Preppers and homesteaders have been getting down and dirty with their survival garden ever since they embraced self-sufficiency. You don’t necessarily need a green thumb to follow in their footsteps though it’s easier to start growing your own fruits, vegetables, herbs, root crops and other produce if you have someone showing you the way.
If there’s no one, don’t fret. All you need to start your survival garden is a little research, the right seeds or seedlings to grow, and some basic gardening tools. Of course, you’ll need a parcel of land for your garden.
It is also possible to start your survival garden even if you don’t have property to boast of. Some preppers in an urban setting have taken to pots and planters to create their own survival garden inside their apartments and condos.
What we’ll be discussing here are the essential tools you need in tending a bigger garden. Some of the gardening tools here will also be useful in an urban survival garden.
Tools for the Urban Survival Garden
Garden Trowel
The trowel is perhaps the most common tool found in any garden. It is used for a number of gardening tasks such as loosening soil, digging small holes, weeding, planting, and transplanting.
Hand Fork
Gardening forks and trowels always go hand in hand like spoons and forks. In fact, some people prefer one over the other. Despite this, both have their own advantages. But if you’re survival garden is made mostly of potatoes, you’re better off using a potato fork.
Hand forks work well in both apartment gardens and backyard gardens. The scary garden fork, which resembles a pitchfork, is the better tool for digging soil.
Hand Pruners
Hand pruners or pruning shears are scissor-like gardening tools used mainly for pruning shrubs and cutting small branches. The bigger versions are called loppers. These are for thick branches.
Watering Can
You can use an indoor watering can for your apartment garden. It’s smaller and lightweight, which makes it perfect for small spaces. For your backyard survival garden, a bigger watering can is advised so you water more in one trip.
Spray Bottle
Use a spray bottle to keep the foliage of indoor plants, especially the tropical ones, moist. Other than misting, a spray bottle can also be filled with natural pest killers to keep your survival garden free from such nuisances.
Tools for Your Backyard Garden
The gardening tools below are those that are too big to use in an apartment. In any case, you can use a rake on your indoor survival garden plants. Those mentioned above, meanwhile, are also used in backyard gardens.
Hoe
Contrary to what some people know, a hoe is a gardening tool. It is used mainly for getting rid of weeds, which is one of the main tasks necessary for your survival garden to succeed. You can also use a hoe to cultivate the soil and shape your beds, and harvest root crops.
Like the other gardening tools in this list, there are different kinds of hoes, mainly the draw hoes and the scuffle hoes. Other kinds include grub, cotton, fork, horse, wheel, and clam hoes. Some hoes have short handles. They are perfect for people who like gardening on their knees.
Rake
A hand rake is necessary for cleaning debris. It also helps loosen and level the soil. It comes in different sizes. The one with the long handle is meant for the backyard. For small indoor gardens, you’ll need a smaller hand rake.
Garden Hose
The long flexible and usually green tube is used for transporting water from the tap to your survival garden. A sprayer or sprinkler is commonly attached to the other end of the hose.
Water Breaker
While a hose is the better choice for watering fruit trees and large plants, a water breaker is best for mature plants and flowers. The tiny holes on the nozzle allow a soft shower, which is better suited for sensitive plants.
Buckets
A bucket has numerous uses in your survival garden. You can fill them up with soil and plant your seeds in the. Buckets are also commonly used in gathering and transporting water. It is also used as a container for practically anything you need to carry around your garden. Fill it up with debris such as weeds and rocks, when you’re cleaning your garden. You can also make a compost bin using a 5-gallon bucket.
Wheelbarrow/Cart
Using a wheelbarrow is a better and easier way to transport materials from here to there. It can carry more compared to buckets and is easier on the back and knees. A wheelbarrow is a good thing to have in the homestead as it does more than just transport garden materials. In fact, it is considered one of the most important tools in the homestead.
Proper Gardening Attire
They may not necessarily be tools but wearing the proper attire is also important in gardening.
Footwear
You need a pair of footwear meant solely for gardening. Your garden shoes will almost always be muddy after a day of hard work tending to your survival garden. It’s quite difficult to remove the cake of mud under your shoes so you’re better off having a separate one.
Gardening Gloves
You also need to protect your hands and nails from getting dirty. They also keep you from getting hurt in case you touch something sharp or pointed, like thorns.
Gardening Clothes
You’ll be spending some time under the sun if you have a backyard survival garden. Wear long sleeve shirts, loose pants, and a large-brimmed hat for protection.
Whether you’re going for a more self-sufficient lifestyle or simply want to get your hands dirty, you need the right tools for your survival garden. A survival garden is even more important since you and your family will be relying more on your own produce than on the grocery store.
Some people may be taken aback at the thought of spending too much on gardening tools. The rewards, however, will be all worth it. Remember, your survival garden is called such because it will help you survive daily, especially in an EOTW scenario.
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