Rob Raskin of Las Vegas here, and today we’ll be looking again at how to grow your own food. One of the greatest skills you will have is feeding yourself in a SHTF scenario, and potatoes are an old standby which thrive in a number of harsh environments that less hardy crops like wheat simply cannot survive. Even better, potatoes are easy to raise and require little to no upkeep compared to other crops.
Getting Seeds for Your Crops
You can obtain potato seeds from commercial suppliers, but be sure to select an heirloom variety, which may have better resistance to diseases which can befall monoculture crops. Doing so can serve as yet another bulwark against threats which can affect your ability to survive without civilization. You can also grow potatoes from a whole potato you purchase at the grocery story. To do so, simply find a potato that has a few little sprouts growing out of it, which will show you it has not been subjected to sterilizing radiation. You will want to cut the potato into pieces, with each piece have an eye of its own.
Preparing Your Crop
When growing potatoes, you can simply plant the seeds in about one inch of topsoil, or you can spread out the individual pieces of potato around under about an inch of soil within hilled rows, which can protect them from the elements and some pests. You can also lay down straw on top of the potato seeds after you have buried them to you kill weeds and provide a safeguard against mice. However, you can also try to grow your crop in raised beds, which may give larger yields, but will take much more effort to create initially. Make sure you plant the potatoes about a foot apart to give them the space they need to grow.
Growing Your Crop
Growing your potato crop will take 2-4 months, depending on growing conditions. You will want to keep them adequately watered, which can be difficult if you do not have access to ready supplies. You could use a drip irrigation system, which can preserve water and help you save time and effort, though it has a larger startup cost. Your plants will be ready once the have flowered, about two to three weeks after doing so. Dig up the potatoes that you need as you need them to preserve the life of your plant and to get more, bigger potatoes. Save some to serve as seed for your next crop.
Growing potatoes is a simple and effective way to declare food independence, and can help you survive and extend your supplies without relying on outside sources for aid. Your potatoes are hardy survivors, and can help you become just the same.