Prepper Gardeners- what’s your prep look like?
Posted by KittyIsAn9ry@reddit | preppers | View on Reddit | 70 comments
I want to involve seeds (medicinal or veggie/fruit) in my prep, but I’m not really sure how much to include. Including plans for gardening might seem silly to some people, but I like the idea of being able to grow things if in desperate need. I already have a decent short term go bag, so no advice on how I should focus on that please 😅 this inquiry is for my “go off grid in case of dire emergency” bag. My questions about your prep are…
- What does your seed variety look like? How much of each plant? When are you going to replace them? (Do seeds even go “bad”?)
- Do you include other gardening items? If so, what do you include? Tools?
- Do you prep for poor soil conditions and soil testing or do you revert to something like hydroponics?
Thank you in advance! ❤️🌱
nvaus@reddit
Perennials. Fruit and nut trees, plants and flowers with edible tubers, alfalfa or clover on any vacant land that you want to be fertile and ready for farming in the future.
Mission_Reply_2326@reddit
Seeds lose viability 50% each year that passes. So out of 100 seeds saved from one year, 100 will sprout the first year, the second year only 50% will sprout, the next year only 25, etc. The way to save seeds is to actively garden and save seeds every year. In addition, the art of saving seeds and growing from seed is a skill that needs to be honed. Beans and corn are easy, in my opinion. But tomatoes, peppers, carrots? These are challenging in my experience. Some plants only make seeds once every two years- like onions. There’s a lot of details to learn and the way to do that is by gardening.
nvaus@reddit
Seeds kept in an airtight container with silica packets in your fridge will easily last 5+ years with almost no loss in viability.
Zestyclose_Isopod745@reddit
Thats just not true about seed viability loss. Every species is different and obviously it depends on environmental conditions. https://ucanr.edu/blog/under-solano-sun/article/vegetable-seed-viability
Mission_Reply_2326@reddit
It’s a general rule to go by.
KittyIsAn9ry@reddit (OP)
I chaotically threw some old seeds on one side of my garden bed this year and got lucky I think lol. Everything sprouted and they’re maybe 4-5 years old, but I suppose you would want to be more careful when prepper planning for longterm. But I am gardening right now, so that’s why I’m here trying to learn more! :) I hope to harvest my own seeds this year 🤞🏼
Foreign-Cookie-2871@reddit
You have to use the seeds every year yo maximise germination, so get varieties that you can collect and replant.
Basically, no hybrids and no "no seed" varieties.
TrilliumHill@reddit
Yes. Seeds go bad, but usually last 3 to 4 years. I either save seeds or rotate through seed packs.
If you're already gardening, I'm assuming you have the equipment you need. I don't buy much of anything anymore.
Chickens have really helped. I'll put grass clippings and wood chips in their run all year long, in the fall I shovel a couple inches off the top and put it on the raised beds, covered with wood chips.
Other than that, we freeze and can a lot. Electric pressure canner works wonders. For freezing, I put things on a rack in a sheet, then have a small battery powered fan and put it all in the freezer like a little blast freezer. Then transfer them to either Ziploc or vacuum sealed bags after they are frozen.
Processing tomatoes is always a chore, more just because of the volume. Some just get canned, some get turned into salsa, others go through the KitchenAid strainer and get made into sauce/paste and even ketchup.
Finally, we really enjoy asparagus. We can start picking it in spring when other things are just being planted. We still need to build a greenhouse to extend harvesting, but we are close to not having to buy vegetables from the store anymore. If that's not prepping, I don't know what is.
ItsNotGoingToBeEasy@reddit
My grandparents grew high carb food and winter tough veggies that grew well in their area, so get advice from your local state extension office about that. Theirs were carrots, turnips, spinach, kale, native berries, onions, corn. P.S. Herbs for medicine require a lot of knowledge, my great-grandmother was the local expert and her advice was a little goes a long way and measure every time. The family cultivated seeds for generations to be able to get some kind of known quantity for potency. If you haven't been studying it deeply -- do. Get seeds from someone who has grown for medicinal purposes. But maybe focus on topicals. I'd focus on flavoring and dry herbs for that. Great for trades.
P.S. Seeds do go bad. Keep them dry and in a tight container.
JRHLowdown3@reddit
Actually reading your OP it sounds like you are gardening regularly so you know the challenges and that "it's no cake walk anymore mehn!" (movie quote/joke).
