Greenhouses offer a more controlled environment than growing plants outdoors, allowing plants to grow faster. They can control temperature, humidity, and light exposure, which helps plants grow faster. Most plants grow best around 25 degrees Celsius, as that is the optimum temperature for photosynthesis. Under conditions of higher carbon dioxide, greenhouse gardening can be beneficial.
Plants use carbon dioxide to form carbon chains in the form of sugars and plant foods, which they use to stimulate growth and store carbon chains in their leaf and fiber. Warmth and humidity promote plant growth, while a greenhouse stabilizes the growing environment by buffering the ambient temperature and protecting plants from extreme cold. When growing conditions are precisely regulated to meet specific plant needs, crops can grow faster, larger, and produce higher yields.
For greater growing success in a greenhouse, look for plants with similar temperature and humidity preferences. Plants appear to use no more than between 0.5 and 1 per cent of the available sunlight. Some plants, such as grey mustard, can thrive in a greenhouse environment. The most effective way growers can accelerate plant development is to increase the greenhouse air temperature. Air movement helps build strong plants, and when gas exchange and heat exchange are good, plants can freely photosynthesize and transpire.
In conclusion, greenhouse gardening offers numerous benefits over conventional gardening, including faster, larger, and higher-yielding crops. It is essential to consider the hardiness zone of the plant you want to grow and when to plant it in a greenhouse.
📹 Make Your Plants Grow Twice As Fast With FREE GREENHOUSES!
In today’s 2 minute garden tip, I share how to make your plants grow twice as fast with free greenhouses you can make at home …
Do plants grow quicker in a greenhouse?
Plants require warmth, humidity, and light for growth. A greenhouse stabilizes the growing environment by buffering ambient temperature and protecting plants from extreme cold, extending the growing season and enabling early sowing and harvest. By sowing successionally, greenhouse growers can reap early harvests, especially by nurturing late-sown seedlings.
The greenhouse also protects plants from pests and diseases, allowing them to become an oasis free from flying pests like adult aphids and egg-laying butterflies. By implementing biological controls and limiting access to the greenhouse, pests can be minimized without toxic chemicals. This allows for organic produce for the family.
Tomatoes can be grown in a greenhouse environment to minimize plant diseases like blight. Fungal spores are less likely to reach plants, and the growing conditions inside the greenhouse are less conducive for fungi to infect them. By choosing blight-resistant varieties, tomato blight can be virtually eradicated, providing a significant advantage over growing outside.
Do plants grow faster in green light?
The application of green light has been demonstrated to stimulate the growth of crops with elevated green proportions, exhibiting effects comparable to those observed with far-red radiation. The effects are contingent upon the intensity of green light, the specific crop in question, and the delivery of other light wavebands and intensities.
What are the disadvantages of greenhouse effect on plants?
The greenhouse effect, which is caused by human activities, results in soil erosion, which in turn destroys fertile land, decreases crop yield, and contributes to global warming. Furthermore, it gives rise to climatic alterations, including the elevation of water levels, which inflict damage upon marine life and aquatic ecosystems. It is therefore imperative to take action to mitigate the effects of this phenomenon.
What not to grow in a greenhouse?
Greenhouses are ideal for gardeners as they provide controlled environments that extend growing seasons and protect plants from harsh weather. However, not all plants thrive in enclosed spaces. Some common mistakes to avoid include large trees and shrubs, which can outgrow containers and damage structures. Invasive plants, such as mint or certain ivy species, can quickly overtake other plants and become difficult to eradicate once established in a greenhouse.
To avoid these issues, it is recommended to reserve your greenhouse for compact or easily pruned plants. Additionally, plants with high temperature requirements, such as long-lived perennials, should be kept outside for easier control. By avoiding these common mistakes, you can save time, effort, and disappointment in your greenhouse gardening endeavors.
What color light makes plants grow fastest?
Plant growth relies on various light wavelengths, with blue being the most crucial. Red, the second most important wavelength, is highly potent when combined with blue light. Orange, similar to red but less effective, is less effective. Ultra-violet, while harmful, can promote healthy growth by protecting plants. Violet, while not significantly affecting plant growth, can enhance color, taste, and smell when combined with red and blue lights. Green, while not needed by plants, helps regulate the “night” cycle and maintains the grow room.
