Self Reliant Gardening - Efficient Vegetables

The reasons for growing your own food and vegetables are endless. Food and vegetables that you have grown by yourself in a garden are usually cheaper, better tasting and free of the chemicals, pesticides, additives, and preservatives found in many food and vegetable items you might purchase from the grocery store.

There is also a certain feeling of self-reliance you get when you harvest those fresh vegetables or dig them out of the ground, especially if it didn’t require a trip to your local grocery store. There is no better feeling than being able to select from a variety of vegetables that you have canned, dehydrated or frozen for use in the winter months. There are also numerous plants that do well when grown indoors during the winter months, including a wide variety of herbs.

Self-reliant gardening can be successful if you choose the right varieties that are efficient. What makes a vegetable efficient and therefore a good choice for your garden?

First, it should be able to grow in a wide variety of temperatures and climates.

Second, it should have a wide variety of uses, including both raw and cooked.

Third, it should supply a large harvest without excessive cultivation or extensive care.

A garden full of efficient vegetables will be easier to care for and maintain, especially for the novice or someone with limited resources, including limited amounts of time, money and land to devote to your vegetable garden.

Efficient vegetables for self-reliant gardening should also be:

1.) Be naturally resistant to most plant diseases and pests.

2.) Have a good tolerance for poor or varying soil conditions.

3.) Be able to endure a dry spell.

There are many efficient vegetables available that are easy for the beginning gardener to grow and care for easily. They will also yield larger crops from even a single plant which will allow you to make the most of your gardening resources that are available. Growing your own vegetables in a small plot of land can be more self sustaining if the vegetable varieties you choose are the most efficient types available for your area.

Got zucchini?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker