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Happy Independence Day!

On July 4 of 1776, the Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence, formalizing the separation from Great Britain and starting the path to creating a new country, with a new kind of government. 

On behalf of the Family Survival Farm Blog, we'd like to wish all our readers a happy and safe Fourth of July. Good dreams!

Photo courtesy of pxhere.com.

Naturally Fertilizing Your Survival Garden

Naturally Fertilizing Your Survival Garden

A survival garden is an important part of any prepper’s spring and summer plans. Seriously, what can be better than growing your own food and stockpiling it as a means of long-term supply.

For one thing, you will be better able to meet your dietary needs, and those of your family members, and it doesn’t really take very much space to do it. Preppers in some of the most urband settings are proving that container gardening can be just as beneficial as having a plot of rural land to grow on. So there are really no major excuses when it comes to growing food.

No matter how you choose to grow your food, the fact is that your gardens can always benefit from a healthy natural fertilizer. It’s also less expensive than purchasing fertilizer, and more sustainable, as there may be none left to buy at some point. At some point, it may be impossible not only to buy it, but even to travel to a place where there might be an availability.

Learn the Ins and Outs of Composting

It actually takes very little to learn the few steps in takes to make a compost material. This material is a great way to reuse food scraps and items that otherwise get thrown away while creating a plant boost that is rich in nutrients. This is one of the best materials to start your seeds in, before transplanting them to a garden plot or outdoor container. Using compost can even create a richer soil for the following garden season as well.

What Nutrients Does the Soil Need?

One of the most important steps in knowing how to make your own natural fertilizer is knowing what nutrients are necessary for proper plant health in the first place. Nutrients are necessary for plants to grow and even more important to keep those plants flourishing and producing. When it comes to survival gardening, a non-producing plant is a useless one.

Some of the most important nutrients needed include:

• Phosphorus
• Potassium
• Nitrogen
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Sulfur
• Boron
• Iron
• Manganese
• Zinc

Natural Fertilizers

Egg shells are great for increasing the amount of calcium in your soil. This helps seeds and plants to develop on a cellular level, for a great start. Shells also have nitrogen and phosphoric acid in them, in some amount, but it is calcium that is most easily depleted throughout the growth process. Grind the egg shells into a powder form and simply sprinkle the powder all around your plants.

Coffee grounds are what you want to use for plants that need a soil rich in acidity, such as tomatoes, blueberries and avocados. The grounds help to increase levels of potassium, nitrogen and magnesium and can even raise the pH level in the soil.

Epsom salt is a long time homestead favorite for the garden, although it isn’t exactly common knowledge. Plants will grow healthier and foods such as broccoli, onions and cabbage will be sweeter. Some gardeners use it on tomato and pepper plants for stronger stems, extra blossoms and also for the sweeter flavor it adds. The Epsom salt helps by adding sulfur and magnesium to the soil. A good mixture is made by adding a tablespoon of salts to one called of water. You can use this to spray directly onto the plants at two week intervals. Epsom salts can also be applied directly to the ground around newly transplanted plants for an added boost.

Banana peels can be used to add an extra kick of potassium to the soil. You never have to worry about adding too much, as it is absolutely impossible to have too much potassium in the garden. No ill effects will be suffered, no matter how much you use. To utilize the peels, simply shred them into thin strips, placing them in a circular fashion around the base of your plants.

While it seems a bit voodoo-like, hair can be added to the garden for a richer nitrogen content. You can use human hair, dog hair, cat hair or any other kind of hair, so long as it is free from any type of hair product, flea shampoo, etc. For a greater amount of hair, you might volunteer to sweep up freshly washed and cut hair from a local salon to always have plenty on hand.

Seaweed is an excellent fertilizer option if you happen to live on the ocean, or even if you frequently vacation in areas on the waterfront. Make sure to pick up the seaweed to transport back to your garden. In order to keep the nasty smell from creating havoc, make sure you wash it and let it air dry before storing or transporting it. To use it, finely chop two cups of seaweed and mix it with equal amounts of water. The two cups will be enough to use around the base of small plants. Use four cups for medium sized plants and six cups for large plants.

If you’ve ever had or known someone who had a garden, then you’re probably use to hearing about using manure to fertilize crops. You can use manure that has been composted from cows, horses, chickens and even rabbits to cover many different kinds of plants. Rabbit manure is particularly good to use when growing tomatoes. Manure supplies a ready host of great nutrients to the soil and even deters many insects that would otherwise eat your plants. Steer clear of putting fresh manure on your plants, though. It’s possible to kill them this way.