Yellow, on the other hand, is not needed for strong and healthy growth. A combination of red and blue light is the best for promoting healthy, quick-growing plants. The ideal horticulture lights should have a red to blue ratio of 5:1.
How effective are greenhouses?
A greenhouse allows you to extend your growing seasons by allowing you to grow plants of any type. These greenhouses create an all-year warm climate for plants that thrive in any temperature, providing shelter from wind or excessive rain. On the other hand, a cold-frame greenhouse is suitable for plants that require a cooler climate at any time of the year. With a greenhouse, you can control the temperature and growing environment, allowing you to plan your planting earlier or later in the season while still enjoying a good crop.
What are the negative effects of greenhouses?
Human activities are increasing global temperature, posing a threat to our survival. The greenhouse effect, once a great ally, is now a threat due to its impact on soil degradation and desertification. This is causing the disappearance of islands and coastal cities. The melting of glacial masses and the proliferation of hurricanes are also consequences of global warming. The rising sea levels are also contributing to the desertification of arid areas.
How does greenhouse effect affect plant growth?
Elevated levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere can facilitate plant growth by acting as a fertilizer, with the degree of benefit contingent upon the specific crop in question. Wheat, barley, and rice demonstrate a greater benefit from elevated carbon dioxide concentrations than corn.
What is the advantage of greenhouse for growing plants?
A greenhouse is a highly efficient and effective method for growing plants. It provides a good distribution of light, optimizes energy efficiency, and controls microclimate, providing an optimal environment for cultivation. It also offers protection against diseases, pests, and vermin. The greenhouse is closed, making it difficult to enter. It offers excellent ventilation through zenithal or side windows, and optimal sealing against rain and air. It can increase production due to weather conditions, accelerate plant growth, and allow for more crops on the surface.
It can produce off-season, resulting in better sales prices and continuous supply. It can also be used in regions with adverse weather conditions. The greenhouse can grow all year round, with multiple crop cycles and different plant species. It also optimizes the use of other technologies to manage climate, such as heating, humidification, shade screens, and energy savings.
Do plants grow slower with less light?
Low-light plants are suitable for north windows or dark corners, as they require little to no direct light and grow under larger plants. They grow slowly and use less water, so low lighting is not sufficient for indoor seed starting. Medium-light plants are suitable for east-facing windows or near west-facing windows but out of direct light, but require artificial lighting for starting seeds. Like low-light plants, medium-light plants do not dry out as quickly and should be avoided overwatering by feeling the soil.
What are the 5 disadvantages of a greenhouse?
Greenhouse farming presents a number of challenges, including the necessity for expertise, significant upfront costs, the requirement for extensive knowledge to ensure successful crop growth, high operational costs, considerable maintenance, space consumption, and a lengthy project duration.
📹 5 Fast Growing Veggies You Can Harvest in Under 1 Month
1. Microgreens 2. Pea and Sunflower Shoots 3. Baby Lettuce 4. Baby Root Crops 5. Extra Greens SUPPORT EPIC GARDENING …
In Order of Fastest to Slowest (10 days to 1 month) 1:10 1. Microgreens 3:16 2. Pea and Sunflower Shoots 4:32 3. Baby Lettuce / Baby Greens 5:53 4. Greens of Root Crops (such as Beets, Radish, & Turnip) / Baby Root Crops 6:56 5. Extra Greens: 7:03 Baby Kale (including Dazzling Blue Kale) 7:40 Bok Choy (aka pak choi, pichay/petsay, or pok choi is a type of Chinese cabbage) Try a dwarf or baby bok choy variety, or Beni Houshi Mizuna (a mustard with a peppery spicy flavor) 8:12 Harvesting for a salad (these are a little more than a month old, but you can use younger ones) 9:16 Making salad
Just a side note…. you can eat kale stems : ) I like to put them in a frying pan, add water to coat the bottom of pan, and cook/steam them until tender (a few minutes)… you can also add kale leaves once the stems are cooked (they only take a minute). Really good mixed in with scrambles eggs and other veggites… or just as a side topped with a little butter, salt, & pepper!
been following for 1year+ and came back to this vid because I’m starting my first crop this year mainly inspired by you, Jaques, Steve, Charles and many more. Got the field guide and I can’t put it down! I’m so ready and excited for the trial/error of gardening and growing my own food even partially for now. Thanks for putting out this content and making gardening accessible for people like me who want to get into it but don’t know how/where to stary!
Im glad you brought up the fact that for leafy greens and root plants you dont need to harvest the entire plant you can just pick a couple leaves off multiple plants and allow the roots to grow bigger or get them to seeding stage so you can collect for next season. I dont think many people know this and its a great way to save time and effort instead of constantly replanting. I also feed my chickens alot of the older leaves and bug eaten ones so nothing goes to waste and for them its a tasty treat.
My first coriander/cillantro harvest was absolutely crazy. I seeded it late august and it did great during pretty much the entire winter. Lots of freezing and snow, but it just kept on growing and i kept cutting leaves off for cooking pretty much twice a week at some point. The last freezing period in february it finally collapsed and stopped growing. The years after that i had a lot of other plants grow well, but coriander never really did well after that first year. Seeded it a lot of times but they either never sprout or quickly die.
I grew up in the inland valley and had big ungrounds gardens as a kid, but now I have a small area to grow. I started with a few pots and started growing herbs for the first time. Then your article on basil pruning popped up. Now I’m up to 10 plants and I’m propagating my own thanks to you. I love this website. Keep it up.
Want to give a shout out! I actually started our microgreening about 4 weeks ago after stumbling on your microgreen article. Since then we had fresh greens since day 6 (radish greens) we are now on our second batch of pea shoots and 3rd round of radish greens:) We have also started cilantro (love it thrown in with our rice bowls). One of the best and fastest ways to get us through the next couple of months of chill weather (southern Ontario Canada) until we can get our backyard urban garden planted out!!
First time perusal. I never leave comments but this was a Great vid! You have a way of educating & speaking passionately about food. In times like this I think it’s important people learn to appreciate gardening/farming. I look forward to getting my garden started as well as learning more from your book. Thanks!
Thanks for all the info! I grow mixed leaf lettuce, baby spinach, parsley, basil and kale in 3′ x 8″ boxes in a sunny spot attached to a privacy fence. I can harvest them all summer long from the original plants I planted in spring. This year I will try cukes in the ground and grow them up the fence.
Just cut the leaves of the beet roots, they keep growing more leaves. 💖😎 Just like green onions do, when you cut the green part short. I have planted smaller beet roots from the grocery stores back into a pot, or the garden. I got leaves, large root bulbs and lots of seeds. Easy to do. Delicious too.
Since we have all been stuck in our houses i’ve loved learning about growing and identifying plants. Not that i didn’t already, but i’ve forgotten how much i loved getting outside and learning about my environment. I don’t know much, but i am slowly building my knowledge. Now I know more about these plants in the article!! Thanks for the article and keep up the great work! Also, I am considering buying your book. Would it be helpful for someone who lives in southern Ohio?
I grow micro greens regularly in a raised bed and pot! I cut off and regrow! I wash dry and use as a salad for one with a boiled egg and tomatoes and a little dressing or in a sandwich! I do this practically every day for a light lunch! I will be happy to try some of the other greens! Thank you for such a helpful article
I tried microgreens, they grow so fast in a sprayed tray even in winter, we had too many. The radished were amazing, the mustard ones went gooey…:)) sunflowers sprout in 3 days, yes, I am a big fan and the tiny sprouts have the intense flavour of the adult plant. Very healthy! I bought the organic seeds, as alfalfa for the field can be treated with substances you don’t want to eat. Alfalfa is the best of all, it can even grow in a coke empty bottle with holes in it. You should try it! 💚🏡💚🏡💚🏡
You know what….. you are everything to me this year. I’ve been struggling to find my place as my girls grow up and started a garden at the beginning of the year to ease my sad heart…… I love my container garden and it especially came in handy at the beginning of quarantine….. thankfully I found you and I’ve learned SO much. It’s been a long time since I’ve been excited to learn something new just for me. Thank you for sharing your talent with the world. This is the stuff YouTube was made for…. and cat articles 🙂 Sending you a huge hi five. Do you have a recipe book? That would be something cool to check out 🙂 You are awesome. Thanks again 🙂
Love it 💚🙏🏽♥️ thank you. On another site someone said when she cooks kale and removes stems, she roasts stems in oven with a sprinkle of EVOO & salt. So I did this and gave my 5yo grandson a taste of the stems, he loved it so much as they’re crunchy & a bit salty and he said ‘grandma can you put some in a paper bag for my snack on the way home’, so cute as he always gets a treat from the garden in a paper bag to eat on the way home from my house, little did he really know he was eating kale stems 😂
I never knew you could eat pea shoots until I got some off of either imperfect foods or misfits market about two years ago. I loved adding that to my salads. I made the mistake of trying to use my old pea shoots after harvesting pods and that didn’t go so well! I’m excited to try again with the younger shoots!
