survival gardening with heirlooms

7/30/2019 Survival Gardening With Heirlooms

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

PartOne:IntroductiontoSeeds...................................................................................... 4

Introduction...................................................................................................................4

ChapterOne :ThePlantLifeCycle............................................................................8

ChapterTwo :Seedharvestingandstorage............................................................15

PartTwo:SurvivalGardeningTechniques...................................................................... 17

ChapterThree :StartwiththeSoil.............................................................................19

ChapterFour :VegetableGardenLayoutforSurvivalGardening............................22

ChapterFive :GeneralPlantCare...........................................................................29

ChapterSix :GardenInsects:GoodguysandBadguys.........................................37

ChapterSeven :NutrientDeficiencies........................................................................43

PartThree:SpecificPlantCare...................................................................................... 47

Beans,Dry....................................................................................................................48

Beans,Fresh.................................................................................................................50

Beets............................................................................................................................52

Cabbage.......................................................................................................................54

Carrot...........................................................................................................................56

Chard...........................................................................................................................58

Corn,Dry......................................................................................................................60

Corn,Fresh...................................................................................................................62

Cucumber....................................................................................................................64

Lettuce,Head...............................................................................................................66

LeafLettuce.................................................................................................................68

Melon..........................................................................................................................70


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Onion,Storage.............................................................................................................71

Onion,Fresh................................................................................................................73

Peas.............................................................................................................................74

Peppers........................................................................................................................75

Spinach........................................................................................................................76

Squash,Winter............................................................................................................78

Tomato........................................................................................................................79

Conclusion....................................................................................................................

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NoGMOs

Thesurvivalseedbankcontainsonlyopenpollinatedvarietiesofhighlynutritiousheirloom

vegetable varieties. There are no genetically modified beasts here. While genetically

modifiedandhybridseedmightproducemorefoodintheshortrun,ittakeslaboratories

fullof highly trained technicians toperpetuateavailability of seed from year toyear.By

onlymakinghybridseedavailable,seedcompaniesareessentiallyholdingregularfamilies

hostageifyoudontbuytheirproducts,youcanteat.

Openpollinatedseedsaredifferent,anddifficulttolayyourhandsonifyoudontknow

wheretolook.

Not just any open pollinated or heirloom variety of seed will work. Because open

pollinated seeds can cross with each other, unless they are farmed and harvested with

caretokeepcertainvarietiesawayfromeachother,theseedscanlosevigorfromyearto

year.TheSurvivalSeedBankSeedsaresomeofthestrongestvarietiesyoucanusetogrow

a survival garden. This ebook will teach you how to grow these plants so that you can

continuetoharvestandsaveseedsthatwillbeviablefromyeartoyear.Thatiswhyeach

aspectof

this

book

is

so

important.

The

Survival

Seed

Bank

will

not

only

produce

enough

food for a family for a year if given good care, it will continue to provide seeds for

subsequent yearswhen the seedsare planted andcared for according to instructions in

thisbook.

Frequentlyaskedquestions

As

creators

of

the

Survival

Seed

Bank,

we

are

frequently

asked

several

questions

about

storageanduseofourseeds.Youasked,soweanswered.

Q.Howlongwilltheseedsinmysurvivalseedbanklast?

A.That depends entirely on where youstore the seeds.Seeds are living things, and are

affectedbytemperatureandhumidity.Ourseedsarepackagedintwolayersofpackaging

designedtokeepastablemoisturelevelinsidetheseedpacks.Ifkeptinanordinarycool,

dark place, these seeds could last for twenty years or so. If kept in a freezer with low

humidity,theycankeepforuptoonehundredyears.


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Q.Whyareheirloomseedssohardtofindcommercially?

A. Around the end of World War II, conglomerate seed companies started promoting

hybridseeds.With industrialagriculturemakingsmallscale farming impractical formost

families, home gardening and farming, along with food preserving and seed savingskills

began toslip away. At that point, the large seedcompaniesgot theupperhand.Today,

heirloomseedsandopenpollinatedvarietiesareonlygrownandharvestedatahandfulof

locationsbysmallfarmers.Moreandmorepeoplearestockpilingheirloomseeds,whichis

decreasingtheavailabilityrapidly.

Q.HowcanIprotectmysurvivalseedbankfrombeingtaken?

A. The Survival Seed Bank is a selfcontained unit that can be kept in the freezer when

conditionsallow,toprolongthelifeofseeds.Ifnecessary,thecontainercanbeburied,as

itiswaterproof,andtheseedsaredoublevacuumsealed.

Howweselectedourincludedseeds

Buildingaseed bank that will feed a family in times of crises is no small order. Actually

acquiring the seeds in a timely fashion so that people will have the seeds they need to

plant a garden when they need a garden is even more difficult. When we set about

gathering a profile of seeds that would help a family be self sufficient in times of world

foodshortages,weconsideredthefollowingcharacteristicsoftheplants:

Healthbenefitsandnutrientsprovided

Easeofgrowthforfamilyfoodproduction

Storageofthefinishedproduct

Easeandreliabilityofharvestingseedsforperpetuatingyourseedbank

We are confident that with these instructions and the seeds carefully selected for the

survivalseedbankthatevenpeoplewithverylittlegardeningexperiencecangrowenough

foodtosupporttheirfamilyifnecessary.


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YouCANdothis

Whatmakesussoconfidentthatpeoplewithnogardeningexperiencecangrowtheirown

food? Well, people with no formal training grow beautiful gardenssome from the first

time they put their shovel in the ground. Vegetables are not a lot different from other

floweringplantsbecausetheyare floweringplants.Wethinkthat,actually,ifpeoplewho

growflowersfortheirhobbyreadthisbooktheywouldgrownicerlookingflowers.Thatis

becausewhenyouknowhowaplantgrows,youcanbettertakecareofit.Whenyouknow

howtobuildthesoilfrommaterialsalreadyonhand,youcanrecyclewhatisonyourland

backintotheland.Itreallyiseasierthansomesurvivalgardeningbookswouldleadyouto

believe.Wellshowyouhow.


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CHAPTERONETHEPLANTLIFECYCLE

Partsof

aPlant

Inordertoproperlycare foryourplants,youneedtoknowaboutthepartsoftheplant

andtheplantlifecycle.Thisknowledgewillhelpyoudotherightthingstotherightplant

partsothatyoucanharvestabountyofvegetablesandperpetuateyourseedbankforthe

nextyear.Includedbelowisadiagramofaplant,andaglossaryofitsbasicparts.

PlantPartsGlossary

Root-The collective term for all of the

(typically)belowgroundpartsoftheplant.

Primary Roots-Largest roots of the plants.

They serve as storage units for some

plants,likepotatoes.Plantsthathavelarge

primaryrootsandfewlateralrootsaresaid

to

have

a

taproot.

Dandelions

have

taproots,which iswhytheyaresohardto

uproot.

Vegetables that are actually taproots are

carrots,beets,parsnipsandturnips.

LateralRoots-Mediumsizedrootsthatlead

from the root hairs to the primary roots.

They

are

primarily

conductors

of

fluids

withintheplants.

RootHairsRoothairsarewheretherealworkoftherootsisdone.Theroothairssoakup

waterandnutrientsthatarethentransportedtothe lateralandprimaryroots.Theroot

hairsaremicroscopicandeasilydisrupted.Theirdisruptioncaninterferewithplantgrowth

becausetheplantcannottakeupthewaterandnutrientsitneeds.


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Theroothairsalsohelpestablishthewatertensionbetweenthetopoftheleavesthatare

evaporating water and the bottom of the plant that is taking up water. This is called

capillaryaction.

Shootthecollectivetermforallabovegroundpartsoftheplant.

StemThestructuralsupportsystemandprimaryverticalwaterandsugarconductingpart

of the plant. The cells that move water and sugar up and down through the plants are

calledvascularbundles.

LeafThe leaf is where photosynthesis toproduce food occurs. Thephotosynthesis takes

placeinmoleculescalledchloroplaststhatabsorblight.

Flower-The

flower

is

the

reproductive

part

of

the

plant.

From

the

flower

develops

the

seedsand,whenapplicable,thefruit.

Fruit-Afruit isthecompositionofmaterialthatcontainsalloftheplantseeds.Tomatoes

arefruits,asareacorns.Earsofcornareactuallythefruitofthecornplantbecausethey

arederivedfromthereproductivepartofthecornplant,theflowers(tassels).

Axillary BudThese buds sprout from the intersection of the leaf with the stem.

Sometimes,youwillwanttopinchoffthesebudssothatthemainplantgrowslarger.

ApicalMeristem

The

very

top

of

the

shoot

where

the

plant

grows.

The

apical

meristem

releases plant hormones that keep lateral buds from sprouting. If you want a more full,

bushyplant,youwillneedtopinchofftheapicalmeristem.

CrownThisistheareaoftheplantwheretherootmeetstheshoot.

Generally,thecrownisjustabovethesoilline.

PetioleTheleafstem.Thisisthepartoftheleafthatconnectsto

theplantstem.Thepetiolecarrieswater,nutrientsandgas(carbon

dioxideand

oxygen)

to

and

from

the

leaf.

PartsofthePlant:FoodPlants

Knowing which part of the plant you are eating, and therefore

harvesting,willhelpyouharvesttheplantcorrectly.

Roots Thesevegetablesare roots or modified roots:potatoes, carrots, turnips, radishes,

parsnips


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PartsofFlowers

Theflowers

are

the

reproductive

part

of

the

plant.

