If you’ve been toying with the idea of starting your survival garden you most likely want to know what are the best survival garden seeds and tools out there!
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Most survivalist preppers include “survival seeds” and garden tools in the essential survival gear they have stashed away.
It’s a good idea considering that you will most likely need to start growing your own food after SHTF.
You might even be thinking about starting your survival garden now. Why wait? Starting a survival garden in times of abundance gives you time to figure things out without the pressure of a hungry family bearing down on you.
There’s no time like the present, right?
If you’ve been toying with the idea of starting your own survival garden or just packing away some survival seeds for the uncertain future, you most likely want to know what are the best survival garden seeds and tools out there?
Keep reading this informational buyer guide to learn all about survival seed essentials and the best tools to have on hand for your survival garden.
In a hurry? If you just want to get to our conclusions, here are our top picks and recommendations!
The most important thing that you need to look for when purchasing seeds for your survival garden (or seeds that you will be hoarding for later) is that they are clearly labeled as being open pollinated and non-GMO.
Many seed packets may also be labeled as heirloom seeds.
What does “open pollinated” mean?
Open pollinated seeds are those which are pollinated, therefore producing new seed, by insects, the wind, or by hand.
The seeds from these varieties will produce plants that are similar to the parent plant. This is often called “true-to-type” in the gardening community.
You want to avoid buying hybrid seeds. Why?
Because if you save the seed from your harvest, your next generation of plants will look nothing like their predecessor. The plants that grow from those seeds will be all but useless.
Heirloom varieties are typically open pollinated varieties that have been maintained, selected, and specifically reproduced for at least 50 years.
These varieties are consistent in their characteristics and productivity.
Why is the “non-GMO” label so important?
You want to buy seeds that are specifically labeled as non-GMO. This means that they are not genetically modified.
Did you know that in the US, genetically modified seeds (or for that matter ingredients in your food) are not required to be labeled?
Industry does not have to tell you when they have genetically modified your seed.
It is common practice in this time of bioengineering that “guaranteed” seed is genetically altered to have a terminator gene. No… your seeds will not turn into assassin robots. But they will be sterile or they will simply produce a plant incapable of reproducing its seed.
The genes end there. The genes of GM varieties are typically patented and you must buy the seed from the company every time you want to replant.
Fortunately, seed companies that care about “gene freedom” will label their seeds as non-GMO. This is the label that guarantees that your seeds are not genetically altered and can be freely
Purchasing the Best Survival Garden Seeds
When it comes to purchasing the seeds for your survival garden, you basically have two options.
Purchase seeds according to your customized tastes.
Buy a survival seed kit.
Let’s talk a bit about your two survival seed options.
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Customized Survival Seeds
If you are getting ready to plant your survival garden, you may want to consider purchasing specific varieties of seed from companies that specialize in non-GMO, open pollinated seeds.
This option allows you to select vegetable varieties that are specific for your hardiness zone and to your individualized tastes and needs.
Take a read through our guide on How to Start a Survival Garden to learn about the best survival garden crops if you need an idea of what crops are best to get started with.
This option is great for the prepper that already practices survival gardening and knows exactly what they want.
Here are some of our favorite seed companies:
And just so you know, none of these are sponsoring this article. We just think that they do really great work and want to support their endeavors.
This company sells seeds nationwide and is known for providing seeds of the highest quality. They have a reputation for providing seeds with a high germination rate and that are true to type.
This company stands out for its broad offering of cool weather crops. If you live in an area with a mild winter for year-round growing, be sure to check out their selection.
Trade Winds is different from other seed companies because of their offering of rare tropical fruit seeds. If you live in a semi-tropical area, you will want to check out their wide variety of unusual edibles.
Synergy is a very small family farm that offers a small variety of carefully selected heirloom varieties of distinct types of vegetables that grow great in the Midwest.
They have limited offerings, which they give away for free. You just need to pay the shipping and handling costs to have them mailed to you.
This is an old school operation - you need to let them know what type of land you are planting on (elevation, soil type, etc.) so that they can help match you with the best varieties.
They also offer extended support to make sure that you have success with your plantings.