Love this one! Excellent content. You are a great teacher and super funny. I am going to try food gardening again. I did have fun replanting my ” live” Boston lettuce bottoms and actually harvested two heads!!!( I don’t think you have article on this I just gave it a try after perusal one of your other articles and I had hope again) Now the stems are growing me some more! You are inspiring! Beets and bay kale here I come!
I’ve been gardening my whole life my father taught me everything I know about fruit and vegetable gardening and my mother taught me about flowers and I’m living in my first house and everything they’ve ever taught me has come rushing back and I just transplanted most of my plants that I started growing in bins and I know I’m going to have a GREAT harvest this year yes I am growing some fruits and veggies for the first time but because I’ve been so invested in researching them and learning how to grow them I have really high hopes
Beet greens are delicious! I eat them straight from the garden, no cooking! They’re great to nom on when watering the garden takes a while. They’re also delicious mixed with spinach in stewed beets and greens. And beets and the beet tops are a great nutrition/iron boost substitute if you’re craving meat.
So I have been living on family land that we do not own so I have been just riding for years now . I have put off planting because if we have to bug out we would have to pull our 20 foot camper to a lot . So growing a garden felt like a waist . Now perusal this I feel like there is choices. So can you eat the sunflower leaves ? Beat greens are wonderful and healthy in a salad . I wish they would sell them alone in the stores . Take the older kale and make a pesto . I am so glad people are living this way . This is how I grew up . I miss it so much .
My most beloved fast growing, big harvest plant is swiss chard. Together with onions and potatos a great mediterranean dish, roasted in olive oil, seasoned with a little salt and maybe garlic, called “blitva”. The people in dalmatian coast eat that together with fried fish. And not to forget – swiss chard is a very healthy vegetable, which can be harvested over months, until the first frost. Just pick the outer leafs, and the plant will regrow in no time, continuous harvest guaranteed.
Hi Kevin! I’m fairly new to your website and thoroughly enjoying the content. Great job! I’m relatively new to home gardening (4 months in ) but haven’t been having much success. I’ve started off simple with kale, spinach and pakchoi. The spinach is doing well but the kale and pakchoi I’ve had to start over and over. I have them in planters and pots on my verandah because my dogs are mischievous. Being based in the Caribbean, we have sunny weather all year round with the rainy months later in the year. Should these plants be in direct sunlight all the time? The local farmers aren’t much help for obvious reasons so any additional tips, especially for farming in year-round sunny weather, would really be appreciated.
Such a brilliant article. Thank you. I have a query: at the end when you’re eating your salad – you have an indoor light + plant set-up, can you use this sort of set up for micro-greens or veggies like the ones shown in this article? Apartment dwellers don’t have outdoor spaces sometimes. Thank you again for a great article.
Nice looking gorgeus guy, and intereting content specially for those like me who are planing to leave the city to go to live in the countryside . My English is awful (specially my listening) so i need to read the subtitles . I`m gonna share this article in my Facebook group . Gretings or regards from santo domingo, Dominican Republic !!! 😊👍🇩🇴💚🌿🌴🍎🥑🍆🍅🌶️🌽🧅
have you ever grown dandelion greens? the whole plant can be used from the yellow flowers to make dandelion wine the young leaves can be added to a salad or sauteed and served with bacon dressing with hardboiled eggs the root can also be used in many ways but they will keep giving for years. You just have to get them before they seed or cover and catch the seeds to use later. an erly spring crop full of vitamins and minerals
A young beet leaf had a spot. I picked, checked it, the best, unexpected flavor. The greens from radishes are medicinal and yummy. I did not know. “What is a micro garden” I’ve heard of recently. BTW I love the grow lights behind you. We are handy and this is an inspiration. Great website. Great info. Nicely done.