It

is

important

to

know

the

parts

of

a

flowersothatyoucanperpetuateyourvegetableseedstashfromyeartoyear.Allofthe

plantsinyourSurvivalSeedPackagewillcontinuetoproduceviableseedsformanyyears,

butsomeoftheplantsneedtobegrowninoppositecornersofthegardenbecausethey

can cross pollinate. Flowering plants are divided into two groups, dicots and monocots.

This refers to the number of leaves within the seed, and seed leaves are called

cotoleydons.So,dicotshavetwoseed leavesontheplantembryoswithintheseedsand

monocotshave

one

seed

leaf.

The

flower

parts

are

similar,

but

occur

in

different

multiples,

asshowninthediagrambelow.

Withinyourseedpack,theonlymonocotplantsarethecornseeds.Monocotsarethings

likelilies,andgrasses.Cornisbasicallydomesticatedgrass. Belowisadiagramoftheparts

ofaflower.Youcanseethattheovaryoftheflower,whencutupanddown, looksa lot

like a tomato that has been cut from top to bottom, longitudinally. During pollination,

pollen from oneplant is transferred bywind,animalsorwater to the stigmaofanother

plant,causingfertilizationandreproduction.Socalledopen pollinatedvarietieswillself

sustainwithoutintervention.Hybridsresultfromthecrossingoftwoverydistinctvarieties.


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Theresultingseedshavewhatiscalledhybridvigor,meaningthattheyareuniformand

robust,butyoucannotgetthesameplantsthenextyear ifyousavetheseedsfromthe

fruitsoftheplantsthatgrowasaresultofthehybridseeds.Notsovigorous.

PartsofSeeds

In addition to the parts of the flower, it is

useful to know the parts of a seed and

understandhowtheseedworks.Aseedhasa

baby

plant

inside

it.

That

is

the

embryo.

Seeds also have food stored inside them.

When seeds are kept at optimum

temperature and humidity conditions, they

can last foryears.Theprotectiveouter layer

oftheseediscalledtheseedcoat.Whenaseedisgivenconditionsfavorableforgrowing,

usually involvingwater, theembryowillbegingrowing,burstthrough theseedcoatand

begin

setting

down

roots

and

pushing

up

a

shoot.

Some

seeds

require

more

than

just

waterandsoiltobeginsprouting.Theyneedtobenicked,burnedorotherwisetreated.

Most of the seeds in the survival seed bank do not need special treatment in order to

sprout,buttheseedbankdoescomewithaseedgerminationjumpstartsolutionthatwill

beginbreakingdowntheseedcoatforfastersprouting.


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PlantLifeCycle

Basically,aseedsproutsandproducesaplantthatflowersandproducesseeds,thatthen

sprout. The cycle continues. Annual plants complete this entire life cycle within one

season.Biennialstaketwoyearstocompletetheirlifecycle.Aseedwillsprout,theplant

willgrow leavesandstoreenergy.Then, itwillundergoaperiodofdormancy.After the

period of dormancy, the plant will resprout, flower and produce seeds. Perennials are

almost a combination of annuals and biennials. Perennial plants can sprout, flower and

produceseedsinoneyear,butatthesametimetheyaredoingthat,theyarealsostoring

energytosurviveadormantperiodtobeabletoresproutagain.Mostofyourvegetable

plantswillbegrownasannuals,thoughtosaveseedforthefollowingyear,youwillgrow

someasbiennials.


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PlantLifeCyclesandHarvest

Eachplant

that

you

eat

will

be

harvested

at

adifferent

point

during

its

life

cycle.

You

can

partiallydiscernwhenbypayingattentiontowhichpartoftheplantyoueat.Forexample,

ifyouwanttoharvestlargebeets,youneedtopullthemupaftertheyhavehadtimeto

storelotsofstarchestogrowabigroot,butbeforetheyturnhardandleathery,preparing

to overwinter to set seed the next year. You generally harvest a plant for eating at a

different time than you would harvest it for seedbut not always. Pumpkins and other

wintersquashareharvestedatthesametimeforeatingandseedsaving,asarebeans.

That

is

because

they

are

actually

fruits,

botanically

speaking,

and

when

the

fruits

are

ripe, the seedsare too. Animals eatinganddispersing the seeds isone mechanism by

which theseplants reproduce.Root and leafvegetablesareharvestedatdifferent times

foreatingandreproducing.Manyrootvegetablesarebiennials.Theyusethesugarsstored

over the winter in the root structure so that they may resprout and set seeds the

followingyear.

If

you

want

to

eat

them,

you

harvest

during

the

first

year.

Because

of

the

differences

betweeneachtypeofplant,partthreeofthisbookdetailshowtogrow,harvestandsave

seed fromseedtoseed foreach typeofplant included intheSurvivalSeedBank. Ifyou

needspecificinstructionsforanysingletypeofplant,refertoitssectionlaterinthebook.


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CHAPTERTWOSEEDHARVESTING ANDSTORAGE

Theseeds

selected

for

the

Survival

Garden

kit

are

all

open

pollinated.

That

means

that

as

longasyougrowthem,followinginstructions,youwillbeabletosaveseedstoplantthe

followingseason. Eachplanthasslightlydifferentharvestingrequirements,whichwillbe

detailedinthesectionaboutindividualplants.

WhentoHarvest

Harvesting for seed saving is different than harvesting for eating. Seeds are generally

readywhenthefruitsare1)dry,or2)ripe. Manybeansareharvestedwhenthepodsare

dry,whereastomatoesarereadyforharvestingwhenthefruitisripe. Itdependsuponthe

dispersalmechanismoftheseed. Seedswithfleshyfruitsaregenerallydispersedbybeing

eaten,andthusarereadytoharvestwhenthefruitisripe.

HowtoHarvest

Youultimately

want

to

prepare

the

seeds

for

storage.

To

do

this,

you

must

first

harvest

theseedswhentheyarereadyandseparatetheseedsfromotherbitsofdriedmaterialor

fromjuicyflesh. Ifaplantproducesseedsthatdryontheirown,youcancollectseedsin

thefield,justusingabag. Ifyouneedtoseparatetheseeds fromthe fleshofthefruit,

pickthefruitsandbringtheminside,handpickingtheseedsfromthefruits.


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HowtoPrepareforStorage

Seedsneed

to

be

completely

free

of

any

other

material

that

is

not

the

seed.

In

the

case

of

drybeans,theyneedtobeoutoftheirpods. Tomatoandmelonseedsneedtohaveall

extra flesh removed from theseeds. Anyextradriedmaterial around theseed iscalled

chaff. (Hencethesayingseparatethewheatfromthechaff.) Removingthismaterial

iscalledthreshing.

Inordertostoreseedsinthefreezer,wheretheywillbemoststable,youneedtodryout

theseeds

to

contain

no

more

than

8%

moisture.

You

can

use

silica

gel

to

dry

out

the

seeds. You can tell if a bean seed is dry enough if you smack it with a hammer and it

shatters insteadofmashes. Tousethesilicagel,putseeds inpaperpacketsandputthe

packetsinthesilicagelbeads. Afteraboutsixdays,checktheseeds. Todryoutthegel,

useamicrowaveorfollowtheinstructionsforairdryingforreuse.

WheretoStore

Where you store your seeds will have the single greatest impact on how long they last.

Ideally, you will freeze your seeds in a freezer that does not contain other food which

couldproduceethylene. Ifyoufreezeyourseeds,youneedtoleavethecontainerinwhich

theyarefrozenouttocometoroomtemperaturebeforeyouopenitsothatcondensation

doesnotformontheseeds,whichcouldcausethemtomoldorstarttosprout.

Ideally,thetemperatureandhumiditywilladduptothenumber100whenyouaddthem

together. For instance, if you store seeds at 40 degrees Fahrenheit, you want no more

than60%humidity. Ifpossible,vacuumsealyourseedssuckingallairoutofthepackage

thatholdstheseedsforstorage. Thelessairandwaterinyourseedcontainer,thelonger

theseedswilllast.


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HowLongtoStore

Ifyour

seeds

are

properly

harvested

and

packed,

and

stored

in

avery

cold

climate

with

low

humidity,theycanlastfortwentyormoreyears. Thetemperatureandhumiditycontrolis

imperativeforsuccessfulseedstorage.

ContainersforStorage

Getthemostlifeoutofyourseedsbyusingtherightcontainerstostorethem. Metaland

Glass

containers

are

the

most

air

tight

types

of

containers.

In

order

to

keep

diseases

and

fungi out of your seeds, you do need to thoroughly dry the seeds, and store in a low

humidity,lowmoistureandlowtemperaturelocation.


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PART TWO:

SURVIVAL GARDENING TECHNIQUES

Atsomepointinthenotsodistantfuture,youmayberequiredtogrowfoodtofeedyour

family, regardless of whether or not you have gardening or farming experience. As with

everyindustrythathasgrownfromataskonceperformedbyeachfamily,farmingisalso

commercialized and industrialized, and children from urban areas actually think food

grows on the grocery store shelves. If you are called upon to grow food to feed your

family, ifyouhavetheSurvivalSeedBank,growingthatfoodwillactuallybeprettyeasy.

Sothatyoucangetthebeststartgardening,andhavegoodresultswhenyourlifeliterally

dependsonit,thenextsectionusesalloftheinformationyoulearnedfromthefirstpart

ofthebooktoteachyouhowtogrowtheplantsandfeedyourselfandyourfamily.


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CHAPTERTHREESTARTWITHTHESOIL

Each soil pictured above looks very different, depending upon where it is and what is

growingontopofit.Forthatreason,itisveryimportantforyoutogettoknowyourown

soilits

characteristics,

ins

and

outs,

and

what

you

might

need

to

add

to

it

to

make

it

productiveforgrowingplants.Keepinmind,thereisnoreallybadsoil,itisjustthateach

soilcontainsdifferentnutrients,hasadifferentpHandadifferentstructure.Someplants

willdobetterthanothersoneachdifferenttypeofsoil.


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Assessingsoil

Youcan

do

asoil

test,

but

chances

are

great

that

you

wont

really

be

able

to

do

that,

or

have time to do that if you really do need to grow your survival garden. You canjudge

whetheryoumightneedtoaddthingstoyoursoilorworkon itabitbyfeelingthesoil.

Grabahandfulofsoil fromaboutan inchbelowthesurface.Does it feelsandy?Does it

feelsticky?Or,doesitfeellikenicepiecrustjustbeforeyourrollit?Ifitisthelatter,the

soilisgoodtogo.Ifthesoiliseitherverysandyorverysticky,youmaywanttoaddsome

compostifyoucan.Ifyoudonthavecompostforyourfirstyear,donotworryyoucanstill

plantyour

garden

and

make

compost

while

it

is

growing

so

that

you

can

replenish

the

soil

afterthefirstyear.Ifyoucan,youwillwanttogetsomeprotogrowfertilizertousewith

your survival garden, especially if you do not have access to compost. It contains all

essentialmicroandmacronutrientsforhealthyplantgrowth,andcanhelpyoujumpstart

yourcompost,too.

PreparingtheSoil

Ifyouhavethechancetoprepareyoursoilforplanting,thisiswhatisrecommended:

Ifyoudonthavetimeortheequipmenttoturnoveranentiregarden,digstripsof

grassuptoformrowstoholdthevegetables.

Inthesoilyouhaveuncoveredinwhichtogrowvegetables,digdownaboutsixto

eight inches, adding compost. If you cannot add compost, simply plant the seeds

andfertilizewithprotogro.

Onceyour

survival

garden

is

going,

dig

up

another

area

of

the

lawn

to

prepare

for

next years garden. In that area, chop up grass clippings, leaves and plantbased

kitchenscrapsand spread them in a one to two inch layer over thesoil.This isa

broadcompostingmethod.

Afteraboutthreetofiveweeks,turnthesoilunder.Youcanthenaddanotherlayer

ofcompost.Thisisaslow,butmanageablewayofmakingyourgardenmorefertile,

onepatchatatime.


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You can also mow areas of the yard that you would like to garden, scalping it

repeatedly.

Eventually,thegrasswilldie,youcanturnitunder,anditwilldecompose,addingorganic

matter to the soil and freeing more space for your garden. Again, these are survival

gardentips.Thisisnotnecessarilytheeasiestwaytomakeavegetablegardenifyouhave

ample gasoline and power equipment, but it is the easiest and most productive way to

makeavegetablegardenifyouonlyhavehandtoolsandlimited

soilamendments.

MakingYourOwnCompost

Atsomepointduringyoursurvivalgardening,youwillwanttomakecompostsothatyou

canreplenishyoursoil.Makingacompostpileisrelativelyeasyandagoodwaytorecycle

your vegetable scraps. Dont let highly technical composting books scare you away. You

can make a cool compost pile that will cook over the summer while you tend your first

yearofvegetablessothatyoucanreplenishyoursoilforyournextcrops.


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BuildingaCompostPile

To

build

an

effective

compost

pile,

you

need

to

mix

greenandbrownmaterials. Greenmaterialsarehigh

innitrogen. Fresh leaves,grassclippings,plantbased

kitchen scraps and animal manures have lots of

nitrogen. Twigs,woodchipsanddriedleaveshaveless

nitrogen in relation to carbon. Foryourpile towork,

youneedtoalternatelayersofbothtypesofmaterials.

Tojump

start

your

pile,

add

some

proto

gro

fertilizer

or

acouple

of

shovels

full

of

soil.

Thiswilladdthebacterianeededtobreakdownthematerials. Keepthepilemoist,but

notwet. Ifyoufeelheatrisingfromthepile,turnit. Ifnot,youcanleaveittodecompose.

Symptoms Problem Solution

Thecomposthasabadodor. Notenough air Solution Turn it. Add dry materialifthepileis too wet.

Thecenterofthepileisdry. Notenough water Moisten and turn the pile.

Thecompost

is

damp

and

warm

only

in

themiddle.Too

small Collect more material and

mix

the

old

ingredients into

anewpile.Turnthepile.

The heap is damp and sweetsmelling,

butstillwillnotheatup.

Lack of nitrogen. Mix in a nitrogen source like fresh grass clippings,

manure, composted poultry manure, Bloodmeal, or

ureafertilizer.


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CHAPTERFOURVEGETABLEGARDEN LAYOUTFOR

SURVIVALGARDENING

Laying out a vegetable garden for survival gardening is different than laying out a

vegetablegardenasahobby. Thefoodyougrowinyoursurvivalgardenwillneedtofeed

your family for a substantial amount of time. You will need to be able to continuously

harvestseedsthatareviable,meaningtheywillsproutandgrowthesameplantthenext

year. Youraccesstopesticides,fertilizersandherbicidesmaybe limited,soyouneedto

createyourgardendesign/layout tomaximize companionplantingsofplants that work

togethertostayhealthyandproductive.

FactorstoConsider

Youwillneedtothinkaboutthefollowingfactorswhenlayingoutyoursurvivalgarden:

LightDo

you

have

shade

problems.

Do

you

need

to

remove

atree

to

let

more

light

into

yourgarden?

WaterAretherewaterrestrictionsgoingon?Doyouhave limitedaccesstowater? Has

there been an ongoing drought in your area? If so, you might need to space your

plantingsfurtherapartsothateachplanthasmoreaccesstowateronitsown.

SoiltypeDoyouhaveaheavyclaysoil,aloamysoilorasandysoil? Youmightneedtodo

some

soil

amendments

before

you

can

begin

planting.


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The planting combinations you select will vary depending upon the conditions and

availabilityoflightandwater,aswellasyouravailableequipment. Someplantscannotbe

plantedtooclosetoeachother,ortheywillcrosspollinateandproducehybridseedsthat

eitherwontgerminate,orwillnotreliablyproducefoodduringthenextyear.

CompanionPlanting

Companion planting is the practice of growing complimentary plants together. For

instance, radishes are good for warding away cucumber beetles. They can be planted

aroundcucurbits

like

squash,

cucumbers

and

melons

to

help

dissuade

pests

from

attacking

thoseplants. Onions,garlicandchivesmakegoodcompanionplantsforcabbage,broccoli

and other members of the cabbage family. Below, are some companion planting

suggestionstohelpyourplantshelpeachother.


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Plant Companion(s)andEffects

Asparagus

Tomatoes,parsley,

basil

Basil Tomatoes (improves growth & flavor); said to dislike rue;

repelsflies&mosquitoes

Bean Potatoes, carrots, cucumbers, cauliflower, cabbage,

summersavory,mostotherveggies&herbs

Bean(bush) Sunflowers (beans like partial shade, unless you live up

north, sunflowers attract birds & bees for pollination),

cucumbers

(combination

of

heavy

and

light

feeders),

potatoes,corn,celery,summersavory

BeeBalm Tomatoes(improvesgrowth&flavor).

Beet Onions,kohlrabi

Borage Tomatoes (attracts bees, deters tomato worm, improves

growth&flavor),squash,strawberries

Cabbage Family (broccoli,

brusselssprouts,

cabbage,

cauliflower,kale,kohlrabi)

Potatoes, celery, dill, chamomile, sage, thyme, mint,

pennyroyal,

rosemary,

lavender,

beets,

onions;

aromatic

plantsdetercabbageworms

Caraway Loosenssoil;planthereandthere

Carrot Peas, lettuce, chives, onions, leeks, rosemary, sage,

tomatoes

Catnip Plantinborders;protectsagainstfleabeetles

Celery Leeks,tomatoes,bushbeans,cauliflower,cabbage

Chamomile

Cabbage,onions

Chervil Radishes(improvesgrowth&flavor).

Chive Carrots; plant around base of fruit trees to discourage

insectsfromclimbingtrunk

Corn Potatoes,peas,beans,cucumbers,pumpkin,squash

Cucumber Beans,corn,peas,radishes,sunflowers

DeadNettle Potatoes(deterspotatobugs)


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27

Potato Horseradish, beans, corn, cabbage, marigold, limas,

eggplant(asatrapcropforpotatobeetle)

PotMarigold Helpstomato,butplantthroughoutgardenasdeterrentto

asparagusbeetle,tomatoworm&manyothergardenpests

Pumpkin Corn

Radish Peas, nasturtium, lettuce, cucumbers; a general aid in

repellinginsects

Rosemary Carrots,beans,cabbage,sage;deterscabbagemoth,bean

beetles&carrotfly

Rue Roses & raspberries; deters Japanese beetle; keep away

frombasil

Sage Rosemary, carrots, cabbage, peas, beans; deters some

insects

Soybean Growswithanything;helpseverything

Spinach Strawberries

Squash Nasturtium,corn

Strawberry Bushbeans,spinach,borage,lettuce(asaborder)

SummerSavory Beans,onions;detersbeanbeetles

Sunflower Cucumber

Tansy Plantunderfruittrees;deterspestsofroses&raspberries;

deters flying insects, also Japanese beetles, striped

cucumberbeetles,squashbugs;detersants

Tarragon

Good

throughout

gardenThyme Hereandthereingarden;deterscabbageworm

Tomato Chives, onion, parsley, asparagus, marigold, nasturtium,

carrot,limas

Valerian Goodanywhereingarden

Wormwood Asaborder,keepsanimalsfromthegarden

Yarrow Plant along borders, near paths, near aromatic herbs;

enhancesessential

oil

production

of

herbs


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28

OtherCompanionPlantingTips

Inaddition

to

the

planting

tips

from

above,

planting

these

plants

can

help

keep

away

pest

insectsandlurebeneficialinsectstothegarden.

