Posts Tagged ‘survival-garden’

3 Herbs To Try in Your Survival Garden

As spring approaches, time draws closer to gardening. This year, take the big step and grow some herbs. Listed below is a random list of just a few that are easy for beginners and great for your culinary dishes. Not only are they  delicious in your culinary concoctions, but they also have medicinal purposes as well. These are the ones I felt like discussing today, and as time allows, I’ll talk about more.

Garlic – Garlic is easy to plant and to grow. The individual cloves are used as seeds. One ‘clove’ of garlic will grow a ‘bulb’ of garlic. The cloves should be planted individually, and they like a lot of sun. They are ‘winter’ hardy so generally planting is done in the fall before the first frost. But garlic can also be planted early in the spring as well, with the difference being that the final bulb size will be less due to the fact that they start to bulb at a certain time in the summer, no matter what. We’ve all heard garlic is good for you, but do you really know why? Recent Scientific findings have shown that garlic raises HDL cholesterol, lowers LDL cholesterol, offers anti-oxidant protection to cell membranes and inhibits cancer cell formation.

How to grow Garlic? Plant individual cloves, root side down, in 2 inch deep holes, about 8 inches apart. Ideally planted near the Autumn equinox (Sep), but very early spring is okay. Harvest when most of the lower leaves have turned brown (don’t wait for all the leaves to turn brown).

Ginger – Many of us already use fresh ginger in our cooking. If you don’t, please give it a try! Ginger can also be grown in a pot as many herbs can. They grow up to 2 to 3 feet tall in height, but they also have a nice ‘tropical’ look. Ginger is commonly used in the preparation of Chinese food. It can be found in the produce department of your local grocery store. Ginger tea also makes a great upset stomach remedy. It is used to treat indigestion, flatulence and motion sickness. It also has an anti-inflammatory activity which helps to ease arthritis pain. This is just a brief summary of some of ginger’s benefits. Give it a try!

How to grow Ginger? Plant a piece of ginger root about 2 to 3 inches deep. Since they do not like cold temperatures, a container works well so you can bring it indoors for colder climates. Keep the soil slightly moist, but not too moist or muddy. When the weather is above 70 regularly and warmer than 50 at night, then outdoors is Okay, in the warmest spot of the yard. When the plant has grown after a time, some of the roots can be harvested or replanted. They produce lush gorgeous flowers too. It may take a few years to get an established plant.

Turmeric – This herb is widely used in India. It’s a rhizome, or underground root like ginger. Most people that grow turmeric grow it in a pot indoors as it doesn’t like temperatures that are below 65 degrees F. They are planted by using the roots, turmeric does not produce seeds for propagation. It’s very aromatic and potent when used fresh, so to get it’s peppery zest in your meal, go easy. Turmeric is an herb that has anti-inflammatory properties like ginger. In India, it is used to treat anorexia, liver disorders, diabetic wounds and arthritis. Juice from the rhizome (root) applied to recent bruises, insect bites, and cuts reduces swelling. Recent scientific studies are showing that turmeric has anti-carcinogenic properties. Ken and I started incorporating it into our diets several years ago.

How to grow Turmeric? Plant the root cuttings of another turmeric plant. Plant the root 2 inches under the soil. If there are any knobs or buds on the root, turn it so they are facing upwards. The majority of people who are going to grow turmeric will have to do so indoors, and it does grow fine in pots. It will likely grow too large for a windowsill but can thrive in a sunny room. Eventually, the plant will start to turn yellow and the leaves will start to dry out (8 to 10 months). That’s when your turmeric is ready to dig up. Just dig up the plant and cut the rhizomes away from the stems. Wash off the dirt and it’s ready to use. For more turmeric, take one or two pieces of root and start another plant. If you are careful, it is possible to harvest a few root pieces without having to dig up the entire plant.

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It’s Almost Garden Time Again

It’s mid-February, and many of us are thinking about or are already doing something about this years spring garden. Now is a good time to begin gathering the supplies that you will need to get started indoors. Why not challenge yourself this year and germinate your own seeds indoors? I know that it is entirely easy to just wait and buy the young vegetable plants in the store, but, learning the ins and outs of starting your own seedlings indoors will be a valuable and possibly life-saving skill should the SHTF.