The #1 thing folks should do getting started or "planning" to do grow, etc. is to get soil tested in the area(s) you plan to develop. This is the only way to get a baseline of what needs to be done with the soil. We have them for all our current growing areas as well as where a new orchard is going in, etc.
Getting your soil prepped is the next step, working with the recommendations from the soil test. This is going to give you a helluva lot more info than sticking a $20. "soil tester" (Ph tester) from Lowes in the ground once.
Seeds do go "bad", usually in a lot shorter time than people realize. Probably one of the top 5 reasons to grow a garden every year is to develop and MAINTAIN a good seed source adapted to your area. We found some pepper seeds we saved in 24 from before Helene, only 1 or 2 of them came up out of roughly 50..
Pulling some deep storage from another location, I found in an ammo can some truly OLD heirloom seeds from the late 90's. For funsies I chitted the seeds, not a single one of them was good still. I didn't EXPECT them to be, just did it for the science of preparedness 😄
Hydroponics sounds good but often times these systems require a lot more input than people realize, as well as management. Just like everyone has a "plan" to garden where they don't have to ever weed anything.... Sure.
Tools- a lot depends on the size of the plot but realistically "with enough shovels"... Several quality shovels, hoes, rakes would be the minimum I would want to garden with. Some flat files for sharpening. If you got big rocks in your area you may need bigger leverage tools- RR wrecking bar type stuff. A rototiller is very nice and cuts down on a lot of work, we have a Husqvarana with a Honda engine that has been great for almost 20 years now, same engine as on our log splitter so stocking spare parts is easier, be great if one of the gas generators had that same engine also but they don't.
Billboard vinyls- we got a friend that works in that industry. He gets us old billboard vinyl ads. These are heavy duty large vinyl tarps and will cover large areas- 10x40, 10x24, etc. We use these to cover areas to kill off weeds and grass before planting in those areas. Useful for a ton of stuff around the homestead.
We finally built a proper greenhouse last fall. This has been invaluable for both our odd growing seasons as well as preparing starts for the other garden areas this spring. We still have snow peas, carrots, onions, some spinach, brocolli coming in now in the greenhouse. Outside in our heat many of these wouldn't have lasted this long.
We will be adding more supplies like potting soil, as well as working on developing a mix of our own from compost/rabbit manure, mix of our soil, etc.
Haunting_Resolve@reddit
I don't think many people would disagree that gardening is a great prep. Having seeds in a bag for an emergency is not helpful. It can take up to five years just to grow a decent garden in your own backyard, and that is with access to stores with garden supplies and the Internet. Learning to garden after bugging out world be insane. It could be years before getting a decent crop.
StarlightLifter@reddit
Been gardening, poorly, for 2 going on 3 years.
It is harder than it looks.
righthandedlefty69@reddit
Five years here, finally finding a groove and still have so much to learn
jingleheimerstick@reddit
I’ve been gardening for over 20 years and I’m still learning. Started gardening in college in a single small hay bale next to my back door because I was too broke for groceries. I fed myself that semester and became hooked.
Capstonelock@reddit
Soil prep is key. Lots of organic matter and manure. Give the worms time to get into it, and check if local soils need any sort of amelioration like drainage/gypsum/lime added. Once it's nice and loamy and neutral pH, the plants practically grow themselves.
KittyIsAn9ry@reddit (OP)
Thank you for the feedback, I am currently gardening! That’s what prompted this question, I’m loving the gardening and the pay offs it has and it made me wonder if/how people incorporate it into their prep.
mediocre_remnants@reddit
For me, the knowledge of gardening is the most useful prep. Second would come seeds, most of which I save from the plants I grow, or from produce I get from grocery stores and farmers markets.
The selection of seeds you want to save will depend on your climate, soil type, what you actually like to eat, length of growing season, etc. There are too many factors to list. Someone in the northeastern US will have a completely different garden than someone in the southwestern US, for example, because the climates are so different.
But really, for me gardening is one of my main hobbies. I maintain 4 gardens on 4 separate properties. I do it because I enjoy it, and I like knowing where my food comes from, not purely as a prep. I also know a lot of other gardeners and farmers in the area and we're always swapping seeds and plants.
Zestyclose_Isopod745@reddit
I dont like veggie gardening but this is why im doing it. Only planting things i already eat a lot. Ive had 3? years of learning and thats using traditional methods. Next step is to reduce water usage and pests
Zestyclose_Isopod745@reddit
I just started reading this book called Survival Gardening. Don't know how legit it is yet.