MintWorkswellwhenplantedaroundcabbages. Detersaphidsandothercabbagepests.

MarigoldsHelpswithnematodesuppressionanddetersotherflyinginsects.

BasilAphidsdonotlikebasil.

FloweringplantsandHerbsScatteringfloweringplantsandherbsamongyourvegetables

will help attract beneficial insects and birds, which will also help you fight unwanted

insects.

KeepAway

Thereare

some

plants

that

are

cross

pollinating

and

need

to

be

kept

away

from

each

other

toreliablyharvestseedsfromyeartoyear. Youneedtoseparatesquash,andcucumbers

sothattheydonotcrosspollinate. Growingthemonseparatesidesofthegardenwilldo

thetrick. Plantsinthecabbagefamilyarenotoriousforcrosspollinating,aswell. Youmay

actually want to handpollinate a few plants of each cultivar or type, and keep them

enclosedbyascreentokeepthemfromcrosspollinating. Moreinformationaboutcross

pollinationriskforeachplanttypewillbegiveninindividualplantsections.


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29

CHAPTERFIVEGENERALPLANTCARE

Regardlessof

the

vegetable

variety

you

are

growing,

you

will

need

to

understand

some

basic fundamentals of plant care. Learning these skills will allow you to grow healthy

vegetablesforyourfamily. Morespecificcareinstructionsarelistedwitheachvegetable

inthenextsection.

Planting

Some plants are best planted by directsowing the seeds

into

the

ground,

while

others

do

well

when

grown

from

transplants. Itdependsupontheplantandyourlocation.

Some plants need a long time from germination to

maturity, and will not reach maturity if directsown. For

example,somevarietiesofonionstake100ormoredays

toreachmaturity. Theremightnotbeenoughtimeifthey

aredirectsownincoolerclimates.

Aneasy

to

start

vegetables

from

seed

indoors

is

to

make

potsoutofnewspaper. Youcanuseanopenendedglass

andapieceofblackandwhitenewspaper. (Youcanalso

use paper bags, recycled billsanything that isnt glossy.

Rollthepaperaroundtheglass. Pushtheextrapaperat

the end into the glass. Then remove the glass and fold

thenonbunchedendpaperunder. Youcanfillthepots

withpotting

soil

or

regular

garden

soil.

The

plants

can

be

planted

directly

into

the

ground

in their paper pots because the paper will biodegrade. If you have trouble getting the

papertosticktogether,youcancoveritwithapastemadefromflourandwater. Letthe

potsdrybeforeusingthemifyouusetheflourpaste.


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30

Thedepthofplantingwilldependupon

the individual seed. Some seeds do not

like to be covered by soil at all, though

most seedseven very tiny seedswill

benefit fromasprinklingof lightweight

compost or potting mix. For instance,

lettuce seeds do best whenjust barely

coveredwithalightdustingofsoil,while

bean seeds or peas can be planted as

muchas

one

inch

below

the

soil

line.

Read

the

instructions

on

your

seed

package.

When

possible,erronthesideofnotcoveringthemenough,ratherthancoveringtoomuch.

Always thoroughly water the planting row before you plant so that you do not have to

watersoheavilythatyouwashawaytheseeds.Ifyouaregoingtoplanttheseedindoors,

growthemuntiltheyhavetheirsecondsetoftrueleaves,atleast. Thenleavetheplants

outsideforaweekorsotoacclimate. Thisiscalledhardeningoff. Thenyoucanplant

theplants

outside

in

the

planting

bed.

Watering

Watering is one of the most important aspects of plant

care,andoneofthemostdifficulttoteach. Plantsneed

differentamountsofwateratdifferentpointsduringtheir

lifecycle. Germinatingseedsneedtobekeptmoist,but

not soakingwet,until theyhave theirsecondsetof true

leavesandhaverootsystemslargeenoughtosoakupthe

watertheyneed.

Vegetablesgrowfairlyfast,andneedquiteabitofwater

throughout their life cycle; however, they still should

neverbekeptsoakingwet.Itisbettertowaterdeeplyafewtimesaweek,thanshallowly

everyday.


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A rule of thumb is to count to ten on every plant, and then go back and water again,

counting to ten. When possible, always handwater your plants with a hose, watering

wandandbreaker. Thebreakermakesthestreamofwatersofter.

Always water at the base of the plant, never on the

leavesandstems,ifyoucanhelpit. Thisisespecially

important if you are watering late in the evening.

Water sitting on leaves overnight can lead to spread

of disease. One way to conserve water is to make

your

own

dripirrigation

system

with

emptied

two

litersodabottles. Youcanbasicallyfillthebottlewith

water,pokeaverysmallholenearthelid,replacethe

lid,andputthebottleupsidedowninthegroundwith

thehole inthebottleclosesttotheplant. Thewaterwillgraduallydripout. Intimesof

extreme water stress, this method can save your plants. The picture shows a modified

version of this method, only it uses an attachment. You may not be able to get the

attachment.

Themain

point

is

that

you

let

the

water

leak

out

very

slowly.

Not

letting

the

waterevaporateisalsokey.

Youcancollectyourownwaterinarainbarrelthatcollects

waterfromtheroofofyourhouseduringarain. Therain

barrelwatercanthenbedistributedbyhoseattachedorby

wateringcan.


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32

Mulching

Mulchingwill

also

be

key

to

your

survival

garden.

To

grow

vegetables

successfully

with

littleinput,youneedtoconserveresourcesincludingwater,nutrientsandenergy. Mulch

helpsyouconservetheseitems. Mulchalsohelpspreventweedseedsfromsproutingand

regulatessoiltemperature. Therearemanytypesofmulch. Foryourpurposes,youwill

wanttouseanorganictypeofmulchthatbreaksdown

toaddnutrientsbackintothesoil. Youwillwanttouse

composted leaves, compost, shredded bark mulch,

shreddednewspapers,

or

grass

clippings

to

mulch

your

garden. Water,airandnutrientsneedtopassthrough

the mulch, which means that you shouldnt use plastic

tarps or bags unless you have no other choice.

Additionally, landscape fabric doesnt make a good

mulch for someone who needs to be careful to put nutrients back into their garden

because itblocksweedseeds,butalsoblocksorganicmatterfrombeingreincorporated

into

the

soil.

After

a

couple

of

years,

landscape

fabric

loses

its

effectiveness

almost

entirelybecausealayerofsoilwillhavebeguntobuildup,whichprovidesanidealplace

forweedseedstosprout.

Ifyouusematerialsfromaroundyouryardtomulch,beawarethatyourplantsmightneed

somesupplementalfertilizer. Uncompostedwoodymaterialslikewoodchipscanactually

lower the nitrogen level in soil as the bacteria that digests them uses nitrogen to break

downthematerials. BelowisalistwithC:Nratios.

HighNitrogenMaterials:C:N

GrassClippings19:1

SewageSludge(digested)16:1

FoodWastes15:1

CowManure20:1

HorseManure25:1


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HighCarbonMaterials:

Leaves

and

Foliage

40

80:1

Bark100130:1

Paper170:1

WoodandSawdust300700:1

Ifyouhaveachoiceofmaterialstouseasmulch,itisbettertousehighnitrogenmaterials

sothatyoudonottakenutrientsawayfromyourplants. Makesurethatyouleaveabout

aninchorsobetweentheplantstemandthemulch. Thedark,humidenvironmentthat

themulchcreatesaroundtheplantsisperfectforfungiandbacterial,aswellasinsectsto

takehold. Leavingthespacewillhelppreventthoseproblemsfromgettingoutofhand.

Weeding

There are reasons beyond aesthetics to weed the garden. Weeds compete with each

otherandyourgardenplantsforfood,water,spaceandsunlight. Whenyourlifedepends

upon

the

success

of

your

vegetable

garden,

you

dont

want

weeds

to

get

in

the

way.

Mulchwillhelpkeepweedsfromtakingover. Youcanalsoweedbyhand,pullingoutthe

weeds one at a time, or with a weeding fork or hoe.

With weeding, it is most important to prevent weeds

from going to seed. Once that happens, you not only

have the problem of the weed for the current growing

season,butalsoforthesubsequentgrowingseasons. If

itis

ahot,

sunny

day

and

weeds

are

small,

hoeing

them

upandleavingthemoutforthesuntodrywillusuallydo

thetrick. Becarefulnottoaddyourweedstothecompostpileifyourpiledoesnotheat

uptoformhotcompost. Ifyouuseweedsthathavegonetoseedfromacoolcompost

pile,youwillputtheweedseedsbackintoyourgarden.


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35

Staking

Allof

the

plants

you

grow

for

food

were

once

wild

plants,

and

couldholdthemselvesup. Sincewehavebeendomesticating

the plants, selecting and growing the plants that have the

biggestfruits,mosttender leaves,etc.someoftheplantshave

gottentoapointwheretheycantholdthemselvesup. That is

whenyouneedtostake. Plantsthatwillcommonlyneedstaking

andareincludedintheSurvivalSeedKitaretomatoes,peppers,

and

pole

beans.

