Fastest growing edible plants.

Originally posted by Rise and Fall
I found a nice article on the quickest crops to grow, most are great for fall sowing.
Quick crops

Great link! I have been looking for that sort of info.

I think it is important to know these things as well as edible foods in the wild. If anything happens and the gov't isn't there for you, then you will be on your own.

On the seaweed, this would only come in handy for those who live near oceans, there are a few edible kinds and much of it grows fast.

www.rsmas.miami.edu...

www.organichealthy.com...

starbulletin.com...

I don't remember the kind now, but there is a seaweed that grows up to 2 feet per day.

On a more probable situation, in-land plants can be eaten from the wild.

www.wilderness-survival.net...

www.edibleplants.com...

www.surviveoutdoors.com...

Plus some field guides I got from Amazon a while back are great to have - more than one is importamt.

However, if it was to become a long term emergency, these wild edibles could be gone quick, especially in the winter. This is why I think knowing of fast growing plants is good. This way I can have some seeds ahead of time. The above mentioned winter salad greens is something I wish to look into more.

Lots of great info, thanks.

On another note - if you're doing hydro (for whatever), before your crop is ready (for eating?), make sure you flush with distilled water for 2 weeks and use NO nutrients at all.

This has one simple effect - a LOT tastier goods (whatever they are).

Cheers

JS

bump because I like this topic

I've been successful at container gardening with flowers and "somewhat" successful at vegetable gardening (I had 1 great season, but's that it's), Now I no longer have a garden since we extended the concrete patio and am considering growing vegetables in containers.

I checked all the various sites and have decided to try a few different things, I'll update my progress if I have success, but I'm going to plant cucumbers, spinach, eggplant and tomatoes for my first go around. I already have the usual herbs and spices. If I have success with these first four veggies, I hope to plant perhaps some fruits, I know there dwarf mango and banana trees that could be grown in containers, I just have to find them.

I'm in Zone 10 (hot) btw so I hope they survive the heat, in case of a hurricane being that they are in containers I will be able to give them shelter.

any tips, suggestions, success stories for container gardening are appreciated

Just like to point out that dandelions are quite edible and good for you, can be used for anything from salads to making wine, and they grow like, well, weeds. They also grow well in questionable soil and require essentially no maintenance.

What you really should want it a little field with mixed plants growing together that are ready for harvesting at different lengths of time. This means that you get a variety of foods at different times. Also monocultures yield a lower crop and a mix of plants are better for soil. Beans help fix nitrogen in the soil so having beans mixed in with other plants is good.

reply to post by worldwatcher


There are entire books written on container gardening, it would probably pay to try to find one. The most important thing when container gardening is to get the largest containers that you can afford, I'm talking 15-25 gallon here at least for a decent sized tomato plant. Supplying plants with nutrients is easy, the one factor that severly influences growth rate and eventual size though is total root area. You can't grow a big plant in a small pot...at least not a decent sized one.

Usually nursery pots are the cheapest, unfortunately, they are also usually black and therefore absorb alot of heat when directly exposed to the sun. This is not a problem in a nursery where hundreds of plants are next to each other acting as shade. However, when growing in a home situation this lack of shade can actually generate enough heat to cook the roots in the container, especially in areas like Florida.

To avoid this, you can either paint containers white, or dig a whole in the ground and place them in there.

I've posted this elsewhere, but I want to share again.
My son is in the 4th grade and for his science project we
are growing radishes. We live in New England and winters are brutal.
About 3 weeks ago we constructed 2 biodomes and and open air model as well. Using 3 2L soda bottles each we got sprouts almost a week later. This is in a south facing window with poor quality sunlight (due to rain and snowy weather for so long) and they are growing amazingly. We plan to expand our indoor garden more each year. He is really becoming interested in this and I hope it sticks in his mind. I allow him use of my digital camera and he has a log book. If you all have children, this is a great activity to share over the winter months. My kids actually eat fresh vegetables all year without prodding because they are involved in the garden indoors and out.

If anyone is interested in the setup, feel free to u2u me and I'll hook you up.

reply to post by phoenixhasrisin


Actually I found some very large "fabric" pots that very reasonable from a company called Smart Pots. I'm awaiting arrival and plan to transplant my mango tree into it.

I planted spinach, okra, and cucumbers on saturday in a little greenhouse tray and all have sprouted already. These will be transplanted into some of the smart pots.

I also bought a "potato bag" which I'm looking forward to try getting a crop from. Supposedly you can get a 13lb yield from one bag and you don't need to dig or have yard space.... sounds cool I'll advise if it works.

reply to post by worldwatcher


The best book I have for this type of gardening is "Bountiful Container" which gives you all kinds of info you never knew you needed. Like minimum soil depth needed for each plant. I'm considering using old clothers dryer tubs lined with HEAVY plastic (the kind you line backyard ponds with) for my large tubs for dwarf trees, etc.

After reading this thread, I'm also considering trying one of these tubs for hydroponics ... after finding out more info.

EDIT: Those fabric pots sound interesting ... it doesn't appear that they need to be inside a 'hard sided' pot and the plus of not holding heat is major consideration. Thanks for sharing.