This is an Iowa based operation whose exclusive focus is to maintain rare heirloom varieties of seed for the garden and heritage poultry breeds. A double plus if you have incorporated small animal production into your survival garden.
They put a lot of care and thought into the production of their seed offerings. To order, you have to print off an order form from their website and mail it in the old fashioned way.
They offer personalized customer service and will help you find the best varieties for your survival garden.
This is the seed selling/sales branch of the Peaceful Valley Farm. It is a larger operation compared to some of the other organizations on this list.
Their website is essentially an encyclopedia of free and easy to understand information to help you have the best survival garden possible.
Their seed selection is extensive and includes everything under the sun. You can find vegetable crowns, fruit and nut trees, vegetable seeds of endless variety, and even lawn and cover crop seeds.
This organization offers a specialized service to those folks who live in hot arid climates. They have dedicated themselves to tracking down native heirloom varieties that thrive in the toughest conditions.
If you live in the Southwest, be sure to check out their offerings.
Purchasing a Survival Seed Kit
If you haven’t got a survival garden yet you will still need to be prepared for when SHTF.
Consider adding a survival seed vault and specialized seed mixes to your stockpiled survival supplies.
This option is perfect for the prepper who wants to cover all of his bases for an uncertain future.
There are some great options out there. Here are some of our favorites:
Heritage Survival Seed Vault
This seed “vault” offers moderately priced piece of mind for the future of your food security. It contains 105 varieties of the most basic survival seeds to get your garden growing after SHTF.
Not all of the seeds in the survival seed vault will grow in your specific hardiness zone. However, there are enough varieties of each kind of vegetable that you will undoubtedly find a variety that works for where you live.
Because of the specialized packaging, if you store this Heritage Survival Seed Vault in the refrigerator, or better yet the freezer, many of these seeds will remain viable for up to 25 years.
You want to be careful though. Some of the seeds, no matter how well they are packaged and how carefully they are stored, will not germinate after a few years. This is particularly true for corn and certain squash and bean varieties.
Be sure to change out and renew these particular seeds in your survival seed collection every couple of years to assure the best chance of success.
Last update on 2024-03-28 / Affiliate Links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Food Security: Survival Seed Pack
This bucket of select seed will be the backbone of your future survival garden. Grow calorie dense, protein rich survival foods.
This bucket has enough corn, bean, okra, collard greens, and squash seed to provide a harvest that will meet one person’s nutritional needs for a year.
This kit is designed particularly for southern climates. It might not be the best option if you live in the north.
The individual seeds in the Survival Seed Pack come vacuum packed and then sealed into a plastic bucket that will hold up to weather, rodents, moisture, and bugs. For best results, store your seed bucket in the refrigerator or freezer.
If you don’t plant out your seeds right away, you’ll want to trade this out with fresh seed every 3-5 years.
Last update on 2024-03-28 / Affiliate Links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Medicinal and Herbal Tea Garden Seed Collection
The Mountain Valley Seed Company has put together this comprehensive kit that includes all the essential medicinal herbs that you should include in your survival garden essential seeds.
The only issue with this kit is the packaging. Each variety comes in a traditional paper seed envelope.
If your plan is to store these Medicinal and Herbal Tea Garden seeds for long term storage, it is recommended that you put them into a sealed container before placing them in your freezer or refrigerator.
Last update on 2024-03-28 / Affiliate Links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
How do I store my survival seeds?
As we've mentioned, survival seeds are best kept in a cool, dry location. If you are hoarding your seeds for the indefinite future, consider freezing your survival seed stash.
If they only need to make it to the next planting season, the refrigerator will work fine.
When you are saving your own seed harvest, be sure to dry down your seeds appropriately. Treat them with activated charcoal powder or ash to prevent bugs or mold from damaging them.
Carefully package them in an airtight container before storing them in the fridge or freezer.
The Best Survival Garden Tools
Now that we’ve covered the best survival garden seeds, let’s take a thorough look at the best tools you will want to have on hand to comfortably work your survival garden.
As any tradesperson can tell you, any hard job is made easier by having the right tools. Survival gardening is no exception.
There is an endless variety of gardening tools on the market right now. It can be easy to think that you will need them all.
There's a lot of "fluff" out there though. Avoid wasting time, money, or garage space by buying tools you really won't use.
