If you haven’t started growing your own food, you should.

There will likely be a food shortage soon and while I don’t think the US will be out of food at any point, the price of food will rise. This means that if you can grow your own food, you’ll be in a better situation.

You don’t need to grow everything at once. Your garden can simply be a supplement to your grocery list. With that, here are some non-sponsored tips and tricks to get growing.

  1. Square foot gardening. This is the best and most effective way to start growing. It’s space-effective, able to be done literally anywhere and you wouldn’t believe how much food you can produce in a single square foot. If you have 3 extra square feet (which means you can do this on your apartment balcony) you can start growing. Here’s a link to some more info on square foot gardening.
  2. Mel’s Mix. In my opinion, Mel’s mix is the best way to get your garden started. It’s 1/3 soil, 1/3 peat moss, and 1/3 aggregate (perlite, etc). It’s super easy to maintain and retains water better than any other mix I’ve found. Here’s a link to some info on Mel’s Mix for square foot gardening.
  3. Nurseries are your friend. People who are just getting started in creating their own garden will naturally think of going to Lowe’s or Home Depot to buy supplies. DON’T. Your local nursery is going to have a bigger selection AND better prices than your big box stores. Also, a great place to buy your peat moss and aggregate. You can also buy your seeds OR veggies starts there.
  4. Shade. If you’re going to grow leafy greens, find some shade. Summer is coming and most plants do well to have at least some sort of shade.

You’ll be shocked at how much you can produce on your own. I over-estimated and currently grow more than Crystal and I can eat. The best advice is just to get started. Good luck and get growing!