There has been a lot written about survival gardening over the years. I have touched on the edges of this very topic in a couple of past articles with Garden Opsec and Think Tertiary – Grow Seeds not meals. When it comes to planting food and depending on where you live, you are either a beginner, a novice or an expert. I, for one, am at the tail end of beginner, as it has taken me YEARS to figure out everything from amending soil, sunlight, growing seasons and geographic planting zones, to watering, beneficial insects, and so on and so on.
And just when you think you have it figured out…
Nope.
Something doesn’t work, something changes, or something gets messed up.
Before I go any further, this is not going to be an earth-shattering article. So, if you have already perfected the art of gardening and growing food, this article will most likely not be for you.
I wrote this for the reader who has never planted seeds in their life. The ones that have no idea of what to grow, when to grow or even, WHERE to grow food.
So, let me just jump right in.
SCENARIO: (MINIMUM PRESSURE TEST)
It happened. Yellowstone fully erupted, triggering catastrophic destruction, widespread seismic activity, and global disruption.
Of course it did not come at the time you were expecting. Murphy’s Law kicked in and you were barely prepared. You were able to get out of the city with your family in the nick of time and you made it to your recently purchased bug-out location.
This is where the fun begins.
Yes, you have a roof over your head, and you are off the beaten path, but it is early spring, you have limited food with you, and you need to get something planted soon. Not necessarily to sustain you and your family indefinitely, but to stave off daily hunger long enough to find alternative sources of food such as wild edibles and fish.
Of course, what can actually go into the ground will depend on your climate, soil temperature, growing zone, and the time of year.
So, what should you plant? What requires relatively little skill or effort, grows fairly quickly, and can help fill the now-glaring void in food security you and your family now face?
SKILLS TO GROWING FOOD:
If I were new to gardening and the above scenario happened, I would probably be overthinking everything.
“I have a black thumb.”
Or:
“Everything I have tried to grow in the past I killed; I can’t even keep a cactus alive.”
Those are the thoughts that will immediately enter your mind if you let them.
Remember, fear is not from the Lord. 2 Timothy 1:7. A level head and even a hodge-podge plan cobbled together at the last minute is better than no plan at all.
Always remember P.A.C.E. – Primary, Alternate, Contingency, Emergency.
It is here that you will quickly understand your situation. Using the scenario above, you could either be at the beginning of a Contingency situation or right smack dab in the middle of an Emergency.
The great thing about growing certain foods is this:
Yes, it takes skill and experience to get the best yield from your crops. And yes, there can be a lot to understand about beneficial and harmful insects, companion planting, raised beds, container planting, water requirements, direct sunlight, soil, growing zones, and more.
But do not let all of that overwhelm you.
There ARE crops that are relatively easy to grow and require considerably less attention than others.
The graphic below gives you a better visual of what I’m talking about.
I picked what I believe to be ten of the easiest crops for someone who has never planted a seed in their life. These crops can provide decent yields, aren’t terribly finicky, and some can be harvested relatively quickly.
Will they feed your family indefinitely?
No.
But depending on your available space, season, soil, growing zone, and circumstances, they may help stave off hunger while you work toward other sources of food.
NEXT STEPS:
As of the writing of this article, things appear to be gradually getting worse in the world, but we are still chugging along regardless.
Which means it is not too late to put together a decent future food insurance policy, so you are not caught flat-footed.
1. Don’t overthink where you grow.
There are numerous ways to plant fruits and vegetables: directly in the ground, raised beds, containers, grow bags—heck, I’ve even grown radishes directly in a $3 bag of gardening soil I bought at a home center.
2. Work with where you live.
If you live in an apartment, colder environment, or desert, yes, you’re going to have challenges. But people have successfully grown food in all of them. YouTube alone is an amazing resource for learning how to overcome those challenges.
It is better to learn now than when you’re facing a real survival situation.
3. Understand what you’re buying.
Learn the differences between GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms), Non-GMO, heirloom, and open-pollinated seeds.
For survival purposes, I personally prefer heirloom and open-pollinated seeds because you may be able to harvest viable seeds for future plantings.
4. Practice before you need it.
Once you’ve figured out how, where, and when you’re going to grow food, practice. Use the chart above as a starting point and determine which crops work for your climate and growing season.