It makes more sense to invest in a few key tools that will help you get the job done.
Here’s a list of 10 essential garden tools you’ll want to have on hand for working in your survival garden.
The Garden Fork - Roamwild Multi-Digger Garden Digging Spading Fork
More than just a stereotypical pitchfork, a garden fork is the most essential multipurpose tool that you will want to have on hand for your survival garden.
These things are great for breaking up clods, weeding, loosening, and aerating the soil.
Last update on 2024-03-28 / Affiliate Links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Shovel - Berry & Bird Round Point Garden Shovel
Every home should have a shovel. In the survival garden, you will find it practical for opening up new beds, digging transplant holes, opening up ditches, and generally moving heavy loads from one place to another.
If you plant fruit or nut trees, or any kind of bushing plants in your survival garden, you will need some easy to use pruning shears. These will allow you to easily keep your plants in shape and productive.
What a fancy name for simple garden snips. These are important for pruning more delicate plants like tomatoes, herbs, and small shrubs. They are also useful for light pruning of larger plants.
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A spade - Dewit Dutch Digging Spade
A spade is like a shovel, but flat and squared off. These are practical for moving loads, scraping jobs (like lifting sod), or creating squared off holes or trenches.
Last update on 2024-03-28 / Affiliate Links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
A Hoe - Rogue 5 in. Lightweight Hoe
The hoe is fundamental for jobs like weeding long rows of crops or shaping planting beds. There are countless styles of hoes on the market, each one specialized for specific tasks.
Last update on 2024-03-28 / Affiliate Links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The Flat Rake - A.M. Leonard’s Bow Rake
These are great for gathering and piling up garden debris (or lawn clippings) but are also really useful in leveling out and shaping garden beds. You might even find that it is your favorite tool for forming planting furrows for delicate crops like lettuce and spinach.
Last update on 2024-03-28 / Affiliate Links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
A Wheelbarrow - WORX Aerocart Wheelbarrow
Wheelbarrows are useful for bringing in heavy harvests or moving around dirt, rocks, or other heavy loads. Every home should have one in their tool shed.
The particular model we recommend is more like the multitool of wheelbarrows. The design includes a dolly and has two no-flat wheels for added stability.
Last update on 2024-03-28 / Affiliate Links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Don’t be intimidated by the price of high quality tools for your survival garden. Consider the cost of tools an important investment in your ability to survive hard times. Go about investing in them one at a time as your budget allows.
The last thing you want after SHTF is for your shovel to split or your digging fork to lose its tines.
Tool heads can always be fitted out with a new sturdy handle, but only if it is of the highest quality metal. You want tools that you can sharpen, refit, and adapt long after the option to run out and buy a new one disappears.
If you want to start your home prepping, but don't have space for a full-blown survival garden, check out our guide on how to start an urban survival garden in limited space.
Survival Garden Seeds and Tools FAQs
Can I save seed from my survival harvests?
YES! Saving seed from your harvests is an important aspect of having a survival garden!
One of the most satisfying "chores" you will have as a survival gardener is processing your seed harvest and replenishing your seed stock for your next round of planting.
The reason why we stress that the best survival seeds should be ‘open pollinated’ is because that means you can harvest the seed. In an ideal world, you will never need to purchase survival seeds after the first time.
How long do garden seeds remain viable?
A good average is around 2 to 5 years. Honestly, it depends a lot on the type of seed you are saving and the conditions you are saving them in.
Systems like the seed vault can prolong the life of your seeds by providing the best storage conditions possible.
All the same, you will probably notice that after 10 years, the seeds you have hoarded in your freezer may not have as high a germination rate as fresh seeds.
Survival Garden Seeds and Tools Conclusions
Having the right survival seeds and homesteading garden tools for your survival garden are key factors in your post SHTF survival.
If your life depended on the food that you grow, and your ability to grow it, do you really want to take any chances?
Make the necessary investments now, so you can enjoy peace of mind in these uncertain times. Knowing that you have the right survival seeds stashed away, and the tools to be able to plant them, is priceless.
And if you are currently gardening, keep up the good work. We hope you find our suggestions helpful in your journey towards self-sufficiency!
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