Self-Sufficient Garden: What to Grow

Would you like to start a self-sufficient garden in your backyard? Having a garden where you’re growing different crops, including fruits, vegetables, and herbs, is beneficial for many reasons. Instead of going to your local grocery store to get what you need, you can start growing some of your favorite crops and have quick and easy access to them when they’re ready to harvest.

Before you get started, it’s a good idea to know what to grow. Some crops are naturally better to add to a self-sufficient garden because they’re easy to care for and grow, and they’ll also come in handy when you want to put food on the table for your family. This is where I order my garden seeds: SeedsNow

Self-Sufficient Garden: What to Grow

Self-Sufficient Garden: What to Grow

Potatoes

You can’t go wrong with growing this root vegetable. Potatoes are perfect for beginner gardeners because they’re not difficult to maintain, and they grow relatively quickly. If you’re providing them with full sun and watering the soil to keep it moist, you can expect to see plenty of potatoes popping up within no time.

The great thing about potatoes is that they’re typically ready to harvest within a few months of planting them. Most importantly, they’re a great plant when it comes to being a food source. 

So, when you plant potatoes, you can expect to get a lot out of them. You may end up with dozens of potatoes ready to take inside, rinsing them off, then using them to prepare all different kinds of meals.

When you’re growing potatoes in your backyard garden, you can prepare baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, and so much more!

I dug these four potatoes today for dinner tonight. My grandmother taught me if you can grow potatoes you will never starve. I grow these in large 18-inch tall and 18-inch round pots.

There are really only about two months each year that I don’t have potatoes growing, because it’s too cold here in Southern Utah in the January/February timeframe.

Cabbage

It’s a good idea to have cabbage growing in your self-sufficient garden. First, you can start planting the seeds inside the home and then transfer them to the garden when they’re ready. It can take up to 180 days for your cabbage heads to be prepared for harvesting, but that isn’t too long of a time when you find yourself enjoying them in your meal preparation.

Be sure to provide them with the right fertilizer and enough water to get them to grow to their fullest potential. It doesn’t require too much effort to get your cabbage to grow.

Once you harvest your cabbage heads, you can prepare many of your favorite meals with this healthy vegetable. Add it to your favorite soups and stews, or fry it with some bacon grease on the stove. Not only is it easy to grow, but it’s also naturally good for you.

Carrots

If you have loose soil in your backyard, you’re in luck. Carrots do well when planted in loose soil. If you can provide the vegetable with prime conditions, you can expect to yield many crops and have plenty of carrots available for eating and enjoying with loved ones.

Carrots will often take a minimum of two months and a maximum of four months to reach maturity to the point that you can harvest them and begin using them at home. 

These vegetables are versatile enough to make all kinds of meals. You can add your carrots to soups and stews, bake them, steam them, or even eat them raw while dipping them in your favorite dressing, such as ranch or honey mustard. Enjoy growing this healthy and flavorful vegetable in your backyard.

Corn

Did you know that corn is a lot easier to grow than most people realize? If you have the space for it in your backyard, it’s one crop that you should consider planting and growing outside the home. It can take up to 120 days for corn to grow, but that isn’t bad timing at all.

Be sure to provide the corn with adequate soil. While the vegetable requires some maintenance and attention, it’s not a challenge to get this crop to grow. 

Once you’ve got ears of corn growing in the backyard, you’ll never need to purchase canned or frozen corn. Instead, you can start to can or freeze the corn that you’re growing to preserve it at home.

Because corn is such a versatile vegetable that you can boil, steam, bake, or toss into just about any of your favorite foods, it’s worth having in your self-sufficient garden!

Onions

The hardiness of onions makes them one crop that you won’t have trouble growing. So, why would you want to grow onions in your backyard? While most people don’t like to eat them raw because of their bitter taste, onions come in handy when you’re preparing homemade soups, stews, and sauteed meats.

The onions bring a bold and delicious flavor to any meal that you’re making, so it’s a good idea to have them growing in your backyard garden. Be sure to plant these crops in the fall or around springtime. It will take a minimum of 100 days and a maximum of 175 days for your onions to grow to their fullest potential.

Garlic

Even if you don’t have a lot of space in your backyard garden, you can still successfully grow some garlic. It’s good to have garlic in your self-sufficient garden because it adds flavor to lots of meals. For example, you may use it to prepare homemade spaghetti sauce, juicy meatballs, and other flavorful foods for your family to enjoy. 

It does take a bit of time to grow garlic to the point that you can harvest it. Expect to wait a minimum of seven months before you can officially harvest the garlic. However, once it’s ready, you’ll have an abundance of garlic ready to use in your kitchen. You can even mince it yourself and store it to keep it fresh!

Please Check Out What To Plant Each Month:

• What To Plant In January
• What To Plant In February
• What To Plant In March
• What To Plant In April
• What To Plant In May
• What To Plant In June
• What To Plant In July
• What To Plant In August
• What To Plant In September
• What To Plant In October

Final Word 

If you want to start a self-sufficient garden in your backyard, these are some of the best things for you to grow. It’s a good idea to grow crops like carrots, onions, garlic, potatoes, and more because they’re reasonably easy to grow and maintain.

Not only can you grow these crops with ease, but you can use them to prepare some of your favorite foods. In addition, when growing these crops in the self-sufficient garden, it’s easy to save money without running to the store for essential ingredients that you use to make meals for the family.

Of course, these aren’t the only ones you should consider, but do make up some great basic items. We really enjoy and have great success with tomatoes, various squash options, herbs, and more. Let us know what your favorites are. May God Bless this world, Linda

Copyright Images: Corn Depositphotos_481964316_s-2019, Garlic Greens Depositphotos_374549234_s-2019, Cabbage Growing Depositphotos_2779072_s-2019, Basket Full of Vegetables AdobeStock_275230150 by Coco