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/survival-gardening-sam-coffman/1145652911
deport_racists_next@reddit
last year moved to a farm community with lots of locals selling produce at farmstands AND neighbors with freebies.
forget dirt digging for me, turns out we are better cooks than our neighbors and they like a cooked meal after toiling in their gardens - some call it barter, some call it being friendly - i call it symbiosis and am i grateful!
yours truly is taking delivery of a brand new electric pressure canner tomorrow - worried about rising meat prices and lack of freezer space for the extended family - so i'll be canning meats i get on sale this summer and veg this fall.
this hardens our extended families food supply this year and i'll be relaxing at the lake while others toil and harvest.
give me ingredients and i give you meals = we all eat
we aint hippy crazy enough to believe we don't need money - quite the opposite, i watch every nickle scream - but the usual economies we are used to are not serving us well anymore
time for some hybrid approaches.
one of my neighbor bottles their own wine - another grows weed.
they like to share.
i like it here.
Opportunity_Massive@reddit
Bartering is why we got into beekeeping. Honey has always been valuable! We have lots of farms around and also garden, too. I’m hoping honey could help us trade in a crazy future.
Gadgetman_1@reddit
And the wax?
Good for all kinds of things. Candles, lubricating zippers, sealing jars waterproofing paper to wrap food in...
deport_racists_next@reddit
I've thought about getting into that also. Maybe next year after we are more settled.
Opportunity_Massive@reddit
Btw your user name is 💯
KittyIsAn9ry@reddit (OP)
Agreed 💯💯
KittyIsAn9ry@reddit (OP)
You sound like you’re living in a paradise 🥰 if shit hit the fan, you are SET lol. The canning meat is very intimidating for me, I’ll eat it, but canning it yourself seems kind of scary! I am considering getting a dehydrator to dip my toes in, do you already do other forms of canning, like with veggies and fruit?
Ingawolfie@reddit
Get some books on canning and scour yard and estate sales for the equipment. Practice canning fruits and jams and jellies first before you move to meats and vegetables that require pressure canning.
Fast_Entrepreneur774@reddit
Since seeds do lose germination rates over time, I try not to "overstock" them in a prep too much. If you are interested in learning how to save your own seeds, look into "heirloom" varieties of plants like tomatoes. It does take a bit of extra effort to save your own seed, but in the long run it may be worth it. Some garden plants are difficult to save seed from at all.
I would also recommend looking into perennial foods that grow in your zone. I have recently discovered Lovage, a perennial that is similar in flavor to celery/parsley. Celery is an annual in my area and it would not be possible for me to save seed from it if I couldn't order it. The lovage easily replaces most of what I use celery for and I don't have to replant it. I know in warmer zones kale can be a perennial plant as well. It really just depends on what grows well in your area.
BaldyCarrotTop@reddit
I also am an active gardener. Been one for 15 years. Lately I've been researching self seeding and genetically stable plants. Garlic can be regrown by saving a couple of bulbs from one year and using their cloves for the next season. You can gather seeds from onions, Black Beauty Zucchini, Patty Pan squash, Trombonecino squash and Scarlet runner beans as these are genetically stable. Strawberries propagate by runners. A plant can produce for 5 years. Then you pull it up. By then it has produced its replacement several times over.
These are the ones that I've discovered so far.
funke75@reddit
The bulk of My garden focuses on the vegetables we normally eat (tomatoes, bell peppers, squash, green beans, etc.) this both ensures access to what we normally eat and offsets grocery costs
This year we also expanded to include herbs, as well as more perennial fruits and vegetables (blueberries, hardy kiwi, strawberries, asparagus) in addition to the fruit trees in our orchard.
Not exactly medicinal but I’m also trying some utility plants this year (luffa and two types of large gourds.
I’m also planning on trying a smaller patch (12x12) of black beans and heirloom dent corn this year. Not exactly enough to feed a family but potentially enough to save seeds in case we need to plow up some of the yard for more serious production in the near future.
mzanon100@reddit
Avid gardener here.
I don't really garden with prepping in mind. But if I were to plan a "prep garden" (i.e., emphasizing maximum calories, not maximum beauty, variety, or taste), I would focus on cowpeas, maize, and potatoes. And perhaps alfalfa (as fertilizer or animal feed). Cowpeas in particular give huge yields with zero fertilizer nor pesticide.
buddymoobs@reddit
If you are into hardening and doing it well, look up hugelkultur. You don't need all the bullshit from garden centers. It just takes a while to get it going. Your HOA might not like it in your front yard though.
