A survival garden is a MUST-HAVE prepper resource, but we need to learn how to totally maximize it’s output. From our friends at Survival Frog

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Create Your Own Secret Survival Garden Using a Hydroponic System

Create a Big Garden in a Small Amount of Space

One of the biggest benefits of a hydroponic system is that it allows you to save a ton of space compared to soil gardening.

When grown in soil, a plant’s roots need extra space to spread out and find nutrients. With hydroponics, the plant’s roots are surrounded by a solution that provides all its nutritional needs.

Save More Water

Soil gardeners tend to waste most of the water they use on their plants. First of all, you have dump much more water than the plants need just to make sure it penetrates the soil to reach the roots.

A lot of that water seeps further into the ground and eventually evaporates. Wasting water in this fashion may not be such a big deal now, but it most certainly will be when SHTF.

Using the Deep Water Culture method in your hydroponic system lets you avoid this problem and save roughly 90% of the water you’d waste on plants grown in soil.

 

Plants Grow Faster and Bigger

You might think that the downside of growing plants indoors is that they come out stunted compared to something grown the old fashion way.

It’s the opposite that’s true. Studies have proven that hydroponically-grown plants grow 30-50% faster than plants grown in soil and produce more fruit.

24/7 Food Supply

A hydroponic garden puts you in control of the weather. No, you won’t be slinging thunderbolts like Thor, but you will be able to maintain your food supply in the winter.

You will have to make adjustments to your system to account for shorter days, temperature changes, and humidity, but you’ll still be able to harvest food from your garden.

Best Crops to Grow in a Hydroponic System

Leafy Greens – Lettuce and other leafy greens like spinach and cabbage grow well in hydroponic gardens. Additionally, cabbage is a cold-tolerant crop that produces a big yield, with some varieties growing over 20lbs in size.

Herbs – Not only does basil grow well in hydroponically, many report that it tastes better when grown using this method. Your best bet with herbs are ones that normally grow in wet conditions, but you’ll still have a lot of options to choose.

Tomatoes – Vining plants like tomatoes can thrive in hydroponic environments provided they have ample support and room to grow.

Strawberries – Smaller fruits like strawberries can grow hydroponically. With strawberries, yields per plant tend to be higher compared to fruit grown in soil.

Aquaponic Food System

One alternative to building a hydroponic system is setting up an aquaponic garden.

Aquaponics combines hydroponics and aquaculture to create a sustainable and organic food source.

So, now you’ve got your hands on the ultimate hydroponic garden guide! Definitely put it to good use, or you might end up screwed over. For more helpful survival tips and tutorials, please visit Survival Frog Blog.

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