Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 2: Planning
• Method 2 of 2: Breeding
• Tips
• Warnings
• Necessities

Throughout human history, humans have been able to provide food by fishing, hunting, gathering and / or farming for their livelihood. Today, large-scale food production means that gardening is often no more than a hobby. But growing your own food can lead to more security, better health, and more fun. Since the details of growing your own food depend on where you live, here's a general overview to help you get started.

To step

Method 1 of 2: Planning

1. Determine which crops you can grow where you live. Obvious factors include climate, soil, rainfall and available space. A quick and fun way to find out what's growing in your area is to visit a local farm or garden. Here are some details to ask experienced gardeners or to research for yourself:
   • Climate. Some areas, such as Northern Europe and Africa, have only a short growing season. This means that fast-growing plant species can be harvested and stored for the winter. Other areas enjoy warm weather all year round. There, fresh vegetables and grains can be grown there, depending on demand.
   • Bottom. Depending on the type of soil available, you can expect very large harvests from a large area and meager harvests from small areas. As the main crop, it is best to plant something that will thrive in your circumstances. Use extra land to grow "luxury" foods that require more fertilization and effort.
   • Precipitation. No plant thrives with a minimum of rainfall, so most crops require significant amounts of water through irrigation or rainfall. Consider the average rainfall where you live and possible irrigation when choosing crops. If you live in a dry area, you can consider collecting rainwater.
   • Space. If space is available, you may be able to grow a lot of food using conventional methods, but if space is limited you will need to use other techniques such as hydroponics, container gardening, sharecropping and vertical gardening.
2. Understand the growing season. Growing food is more than planting seeds and waiting for harvest. Below, in the "Growing" section, you can see the typical sequence of steps to follow to grow a particular crop. You need to prepare each crop in the same way, but when the soil is ready to plant, you can plant as many different crops as you want.
3. Familiarize yourself with the different types of food crops. We often think about garden vegetables and see the supermarket or the market before us, and in a way this is true, but to really grow your own food you have to consider your entire diet. Here is a general list of foods you can grow:
   • Vegetables. This includes legumes, leafy greens, root vegetables, corn (a grain, we'll go into more detail on this later) and vine-like vegetables like pumpkins, cucumbers and melons. These provide many essential nutrients and vitamins, including:
     • Protein. Legumes are an excellent source of protein.
     • Carbohydrates. Potatoes and beets are excellent sources of complex carbohydrates and minerals.
     • Vitamins and Minerals. Leafy greens, such as cabbage and lettuce, and vine-like vegetables, such as cucumbers and pumpkins, are a good source of many essential vitamins and minerals.
   • Fruit. Most people know that fruits are an excellent source of vitamin C, but they also contain many other vitamins and minerals and offer a wider variety of flavors for you to discover. Fruits can also be preserved by drying or canning, eliminating the need for refrigeration to store your extra food.
   • Cereals. Growing grain is not what most people envision when they think about growing their own food, but grains are important in most diets. They are full of carbohydrates and fiber and can be stored for a long time. In many early civilizations, and still in some countries, grain is the primary food source for the population. This type of food crops includes:
     • Maize. Corn is often eaten as a vegetable with meals. In addition, it is a versatile grain that is easy to store. The appropriate mature varieties may be harvested and stored as full baskets, they may be hulled (whole kernels removed from the basket) or ground for later use in bread making or in pulpy dishes . For high altitude gardeners with long enough days and wanting to make a living, corn is probably the easiest cereal to grow. Freezing corn is the easiest way to preserve it for the winter.
     • Wheat. Most people are familiar with wheat, from which most of the flour is made for baking everything from bread to cakes and pastries. Wheat is easy to store after harvest, but harvesting itself is much more labor-intensive than harvesting corn. This is because the entire plant is usually cut, tied and threshed (beaten to release the seeds) and then ground into a fine powder (flour).
     • Oats. Oats are another cereal that is suitable for human consumption and is often processed like wheat or corn. The labor required to harvest oats is roughly comparable to that for wheat. Still, it can be considered as an option in some areas where it can be easily grown.
     • Rice. Wet areas prone to flooding or flooding are ideal for growing rice. Rice is usually grown in shallow flooded soil and is usually harvested in a similar way to wheat.
     • Other grains include barley and rye, which are similar to wheat and oats.
4. Choose the crops and varieties that are suitable for the place where you live. In this regard, the guidelines of this article may not be sufficient to provide comprehensive and accurate information specific to your situation. Instead, we will focus on the standard requirements for growing different plants based on normal growing conditions.
