Survival Gardens

reply to post by SunflowerStar


I meant to respond to this earlier sorry! Rosa Rugosa is the name of the wild hardy roses, they produce big flavorful hips and yes the seed will grow!! I have to pull them out as weeds. With my rose hips I boil them together, puree them and then I dehydrate it all.
After it dries to a sheet of brittle fruit leather, I crumble it into my mortar and pestle and crush it to powder.

It take awhile but the end result is worth it, and I don't have to pick out seeds.
The reason they are an issue is because they are barbed.

Ive been a gardener for the last 5 years and its definitely a good skill to have but more and more im being drawn to learning about and eating wild food. Growing your own food is definitely a way to connect to nature but even more so is going out and finding tasty and super nutritious food growing all around you just as all wild animals do. So while i also recommend everyone learn how to grow food i would add to it foraging as a necessary ability to live more like a natural human-being. Even the fastest growing crop like greens,radishes etc. will require you to wait at least a month before you actually have something to eat but if you know the wild foods you can eat today.

reply to post by emeris


Knowing your local plants almost goes hand in hand with gardening, at least in my wild lands!! My cranberry patch produces a good 5 lbs for me every year, and I did not have to put in a single plant.

Knowing the difference between edibles and non-edibles in your area can save your life.
Case in point, I was being slightly teased one day about my son being able to identify plants when the gentleman's wife spoke up and pointed out a botched hunting trip that he and his sons had been on. She pointed out to him for me that they would not have been so miserable waiting for their pick up flight if they had been able to eat some of the many berries they hiked past. Just the lack of simple identification knowledge led to unnecessarily empty stomachs.

Wild harvesting could be an entire thread of it's own. Just remember the importance of definite identification, especially with berries and mushrooms. In Alaska, the only poisonous berries that I know of have white berries at some point of their growth. Baneberries are the worst because they like to grow where the currants and highbush cranberries grow. I had to leave a huge patch dripping with currants this last summer because my kids are too young to see the subtle difference between the ripe baneberries and the currants and cranberries.

Awareness and knowledge are key here, and don't forget that other critters like the wild harvest too, more than once I have had to give over a berry patch to a bear.

reply to post by butcherguy


Also helps prevent disease and pests from spreading readily, the same plants (monoculture) aren't shoved up against each other.

Originally posted by Sphota
reply to post by butcherguy

 

Also helps prevent disease and pests from spreading readily, the same plants (monoculture) aren't shoved up against each other.

Plus it cuts down on weeding assuming the squash you plant are the vining type. The large squash leaves help block out sunlight which slows down weed growth.

baker creek seedsYou can request a free catalog from baker creek seed co.They have over 1400 heirloom non GMO seeds, root veggies, flowers, books, they are active against companies like Monsanto.

I have been using them for a couple years, I love the great hard to find heirloom veggies. Hope it helps -

Thanks for the thread great idea

bg

reply to post by woodsmom


Oh, you are so right. Forgot all about straight vinegar as a herbicide. But I do rinse fresh strawberries in a vinegar water mix to have them last a second day in the fridge, till I can get to them in processing. Sorry for the misleading information, but hey that's why we are here to learn, right?

Thanks for the responses woodsmom, keep up the good work and great information resources!

reply to post by SunflowerStar


It was a good idea. It may even work if it is diluted enough.
I was everything in vinegar too, at least if it came from the store. You should see the looks on peoples faces when they bring a bagged salad over for dinner and I dump it in the colander and hose it with vinegar.
Thanks!

reply to post by byGRACE


I love their catalog, I have never ordered from them, but it is a pretty one that permanently lives in the pile none the less.

Originally posted by woodsmom
reply to post by Philippines

 

I initially started the thread realizing how little people know about growing their own food.
When thinking of survival most people think of guns and knives and bob's.
In the short term they are necessary tools, but what about the long term?

So many of the scenarios that people are focused on would last longer than a few weeks, which is about all a BOB is good for, for most people. I wanted to remind people that we possess the ability to be self sufficient and feed ourselves! That IS survival to me!

Granted, the thread took a slightly different direction, but none the less, it contains valuable info on where to access good heirloom seed, some step by step instructions and some more in depth problem solving.
All valuable info for people, and they didn't have to garden for years to get the benefit of our lessons learned.

One point I would like to make here though too, and it encompasses my original thought on starting this is:
YOU CANNOT GROW THE SEED, IF YOU DON"T HAVE THE SEED!!!
Thanks for bringing it back around, it is just nice to talk plants when there is snow on the ground!