It’s not as easy as you might think. Seeds and young seedlings need particular tender-loving-care, and without it they will surely fail.

The seeds need healthy, disease-free soil to germinate. Here is an article how to pasteurize your own soil, perfect for starting seeds.

The seeds/soil need moisture to germinate. Not too much, not too little. Here is an article suggesting to use covered trays to germinate your seeds.

The seeds/soil need to be kept warm enough to germinate. You can place the seed trays near a warm source of heat keeping them between 70-80 degrees, or you can purchase a heat mat to keep your seeds warm.

Once the seeds germinate and begin to grow into little seedlings, it is very important that they get lots of sunlight. A lack of light will cause their stems to become thin and wiry, which will eventually lead to sudden-death when the seedlings fall over from their own weight and fold their stems near the thin base. Here is an article suggesting to use a grow light for your seedlings.

It is not uncommon to start seeds indoors, 2-months early, while transplanting them once from their seedling trays when they are ready, to a larger set of seedling pots until they are entirely ready to be trained to go outdoors.

Another great idea is to use heirloom seeds rather than hybrid seeds. Here is an article that explains about heirloom seeds. Growing heirloom variety plants may have some disadvantages such as being more prone to their natural diseases, but you should learn how to deal with that because the rewards for heirloom variety plants are the resulting seeds that can be used over and over indefinitely whereas hybrids cannot. In a SHTF scenario, the hybrid seeds will vanish, leaving only the heirloom varieties for ongoing production. Plus, they taste just like your grandparents vegetables!

Growing your own vegetable plants from scratch is a lot of fun, and is very rewarding (at least it is for me). For you city-dwellers, all hope is not lost. Consider growing a small container garden, as exemplified in this article including a video from yours-truly as well as a guest appearance by my little dog, Sampson, at around 7 minutes in as well as him showing off at the very end.

So, what are you waiting for? Lets get going with your indoor planning for your outdoor vegetable garden this year!

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Prepping Without a Green Thumb

Guest Post: by Davis Mauldin

Many folks will agree… an economic crash is not “if” but “when.” I believe that we are living in the eye of the storm and any number of happenings could be the spark for a crash. Choose your poison: super high inflation, a derivatives fiasco, a too big to fail failure, 1859-esque solar flares, terrorist attack, a huge quake in California or SE Missouri (New Madrid). The list goes on and on. But the truth is the occurrence will likely catch us completely off guard with a disaster no one expects… something we never in our wildest dreams expected like the 9.2 quake and tidal wave in Japan. Who could have foreseen that nightmare?

My spouse and I have been preparing since our wedding six years ago. We’ve been moving forward by the numbers: food, shelter, water… food, shelter, water. When it comes to storing food, most of those concerned about the future usually have 50 pound sacks of various dried beans and white rice and maybe an assortment of dried something or other. That bland combo of beans and rice, rice and beans might work for a follower of the Dave Ramsey Show while they’re working their way out of being in debt but what about fresh produce a month or two after the collapse?

Put in a garden? that’s easy to say. That’s a prudent idea but it’s easier said than done to provide your loved ones with all they’ll need month after month. My wife and I have tried to grow a garden now for three seasons and will continue to sharpen our green thumb skills next year and the year after. But after three seasons of trying, all we have succeeded in doing is lowering our price per tomato from $48.98 each to under $9 (our tomatoes really tasted good!). That’s making progress but sadly, this level of success and puny production won’t feed your family for very long. What’s a lover of fresh vegetables to do?

Several months ago, I had one of those “ah-ha” moments. Sprouts! We could grow sprouts twelve months a year and there are so many kinds from which to choose (broccoli, radish, alfalfa, clover, garlic, mung bean, etc., etc.). In the past I have grown some alfalfa sprouts in those plastic layered trays but somehow my plastic gismo had disappeared. I went online and did some google searches looking for the lowest prices on seeds and suggested methods for growing these little veggies.