   • Beans, peas and other legumes. These are planted after the last frost and require 75 to 90 days to bear fruit. These crops can continue to produce fruit as long as they are cared for or until the first frost in autumn.
   • Gourds. This group of plants includes melons and pumpkins and is planted when frost is no longer expected. It takes between 45 days (cucumbers) and 130 days (pumpkins) to get ready-to-harvest fruits.
   • Tomatoes. These fruits (which are usually classed as vegetables) can be planted in containers if they are kept warm and when there is no longer a chance of frost they can be transplanted outside. Tomato plants will produce fruit all season long.
   • Cereals. There is a big difference between the growing seasons and winter and summer varieties of different cereals. In general, summer cereals, such as corn and spring wheat, are planted towards the end of winter when the freezing temperatures will not last more than a few weeks. They take about 110 days to mature and another 30-60 days to dry enough to be ready for harvesting for seed conservation purposes.
   • Orchard Fruits. Apples, pears, plums and peaches are considered orchard fruits in most places and should not be replanted annually. The trees bearing these fruits usually take 2-3 years to produce an initial modest crop. When the tree starts to produce fruit, the harvest should increase year after year. Once the tree has reached maturity and has established itself permanently, a single tree can provide many kilos of fruit annually.
5. Work out an "agricultural plan" on the land you want to use to grow your food. You will need to address specific issues in your planning, such as wildlife infestation that may require you to build fences or provide other temporary measures such as exposure to sunlight, as some plants require more sunlight to successfully produce food than other crops. Topography is also important, because plowing very steep ground often leads to problems.
   • List all possible crops you will try to grow on your land. Try to make as diverse a selection as possible to meet the aforementioned need for nutrients. You may be able to estimate a total harvest per crop by examining the successes of others in your area or by using information from the supplier of your seeds. Using this list, and the planting plan you prepared earlier, calculate how many seeds you will need. If you have a lot of space, you can plant too many so that you have some margin for setbacks until you know what you are doing.
   • If you only have limited space, you should try to use your land as effectively as possible. Except in very cold areas, you can expect to grow and harvest spring, summer, autumn and winter crops. This way you can enjoy fresh food all year round. Beets, carrots, cauliflower, peas, cabbage, onions, turnips, mustard plants, and many other types of vegetables actually prefer cold weather conditions. The bottom may not be frozen. Winter crops are also much less affected by insects. If you have limited space, you should consider alternatives (see Tips).
6. Choose a storage method. If you are going to grow grains, you must have a shed where you can dry the crop and protect it from insects and pests.If you plan to eat everything you produce yourself, chances are you will find a combination of multiple preservation methods that works. The above steps cover several of these methods, but the common methods of preserving food are:
   • Drying (or dehydration). This is a useful method for storing fruits and some vegetables. This is possible in rather dry and warm climates without the need for sophisticated equipment.
   • Preserve. This requires containers (which are reusable with the exception of the lids, as these can wear out over time) and the necessary preparation, cooking equipment and knowledge. Preserving is considered a "preservation method" in this article, although it need not be.
   • Freezing. This again requires some preparation. You also need a freezer and suitable containers.
   • Bedding. Not previously mentioned. This is a method of preserving root vegetables such as potatoes, turnips and beets. It means that you put the harvested crops in a dry, cool place on a bed of straw.
   • Store underground. Many root crops and food crops (such as turnips and cabbage) can overwinter in the garden. In most cases it is important to prevent the bottom from freezing. Milder winter climates often only require a frost blanket for this. But colder climates may require mulch with a height of 12 inches and a plastic cover. This form of storage is an effective way to save space and keep your food fresh.
7. Determine the benefits of this activity compared to the costs. You will have to spend a significant amount of money on the start-up if you don't have any equipment or tools to begin with. You will also have to provide a lot of labor, which can lead to extra costs if you wind down or stop a normal job in order to pursue this. Before investing a lot of time and money, you should research the local growing conditions and possible crops. Moreover, you have to consider how suitable you are for this labor-intensive work. The benefits include pure foods without the risk of herbicides, pesticides and other pollutants other than those you choose.
8. Divide your project into different parts. You can start on a large scale if you have a lot of land, but unless you have the necessary knowledge and experience it will mainly be a matter of gambling that the crops you have chosen are suitable for your soil and climate. Talk to people in your area to get specific information about which crops to choose and when to plant. If this is not possible, you should "test" the first year to see what performs and how. Start on a small scale and maybe try to produce a certain percentage of your own food to get an idea of ​​the total harvest you can expect. Build up like this until you can provide for your own livelihood.

