Discover the essentials of starting a self-sufficient garden

Self-sufficient gardening has gained immense popularity in recent years, as more gardeners are beginning to grow their own sustainable, fresh crops. As this trend continues to rise, it becomes increasingly important to understand the journey involved in creating self-sufficient gardens.

What is self-sufficient gardening?

Self-sufficient gardening can mean something slightly different to everyone. To have a self-sufficient garden means that you foster what your garden provides, with everything it needs to help it thrive continuously from year to year. A self-reliant garden will produce as many fruits and vegetables as you can consume year-round.

These can either be eaten fresh during the growing season or stored and preserved by canning, freezing, and drying. Your garden is self-sufficient and relies as little as possible on external materials and supplies. As long as your plants get enough sunlight and water. It’s about creating a system that works with your climate, your space, and sustainable systems within the garden that create cycles that feed the garden through composting, seed saving, and soil building.

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What are the benefits of self-sufficient gardens?

Before you begin a self-sufficient garden, you need to be realistic about the time you have and about what benefits you would like to get from it. These are some of the benefits of having a self-sufficient garden:

Environmentally friendly

The more you harvest in your yard, the smaller your carbon footprint will be. Store-bought produce may contain excessive amounts of chemically produced fruits and vegetables and come with lots of packaging that may be using harmful chemicals. For homegrown produce, many options avoid single-use packaging. This, in turn, helps your garden stay environmentally friendly.

Access to fresh foods

Growing vegetables and fruits in your self-reliant garden is one of the major factors in its gaining so much popularity. It is a great way to put fresh foods on the table. Growing your own food helps reduce your grocery bill, with organic produce, saving on the expensive store-bought crops.