KittyIsAn9ry@reddit (OP)
I didn’t know it was called that!!! I have seen people online doing that to create their soil from scratch and I definitely want to try it. My only thing is, wouldn’t you have to be careful with what you put in there? Like are certain woods toxic and can that impact the veg you grow? Those were my concerns, but I haven’t deep dived into it yet
buddymoobs@reddit
Yeah, there are certain wood types you don't want in there. My spousal unit is the expert. I know black walnut is a no-no.
keigo199013@reddit
It's not a silly idea at all. After several years, seeds are not as viable.
Since you already garden, you're actively building the skills needed. I'd work on seed saving from what you grow currently, and rainwater harvesting (if allowed in your area) to maintain in the event of grid down.
ResolutionMaterial81@reddit
Currently do not have a garden (other than plants such as Basil grown in an Aerogarden indoors, also have several Aerogardens of various sizes); but have grown several successful gardens in the past, just not recently.
Have everything from long term storage seeds (including several varieties of TPS), potting soil, indoor growing bags, LED Grow Lamps, fertilizer, wide variety of gardening tools, etc to a 28 hp 4WD Diesel Tractor, spare parts, various implements & 1,000+ gallons of stabilized diesel. Also have several acres suitable for a garden at my rural home.
But have sizable Short/Medium Term Pantries along with substantial amounts of Long Term Storage Foods (Wheat Berries & Freeze Dried), so I can go years before needing to start a garden.
canoegal4@reddit
I focus on perennial vegetables, fruits, nuts and herbs because they come back every year without having to buy seeds
KittyIsAn9ry@reddit (OP)
Yes!!! I juuuust started thinking about that, but I’m not sure how that works for crop rotation, because isn’t the point of the crop rotation is that you replace the plant with something else to help amend the soil? For perennials, do you just pick companions plants and then let them live their best lives together every season? Love perennial plants, it’s on my to do list for my fall crops to test some out
canoegal4@reddit
Some plants like the perennial pea bush doesn't need that. But oithers like the perennial celery do bennifits but you can plant perennial herbs around that to help.
KittyIsAn9ry@reddit (OP)
That’s a smart idea! I have some peas in the same bed with chives, carrots ,and cilantro and they seem to be growing together nicely. Do you grow herbs for cooking or more for medicinal purposes?
canoegal4@reddit
I grow herbs for both
crayyarccray@reddit
- Various seeds but hundreds of each and I can harvest seeds from fruit/vegetables anyways so essentially endless. I replace them every two years or so. They DO go bad if you don't store them properly but I don't take the chance.
- Tools I have 2 of each basically. 3 sets of lights for seedlings/germination. Warming pads. Containers, trays, etc.
- Nope, not at all. I just amend soil and apply fertilizer. That's it.
KittyIsAn9ry@reddit (OP)
For your tools, do you do two sets of full size gardening tools or just mini versions? Are you warming pads and lights set up for solar?
For the soil testing, you might just have that green thumb knowledge because I do not know how to look at soil and immediately know how to amend it 😅
crayyarccray@reddit
Full sets in plastic containers to protect them from the elements.
They're not solar but they're LED lights and the warming pads draw 18 or 30 watts. Not much so a power bank or my generator which can power the house is fine.
I use potting soil as a base and amend as needed based upon what I'm growing. Add in fertilizer every week or two.
I.e. tomatoes I know will need lots of nutrients and drainage. Blueberries need peat moss for acidity. Strawberries need drainage so less vermiculite. Same for cucumbers. Everything gets worm castings mixed in.
KittyIsAn9ry@reddit (OP)
Ahh that makes sense, I’m going to look into that! I haven’t done a lot of winter planting, but it definitely makes sense for like longterm to have lights and some sort of heat source.
If potting soil weren’t readily available, how would you test your soil?
crayyarccray@reddit
Honestly, I wouldn't. I reuse potting soil and amend with fertilizer, peat moss, or vermiculite as needed each year. Never had an issue. All my growing is in pots or bags. I have pots along a retaining wall on my property with a homemade watering system.