Indeed and agreed! Knowledge is key, especially local region knowledge of edible plants to hold you over until something is growing....

Also planning on this garden. If a person does have a set bug out location is the land good for growing? Does the person have seeds, a shovel or other garden tools (or knows how to make them)?

Lastly, I want to mention how difficult doing all of this would be alone, especially if its someones first time. Survival alone is HARD, unless you have knowledge, experience, and are in shape with no serious medical conditions. It is much easier to survive with a large group/family or trustworthy community. Communal farming makes everything so much easier when groups of people help each other's gardens out one day at a time.

Originally posted by woodsmom
reply to post by davjan4

 

My brussels sprouts can be packed in like the broccoli, it helps them too by encouraging them to grow up. I take their leaves almost completely away when the sprouts are starting to round out.

Do you have separate seeds for brussel sprouts?

I'm curious because around here people grow regular green cabbage (and red cabbage), but when they harvest the cabbage head, they continue to let the plant grow, which then produces brussel sprouts, called "born again" here. Basically once the cabbage is harvested it sends up a flower-like stalk/shoot that grows smaller cabbages (brussel sprouts) around the stalk.

Just curious =b

reply to post by Philippines


I wish I had more manpower sometimes, my family does all get involved, but you bring up some great points.

At minimum for tools you need a sturdy hand trowel, a shovel and a pruner of some type, even a good sharp knife would work for your pruner.

Some other things to keep in mind may be access to organic materials to beef up a growing location, especially a raw one.

Irrigation or access to sufficient water would be one of the hardest to accomplish in a bug out situation, but something to keep in mind. You can carefully water each plant with grey water though and stretch resources farther.

Some crops would be easier than others in that scenario. It would take some research into your final destination.
Someone has brought up the benefits of wild harvest already, and it is a good idea to do some research into that as well if you need to be on the move. I hopefully don't have to worry about it much, so haven't really thought of starting the gardens over from scratch, thanks.

reply to post by Philippines


I do have specific brussels sprout seed, can't remember the variety right now though.
I harvest my broccoli that way and harvest new shoots all summer, but I didn't know it worked with cabbage, thanks!! Is that how you get them to go to seed too?That is one that has eluded me as to how they seed.

reply to post by woodsmom



Have you noticed the "Yukon Chief early sweet corn" from victory seeds?

www.victoryseeds.com...

It claims to have a 55 day maturity date and was developed by the University of Alaska.

I can't get a garden going. As soon as the plants start to blossom the deer jump the fence and start a munching. I guess I won't be eating vegetables if something happens unless I eat a lot of venison.

reply to post by grownshow


That's awesome, Thank You!!
No that strain was not there when I put in my order at the end of September!
I guess I will be putting in another one, or at least contacting some of the master gardeners that I know, I bet someone already has their hands on that locally!! You just made my day!

reply to post by rickymouse


I am only glad the moose are not as spry as the deer are, or I wouldn't have a chance either. I had to build an eight foot tall fence around the main veggie gardens and the orchard.I have heard of some luck with mammal pests with liberal applications of capsicum, hot pepper.

I have also read about distraction plantings, if you will. Some people have had luck with planting a large accessible crop of some plant that they love and can eat to their hearts desire. They will then, theoretically, leave your harvest alone. I don't know if it works or not though.

dp

reply to post by woodsmom




You're welcome. Glad to help a fellow gardener. I plan on ordering some too just to see if it really has a 55 day maturity. The maturity would be amazing for an heirloom capable of reproduction.

About 6 or 7 years ago, before i knew about the dangers of gmo, i bought some new fangled genetically engineered 57 day crap from Stokes seeds. I can't remember the name but stokes claimed that some university had just created it. It was indeed 57 days and had a short stalk, but stokes stopped selling it after 1 year. I suspect it had some sort of side effect that forced a recall.

Originally posted by woodsmom
reply to post by rickymouse

 

I am only glad the moose are not as spry as the deer are, or I wouldn't have a chance either. I had to build an eight foot tall fence around the main veggie gardens and the orchard.I have heard of some luck with mammal pests with liberal applications of capsicum, hot pepper.

I have also read about distraction plantings, if you will. Some people have had luck with planting a large accessible crop of some plant that they love and can eat to their hearts desire. They will then, theoretically, leave your harvest alone. I don't know if it works or not though.

I tried planting Some grasses that the deer would like so they won't eat my garden. Now we have more deer hanging around and they still go in the garden. One deer that we have been feeding for years knows not to go in the garden, I yelled at her years ago and she knows better. She can't keep her kids out though, they don't listen.