Finding the best bulk prices was pretty easy – google “buy bulk sprouting seeds” and compare – and I decided to use the mason jar method of sprouting (a wide mouth mason jar fitted with a plastic ring and stainless steel or plastic screen insert). With 2 months of non-stop kitchen mini-farming experience, I have declared myself to be an expert and want to explain exactly how you can grow and harvest fresh vegetables every few days year round.You can either use pint or quart wide mouth mason jars for your countertop mini-farm. For a one day ration for 2 people of these yummy and extremely healthy little plants, I have found that the pint-size jar is just perfect (broccoli sprouts, for example, are more than 10 times more nutritious than the full-grown broccoli plant).

If you use the smaller jar, measure a level tablespoon of sprout seeds and dump them into the jar (use two tablespoons of seeds if you use a 32 ounce jar). Next, cover the seeds with an inch or so of water and let the seeds soak for 8-12 hours. My “south forty” sprout farm is located next to our kitchen sink so it acts as an in your face reminder for me to religiously carryout the twice daily rinses. NOTE: The sprouting jars should not be in direct sun light.

After the 8-12 hour soak – with the plastic ring and screen screwed on to the jar – shake the water out of the jar and refill it. Rinse (shake) this seed-filled fresh water for three or four seconds before emptying the water (I set the jars upside down on our toaster oven’s broiling rack to catch any excess water drainage). You’ll find that when you think all the water has been shaken out, if you will rotate the jar about forty-five degrees even more water will drip out. Repeat this rinsing regimen every 12 hours placing the jars upside down on the broiler rack so air can circulate a little bit.

Voila, in three or four days your mason jars will be filled with fresh sprouts. I have a glass container that I shake my crop of fresh veggies into for storage in the refrigerator. Now I’m ready to start another crop. Actually, I have 3-5 jars growing continuously that I have started a day apart. This gives me a non-stop supply of sprouts.

With or without a green thumb and with just minimal effort, you can provide your family with healthy greens all year round… even Mikey will like ‘em… and they’re really good for you!

——————–

Davis Mauldin is a self-declared guru in the area of sprout cultivation. Feeling that economic collapse is inevitable, he and his better half have been prepping for 6 years. Having had little success to date in growing a garden that would sustain them, they discovered that growing sprouts year round is a simple way to provide their loved ones with fresh and healthy veggies. Other important items related to prepping can be found at this web site, http://survivalgearchecklist.net

Davis Mauldin
“I march to a different accordion”

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Jiffy Seedling Greenhouse

An excellent solution for germinating seeds and growing the seedlings during their initial phase is to use a Jiffy Seedling Greenhouse, or anything similar.

Benefits of using a Jiffy Seed Starter Greenhouse

Water wicks up from the bottom tray which promotes downward root growth

A clear plastic cover keeps in moisture during germination and first few weeks of growth

Minimal water maintenance compared to other methods

The trays can be re-used

Easy to handle, 72 seedling cells per tray (varies per model)

The following is a short video showing how simple the Jiffy system is to use

Supporting Links
Pasteurize Soil prior to Germinating Seeds
Jiffy Tray for Germinating Seeds

 
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Jump Start Seedlings with Grow Light

It is definitely that time of year when many of us are thinking about our summer garden. Getting started with seeds and seedlings indoors is something that many people do, that is, germinating your own seeds and raising the seedlings until it is safe to plant them outdoors.

Given that the sunlight each day during the early Spring is not as long as it will be in a few months, the perfect solution is to cheat a little and use a grow-light system!

I know that I have tried and failed in the past because my seedlings, although sprouted fine, after a few weeks they became spindly and thin, and sometimes would die off.

Some investigation led me to discover that one of the reasons was likely due to a lack of adequate light! That made sense because the sun is still fairly low in the sky during early spring, and depending on the sun exposure through your windows, may present a lack of enough sunlight to get nice healthy seedlings.

A grow light will solve that problem, and in fact will have a secondary practical use, which is growing an indoor mini-herb-garden. You could situate the grow light system anywhere in the house where it is convenient, and won’t have to worry about being right up near a window.

The skeptic might ask, “What will the electricity consumption cost?”, I know I thought the same question…

The 24 watt, high output bulb (in this example) will only cost about 5 cents per day, about $1.50 per month based on a typical electricity usage charge of say, $0.18 per kWh.

So considering the cheap cost of operation, compared to the price of food today, something like this looks like a pretty good deal.

 
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