Self Sufficiency Toolkit
Growing a
Garden
Growing food is one of the fundamentals of survival. This is filler text. This is filler text. This is filler text. This is filler text. This is filler text. This is filler text. This is filler text. This is filler text. This is filler text. This is filler text. This is filler text. This is filler text. This is filler text.
Tier
What Is Gardening?
Gardening is something like the “hobby” version of farming. Some garden for food. Some garden for flowers. Some garden for fun. No matter your reasons, you’ll inevitably realize additional benefits. Growing a garden is a return to your human roots, after all.
Why Gardening?
Gardening is an essential skill for self-sufficiency. Green thumbs feed the world. There’re also pretty fun to develop once you get started.
I don’t claim to be an expert on anything I write about.
Hell, I hardly claim to be an expert on myself. 😂😂😂
These breakdowns are largely for me. I use them to record and reference. Unlike most others on this site though, this goal setting page might actually be useful to the outside observer.
No promises. You can tell me.
Real-World Provider
Growing a garden is one of those hard skills that has a practical purpose. Those who grow contribute to society.
Hands in the Dirt
Growing a garden is a grounding experience. Getting your hands dirty is good for you, in more ways than one.
Down to Earth
Growing a garden is a grounding experience.
Natural Sacrifice
Put in sweat now, reap the benefits later. In this way, gardening grounds you in the true nature of our reality.
Value Time & Opportunity
The seasons pass whether you take advantage of them or not.
There’s a lot that goes into choosing the right goals for you. Here’s a quick look at what the goal-setting journey has been like for me.
Learn with Me
I’m still a novice at this one.
I’ve only been gardening for a few seasons so far.
I’ve had decent success so far. But my thumb can still get a lot greener. There is still a long way to go in my gardening journey. Who knows, I may even become a farmer.
I’ve done goal setting exercises of all types. They are one of the most important tools I use to improve my life.
Over the years, my process has evolved.
Nowadays, I have a solid list of life goals that I revisit periodically. I break those down into yearly, quarterly, monthly, and weekly goals. I use a variety of different frameworks and love to try new goal setting methods.
My goals are how I make my life, as seen on This Site.
My Experience
I’m climbing my way toward mastery.
More than anything, I just need a few more years.
I already have a fairly sophisticated system. I already have a fairly sophisticated system. But for me, figuring out what I really want takes reps.
I use my goals to carve out a life purpose.
Points of emphasis respond to change in both me and in the world. But all the while, they pull me forward.
I create goals then mold my character to the traits that those objectives require. My goals help me discover the man I need to be so that I can do the things I want to do.
So far, they’ve served me well. Long may it continue.
- Importance – 95%
- Passion – 95%
- Mastery – 85%
Journey Started: ≈2010
Self-Sufficiency Tool
Goals are fundamental. They are an essential pillar of a good life. Without them, it’s easy to get blown to and fro by the winds of the world.
Where Growing Food Fits in the Game of Life
Gardening is one of the biggest pieces of the Self Sufficiency puzzle.
For me, it’s a “Tier 3” concept, combining with Livestock and others to form Homesteading.
It is also one of the precurssors to Cooking.
1. Self Sufficiency
‣ 2. Gardening
3. Good Soil
3. Scheduling
4. Growth Zones
4. Seasonal Crops
4.
3. Maintenance
3.
3. Market Gardening
Sufficiency Habit Rank
Videos Watched
Mentions on My Site
Books Read
Pulling Threads: A Lion Chasing Rabbits
What the hell is This Site, exactly? A pointless stream of consciousness? A fanboy's ode to his Heroes? A psycho's Favorite topics? All three? Or maybe, it's just the result of a lion chasing rabbits. You might LOL... but this is how it works: I am destined to be the...
Creating a Garden That Enriches Your Life
For goal setting newbies:
Let’s start with the best advice up front.
Just get started.
You can’t set effective goals until you’ve done it before. Like most things, you’ll suck the first few times. Eventually though, you might discover things about yourself you never knew.
The first step is to write your goals down.
If you don’t have a Journaling habit, it’s time you started one.
To borrow a personal growth cliché:
“Goals not written down are just dreams.” (Les Brown?)
They say there is a magic in putting pen to paper. Many shy away. But for success, it’s a small price to pay. When you take your future seriously, you no longer see things like goal setting as a chores.
Instead, you’ll find that your goals help you chart a path. As you grow into the person capable of achieving your goals, you’ll then map out higher ones.
