Garden · Season · Intermediate
Plan a Survival Calorie Garden
Grow high-calorie staples—potatoes, beans, squash, corn—to actually feed a family, not just make salad.
This is for educational purposes only. Not professional medical, electrical, or safety advice.
- 01
Grow calories
Top calorie crops per area: potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash, dry beans, corn, sunflowers, peanuts (warm climates).
- 02
Size it
Roughly 1,000–4,000 sq ft per person for most calories, depending on skill and soil. Start small and expand yearly.
- 03
Three Sisters
Plant corn, then pole beans that climb it, with squash between rows to shade weeds. Beans add nitrogen.
- 04
Succession plant
Sow quick crops (radish, lettuce, greens) every 2 weeks for continuous harvest.
- 05
Use open-pollinated seed
Heirloom/open-pollinated seeds can be saved and replanted every year. Hybrids won't breed true.