Container Gardening for Food Security

The Urban Survivalist's Advantage

You might envy the homesteader with 50 acres, but small spaces have advantages: control. You can control the soil, the water, and the security much easier in a 500 sq ft patio.

Grow Bags are Essential

Unlike rigid pots, fabric grow bags air-prune roots, preventing root-bound plants.

• 5-Gallon Bags: Perfect for peppers, determinate tomatoes, and bush beans.
• 10-Gallon Bags: Ideal for potatoes (hill them up as they grow).
• 20-Gallon Bags: Small fruit trees or a "Three Sisters" mini-guild.

Vertical is Mandatory

When horizontal space is limited, you must go up.

• Trellising: Pole beans can climb a simple string or bamboo teepee in a pot.
• Tower Gardens: Commercially available or DIY PVC towers allow you to grow 50+ plants in 4 square feet. Ideally suited for greens and strawberries.

Calorie Focus

Can you grow calories in pots? Yes.

• Potatoes: Dump the bag to harvest. No digging.
• Sweet Potatoes: Vines tolerate heat and containers well.

Security

Small, hidden gardens are less of a target. A vertical wall of beans looks like a privacy screen, not a food source. Use this to your advantage.