So begins the climb toward Achievement.
Once you commit, there are a variety of ways to get started.
I pull my inspiration from Brendon Burchard, Vishen Lakhiani, Tony Robbins, and my other Favorite Coaches. Each has their own spin and plenty to teach.
Again, it’s easier once you’ve done it before. Eventually, you’ll find what works for you.
How to Grow a Garden Step-By-Step
01
Identify Climate
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02
Develop Soil
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03
Planting
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04
Maintenance
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05
Harvesting
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06
Off-Season Care
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Remember: just start. The first time you put your goals on paper, you’re closer to achieving your dreams than 90% of the population.
My Favorite Gardening Videos
Everything you need to learn about goals is online.
I’m no high performance titan. I stand on the shoulders of giants. I simply listen to what my Heroes say and apply it. Not everything sticks. But enough does to make a lasting impact.
Data
Dump
One of the main purposes of This Site is to catalog my learnings. I’m not that learned. But I’m working on becoming moreso. If you see a “data dump” on this site, you’re looking at unsorted information. It may be related or completely unrelated, depending on the topic.
5 Vegetables That Are TOO Easy to Grow
How to Start Beekeeping
The Secret to Buying Off Grid Land
5 Vegetables You Can Overwinter
Apple Tree Grafting for Beginners
Crops You Can Start in August
Top 10 Vegetables to Plant in September
How To Use Neem Oil to Control Pests & Diseases
10 Organic Ways to Control Pests in the Garden
Nature's Always Right Backyard Market Garden
Nature's Always Right Market Garden Update
No Water. Now Weeds. No Tilling.
Plant Nutrition 101: All Plant Nutrients & Deficiencies
Fix Leggy Seedlings
How To Grow Your Own Salsa 🌶
How To Plant, Prune, & Irrigate Fruit Trees
How We Raise a Year's Worth of Meat
5 Reasons to Keep Chickens
The Cute & Ugly About Keeping Ducks
What Plant Hardiness Zones Don't Tell you
9 Beginner Gardening Mistakes
A Forest Garden with 500 Edible Plants
Grow 500% More Vegetables in 5 Times Less Space
Raised Bed Gardens for Beginners
How to Build a Raised Garden Bed
What Happened To My Steel Raised Beds
Why I Switched to Raised Beds
How to Fill, Fertilize, Plant, & Mulch a Raised Bed
How to Build Cheap, DIY Raised Beds in Under 30 Min
How to Fill a Raised Bed & Save 60%
Hugelkultur Style Raised Bed
8 Raised Bed Gardening Tips
9 Raised Bed Mistakes to Avoid
Raised
Beds
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Individual
Plants
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10 Vegetables You Should Always Grow
50+ Plants I'm Growing in My Spring Garden
Overwintering Peppers
5 Reasons Cucumbers Become Deformed or Misshapen
6 Watermelon Growing Mistakes to Avoid
How To Grow Anaheim/New Mexico Chili Peppers
Anaheim Pepper Harvest
Harvesting Poblano Peppers
5 Reasons Cucumbers Become Deformed or Misshapen
Complete Guide to Growing Lots of Tomatoes
The Definitive Guide to Growing Garlic
Plants You Can Intercrop with Tomatoes
The Three Sister Method - Corn, Squash, & Beans
How To Grow Corn - Complete Growing Guide
5 Tips to Grow a Ton of Sweetcorn in One Raised Bed
5 Fruit Tress That Are Too Easy to Grow
Harvesting Onions & How to Tell When They're Ready
This Technique of Tying Up Tomatoes Will Change Your Life
3 Vertical Ways to Grow Cucumbers & Save Space
I Grew 235 lbs of Potatoes in 200 Sq Ft without Watering
Spank Your Tomatoes for Bigger Harvests
What Happens When You Bury Kitchen Scraps?
14 Organic Fertilizers & How to Use Them
Worm Composting... Underground?! Subpod Review
Vermicomposting the Easy Way
How To Amend Your Soil for Fall
How To Prepare Garden for Fall and Winter
6 Different Ways to Compost Wherever You Live
Compost &
Fertilizer
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The Business
of Growing
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Earning Over $80K a Year on 1.5 Acres
How To Quit Your Job and Start Farming
Top 10 High Profit Crops to Become a Millionaire
He Built This Garden in a Year for ~$1000
Nature's Always Right Backyard Market Garden
Nature's Always Right Market Garden Update
How To Start a No Dig Garden Start to Finish
Compost &
Fertilizer
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How I Use Gardening to Become more Self Sufficient
If you haven’t noticed, I take this stuff seriously.