Method 2 of 2: Breeding

1. Work the soil. For cultivated land, this is simply a process of loosening the soil and "turning over" the plants or vegetable remnants from a previous crop. This is sometimes referred to as "plowing" and is performed with a plow powered by a tractor or an animal, or on a small scale with a self-propelled machine known as a "manual plow". On a small plot of land and due to financial constraints, you may have to resort to a pickaxe, shovel and hoe. You can also do this together with others. You have to remove large stones, roots and large branches. Also a large accumulation of vegetation and debris must be removed before plowing.
2. Create rows. With modern farming equipment, this process depends on the crop being planted. Plants "without plowing" basically skips this and the previous step. Here we are talking about the general method that someone would adopt who does not have these types of tools and the necessary experience. Mark the area where you want to plant and make a small elevation in the loose soil on a line the full length of the piece of land. Do this with a pickaxe or plow. Next, make a groove (a shallow indentation in the soil) with whatever tool you prefer.
3. Place your seeds in the groove at the depth required for the specific crop you are planting. This can vary depending on the crops you choose. As a rule, succulents such as legumes (beans and peas) and melons, pumpkins and cucumbers should be planted 2 - 2.5 cm deep. Corn and potatoes should be planted 6.3-9 cm deep. After you put the seeds in the groove, cover them and gently press the soil so that it is less likely to dry out. Keep repeating this process until you have the number of rows you wanted to plant.
   • Alternatively, you can "start" the seeds indoors (for example, in a greenhouse) and transplant them later.
4. Grow your crops when the soil is full of rainfall or when weeds start to be a problem. Since you are planting this crop in rows, it will be possible to walk in the central area between the rows to do this if you choose the manual approach. You need to keep the soil loose around the roots without damaging the roots themselves. You can apply mulch to limit or remove "weeds" or fouling from unwanted plants.
5. Watch out for insects and animals that can damage your plants. If you see leaves that have been partially eaten, you will have to determine what caused the damage. Many animals like soft young plants in a garden much better than regular growth, so you will have to protect the plants against these animals. However, insects are more of a problem when you are trying to grow food. You may be able to minimize insect damage by simply killing them and removing them when you find them, but serious problems may require you to use chemicals to control them. An organic alternative is to place insect repellant plants around your crops.
6. 'Harvest'. You have to educate yourself to a certain level about when to harvest a crop. Many common garden vegetables are harvested when they ripen and then, with proper care, will continue to produce food throughout the growing season. Grains, on the other hand, should be harvested when they are fully ripe and hang dry on the plant. Harvesting is a labor-intensive activity. As you become a more experienced grower, you will find that you will have to grow fewer copies of some plants in order to harvest.
7. Save. For regular vegetables, there are several options for storing them during the season when they cannot be grown. Carrots, turnips and other root vegetables can be kept in the refrigerator or in a cellar well into the winter months. Drying is an option to preserve meat, fruits and vegetables for a long time. In addition, drying is suitable for seed crops such as legumes, as it will provide fantastic results. Consider canning or freezing your harvest for succulents and fruits. A vacuum seal will lead to better results when you want to freeze vegetables for a longer period of time.

Tips

• Talk to your neighbors about collaboration options. It is easier to manage a small number of different crops and you may grow enough for two families from one crop. The other family may have enough of another crop, which may make it possible to trade with each other.
• Even families that do not eat much meat can breed some animals, such as chickens, to have eggs. Chickens can be fed with the waste from your garden. They eat the skins of vegetables and fruits, stale bread and many other things that you would otherwise throw away or on the compost pile. When chickens stop laying eggs, the time has come to prepare a chicken meal.
• Make a greenhouse. This will make it possible to grow food all year round even in "cold climates".
• Don't stop growing vegetables in winter! Consider growing shoots in your kitchen. If you grow a variety of shoots such as radishes, broccoli, alfalfa and clover, you will have a variety of flavors and types of vegetables to add fresh vegetables to your diet in addition to your frozen and preserved summer vegetables.
• Look for other food sources to complement your gardening efforts. Fishing, collecting wild berries and nuts, searching for edible plants that grow wild in your area, even setting traps and hunting can provide opportunities to expand your diet.
• Look for alternative methods of growing food if your space is very limited and the will (or need) is strong enough to justify it. There are some compact growing methods that allow for a large harvest. Here are some methods with a brief description and links to resources with more detailed information:
  
  
  • Hydroponic gardening. This is a method of growing in a liquid medium, also known as "agriculture without soil".
  • Vertical gardening. This method is suitable for "Virginia creeper" crops which usually require a lot of space to spread out, allowing you to harvest fewer units per square meter. By building bars, fences and other support structures you can multiply your yield per square meter, as the vines will grow upwards instead of outwards.
  • Grow in containers. Some plants can be grown in almost anything (even an old toilet bowl, although this is not really flavorful). Growing plants in "balcony boxes" has been standard for many years to make the otherwise barren environment of an apartment in the city a bit more lively. However, the same method can also be used to grow small crops that are less dependent on an extensive root system, such as peppers, tomatoes, and so on.
  • Gardening in pots. This allows for better rotation and the growing of many vegetables in a small space. It can also be a great way to replace a front lawn.

Warnings

• Increase your chances by planting multiple varieties of a crop and work with other farmers to spread your risk. Growing your own food can be very rewarding, but you are at the mercy of nature in the form of pests and weather conditions, as both can destroy entire crops remarkably quickly.
• Preservation at home must be done correctly for safety reasons so that botulism and other diseases can be avoided.
• Growing your own food requires patience, persistence, and a lot of bending, lifting and carrying. Prepare to sweat. Wear socks under clogs or easy-to-clean footwear. Protect yourself from the sun and insects (ticks and mosquitoes can transmit life-threatening illnesses) by washing yourself often and thoroughly.
• Be careful with mushrooms. Make sure you know which types are safe to eat. When in doubt, don't eat mushrooms at all.
• Never use pesticides. These are absorbed by the crops and can cause cancer. Instead, keep the food in a greenhouse or an area where there are no pests.
• Make sure to clean your grow materials (spades and other tools) before each use to keep your food clean.

Necessities

• Suitable land for agricultural purposes
• Storage methods, tools and space
• Plenty of sun and access to water
• Breeding material
• Seeds and fertilizers