With good planning, it is fully possible to make a small family self-sufficient with vegetables on a regular residential plot, but for most, it may be enough to become self-sufficient with a few vegetables. To have food on the table for long periods, it is practical to focus on vegetables that can be harvested and stored for long periods. Here we list four suggestions that are easy to get started with and that yield large crops. Of course, you can grow much more than these if you want, like berries, fruits, herbs, and more vegetables that can be stored.
1. Potato
Potatoes naturally top the list of vegetables you can grow to be self-sufficient with. The Inca people in South America cultivated potatoes, and here in the Nordic countries, they have been a staple in the diet since the 17th century. The potato quickly became popular, as it is both filling and can be used for starch and spirits. In fact, the potato is the vegetable that provides the most energy per cultivated area. It is also nutritious, can be prepared and eaten in many different ways, and has good storage properties. And as if that wasn't enough, it is actually possible to survive solely on potatoes.
2. Cabbage
Cabbage is extremely useful, and there are a wide variety of varieties, from kale to small, delicate Brussels sprouts. Many varieties can also be harvested well into the winter, such as kale and palm cabbage. Cabbage has been grown in the Nordics since the Viking Age, and cabbage was particularly important for survival before we started growing potatoes. Cabbage is relatively easy to grow, if you make sure to fertilize and water regularly and protect the plants from insects and hungry animals.
3. Spinach
The third place on the list of vegetables that are easy to become self-sufficient with goes to spinach. It is very easy to grow, and you can sow it already in winter to have an early spring harvest. The leftovers can be frozen or even dried. Spinach can also be sown in August and well into the autumn, making the spinach season long. Certain types, such as New Zealand spinach, are also perennial. Spinach contains a lot of vitamin C, and it can be eaten both raw and cooked. The biggest harvest is obtained in good soil that is fertilized and watered regularly, but spinach is not particularly difficult to succeed with – it even grows in the shade. Spinach you grow outside can be combined with Malabar spinach grown in a pot indoors, it grows into long beautiful vines and is decorative even as a potted plant.
4. Tomato
Tomatoes are expensive in the store, but easy to grow both outdoors and indoors. They may not be the first thing you think of when it comes to survival vegetables, but they definitely add an extra touch to the food, whether used in salads, stews, or sauces. Tomatoes can be frozen, dried, fermented, or canned. For those who want to be self-sufficient, it is wise to choose varieties that produce a large harvest and ripen at different times. Feel free to combine with winter tomatoes, known as Piennolo. These are tomato varieties that can be stored hanging and last extra long. Many dwarf bush tomatoes can also be grown indoors, especially if you use plant lighting in the winter.
Please note that tomatoes and potatoes should not be grown near each other, as potatoes can infect tomatoes with blight. The spores are spread by the wind, so make sure to grow them in different years or at least 400 meters apart.