You don’t have to do it like me. But maybe you wanna know. So I guess I’ll tell you. You might have picked some of it up by reading through this page or clicking on some of the links.
I’ll spell it all out here.
The Tomato King
When you set goals like this, it becomes a spiritual thang. Self Awareness is my fave. 🤩 It might be the best tool for sorting out things like your “heart’s desire” or “life purpose.” And when you get it right, your goals become your destiny. Predict your own success, then take responsibility. You’ll be able to look back and say “Called it, b!tch.” 😏
Bullet Journal, Save Us
I pretty much put my entire life in my Bullet Journal. It’s a straight up lifesaver. More than that though: for me, it’s a life maker. Bullet journals let you create your own dynamic layouts that are perfect for goal setting. I create new layouts every year as I learn and my needs develop. Without it, I don’t know how I would be able to plan as I do.
Turning Big Rocks Into Little Rocks
Each year, I revisit and revise my life goals. I add and subtract as needed then build out a yearly plan based on that. I break those down into monthly targets, to be reviewed and updated each quarter throughout the year. Finally, I use weekly and daily journal layouts to plan and track the individual tasks that need to get done day to day.
Day Dreaming with Homework
I approach goal setting with a “shoot for the moon” mentality. I’m all about bringing imagination into it. But that has to be anchored with tracking and review. I basically create worksheets for myself. They range from daily To Do Lists to monthly project planning to financial dashboards. Together, they help me identify what gets results for me.
Sharing is Caring
If you haven’t noticed, I like to share my goals. 😁 It’s good for you. I even try to set up group goal setting activities when I can. (See: First Mastermind) Support and accountability are underrated. Masterminds provide both. Beyond that, I like to announce my goals to the world because I’m a sh!t talker and it motivates me to do live up to my words.
Favorite Coaches
Favorite Teachers
Favorite Entrepreneurs
My Gardening Posts
Becoming Legendary: My 2022 Goals
I'm fairly confident 2022 is going to be the most successful year of my life so far. I'm writing this post to help guarantee that. Obviously, I can't control the future. But I can set intentions and create a plan of action. That's what Goal Setting is all about. So...
Setting the New 20s Off Right: My 2020 Goals
New Year's Resolutions get a bad wrap. It's not their fault though. It's yours. The truth is: The beginning of the year is a perfect time for a reset. You have to execute though. Do it right and this year could be the best year you've ever had. No guarantees. Because,...
![How to Become a Morning Person [Life-Changing Habit #1]](https://zachbradshaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/How-to-Become-a-Morning-Person-and-Stop-Being-a-Night-Owl-400x250.png)
How to Become a Morning Person [Life-Changing Habit #1]
Becoming a "morning person" has changed my life. Only time will tell, but it could go down as a top five factor to my future success. Learning how to wake up early wasn't easy. Until the second half of 2018, I've been a notoriously late sleeper. It started as a kid: I...
Becoming Legendary: My 2022 Goals
I'm fairly confident 2022 is going to be the most successful year of my life so far. I'm writing this post to help guarantee that. Obviously, I can't control the future. But I can set intentions and create a plan of action. That's what Goal Setting is all about. So...
Setting the New 20s Off Right: My 2020 Goals
New Year's Resolutions get a bad wrap. It's not their fault though. It's yours. The truth is: The beginning of the year is a perfect time for a reset. You have to execute though. Do it right and this year could be the best year you've ever had. No guarantees. Because,...
How to Become a Morning Person [Life-Changing Habit #1]
Becoming a "morning person" has changed my life. Only time will tell, but it could go down as a top five factor to my future success. Learning how to wake up early wasn't easy. Until the second half of 2018, I've been a notoriously late sleeper. It started as a kid: I...
Setting Goals for 2019
I have mixed feelings about New Year's Resolutions. I don't believe in waiting to make changes. I think it makes more sense to try to grow everyday. Create good new habits. Erase the negative old ones. Do it all the time. However, I find that measurement is...
My Top 3 High Performance Coaches
"YouTube University" has brought many a life-optimizer across my path. These three are my favorite high performance coaches.
So, You Think You Want to Become Self Sufficient?
Nice little subtitle for the win. Nice little subtitle for the win. Nice little subtitle for the win. Nice little subtitle for the win. or the win.
Self Sufficiency Toolkit
Top Self Sufficiency Links