Youcan

use

almost

anything

you

can

find

to

stake your plants. Wood stakes, coathangars that have been

straightened, or

string running from a peg in the ground to a

clotheslineabove. Thepurposeofthestaking

is to give the plant the support it needs to

growwithoutthestembreaking,whichwould

cause

a

disruption

of

the

flow

of

water

and

nutrients.

Thinning

Inordertoendupwithenoughplantsmakingittomaturitytofeedyour

family,youwillneedtoplantmoreseedsthanyouplantoharvest. That

meansthatinordertobringyourplantstomaturity,ifsomeoftheseeds

arenotruinedbydisease,insectsorothercalamity,youwillhavetothin.

Lettuce, radish and spinach plants are most notorious. You know it is

timetothinasplantsbegintocrowdeachother. Itisthatsimple. Dependinguponhow

crowdedyourrowsare,youmightneedtodoseveralroundsofthinning.


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36

Harvesting

Aftermonths

(or

weeks)

of

hard

work,

it

is

time

to

harvest!

Many

plants

can

be

harvested

atvarioustimesofripeness. Spinachcanbeeatenwhentheleavesaretiny,andwhenthe

planthasbeengrowing forsome time. Thesame goes forswisschardandkale. Other

plantsshouldbeharvestedatspecifictimesforfreshnessandripeness. Topreservefood

forfutureuse,harvestatpeakfreshness. For instance,tomatoeswillbedeeplycolored,

buttheirskinwillstillbetaughtoverthefruit.

Ifyou

are

harvesting

and

would

like

to

leave

the

plant

to

keep

growing,

do

not

pinch

out

thetopoftheplant. Pickleavesfromthesides. Harvestingvariessomuchfromplantto

plantthatmoreindepthinformationwillbecoveredforeachplantindividually.


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37

CHAPTERSIXGARDENINSECTS:

GOODGUYS

AND

BAD

GUYS

Evenwiththemostcarefulplanningandwatchfuleye,youwillstillendupwithpests in

your garden. Because your capacity to eradicate your garden of pests will lie largely in

items you have around your home, the remedies presented for controlling pests are

largelythoseyoucanmakeyourself. Thepestsdiscussedarethemostcommonpeststo

afflictvegetablegardens.

BeneficialInsects

Thisinsectsareworkerbeesthatactuallyhelpyouinthegarden. Makesurethatyoudo

everythingpossibletokeeptheseinsectsaround.

LadybugsLadybugsarebeetles,andtherearehundredsof

different species. You can keep ladybugs in your garden,

eliminatingpestsbynotspraying insecticides. Aphidsare

one of their favorite foods. A healthy population of

ladybugscancompletelyeliminateaphidsasaproblem in

yourgarden.


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LacewingsThe larvalformofthe lacewing isactuallytheheavy lifter

when itcomestokeepingyourgardenfreeofpests. The larvaewill

prettymuchstayput inyourgarden ifyouare luckyenough to lure

them there. The adults

doflyaway,butwilloften

lay eggs before they fly.

Theyaremosteffectiveat

controlling softbodied

insects like mites and

aphids.

Bigeyedbugs Ifyoudonthaveapestthattheseguys liketoeat,they

can liveonpollenuntilapestshowsup. Theyeatmites,aphids,small

caterpillarsandjustaboutanyothergardenpestyoucanthinkof.

Parasitic Wasps There are several species of parasitic

wasps. Mostofthemareuniquelyadaptedtoonlyattack

aspecificpest,though. Iftheyendup inyouryard,you

canfeel

thankful,

but

shouldnt

go

to

great

lengths

trying

to get them. They work on pests by laying their eggs

insidethehost insect. The larvahatches insidethepest

andeatsitalivefromtheinsideout.


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39

InsectsthatCauseDamage

These

insects

cause

a

lot

of

damage

in

vegetable

gardens.

Below

are

their

pictures,

identifyingcharacteristicsandhomeremediestobanishthedetrimentalinsects.

AphidsEveryonehatestolookoutintotheiryardandsee

an aphid infestation. This is because aphids reproduce

rapidly,andeverystateoftheinsectdoesdamage. Aphids

damage plants by sucking the juices out of the plant

leaves.

They

produce

a

sticky

substance

called

honeydew, which ants like. If you have an aphid

problem, chancesare great that you will eventually have an ant problem,as well. Ants

farmtheaphids forthehoneydew. Youcancontrolaphidswithadilutesoapywater

mixture that dries out the animals because they do not have a hard outer coating to

protectthem. Youcanalsousehighpressurewatertoblasttheaphidsoffoftheplants.

Ladybugslovetoeataphids,too.

Grubs/Japanese Beetles Japanese beetles do a lot of

damageineveryform. Thegrubs(thelarvalform)eatthe

roots of plants. They also attract moles, which eat the

grubs and make tunnels in the yard. They are a triple

threat. Japanesebeetleseatthe leavesoftheplantsand

flowers. It isnotagood idea tousepheromonetrapsto

trap beetles because the traps can actually lure beetles

fromneighboringgardens. Thebestwaytocontrolthebeetles

is to control the larvaethe grubs. Milky Spore is a bacterial

disease that can beapplied to the lawnandwillkill the grubs.

Nonplantparasiticnematodesalsodestroygrubs,andcanself

sustainapopulation. Youhavetoapplythemilkysporeatthe

righttimeinordertohavethebestgrubcontrol.


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PotatoBeetlesThesebugsmainlyliketoeattheleavesof

plants. Theywilleattomatoesandeggplants,though. If

theinsectsareactiveduringpeakflowering,theplantcan

be heavily damaged. Because they are a hardbodied

insect, insecticidal soaps dont have a big effect. It is

mucheasiertotrytopreventtheeggs fromhatchingby

using insecticidalsoap todry out theeggs. Encouraging

ladybugsandlacewingpopulationsalsohelps,becausethosetwoinsectswilleattheeggs

ofthepotatobugs.

CabbageWorms

Cabbage

loopers

eat

the

leaves

of

almost every type of plant. They also eat holes in

beanpodsandwilleatthroughearsofcorn. There

arenumerouspesticidestocontrolcabbageloopers.

BT,abacteria,canalsobeusedtocontrolthebugs.

Ifyoudonthavepesticideresourcesavailable,you

can handpick the caterpillars and place them in a

jarwith

rubbing

alcohol

to

kill

them.

Cutworm Cutworms mostly eat at night, and they

do climb up the stems of plants and eat them in

half, which is where they get their name

cutworm. Birds like to eat cutworms, so make

your garden as birdfriendly as possible.

Additionally,

you

can

protect

your

plant

stems

by

making a cardboard or plastic collar to put over the plant, and push down into the soil.

Thatisabarriermethodofprotection.


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41

SlugSlugseatholesinplantleavesandcanwreckacropquickly. Theyareactiveatnight,

but they can be controlled. A shallow, straight

sidedcontainerofbeer,sunkintothesoilsothelip

islevelwiththesoilwillattractslugs. Wateringin

the early morning so the soil dries out at night is

alsogoodforcontrol. Slugscanbekeptawayfrom

plants with a sprinkling of diatomaceous earth

aroundtheplant,aswell.

Cucumber Beetle Cucumber beetles like to eat

pretty much everything in sight. In order to keep

them from eating young leaves of newlyemerging

plants, cover the plants with a fine netting or

sheets. There is some evidence that planting

radishesalongsidetheplantsthatcouldbeaffected

bycucumber

beetles

will

keep

them

away.

Mealybug Mealybugs suck the sap out of plants and secrete

honeydew,whichattractsantsandsootymould. Inorderto

controlmealybugs,youwillneedtocontroltheants,because

theantswillprotectthemealybugs. Antsdonotlikemint,and

can be controlled with mint extract. You can make mint

extract

by

boiling

several

cups

of

fresh

mint

with

a

cup

of

water. Squeeze out the water and spray the concentrated

mintextractontheants.


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42

SpiderMite

Spider

mites

lay

their

eggs

near

the

mid

vein

of

leaves. When the young spider mites hatch, they suck out

theplantjuices. Mitesbecomeoutofhandwhentheplantis

overly dry. The best way to rid the garden of mites is to

encourage ladybugs to live in the garden. Mites are soft

bodiedinsects,sotheycanalsobecontrolledwithamixture

ofsoapandwater.

Tomato Hornworm Tomato hornworms eat the

stems and leaves of tomato plants. The easiest

way to control these beasts is to handpick them

fromtheplants.


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43

CHAPTERSEVENNUTRIENT DEFICIENCIES

Thissection

will

give

you

agood

overview

of

some

problems

that

are

likely

to

crop

up

(punintended!)inyoursurvivalgarden.Halfthebattlewithplantsiscorrectlydiagnosing

theproblemifthereisone.Unlessyoucancorrectlydiagnose,youcannotcorrectlytreat.

NutrientDeficiencies

Because nutrients are such a major component of survival gardening, and gardening for

subsistence,when

plants

have

nutrient

deficiencies,

they

must

be

corrected

immediately.

For new gardeners, identifying nutrient deficiencies can be tricky. Below is a list of

essentialplantnutrients,alongwithapictureanddescriptionofthephysicalsymptomsof

adeficiencyofthatnutrient.

