How To Set Up Your Survival Seed Bank For Tough Times

Indoor Gardening Provides Food During Bad Weather

This might be outside the everyday context for Inside Garden Shop, but with all the unpredictable storm trends we are starting to see around North America an inside garden is not such a bad idea, especially if you’re a survivalist who believes in being prepared for the bad times.

Some people avoid reading or watching the news because they don’t like what’s going on in the world. But avoidance can’t stop what’s coming because you can’t control the things that affect the world’s food supply.

There’s an impending sense that a major food crisis is on the way, and the government is trying to prepare right now for that crisis. But if you know anything about how the world is run, then you know that if you’re not the one in charge of your family’s food supply, you and your loved ones could very well end up standing in a ration line or worse – going hungry.

Why You Need to Have a Survival Seed Bank

Far too many people have the mistaken belief that if something bad does happen that interrupts their access to food supplies, the government will have a backup plan to save their family.

When millions upon millions of people rely on the same belief that there will be enough to go around, they’re going to end up disillusioned. There won’t be. The government isn’t going to be prepared for any major food crisis.

Why?

Because they can’t stockpile enough food to feed millions of people in a long-term situation. You might think that the hope for relief from a food crisis lies at the base of Mount Plateau in the depths of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, which houses the world’s biggest seed storage.

But the seeds in this vault aren’t coming to your rescue, and you won’t be able to get to those seeds. Take a look in the mirror. You’re looking at the person who’s your best chance of survival.

It’s up to you to know what to do and to be prepared for any food emergency situation. That means you will need to know how you can live off the grid. When every method of getting food is suddenly stripped away from you, it can’t be the catalyst that rocks your world.

You have to have a way to replenish your food supply long term. Even if you have some canned goods socked away in the event of a food catastrophe, having goods that will last you a few years isn’t enough.

You have to be able to bring food back in. And if there’s no way to get food from a grocery store and the government’s hands are tied, what will you do? You need to be able to have a survival garden that will take care of your and your family’s nutritional needs for many years to come.

You start this by having the seeds you need to raise a survival garden – and you need to have enough of them to plant a few acres’ worth of food. This means that you need to have the kinds of seeds that can reproduce themselves.

They’ll keep on producing for you. And you also want to look for seeds that haven’t been modified. When you plant seeds from a seed bank, you can guarantee that you’ll have food year after year – regardless of what’s happening in the world.

Using seeds from the foods you grow (and replanting those once your crops come in) ’ll ensure that your food supply will continually produce. You want to make sure that you look for seeds that offer a lot of product returns as well as ones that are high in nutrition and long-lasting.

What Seeds You Need to Have in Your Survival Seed Bank

Certain seeds are a must-have to sustain life, so the seeds you buy for your survival seed bank need to have these seeds in the container. You need a variety of beans.

Bountiful beans, October beans, and stringless black Valentine beans are better varieties. Beans can produce a crop in 47 to 90 days, depending on the type of bean seed you choose to plant.

Beans are staples that provide you with protein as well as fiber. Beans are also very sturdy crops and can produce abundant food. Because of their protein and fiber content, they can give you plenty of energy.

Corn seeds are something that you also need in your survival seed bank. Corn is a staple food that can keep your family sustained for long-term food survival. You’ll want corn that can grow quickly, in less than three months.

Look for seeds like Reid’s Yellow Dent Corn or Stowell’s Evergreen Corn for that. These usually grow in twin ears with an average length of 8-10 inches, so they’re hearty.

Cabbage seeds – like the Copenhagen Market ones – must be in your seed bank. These heads usually grow decent and can offer gardeners a little over 3 pounds of cabbage per head. They can reach maturity in just over two months.

When considering which seeds to get for your seed bank, you want to take a look at how those foods will help you maintain good health. You’ll want to look at whether they offer anti-inflammatory properties and other benefits.

If you choose beet seeds like Detroit Dark Red Beets, these are foods loaded with anti-inflammatory assistance. Plus, they promote some internal organ benefits, too. These seeds can reach maturity in about two months.

Remember when your mom told you to eat your greens because they’re good for you? She was correct – especially regarding spinach grown from Bloomsdale spinach seed.

These will grow into tasty, nutritious plants, including the A and K vitamins. Plus, they’re rich in Vitamin C and folate. These seeds produce a fast crop; you can usually have viable plants in about six weeks.

Also, for greens, you’ll want to get loose leaf lettuce such as Oakleaf or Red Salad Bowl. Both of these seeds can reach maturity in less than two months. Green Arrow Peas is another greens you’ll want to include in your diet. These can be harvested in about two months and produce an abundant crop.

Cucumbers like Bushy Cucumbers are also a great addition to your survival seed bank. These can be ready for harvest in about six weeks. Carrots are also part of a healthy diet. Seeds that produce Scarlet Nantes Carrots can be ready to eat in a little over two months. This kind can usually produce carrots of about 7” in length.

Tomatoes can be eaten fresh, canned, or juiced, and ones that come from seeds like Brandywine Tomato. Not only will you get plenty of antioxidants, but these are also loaded with vitamins.

Squash and Eggplant also add much-needed vitamins to your diet. Look for ones like Waltham Butternut Squash and Rossa Bianca Eggplant. Don’t forget to bank plenty of fruit seeds, like cantaloupes, melons, and other varieties.