[edit on 2/15/08 by reblazed]

[edit on 2/15/08 by reblazed]

dryer tubs sound like a good large container. I've also heard that you can use old tires, stacked up as a container, however it won't be portable at all.

here's the potato sack thing I mentioned before... looks cool so I really hope it works. I'm not sure if our hot South florida weather will be too much for potato plants, but i'm going to give it a shot anyway

Potato Bag

The more I read about these Fabric Pots the more they sound like the way to go. Easy to plant, reusable and easy to store in a small space.

The instructions for planting in the Potato Bag is exactly like I have planted in tires (stacked) and works beautifully with the large, bulky, ugly tires ... so should do equally well with the potato bag.

Have you read what the best method for keeping these pots watered is?

reply to post by reblazed


it depends on the soil mix and the plant your using, but on the site, they said you may have to water more or less than normal depending on location and such.

Originally posted by worldwatcher
bump because I like this topic

I've been successful at container gardening with flowers and "somewhat" successful at vegetable gardening (I had 1 great season, but's that it's), Now I no longer have a garden since we extended the concrete patio and am considering growing vegetables in containers.

For those with concrete yards, or apartment dwellers, you might try this idea: EarthBoxes.
At our spring kick-off last year, the rep from EarthBox told us a commercial farmer in (I think) Florida grows all his tomatoes in EarthBoxes.
I'm planning on trying one this year

www.earthbox.com...

reply to post by DontTreadOnMe


I've been looking into these self watering containers and they can be pretty pricey especially if you want to grow a few different things. I'm trying regular containers and those smart pots I mentioned and see how it goes. If I can't get a crop then I'll invest in one of these... but my tomato plant already has little baby tomatoes and seems to be doing great in the 32 qt (walmart) container I have it in.

[edit on 2-15-2008 by worldwatcher]

Im sorry but those earth boxes are a perfect example of how people with no horticultural skills get ripped off time and time again. You might as well go with that aero-garden thing they advertise on TV.

If you look at the website you can see that the plants do not reach more than 3-4 ft, and that's only because of the two cups of fertilizer per box that the instructions call for. Here is another pic of a plant in a five gallon container, and the size is comparable. Why is this, it's because of that total root area I mentioned earlier.

Add to the fact that they want fifty something per earth box , and that's without water/supplemental fertilizers, and shipping. At three dollars a pound for organic tomatoes you could get 20lbs of fruit at a grocer, which is a hell of a lot more than one of those systems will produce.

Take a look at their "Farm analysis sheet" and you will see that there is no significant difference in yields.

[edit on 16-2-2008 by phoenixhasrisin]

Yeah, radishes are about the fastest-growing vegetable you can get. Although they aren't that great to eat by themselves... actually if you ate multiple radishes all together I'm pretty sure they'd give you a stomach ache. Here is what a radish can do in 9 days

Bush beans also grow much faster than other varieties such as green beans. They brow in "bushes" low to the ground, no need for trellaces like with regular vine-like beans.

Lettuce, endive, all those leafy plants grow pretty fast too.

Mostly you want to avoid peppers and carrots that take quite a while.

I'd love to see a time-lapse animation of that bamboo growing 3 feet per day... holy cow.

Originally posted by phoenixhasrisin
Im sorry but those earth boxes are a perfect example of how people with no horticultural skills get ripped off time and time again. You might as well go with that aero-garden thing they advertise on TV.

** Some people do not have major horticultural skills nor the land that lets them acquire them. Nothing wrong with allowing them to grow their own food where they can

If you look at the website you can see that the plants do not reach more than 3-4 ft, and that's only because of the two cups of fertilizer per box that the instructions call for. Here is another pic of a plant in a five gallon container, and the size is comparable. Why is this, it's because of that total root area I mentioned earlier.

** Tomato plants require only 12" for roots. As for this picture, we have no idea if this variation is a determinate (meaning it will only grow to a particular height, normally 2-3 ft) or not. We do not know what type of planting medium has been used PLUS we have no idea what the results of the season were. I have grown both types (determinate and indeterminate) in 5 gal buckets with excellent results.

Add to the fact that they want fifty something per earth box , and that's without water/supplemental fertilizers, and shipping. At three dollars a pound for organic tomatoes you could get 20lbs of fruit at a grocer, which is a hell of a lot more than one of those systems will produce.

** Building your own larger earth boxes, using their design, is not at all difficult and much less expensive. I won't even comment on homegrown vs. grocer tomatoes.

Take a look at their "Farm analysis sheet" and you will see that there is no significant difference in yields.

** There are some of us (little old lady not as nimble as she once was and certainly not up to hoeing and tending large areas of land)) who prefer having their garden slightly above ground level and in contained areas while still getting a similar yield. Then there is the fact that we can take our gardens with us if we decide we need to move.

[edit on 16-2-2008 by phoenixhasrisin]

This is excellent information. Maximizing garden output can be a boon to survival SHTF

reply to post by worldwatcher

Please share how quickly your spinach grows. What soil are you using? I'm planning a container garden this year with spinach, lettuce, carrots, potatoes, and wheat. I believe spinach and lettuce can be picked from 4 weeks after sprouting and consumed perpetually thereafter.

reply to post by phoenixhasrisin


i grow tomatoes and peppers every year on my deck(deer issues) and all i grow them in is 5 gallon buckets- they are more than large enough.