart.com.

[@amyjohnson9240]

What a gem you are Gardener Scott, this information is so critical in our world. I have actually been doing most of these things just by nature I guess, I feel like we need to figure out how to more sustainable and not reliant. Thank you for posting

[@claudinedecarlisle8647]

Hi Gardener Scott. Would soiled chick brooder pine shavings that have been stored for a few weeks outside in the sun, in black yard waste plastic bags, be detrimental to a compost pile because of anaerobic bacteria? Or would those die and not leave toxins as the compost processes? I don't have Tony's book yet and you're my go to garden guru. Thanks very much.

[@GardenerScott]

They wouldn't be detrimental. The anaerobic bacteria die quickly in an aerobic environment and there aren't any toxins to be worried about.

[@claudinedecarlisle8647]

@@GardenerScott Thank you so much! You definitely enable me to enjoy gardening.

[@patpatrick790]

Thanks!

[@GardenerScott]

Thanks, Pat!

[@marygrott8095]

Great tips. Thank you!

[@vickiereed643]

Question. We planted 15 tomato plants in clay soil but with good soil in the holes with amendments. At first 6 of the same kind were looking bad but then the rest followed. I’m wondering if putting the wood chips and thick mulch of fresh grass clippings didn’t kill the plants. One, b/c the mulch held in water and secondly, it created heat. What is your experience? Thanks!

[@HearTheTrumpetsSound]

I have clay soil. If I dig a hole and amend that hole with good soil it will drown my plants. It basically makes a little pond for them to drown in. I grow in raised beds, 50% native soil 50% compost. I have also been successful with clay, by getting a truck load of wood chips and tilling it into the clay soil deeply. Wait a year and my soil was perfect.

[@vickiereed643]

@@HearTheTrumpetsSound Thank you so much for your reply Duellona! I was hoping that the good soil in the hole would have helped more than it did, but the clay soil holds the water and so I see what you mean about the “pool”, plus we have had a lot of rain! I wanted to do the raised beds and should have! It would have allowed for the water to flow thru instead of “pooling”, as you said. This is the first year working with the soil and we started with the lasagna layering, finishing off with a thick layer of wood chips. We’re also making our own compost, just not fast enough. I listened to someone else, against my better judgement, about the garden and how to do it, thinking they knew better. Now I know better! We’ll readjust and pray for a better chance next year! It’s encouraging that you have had good success with the woodchips! Thanks again!

[@GardenerScott]

It's unlikely the chips and mulch killed the plants. It could be the roots tried to grow outside the hole and encountered poor soil.

[@classicrocklover5615]

I second Gardener Scott. Also, where did you get the "good soil" from? Many people, including some bug KZbinrs, have bought compost/cow manure and it had grazon in it. Danny from Deep South Homestead recounted something similar - at first the plants thrived, then just turned yellow and died. Roots& Refuge is also battling contamination from the herbicide right now, and is sharing their efforts of trying to cleanse their soil of the chemicals. If you have really hard clay soil and still want to amend the hole before planting, I would approach it almost the same as planting a TREE: dig to the depth of the rootball, but make the hole at least twice as big around. That would give the plant more "good dirt" to thrive in. Good luck!