You’re going to want to make sure that you have a wide selection of good choices to grow, not just for the vitamin and mineral content but for the taste and preferences of each family member.

If you’re wondering where to get the seeds, you can find them online at specialty companies or shops. You can find great savings by buying the seeds in bulk, as well. And you can also spice things up with an indoor herb garden grown in cans or pots.

How to Build and Maintain a Seed Storage Bank: A Comprehensive Guide for Beginners

How to Store Your Survival Seed Bank

You need your survival seeds in order to start the garden that’s going to keep you and your family sustained for however long it takes. With food still being plentiful and most people able to get whatever they need from the grocery store, seeds aren’t considered all that valuable.

But when a crisis hits and getting food becomes a free-for-all frenzy, the seeds you have will have a high value. Think of these as your currency and amass as many of them as you possibly can because once the crisis is here, it’s too late and there will be a run on survival seeds.

When you have these in your possession, you don’t want to go around talking about the fact that you have them. Keep your survival seed bank hidden away, out of sight from prying eyes in order to keep the seeds from getting stolen.

Long-term storage:

Most survival seeds are shipped to you in packaging that makes them able to be kept viable in storage for a long time. Some of these are stored in such a way that you can even bury them to keep them safe.

Seeds need to be protected from bacteria, fungi, pests, fluctuating temperatures, and moisture. The most important issue that you need to know about storing seeds is that moisture is not your friend.

If moisture seeps into your seed storage, it can ruin it. And moisture isn’t the only culprit that can harm your seeds. If you keep the seeds stored in an area where the temperature is too high, that can cause some damage to the seeds as well.

You want to make sure that the moisture percentage is kept as low as possible. If you can get it to less than 4 percent, that’s considered to be a safe moisture percentage for the seeds.

The storage temperature needs to be kept around 40 degrees. You can ensure their longevity by taking care of how you store the seeds. You also want to make sure that you don’t keep your seeds anywhere in the sun.

The heat from the sun can change the storage temperature, raising it above what’s healthy for the seeds. If moisture and heat combined get to the seed, then it kills the seed’s ability to grow plants.

When you get the seeds, if they’re not in containers that are said to be moisture-proof, then you need to put them in ones that are. When you harvest the crops you grow from your original survival seeds, you’ll also want to save those seeds.

This is an important step in banking seeds because you don’t know if you’ll have access to any more once your original supply has been planted. You’ll want to air dry the seeds from the crops you harvest and then securely store them in waterproof containers in a cool, dark place until it’s time for you to use them.

When and How to Use Your Survival Seed Bank

As you know, timing is everything. That includes knowing when to use your survival seed bank. You don’t want to rush and use the seeds too early – but you don’t want to wait so long that you miss out on the right time.

You need to be aware of which climate zone you live in because you can’t just plant seeds and expect them to grow if the season that you’re currently in would only end up derailing your plans.

All of the seeds should be planted according to the hardiness zone of your state. What this means is that your area will have a certain level of temperatures that make growing a garden with your survival seeds a viable option.

Planting too soon or too late could not only diminish your crop yield, but you could end up not getting any produce at all – and you don’t want that kind of a waste. Plus, counting on having a food supply and ending up not getting it could be a major stressor for you.

Plant your garden during your climate zone using your survival seeds when you begin to notice that a food crisis is imminent. And make sure you plant it before the time is at hand to need it.

You can feasibly plant with your survival seeds and keep the garden producing for years. Remember to always aim for a garden that’s as carefree as you can make it. You’ll want to use your survival seeds to plant a garden that will sustain you and your family with as little fuss as possible.

This way, you won’t be using any physical labor or other means – such as bringing in water or setting up a water system. You also want to make sure that you plant your seeds in a way that won’t draw attention to whatever it is that you have grown.

If others see it, your garden could be a target. This means you can forget about the kind of gardens you see with perfectly uniform rows. Instead, plant a garden using your banked survival seeds and let nature help you grow that garden. You can also germinate the seeds indoors if the weather outside is questionable.

Nature is perfectly capable of maintaining crop growth with minimal effort from you. Layout the garden so that you’re using the ground wisely. This means you’ll want to plant seeds where the crops can grow together.

You’ll also want to plant your seeds according to the height and sun ratio. That means that you need to plan out your garden so that each plant has access to the sun and the right amount of moisture.

Some seeds offer natural pesticide control. For example, marigold and lavender are both natural pest repellents. Put the taller plants around a perimeter to help shade crops that need less sun than other plants.

Usually, this means you plant your bush-type crops. If you use crops that can benefit your pollination purposes, this can help your crops grow. Plants used for pollination are seeds that produce fruit – like blueberries.

If you don’t really have any experience with growing food, then you’re going to want to know how to do it before the time arrives that you must have the knowledge, or else it puts your survival at risk.

Remember, in an emergency situation, you may not be able to log onto the Internet to find the answers you need. The best way to learn how to have a successful garden using survival seeds is by going ahead and getting some seeds and planting a garden.

This way, you’ll already know what to watch for, what didn’t work, and what does work in preparation for the time that you do need to have the food supply ready. You can also plant other vegetation to help you hide your crops.