Nitrogen Entire plant is light green in color; lower leaves

areyellow;growthisstunted

PhosphorousEntireplantisbluishgreen,oftendeveloping

aredorpurplishcast; lower leavesmaybeyellow,drying

toagreenishbrowntoblackcolor;growthmaybestunted

Potassium Leaves have a papery appearance; dead areas

alongtheedgesoftheleaves;growthisstunted


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44

Magnesium Lower leaves turn yellow along the tips and

margin and between the veins; the lower leaves wilt

CalciumYoungstemsandnewleavesdie. Causesblossom

endrotintomatoes.

Zinc Leaf tissue between the veins is lighter in color;

yellowed;paperyinappearance

Iron Leaf tissue appears yellow, while the veins remain

green


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45

Copper Leaf edges appear dark green or blue; leaf edges

curlupward;youngleavespermanentlywilt

SulfurYoungleavesturnpalegreen,whiletheolderleaves

remaingreen;plantisstuntedandspindly

Manganese Growth is stunted; lower leaves have a

checkeredpatternofyellowandgreen

Molybdenum Leaves are stunted, pale green, and

malformed


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46

Boron Young leaves are scorched at tips and margins

pH Issues One factor that highly influences nutrient uptake is pH of the solution. Most

plants do best in a pH range of 6.26.8, which is slightly acidic. (A pH of 7 is neutral.)

Anythingabove

7is

alkaline,

anything

below

6is

considered

to

be

acidic.

While

plants

vary

in their pH needs, most will do well in the 6.26.8 range. If your plants are exhibiting

nutrientdeficiencies,oneofthe firstthingstodo intermsoftreatment,beforeyouadd

anythingtoyoursoil,istotestthepH.

Nutrientuptake isaffectedbythepHofthesoil.BelowisachartfromCornellUniversity

that shows the most common and necessary plant nutrients and the pH levels at which

they become unavailable to plants. (Unavailable means that the nutrient might be

present,but isnot inaformthatplantscaneasilytakeup.Thenutrientmightbebound

withotherelementsandstuckinthesoil.)

NutrientAvailability

The diagram at left clearly illustrates the

optimum pH for growing plants. There are pH

testingkits

that

will

help

you

test

the

pH

of

your

soil. You can buy pH testing kits inexpensively,

andtheyareworththemoney.


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47

PART THREE: SPECIFIC PLANT CARE

SpecificPlantCareAlphabeticalbyPlantType

Each type of plant that you will grow from your Survival Seed Kit requires its own care,

harvesting

and

storage.

The

general

gardening

instructions

will

help

you

make

the

most

of

your seed kit, but the way you will be able to grow and perpetuate your seed kit is by

followingtheinstructionsforindividualplantslistedinthissection. Becausethevarieties

vary from seed kit to seed kit, depending upon seed availability, this section contains

informationabouthowtogroweachtypeofplant,ratherthanaspecificcultivar. Some

cultivarswillhavemorespecific instructions,whichwillbe includedonthepackets. This

information will help you think about how to lay out your garden, and care for the

differentplanttypes. Eachoftheseseedvarietieswasalsoselectedbecauseofitseaseof

storageandpreservation. Formore informationoncanningandstoringfood,pleasesee

http://www.foodshortageusa.com

Includedforeachplantisthefollowinginformation:

Planting/transplanting,Watering,Harvestingforeating,Harvestingseed,Preservingseed,

Nutritionalbenefits.


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48

BEANS,DRY

Planting/transplanting

Sowseedsoutdoorsafterthedangerof frosthaspastandthesoilandairtemperatures

arewarm.Plantseeds1"deepand2"apartinrows24"to36"apart.Polebeanswillneed

support. If you are growing two different types of beans for drying, plant them on

oppositesides

of

the

garden,

as

they

will

cross

pollinate

with

each

other.

Watering

Watertoestablishthebeans. Onceestablished,beansdonotneedasmuchwater.

Harvesting

Manydrybeanscanbeeatenyoungandgreen,ifnecessary. Themainpurposeofgrowing

drybeans

is

to

preserve

the

beans

dry

to

re

hydrate

later

in

the

winter,

or

save

for

another

time. Waituntilthebeansaredryontheirstalkstoharvest.

Harvestingseed

Bean seedpods thatare lefton thevine to drycanshatterupon touch. Carefullyclose

yourhandaroundthepodandpulltheentirepodofftheplantandplaceitinyourharvest

container.

Preservingseed

It is always best to save seed from plants that ripen first and are free from disease.

Harvestseedpodswhencompletelydry,crush inaclothorburlapsackandwinnowthe

seedsfromthechaff. Ifyouhavetopullyourcropbeforeithascompletelydried,hangthe

plantsupsidedowninaburlapbagandletthemdry. Assoonastheyaredry,strethemin

acool,dry,darklocation.


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50

BEANS,FRESH


Sowseedsoutdoorsafterthedangerof frosthaspastandthesoilandairtemperatures

arewarm.Plantseeds1"deepand2"apartinrows24"to36"apart.Polebeanswillneed

support. If you are growing two different types of beans for drying, plant them on

oppositesidesofthegarden,astheywillcrosspollinatewitheachother.

Watering

Watertoestablishthebeans.Onceestablished,beansdonotneedasmuchwater.

Harvesting

Youcaneatthesebeanswhiletheyarestillyoungandtender. Harvestbeforethepods

begintovisiblyswellwiththeseeds inside. Ifnotpreserved, freshbeansarebesteaten

within a couple of days of harvesting. The main purpose of growing dry beans is to

preservethebeansdrytorehydrate later inthewinter,orsave foranothertime. Wait

untilthebeansaredryontheirstalkstoharvest.

Harvestingseed

Bean seedpods thatare lefton thevine to drycanshatterupon touch. Carefullyclose

yourhandaroundthepodandpulltheentirepodofftheplantandplaceitinyourharvest

container.


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Preservingseed

Itisalwaysbesttosaveseedfromplantsthatripenfirstandarefreefromdisease.Harvest

seedpodswhencompletelydry,crushinaclothorburlapsackandwinnowtheseedsfrom

the chaff. If you have to pull your crop before it has completely dried, hang the plants

upsidedowninaburlapbagandletthemdry. Assoonastheyaredry,stretheminacool,

dry,darklocation.

Nutritionalbenefits

Youeatthebeanpodandallforfreshbeans. Beforeyoucaneatthem,youhavetoshell

them. Beansareatremendoussourceofprotein. Pairedwithcorn,amealwilldelivera

complete protein, or the components needed as building blocks for proteins with all

necessary amino acids. Beans are also rich in B vitamins, fiber, iron, calcium and

phosphorous.


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52

BEETS


Planting: Sow seeds outdoors in the spring, 68 seeds per foot " deep in rows 2024"

apart. Minimumsoiltemperaturemustbe40F. Thinthebeets,leavingatleast4inches

betweeneachplant. Youcaneattheyounggreensinsalads. Forseedsaving,plantbeets

inthe

late

summer,

early

fall.

These

plants

will

bolt

or

go

to

seed

the

following

spring.

Watering

Beets are fast growersand need a fair amountof water, especially as the temperatures

warm. Youcantelliftheyneedtobewaterediftheirtopswilt.

Harvesting

Beetscan

be

harvested

for

eating

at

any

point

during

their

development.

It

is

better

to

eat

thebeetswhentheyareyoungerandmoretender.

Harvestingseed

Beetsarebiennial,whichmeansthattheywillnotsetseeduntilthesecondyear. Beets

willcrosspollinate. Varietiesmustbeseparatedbymile fromotherbeets thesecond

year when going to seed. Beets are fairly frost tolerant and will overwinter in mild

climatesif

well

mulched.

In

northern

climates

trim

leaves

to

2"

and

store

roots

in

slightly

dampsawdustorsandinarootcellaroverthewinter. Rootsstore46monthsat3240

F. Replantinthespringandharvestseedheadswhendry. Toavoidcrosspollinationwith

otherplantsinthesamefamily,foldtheseedstockoverandplaceabagoverit,stapling

thebagtokeepinsectsandpollenout.


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54

CABBAGE


Sowindoors"deepinpotsorflats8weeksbeforethelastfrost. Thinseedlingswhen2"

tallandtransplantintoindividualpots. Plantoutdoors24"apartinrows36"apartwhena

lightfrostisstillpossible.

Watering

Cabbageplantsneedanaverageamountofwater. Ifyouaregoingtooverwinterplantsto

setoutinthespring,beginwateringthestoredplantsinthelatewinterbeforeyouplant

themoutside.

Harvesting

Cutthe

heads

of

any

cabbage

you

wish

to

eat

when

the

heads

are

full

and

firm.

Keep

the

rootsontheplantandwrapthecabbageinnewspapers. Storeinacool,humidlocation.

Harvestingseed

Biennial. Cabbage will crosspollinate with all other Brassica oleracea, (broccoli, kale,turnips)so isolateby1milethesecondyearwhengoingtoseed,orbagthetopsofthe

plantsto isolate. Donotharvestheadsonplantsyou intendtosaveforseed. Carefully

dig

theplants

and

pot

them

in

sand.

Store

plants

between

32

40

F.

Plant

back

out

in

earlyspringandallowtobolt. YoucancutanXinthetopofthecabbageheadtomakeit

easierfortheseedstalktogrowoutofthehead. Harvestseedpodswhendryandclean

byhand. Thepodswillripengraduallyfromthebottomoftheplanttothetopofthestalk.

The pods must come to maturity fully while still attached to the plant, or they will not

germinatewellthenextyear. Harvest eachpod as it is ripe. Ifyouwant to saveseeds

from numerous types of Brassica, it is a good idea to alternate growing years for

consumption

and

harvest.


