Ready to Grow? Here's Everything You Need to Know About Starting Your Victory Garden

Author:
Julie Bawden-Davis
Apr 14, 2020

When I pick homegrown produce from my yard and share it with family and friends, I’m often reminded of my Great Grandma Rose’s victory garden. Thanks to her green thumb, her household and neighborhood enjoyed plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables back in the 1940s.

What is a victory garden?

Courtesy National WWI Museum and Memorial

Victorygardens, also called war gardens or food gardens for defense, were vegetable, fruit and herb gardens planted at private residences and public parks in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Germany during World War I and World War II.

For Americans, victory gardens offered a way to contribute to the war effort on the home front. Through propaganda and posters, the government encouraged Americans to grow their own food to take pressure off the food supply chain. Farmers focused on growing essentials, while ordinary citizens grew produce in their own gardens, vacant lots, school yards and parks.

When were the first victory gardens planted?

Victory gardens first began during World War I. President Woodrow Wilson assigned Herbert Hoover as head of the U.S. Food Administration. His job was to oversee the country’s food distribution, storage, importing and exporting.

In order to avoid wartime rationing, Hoover began a campaign to encourage Americans to grow their own produce. He urged consuming less and producing more, as well as living simply. This spawned the term Hooverizing—the very early motivation for today's #MeatlessMonday.

What was the purpose of the victory garden?

Hoover’s campaign, known as "Food Will Win the War,” helped feed Americans at home and those affected by famine in Europe. During World War I, Europe experienced a food crisis when agricultural workers joined the war effort and farms became battlefields. In addition to feeding American citizens, produce grown in U.S. victory gardens during World War I was exported to feed European allies and American soldiers.

Victory gardens of World War II

When the U.S. entered World War II in 1941, the country had just come out of the Great Depression. To help support the war effort, commercial crops were once again directed overseas. The U.S. government began food rationing, including limiting use of canned fruits and vegetables. This prompted the second large-scale victory garden movement.

In addition to growing produce in traditional garden areas, Americans began planting victory gardens in any space they could find. This included in window boxes, on apartment rooftops and in pots on small patios. Eleanor Roosevelt, despite protests from the Department of Agriculture, planted a victory garden on the White House lawn.

How many victory gardens were there?

Twenty million victory gardens were planted in the early 1940s. By 1943, these garden plots produced 40 percent of vegetables consumed in the U.S. Estimates report that victory gardens produced 9-10 million tons of homegrown veggies.

During that time, neighborhoods and communities banded together to teach garden newbies about homegrown gardening. The Department of Agriculture produced pamphlets containing helpful gardening articles.

How much space do you need for a victory garden?

Your ancestors may have gardened on large plots of land, but the good news is, you can plant a victory garden just about anywhere. Work with whatever space you have. This could be a balcony or patio or even a kitchen windowsill or well-lit home. If you have unused space in your yard, even better. Convert any space into a victory garden. Add raised beds and containers to your yard. You can even create a garden bed on concrete.

How to plan a victory garden?

Since the opportunities are limitless as to where you can plant, it’s fun and easy to make your victory garden plan. To start, follow these steps:

Identify the various areas throughout your home and yard where you could plant and grow produce

Look for areas that get bright to medium light throughout the day and good air circulation. Some plants require full sun, while others can take some shade. Generally, very dark locations aren’t a good spot for a garden.

Make a list of vegetables and fruits your family enjoys eating

Also indicate how much of each type of vegetable you regularly consume. If you eat a lot of corn or tomatoes, for instance, you’ll want to leave space to grow plenty of cornstalks and tomato vines. You’ll also want to plant more of the vegetables and fruits you intend on canning and freezing.

Determine your growing zone

To do so, enter your ZIP code into the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s plant hardiness zone map. This will help you choose the right plants for your climate.

Buy seed or plants

When choosing plants and seed, consider the season. You want to plant spring and summer plants in late winter and spring, for instance. Also pay careful attention to the days to harvest on seed packets. This lets you know how long it will be before you can expect to be eating produce from the seeds you plant. For instance, it can take 40-60 days or longer for some seeds to grow produce ready for harvest. Also note the sun exposure each type of plant requires.

Prepare your planting site

While you’re waiting for the seeds to germinate or the plants to arrive, prepare your planting area. Fill containers with soil. When doing so, make sure planting pots have drainage holes. Cover the holes with fine mesh or wire to keep the soil in.

Work in-ground planting sites

Use a shovel or tiller to break up soil for planting. While working the soil, remove all weeds. Also check drainage. Dig a hole in the area and fill it with water. It should drain within an hour. If it doesn’t, you will need to amend the area with compost and dig more until it drains well.

What Should You Plant in a Victory Garden?

When choosing your plants for your victory garden, besides picking your favorites, consider starting with easy-to-grow herbs and vegetables. Having luck from the outset makes it a lot more likely you’ll continue to garden.

The following crops are easy to grow. Some produce more quickly than others:

Arugula
Beans
Corn (Easy to grow, but takes some time to mature.)
Cucumber
Edible flowers like nasturtiums
Herbs like dill, parsley, rosemary, thyme, basil, mint
Eggplant
Kale
Okra
Onion
Peas
Pepper
Potatoes
Pumpkin (Takes time to mature.)
Radish
Sunflower (You can let the flower go to seed and harvest the seeds.)
Swiss Chard
Sprouts and microgreens (Great for indoor growing.)
Strawberry
Tomato
Watermelon (Takes time to mature.)
Zucchini and other squash

Enjoy Your Victory Garden

While growing a victory garden is certainly a good thing when it comes to producing tasty, healthy produce, it’s also a fun activity. Growing a victory garden is a healthy hobby that gives you the opportunity to get some fresh air and sunshine and relieve stress.

Keep in mind that if you’re new to gardening, it may take you a little while to get the hang of gardening produce for consumption. Your first harvest might not be as large as what you buy in the grocery store, but it’s sure to taste much better.

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