KittyIsAn9ry@reddit (OP)
Sounds like you really know your stuff, I can’t wait to learn more about adjusting/amending soil and actually feel comfortable doing it. Right now, I think I’m over amending, where it’s a lot all at once.
iambecomesoil@reddit
I think seeds are next to pointless unless you are an active avid gardener. Half of the stuff you try to grow might not do well where you are without significant amendment or just at all, ever.
I don't grow blueberries because they really just hate the conditions here. They failed a few times, I moved on.
Potatoes do well, tomatoes, squash, corn. All with irrigation (which I can provide by hand if necessary) Garlic, onions, etc.
Then you need to learn what kind of pest load your area has, how you can deal with that, now and long term if under duress.
If you think you are going to go in the woods with a backpack of seeds and get somewhere...I mean if you are lucky with the season when it happens, and you can get a spot that has good soil, adequate moisture or water to irrigate...it months away from any amount of food.
You'd probably be better off carrying books on foraging that area and hunting, IMO.
KittyIsAn9ry@reddit (OP)
I just purchased some books on foraging, I am very excited!! And yes, I am gardening currently, so not a beginner necessarily. I think the one thing I hadn’t thought of is longterm pest control, but wouldn’t companion planting help take care of most of that?
I’m excited to see what fails growing this year, just to see if I can learn from my mistakes.
iambecomesoil@reddit
I would not say most. I would say if you gardened for 30 years in the same location and worked tirelessly maybe you'd have some success in some portions with companion planting.
Again though, the point is that you will become something of a beginner again if you have to go off and live somewhere remote.
KittyIsAn9ry@reddit (OP)
That’s very true and the starting over is scary, but maybe necessary depending on the circumstance. That’s why I want to learn more about foraging as well, it would be useful to be able to live off the land in that way until you’ve become established enough to plant stuff.
Financial_Resort6631@reddit
Look up: companion planting, permaculture, and composting for planning.
Permies.com
You do need lots of variety of herbs, plants, bushes, and trees. Think what forests look like and copy that.
Tools, compost bing, small spade, gardening gloves, shears,
No just compost. The only testing you need to do is grab a handful and squeeze your hand. If it retains the shape of your hand but crumbles easily and is biologically active (bugs) you are good.
You need nitrogen fixers and rotate crops.
KittyIsAn9ry@reddit (OP)
Yes, I am currently researching all of those things! For your variety, do you go based on off local plants or do you plan according to what you know you’ll need? I’d like to do both ideally, but curious about what you do.
Noted on that soil trick, I haven’t heard of that, so thank you so much!
Financial_Resort6631@reddit
Yeah I go off of what grows really well in my grow region and I really do stuff that deer won’t eat. It does me no good if I can’t harvest it.
KittyIsAn9ry@reddit (OP)
I didn’t think about deer, but I suppose they’re the largest pest you might experience (other than maybe a bear?) I am curious about how people used to prevent larger wildlife from eating things, just because building a fence might not be an option. I suppose a fishing net could double as fencing in a pinch.. maaaybe.
Own-Swan2646@reddit
Seeds, tools, and good dirt/compost
KittyIsAn9ry@reddit (OP)
Yes and what do you use for those categories?
hoardac@reddit
We grow a lot of food. Keep extra seeds on hand (stuff we plant every year) and rotate them out every few years. Extra fertilizer, manure and a giant pile of mulch. Extra fungicides and pesticides. We use them sparingly but some pests are relentless and invasive. I am not going to lose a whole crop of something because of bugs or bacteria. You should get your soil prepped even if your are not ready to grow food right now. I would figure out what grows well in your area and what you like to eat. You should try and grow a few things there is quite a curve to growing stuff the first few times.
KittyIsAn9ry@reddit (OP)
Hmmm extra fert, mulch, and manure is an interesting idea! I’m not sure I have the space for that, but you make a good point. What fungicides/pesticides do you use? I am currently experimenting with a TON of plants this year (I chaos gardened), so we’ll see what sticks!
ChoppedUnc-SF@reddit
After a lot of failed experiments, I came to the conclusion that I cannot be a subsistence farmer in my backyard. Nor do I want to be. But some things have stuck:
- chickens for eggs (super easy)
- potatoes (the only realistic staple food to grow on a small plot)
- various kinds of subtropical fruit (lemons, loquats, figs, table grapes, plums)
The latter is kind of unique so we sell/trade them sometimes. I'll grow some other stuff here and there each year, but I've changed focus to supporting local farms, e.g. I know where to get food that's not shipped halfway around the world off season.