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55

Preservingseed

Theseedforcabbageplantsdoesnotrequireanyspecialtreatment. Onlytobekeptina

cool,drylocation.

Nutritionalbenefits

High invitaminsA,B,CandE. Italsohassomeanticancerproperties. Goodsourceof

waterandfiber.


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56

CARROT


Carrotsgrowbestwhendirectseeded inavery lightsoilthathasamixtureofsandand

peat. This issothat theirrootscandevelopproperlyand reachdown into thesoil. ow

seedsoutdoorsintheearlyspring34weeksbeforethelastfrostorassoonasthesoilcan

beworked.Sowseedsdeepmakingsuretofirmlypresssoilagainsttheseedsforgood

soil contact. Keep moist for optimal germination. Thin to 14 depending on the size of

maturecarrots.

Watering

Carrotsmustbekeptevenlymoistsothattheydonotsplitopenwhenwatered. Theydo

not like to be soggy, but kept moist throughout growing. Feed using a liquid food like

compostteaorprotogro. Donotfeedwithmanureorheavycompost,asthatcancause

thecarrotrootstosplitandbecomeextrahairy.

Harvesting

Youwillneedtothincarrotsastheygrow,leavingaboutfourinchesbetweeneachcarrot.

If the carrots are too close together, they will be stunted. You can harvest carrots and

storethemforseveralmonthsbycuttingofftheirtopsandpackingthem indrystrawor

dry leaves. They will keep packed this way for five or six months if kept at 8090%

humidity.


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57

Harvestingseed

Carrotsarebiennials,whichmeanstheywillproduce foreatingduringthe firstyearand

seedthesecondyear. Carrotswillcrosspollinate,soisolatemilefromothercarrotsand

QueenAnnesLacethesecondyearwhengoingtoseed.Digupcarrotsinthefallbeforea

hardfrost.Trimthetopsto1andstorerootsinslightlydampsawdust,sandorleavesina

rootcellaroverthewinter.Replantinthespringandharvestseedheadswhendry.

Preservingseed

Theflowerofacarrotiscalledanumbel. Harvestseedaseachumbeldriesout. Youcan

savetheseedsinadry,lowhumidity,coollocationforseveralyears.

Nutritionaly

Orangeandyellowcarrotsarethemostnutritiousvarieties. Theyarehigh invitaminA,

fiber, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin K, biotin, potassium and

thiamine.


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58

CHARD


Sowseedsoutdoorsearlyinthespring. Plantseeds"deepand4"apartinrows2024"

apart. Thinseedlingstooneevery12". Minimumsoiltemperatureshouldbeatleast40

F. Chardisveryheatresistantandwillkeepproducingthroughthesummer,fillinginwhen

springgreens

are

done.

Watering

As a green, chard needs a fair amount of water, and will produce prolifically if watered

frequently. Ifyouharvestthewholeplantatonce,cuttingdowntowithintwo inchesof

theground,waterandfeedtheplantwithliquidfertilizerandtheplantwillcomebackand

keepgoing.

Harvesting

Swiss Chard can be continually harvested throughout the growing season. Young chard

canbeeatenassaladgreens,justasyouwouldeatyoungbeetgreens. Toharvestlarger

chard plants, cut the outermost leaves for eating, letting the inside leaves grow and

mature. Youcancutthewholeplantdowntoafew inchesabovethesoil lineand itwill

comeback.

Harvestingseed

Varieties must be separated by mile from all otherBetavulgaris whengoing to seed.Willoverwinterinmildclimatesifwellmulched. Innorthernclimatestrimleavesto2"and

storeroots insawdustorsand ina rootcellar. Rootswillstore46monthsat3240F.

Replantinthespringandharvestseedheadswhendry.


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59

Preservingseed

Youwillharvesttheseedduringthesecondgrowingseason. Youcanharvesttheseedby

hand pulling it from the plant in the garden. If it rains a lot in your area during the

summer,bringtheflowerstalksinsideandhangupsidedowninabagtofulldry.

Nutritionalbenefits

HighinvitaminA,KandC. Goodsourceoffiber.


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61

Nutritionalbenefits

Good source of vitamin B1 (thiamin), folate, dietary fiber, vitamin C, phosphorus,

manganese, vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid). Together with beans, corn also forms a

completeproteinwithallofthenecessarybuildingblocksofDNA.


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62

CORN,FRESH


Sow seeds outdoors only after the danger of frost has passed. Corn will not germinate

properlywhenthesoilisstillcoldinthespring. Sowseeds1"deepevery34"inrows34'

apart. Thintheseedlingsto8"apartaftertheplantscomeup. Cornshouldbeplantedina

34row

block

to

ensure

well

filled

out

ears.

Watering

Cornisuniquelyadaptedtowaterstress. Youwillknowwhentheplantisstressedifthe

leaves curl inward. At that time, you will want to water the corn patch. Sweet corn

benefitsfromafeedingofcompostorliquidfertilizeronceduringitsgrowthcycle.

Harvesting

Harvestsweetcornwhenthesilkshavejustbarelystartedtoturnbrown. Ifyoupiercea

kernelwithyourthumbnail,andmilkshootsout,thecornisreadytoeat. Pulltheearoff

thestalkandleavethestalkwithaneartoripenforseed.

Harvestingseed

All corn varieties are windpollinated and will crosspollinate with each other. Varieties

shouldbe

hand

pollinated

or

isolated

by

1mile

to

ensure

purity.

Allow

ears

to

dry

on

the

plants,harvestandshell.

Preservingseed

To preserve genetic diversity of seed corn, take ears from at least twenty five different

plants to harvest. Corn seeds must be completely dry before storagemuch like bean

seeds.


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63

Nutritionalbenefits

Good source of vitamin B1 (thiamin), folate, dietary fiber, vitamin C, phosphorus,

manganese, vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid). Together with beans, corn also forms a

completeproteinwithallofthenecessarybuildingblocksofDNA.


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64

CUCUMBER


Sow 68 seeds outdoors 1" deep in 12" diameter hills spaced 6' apart each way a week

afterthelastfrostwhensoiliswarm. Pinchoffallbut34ofthestrongestseedlings. Can

bestartedindoorsinpotsorflats34weeksbeforethelastfrostforanearlierharvest. To

growmore

in

asmaller

space,

train

the

cucumbers

up

trellises.

Watering

Cucumbersneedfrequentwatering.

Harvesting

Harvestcucumbersbeforetheyreachfullsize. Iftheyarestartingtofadeandturnyellow,

theyare

too

old.

Harvestingseed

Toharvestviablecucumberseed,youwillneedtohandpollinatethecucumbers. Move

pollenfromoneflowertotheother. Handpollinateduringthetimeof11hourdaysand

moderateheattogetthebestseedresults. Letfruitsthatyouwillharvestforseedmature

pastoptimumeatingstage. Theywillbegintosoftenandturndifferentcolors.

Preservingseed

Topreserve theseeds,cutopenthecucumbersandscoopseeds intoa largebowl. The

seedswillneedtobefermentedforaboutthreedaysinenoughwatertocovertheseeds.

Stirtheseedstwiceaday. Whentheseedshavesettledtothebottomofthebowl. Add

morewaterandallowthedebristofloattothetop. Thendrytheseedsonacookiesheet

andstoreinanairtight,coolcontainer.


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66

LETTUCE,HEAD


Sowseedsoutdoors"deepand1"apart. Thinto8"apartforlooseleafand12"forhead

lettuce. Does well when soil temperature is below 80 F., try to avoid planting in the

middleofsummer. Keepsoilmoistforuptotwoweeksafterplanting.

Watering

Lettuceismostlywater,andassuch,needsalargeamountofwater.

Harvesting

Harvestheadlettucewhentheheadisfullyformedandtaught. Lettucecanbestoredin

humidareasforacoupleofmonths.

Harvestingseed

Inordertolettheplantsbolt,orgotoseed,youmayneedtocutanopeninginthetopof

the lettuce head so that the seed stalk can push its way through. There is only a slight

chanceofcrosspollinationbetweenlettuces. Asaprecautionseparateby25'fromother

varietiesthataregoingtoseed. Allowplantstoboltandformseedstalks. Seedheadsmay

needtobeprotectedfrombirddamageandrainwhendrying. Seedsareproducedovera

23week

period

and

will

require

repeated

Preservingseed

Lettuceplantscontainalargeamountofchaffwhenharvested. Topreservetheseed,you

willneedto lettheseedsdry inabag,andthencleanthechafffromtheseedsbyusing

graduallysmallerscreens.


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67

Nutritionalbenefits

Lettuce is a good source of fiber. It is also high in Vitamin E, Iron, Folate, Carotenes,

Potassium,andVitaminC


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69

Nutritionalbenefits

Lettuce is a good source of fiber. It is also high in Vitamin E, Iron, Folate, Carotenes,

Potassium,andVitaminC


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70

MELON


Bestwhendirectseededinwarmsoilafterthedangeroffrosthaspassed. Plant68seeds

1"deepin12"diameterhillsspaced6'aparteachway. Aftergerminationpinchoffallbut

34ofthestrongestseedlings.

Watering

Melonsneedgooddrainageinordertonotrot. Makesurethatthegroundslopesdown

andawayfromthemelon.

Harvesting

It isaneternalquestionwhen themelonsareripeenough topick. Theygenerallyneed

fivemonthsfromgerminationtomaturity. Ifyou liveinanareawherethesummersare

tooshort,

you

can

use

black

plastic

to

heat

the

soil

Harvestingseed

Itiseasytoharvestseed,butdifficulttogrowenoughviableseedforsavingfrommelons.