Ok perusal the end of this article was so satisfying to see. Lol. I thought to myself. That’s could be me enjoying a my hard work eating my labor of love one day. 🥰 I am an older person but brand new to gardening anything. I want to learn how to grow my own organically only fruits and vegetables but how do we keep out the bugs n rodents from eating them first is my question. I have many rodents of all kinds here. ??? Could someone perhaps have any ideas for an old gal? Lol
Getting your first win on a harvest is definitely a big moment. Take it from me – I have a brown thumb and it took many years of dead tomato plants until I finally was successful. I figured out what killed them every year though, so my tomatoes lived a little longer the next year before I made another mistake and killed them. The thing that really sucks is that it’s only planting time once a year, so if they die, you have to wait almost a year to try again. The silver lining to the yearlong wait is that it gave me enough courage to try it again, year after year. The moral of the story – like anything in life, don’t quit! Learn from your mistakes! As of about 5 years ago I finally got really good at growing heirloom tomatoes, starting from seed and going all the way through the delicious final product. After that, I switched to learning about growing pumpkins and have killed countless pumpkin plants over the past 5 years. Fortunately, about half of what I learned from killing tomatoes applies to pumpkins, so I have progressed a lot faster with the pumpkins than I did with the tomatoes…
I went straight for chamomile, cucumbers, herbs all over the place. My harvests were okayy, I got a few bags of tea from the chamomile and the cucumber plant gave me 4 or 5 reallyyyy sweet and delicious, but pretty small, cucumbers. Honestly they tasted better than any cucumber I’d ever had, but it was a tiny harvest
I didnt start the chile plants by seeds. .y BF planted them grown. Not going to lie I’ve been watering them and cutting off dying leads damaged leaves. I saw chiles growing out of it and I’m excited!!!!!! I went to the store and bought more plants and started some with just seeds and my other chile trees are growing to. They are my babies
Such a good article! I run a homesteading camp up at my family farm and will intro the kids to hydroponics this year so they can get something going to actually bring home this year. We will also be doing some foraging this year, and im excited about that. Last summer, I did micro greens with them in eggshells that they decorated with faces. Do it yourself chia pets, haha!
I took all the leaves and stuff from my yard and piled them all up in a rectangle on top of super thin cardboard and left it set over winter like that and planted peppers and tomatoes there in spring and was constantly giving both away once they started producing because my tiny family couldn’t ear them all.
I loved the novel plants to start with. The Sunflower really caught my attention. Since you are so knowledgeable, perhaps you could help me with something else. Can you tell me where to find hydroponics fertilizer for French green beans? I need the micro-nutrients in any fertilizer I use. I can’t find anything and my beans keep suffering the same way every time I plant them.
I started trying to grow beans, cucumbers and chard in Georgia. I used pots. The cucumbers started to grow but dies after I transplanted them . The chard stopped growing after its sprouted and I am devastated. 😳 Eek! Too much rain and too much sun I think. I am going to try again though. You are very motivational 😊
I’m not an expert gardener, but was successful in growing kale which is great in soups and stews, even better than spinach. I also had good luck growing green and reddish purple romaine. I tried growing Brussel Sprouts but didn’t do well with those. I also did well with rhubarb and the plant is beautiful, but ended up pulling them out because I heard they are toxic to dogs…😟
I don’t understand it exactly, two questions I have 1. so how do I start do I buy seeds or the small plants for each green I want plant from garden center or Lowes ? 2. So do I grow then in the little bitty plastic boxes or once they sprout can I put them in the soil ? Thank you for the article looks good, but I’m new to gardening so had these questions.
You are very informative,love all the work you do, I’m in a hot climate like you except we have a LOT of humidity, welcome to ” Sunny FLORIDA” I’m just an amateur Gardner, I was able to grow lettuce in pots to my surprise, with the help of a homemade PVC mini greenhouse, it works great especially when we get our down pour, Which happens daily now in August. I would love to grow Kale, I would have to get seeds, but thanks for the inspiration, I would like to know where did you get that cute mini compose I love that idea. Your salad looked great, thanks for the tip on” Everything Bagel” I have it but never thought of putting it on a salad,will do, THANKS !!!!
Im growing tomatoes and bell peppers..I planted in straight potting soil. I have poured coffee grounds, old banana juice… what did do these plants need? I learned pruning.. I’ll try maybe I’ll start recording… so tomorrow ull trim but people.. do I need to make or buy compost and food and im working in what’s wearing my leaves I had carrots, bell, tomatoes, and many small owning idk what i planned kiwi, tomatoes, .. used seeds from yellow pepper.. they all sprouting but holes?