5. Find seed suppliers you trust.
Research heirloom seed suppliers and determine where you want to buy before you actually need them. I personally use www.rareseeds.com and www.strictlymedicinalseeds.com
6. Think in layers.
Before placing your order, think beyond one package of seeds.
Layer One could be your practice seeds.
Layer Two could be your reserve seeds in case ordering more becomes impossible.
Layer Three could be a smaller assortment kept in your ARK pack, get-home bag or INCH bag.
That way, if you reach another destination, you have at least something with you that can potentially go into the ground.
7. Don’t grow food you hate.
I have personally made this mistake.
For example, I grow a lot of carrots every year. (My family loves them). If the apocalypse hits tomorrow, eating my carrots is NOT the way I want to be going out.
Just sayin’.
Grow things you and your family actually enjoy. During a disaster, even something as simple as a familiar vegetable can become comfort food.
8. Never rely on one resource—including me.
Everyone has an opinion. Gather information from multiple sources and compare what works for your climate, property, family, and circumstances.
9. Build a crisis garden, not a botanical garden.
I’ve tried grow bags, raised beds, old plastic pots, plastic totes, cardboard boxes, planting directly in soil bags, trash bags, and directly in the ground.
Get into the mindset of:
Food needs to be planted, and I cannot be picky about how I grow it.
Again, this is a crisis garden, not a botanical garden.
It doesn’t need to look pretty; it just needs to work.
10. Expect failure.
Before you even begin, forgive yourself.
I’ll tell you right off the get-go: you will most likely have failures, even with simple crops.
Bugs. Weather. Birds. Rats. Mice.
You name it, many of your crops are going to get munched on long before you ever get the chance to take a bite.
If you plant ten bush bean seeds expecting ten perfect plants, you’re probably going to be disappointed. My rule of thumb has always been this:
If I plant ten of something, I mentally prepare for half not to make it.
Now, if I get more, great!
If not, I’ve already prepared myself for being slightly disappointed.
Well…annoyed is probably more like it. LOL!
CLOSING:
I hope this information helps you get started in the right direction.
Again, I cannot stress this enough:
Try to start thinking in layers, modules and/or nodes.
Once you develop a P.A.C.E. mindset with progression-based preparedness, the setbacks you experience may not seem overwhelming or aggravating.
Your first garden doesn’t have to be perfect, and it doesn’t have to feed your family for the next five years. You simply need to start learning now, while mistakes are only minor setbacks, not emergencies.
I wish you all the best with creating your crisis garden and keep the Faith during these trying days.
You’ve got this!
Sgt. Silverman
DISCLAIMER:
I am not a licensed nutritionist, financial advisor, or medical doctor. The information in this article is for informational purposes only and does not replace professional treatment, diagnosis, or advice. Always check with your physician or qualified healthcare provider with any medical questions, and never disregard professional medical advice based on something you read here.
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
© 2026 Sgt. Silverman / Tertiary Prepper. All Rights Reserved.
This article and all original works published under the pseudonym Sgt. Silverman are the exclusive intellectual property of the author. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, republished, copied, or adapted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the author or publisher.
Proper attribution and written permission are required for any use beyond applicable fair use. Unauthorized reproduction, plagiarism, or commercial use may be subject to enforcement under applicable United States copyright laws.
AI-Assisted Visuals & Examples
If you’ve been reading Tertiary Prepper for any length of time, you’ve probably noticed charts, graphs, calculations, and visuals that explain preparedness concepts in ways you don’t normally see discussed. Many of those examples were created with the assistance of artificial intelligence—but only after I gave it very specific instructions on what I wanted to teach.
I don’t use AI to create my preparedness philosophy. I use it to help visualize it.
Many of the tertiary concepts discussed throughout this magazine—such as Sustainment Foraging, Pressure Testing, The Autonomous Recovery Kit (ARK), The Quiet Food Equation, and other original frameworks—are my own ideas and observations. AI simply helps me communicate those concepts through charts, graphics, and examples that make them easier to understand.
Preparedness is rarely black and white. There are very few absolute right or wrong answers—only different experiences, different priorities, and different ways of solving the same problem. My hope is that these articles simply give us another reason to sit around the campfire, challenge conventional thinking, and ponder practical solutions together.