Insect pollination is best, but melons still only produce viable seed with 20% of their

flowers.

Preservingseed

Melons will crosspollinate, so isolate mile from other melons (cantaloupes,

muskmelons, honeydew, snake melon and Armenian cucumbers will all cross). Always

save seeds fromdiseasefree,early ripening melons. Wash seeds from ripemelons in a

straineranddry. Seedsarereadytostorewhentheybreakinsteadofbend.

Nutritionalbenefits

Melonsare

high

in

vitamin

A,

Vitamin

Cand

calcium.


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71

ONION,STORAGE


Startseedlings indoors46weeksbeforetransplanting. Youmayneedtosoaktheseeds

for twoor threehoursbeforeplanting. Sow seeds in flats"deep andspaced 1" inall

directions. Transplantassoonasthesoilcanbeworkedinthespring.

Watering

The importantpartofgrowingonions iswhentostopwatering. Theonionsmustdry in

ordertostorewell.

Harvesting

The best onions for storage are mediumsized, with no thick neck. Loosen bulbs with a

forkand

let

them

dry

outside

for

afew

days.

Then

bring

them

inside

and

store

them

in

meshbagsinacool,drylocationthatisdark.

Harvestingseed

Biennial.Onionscrosspollinateandshouldbeisolatedby1milefromotheronionsgoing

toseed.Selectonlythebestbulbsforseed. Bulbsstore36monthsat3245F. Plantout

bulbsinearlyspringandallowthemtoformseedheads. Whentheheadsstarttodry,cut

off,dry

further

and

thresh.

Preservingseed

Youneedtostoreseedinacool,drylocationinanairtightcontainer.


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72

Nutritionalbenefits

Onionsprovidealotoftracenutrients. Theyaregoodsourcesofthefollowing:chromium,

vitamin C, dietary fiber, manganese, molybdenum, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), tryptophan,

folate,potassium,phosphorus,andcopper.


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73

ONION,FRESH


These onions are also called bunching onions. Start seedlings indoors 46weeks before

transplanting. Sowseeds in flats"deepandspaced1" inalldirections. Transplantas

soonasthesoilcanbeworkedinthespring.

Watering

Bunchingonionsdonotneedalotofextrawaterotherthanrainfall.

Harvesting

Youcanharvestandeatbunchingonionsatvirtuallyanypartofthelifecycle.Justpullup

fromtheground,washandeat.

Harvestingseed

Biennial.Onionscrosspollinateandshouldbeisolatedby1milefromotheronionsgoing

toseed.Selectonlythebestbulbsforseed. Bulbsstore36monthsat3245F. Plantout

bulbsinearlyspringandallowthemtoformseedheads.

Preservingseed

Whenthe

heads

start

to

dry,

cut

off,

dry

further

and

thresh.

These

onions

do

not

keep

wellforeating.

Nutritionalbenefits

Onionsprovidealotoftracenutrients. Theyaregoodsourcesofthefollowing:chromium,

vitamin C, dietary fiber, manganese, molybdenum, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), tryptophan,

folate,potassium,phosphorus,andcopper.


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74

PEAS


Peascanbesownassoonasthesoilcanbeprepared inthespring. Sowseeds"to1"

deepwith3"betweenseedsinrows24"apart. Climbingpeaswillneedsupport. Double

rowscanbeplantedoneachsideofatrellis. Peasthriveincoolweather.

Watering

Peasdonotneedalotofsupplementalwater.

Harvesting

Youpeavarietywilldeterminewhenyouharvestitforeating. Somepeasareharvestedto

eat,podandall,assnaps,whileotherpeasfattenandareeatenshelled. Payattentionto

thepackaging

to

know

when

to

harvest

your

peas

for

eating

fresh.

Harvestingseed

Peavarietiesshouldbeseparatedby50'toensurepureseed. Selectthehealthiestplants

forseed. Allowpodstodryontheplantbeforeharvestingandseparateseedsfrompods

byhand. Ifbirdsstarteatingtheseedsbeforethepodsarecompletelydry,theycanbe

harvestedslightlygreenandbroughtindoorstodry.

Preservingseed

Savetheseedincool,dry,darklocations.

Nutritionalbenefits

Peasarenutritious foods,providingprotein,aswellasvitaminK,manganese,vitaminC,

dietaryfiber,vitaminB1(thiamin),andfolate.


75/81

75

PEPPERS


Startseedlingsindoors8weeksbeforetransplanting. Sowseeds"deep. Keepsoilmoist

andnear80F.usingbottomheat. Peppersmaytaketwoweekstogerminate. Transplant

outdoorswhendaytimesoiltemperaturesarenear80F.andnighttimetemperaturesare

above50

F.

Watering

Keepwateringtoaminimumuntilthepepperhassetitsfirstfruit. Thiswillincreasefruit

set. Thenwaterregularly,lettingthesoildryoutbetweenwaterings.

Harvesting

Green

peppers

are

actually

the

unripe

varieties

of

red

and

yellow

peppers.

You

can

harvest peppers for eating at any stage after they begin growing. Hot peppers can be

pickedandallowedtodry.

Harvestingseed

Peppers will crosspollinate, so separate by at least 500' or plant in insectproof cages

coveredwithwindowscreen. Selectpeppersthatareripe,fullycoloredandshownosigns

ofdisease

to

save

for

seed.

Remove

seeds

off

core

and

place

on

apaper

plate

to

dry.

Preservingseed

Storeseedsinacool,dry,darkarea.

Nutritionalbenefits

Peppers provide the following benefits for your diet: manganese, vitamin K, iron, and

dietaryfiber.


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76

SPINACH


Sowseedsoutdoors"deepand1"apart. Spinachgrowsbestincoolweatherandshould

be planted early in the spring or in late summer to produce a fall crop. For best yield,

harvestcontinuallyandmakesuccessiveplantingsevery10days.

Watering

Spinachneedstobewateredregularly.

Harvesting

Spinachcanbeharvestedforeatingatanytimeduringitslifecycle. Itisdifficulttogrow

more than one variety of spinach at a time if you plan on saving the seed. You can

alternatevarieties

for

this

purpose.

Harvestingseed

Spinach will crosspollinate with windblown pollen from other spinach varieties.

Commercialseedcropsareseparatedby510milestoensurepurity,buthomegardeners

can reduce thatdistance. Harvestseeds when they arecompletely dry on theplant. It

maybenecessarytowearleatherglovesbecausetheseedscanbeveryprickly.

Preservingseed

Seedsmustbecompletelydrybeforepreserving.


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77

Nutritionalbenefits

Spinach is one of the healthiest foods available. It provides a wealth of vitamins and

minerals, including:vitaminK,vitaminA,manganese,folate,magnesium, iron,vitaminC,

vitamin B2 (riboflavin), calcium, potassium, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), tryptophan, dietary

fiber, copper, vitamin B1 (thiamin), protein, phosphorus, zinc, vitamin E, omega 3 fatty

acids,vitaminB3(niacin),selenium


78/81


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79

TOMATO


Sowindoors"deepinpotsorflats6weeksbeforethelastfrost. Thinseedlingswhen2"

tall and transplant into individual pots. Plant outdoors 24" apart in rows 36" apart.

Indeterminatevineswillrequiresupport. (Thesearenonbushformingtomatoplants.)

Watering

Tomatoesneedtobekeptevenlymoist,ortheyrun the riskofdevelopingblossomend

rot. Thatdiseasetakesholdwhenthetomatoissubjectedtowet/dry/wet/drycycles.

Harvesting

Harvesttomatoesforeatingwhentheyhavereachedtheirfinalcolor,buttheskin isstill

taught.

Harvestingseed

Crosspollination between modern tomato varieties seldom occurs. Do not save seeds

fromdoublefruitsorfromthefirstfruitsof largefruitedvarieties. Pickat leastoneripe

fruitfromeachofseveralplants. Squeezeseedsandjuiceintoastrainerandwash,spread

onapaperplateanddry. Ifyouhavetroubleremovingthegelatainousseedsack,ferment

thetomato

seeds

in

acontainer

of

water

until

alayer

of

mold

completely

forms

over

the

surface. Stirthecontaineronceaday. Then,pourmorewaterintothemixtureandstrain

out. Dry out of the sun, quickly. Tomato seeds that are moist will begin to germinate

quickly.

Preservingseed

Seedneedstobecompletelydryandstoredinacool,dry,darkplace. Donotdrytheseed

inan

oven.


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80

Nutritionalbenefits

Tomatoesaretremendoussourcesofantioxidants,includinglycopene. Theyarealsorich

sources of the following nutrients: vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin K, molybdenum,

potassium, manganese, dietary fiber, chromium, vitamin B1 (thiamin), vitamin B6

(pyridoxine),folate,copper,vitaminB3(niacin),vitaminB2(riboflavin),magnesium,

Iron,vitaminB5(pantothenicacid),phosphorus,vitaminE,protein.


81/81

CONCLUSION

Thisebookhasgivenyouallof the informationyouneed tosuccessfullygrowasurvival

garden to feed your family in times of world food shortage. Be sure to follow the

instructionscarefullyandpaycloseattentiontoyourgardenplants,andyouwillbefruitful

inyour

venture.

Continually

change,

grow

and

refine

your

gardening

techniques

and

strive

toimproveyoursoilateachstepoftheway. Yourlifedependsonit.

survival gardening with heirlooms

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