I use young rocket and lettuce leaves for sandwiches, but I’m not a great fan of salads. I let my leafy greens (rocket, red mustard, mizuna, swiss chard, kale etc) grow quite large, then pick the leaves and freeze them in bags. When they’ve frozen, I crush them up (in the bags). They can then be used in soup, stews, chilis, curries etc, just added at the end of cooking.
Last summer I planted a small garden with things very close together. It rained a lot and my stuff was attacked by slugs. I put beer in small lids, the slugs climbed in and died. This summer I’ll use more pots as well as the garden. I had to surround the garden with fencing and even a lid made of screen to keep the deer out.
I just found your website today and I must say you have a lot of super excellent information!!! Because you’ve shared your knowledge and wisdom with me I’d like to provide you with some of my own. Plant growth can be dramatically affected by magnetic field exposure. I exposed my seeds to the southern pole of a dipolar N50 2″x2″x1″ neodymium block magnet for several hours prior to germination. The effect is even more dramatic (~30 % increase in growth rate and yields) if you exposure your plants to the magnetic field during growth. This is extremely effective if you’re growing micro greens! I’m not a conspiracy theorist but I’m absolutely positive this information is being suppressed from the general public. I’m an occult researcher and I discovered this hidden gem of information while learning about the seed growth of crops that were in crop circles. I most solemnly and sincerely implore you to please look into this phenomenon but try not to go out in the deep end without someone or something to keep you tethered here.
I am constantly dealing with aphids when ever I grow plants, could you please recommend something ? I’ve already tried putting a small amount of rubbing alcohol in a gallon of water, partly worked. I’ve also bought green cleaner and only partly works. Do I have to respray weekly in order to keep them away ?
My parrot was a sunflower addict, now he gets a pinch-full of them for tricks just once or twice a week, but I do offer him sunflower micro greens and he LOVES THEM – although I don’t grow them myself. I am thinking of growing them myself because those I get from the supermarket are not as fresh you can see by the roots and leaves that they we’re WAITING for a long time. What strain of seeds should I get? I tried using the big unshelled verity and shelled verity that are sold for roasting, didn’t have much success (maybe I should soak them longer?), should I get stuff that is specifically for micro greens or try again with what I have on hand?
Beets are incredible for your arteries and blood vessels. They give them back their elasticity. I suggest pickling beets and eating pickled beets. I am not a fan of regular beets, either, even if I boil them fresh. However, I do like pickled beets. That’s a crop I would let get really big, have pounds and pounds and pounds of them, and then pickle all of them for future enjoyment.
Also, you should be using the older kale happily in soups and pastas in place of spinach. In order to eat a wonderfully tender kale salad using the large kale leaves, you have to massage your kale after you’ve chopped it up for about four minutes. Then it’s the normal chewiness level of leafy greens. Leafy greens are chewy no matter what you do lol.
Can some one help. I have Broccoli growing. Leaves Looks fantastic but no Broccoli head. I’ve seen where they say Broccoli leaves are blueish. Mine are not. They are a beautiful green. My question is, can I start taking off some of the Broccoli leaves without effecting the Broccoli outcome? Tysvm Love this website
😊Hey I have a good question. I CAN NOT find the answer online. Ok, you say we can eat the beet greens and radish greens.. BUT if we clip the greens will that effect the radish?? Like will the radish still continue to grow?? Will the radish leaves grow back, like basil will? Will clipping the radish greens stunt the radishes growth? Ok that was 4 questions 😅
I am a new gardener and trying a lot of things soon but we are military and often never know what the space looks like where we will live currently I have only a balcony to work with but I am hopeful for a bigger space, do you think for my situation container gardening would be best since we move every few years and would be able to take them with us?
hi there, thanks for your article, very kool and lots info. you mentioned kale chips.. i would be interested to know how u go about this? i did look to see if u had a vid on this but couldnt see one. you should throw in a few recipe vids.. with the produce you grow. id be very interested. :)- just thoughts. 😃
Looking at your garden set up, it seems to be easily raided by “Zombies” ( night time food raiders) for a REAL SHTF situation, move it away from “Easy pickings” by “Zombies” I would recommend Steve Solomon’s book Gardening when it counts: growing food in hard times Using nothing but hand tools you can grow more than enough to live on, preserve and barter with. It is a “Must Have” for survival gardening