KittyIsAn9ry@reddit (OP)
I cannot WAIT to have chickens (or quail), they just require more room than I can currently provide. I’m surprised subtropical fruits stuck, that seems ever harder to grow than potatoes or lettuce 😂 so good for you!
Eredani@reddit
My experience with gardening was that it was a lot of time, effort and money for some veggies that were a lot cheaper at the grocery store.
So, as a hobby it's great. As a money saver it did not work out for me. Your results may vary.
Yes, it would be great to have some supplemental food during an emergency but the learning curve is steep, the lead time is long, the yield is low, and a garden presents a target and a risk in some situations.
Having said all that, the only crop that really makes sense to me is potatoes. Possibly carrots, onions and/or tomatoes.
KittyIsAn9ry@reddit (OP)
Completely agree about the potatoes comment. Potatoes, onions, carrots, are all great options. Tomatoes can be finicky, but I would maybe attempt those as well. But yes, potatoes would likely be the most logical thing to grow to sustain someone longterm. If Matt Damon can do it on Mars, so can we!
Bored_Acolyte_44@reddit
Gardening isn't a prep you have or keep around, it's a discipline and practice that needs constant exercise to keep up. It is a years long process of learning.
You don't put it in a go-bag, you do it, every single day. Because if you don't, nothing will be ready when you need it, and there is no amount of SHTF gardening that will cover the gap between a supply chain drop and an edible harvest without literal years of work beforehand.
KittyIsAn9ry@reddit (OP)
I seem to be getting this quite a bit, I guess I should have included it in my post, but I am currently a gardener, learning and growing things and that’s why I am hear trying to learn more by asking questions.
fenuxjde@reddit
As an experienced gardener, incorporating gardening into your preps is wise, but be warned, you need to be very good at crop rotation, harvesting, storage, and you need about an acre per person if you intend to "live off the land".
KittyIsAn9ry@reddit (OP)
Yes, space and number of plants to feed the family is definitely an issue currently (I do NOT have an acre right now lol I am raised bed gardening in my backyard.) I am planning to start crop rotation this fall, nervous, but my summer garden is very happy so far so I have hope I can do it. The harvesting and storage are where I get nervous, just because not storing or sealing things properly leads to spoilage and a waste of goods. What types of storage do you utilize for longterm?
Derfel60@reddit
I already do gardening so i save seeds from one year and use them the next year, then the next year i do the same thing. Same with equipment, i already have it.
I assume youre wanting to just buy a bunch of seeds and tools and stick them in storage then learn to garden on the fly when you have to. That WILL NOT WORK. You wont know when to plant what, how to deal with pest pressure, if you can even grow what you want to in your climate, your varieties wont be acclimatised, and you wont know how to store what you grow effectively. Its a complete non-starter hoping you can just put seeds in soil and get food a few months later.
Lets take last year as an example. I decided to try and grow some sweet potatoes, so i bought some plugs and put them in soil and they seemingly grew fine if slowly. When i went to harvest them i had a few stringy tubers that were thinner than my finger. Thats fine now, i can just buy sweet potatoes instead, but if i was relying on them for sustenance id be dead. I also decided to try carrots. I probably planted 300 carrot seeds all told, some i started indoors in a seed tray and some were direct sown. I got 0 carrots. Not one. Again, if i was relying on them id be dead. Other crops ive had fail over the years include beetroot, black beans, onions, kidney beans, strawberries, and peppers. You have to learn what works in your soil, climate, schedule and with your pests.
KittyIsAn9ry@reddit (OP)
I forgot to mention that I am currently gardening and that is what prompted this question. I promise I am not going in blind!
Fn_Spaghetti_Monster@reddit
Sweet potatoes tips.
Buy a sweet potato (you can buy fancy one but if you are looking for production
Put it in water for a few weeks, you'll get little green shoots (Slips)
Pluck the slips and put them in some water and they will start to grow roots Pant those. You'll easily get 4-6+ slips off a single sweet potatoes.
Carrots I built a cover from some old screen a scrap wood. I cover the seeds when I first plant them. Carrots have a fairly long germination plant so you want to try and keep them from drying out for the first couple of weeks.
Also 100% agree with you learning your soil. I move about 10 mi east of my previous house and some stuff that grew great there has struggled here. It's crazy how different the soil is. I swear we get less rain even, but that could be Phoenix in general getting less rain.