Survival Garden: 10 Easy-to-Grow Herbs and Vegetables

10 Easy-to-Grow Herbs and Vegetables 

Only a hundred years ago almost all Australian new how to grow their own food and raise farm animals however in today’s society most are incredibly dependant on major supermarket chains for their day to day needs.

Growing your own food is a great way to ensure you and your family will have a sustainable source of food and possible barter source during a SHTF situation.

A great way to begin is by starting your own garden.  If you are not already doing this, then why not start now. We have listed a few easy-to-grow herbs and vegetables to get you thinking …

Beans

What you get: Green beans provide a bounty of nutrients: vitamins A, C and K, , potassium, foliate and iron, as well as fiber.


Cultivation: Plant your bean seeds in well-drained soil where they’ll receive full sun. Sow seeds every few weeks to enjoy a continual harvest through the summer.



Beets
 
What you get: 1/2 cup of cooked beets boasts 2 grams of fiber and provides 19 percent of the daily value for foliate and vitamin B needed for the growth of healthy new cells. Beets’ beautiful color comes from betanin, a phytochemical that’s thought to bolster immunity.
Cultivation: You can plant your beets as soon as your soil can be worked in the spring.

Carrots

What you get: High in beta carotene— this is the same compound the body converts to vitamin A, a vitamin essential for vision, healthy skin and the immune system.
In your garden: Plant carrots as soon as the soil can be worked. They thrive in fertile sandy soil.

Cucumbers

What you get: While the cucumber isn’t known as a nutrition powerhouse, it does provide refreshment: at 95 percent water content, a cup of cucumber slices is nearly as thirst-quenching as a glass of water.
Cultivation: Give your cucumber plants generous amounts of organic matter and good fertilization and they will respond with lots of crunchy cucumbers; harvest them regularly to increase production.

Lettuce Mix

What you get: Although nutrients differ with each variety of lettuce, leafy greens are a great start to any meal, supplying vitamins A, C and K as well as foliate.
Cultivation: Lettuce thrives in cooler weather so plant it in the spring and fall, sowing every few weeks for a continuous harvest.

Snap Peas

What you get: You get one-third of your daily value of vitamin C and 3 grams of fiber in every cup.
Cultivation:  Snap peas are hardy legumes that germinate in soil temperatures as low as 5°c, but don't do so well in hot and dry weather. Plant your peas so that they can mature as early as your planting schedule allows and sow more seeds when cooler fall days return.

Radishes

What you get: Radishes are rich in ascorbic acid, folic acid, and potassium. They are also a good source of vitamin B6 and calcium.
Cultivation: Even if you don’t have a green thumb, radishes are easy to grow in containers and gardens; spring radish varieties are often ready in just three weeks and are more mild in flavor—hotter summer soil produces spicier radishes.

Mustard Mix

What you get: Dark leafy greens are particularly rich in vitamins A, C and K as well as foliate
Cultivation: You can sow salad greens in your garden from early spring to midsummer.

Basil

What you get: Although no verified health benefits, Basil has been used in several herbal medicines throughout the world and no other herb epitomizes the taste of summer like basil!
Cultivation: Plant basil in rich, moist soil where it can enjoy full sun. Sow your basil every few weeks for continual harvest.

Thyme

What you get: (Source Wikipedia) Oil of thyme, the essential oil of common thyme contains 20–54% thymol. Thymol, an antiseptic, is the main active ingredient in various commercially produced mouthwashes such as Listerine. Before the advent of modern antibiotics, oil of thyme was used to medicate bandages. Thymol has also been shown to be effective against various fungi that commonly infect toenails. Thymol can also be found as the active ingredient in some all-natural, alcohol-free hand sanitizers.
A tea made by infusing the herb in water can be used for coughs and bronchitis.
Cultivation: Grow thyme in an area that will receive full sunlight.

Hope for the best, Prep for the worst!

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Quinoa, A Prepper Super Food!

Quinoa, A Prepper Super Food!

Firstly, a tad bit pretentious to correct people but apparently most of us Aussie have been pronouncing it incorrectly, it's not "kwin-oh-AH" or other variations, it should be pronounced "keen-WAH".  

And yes its consider one of those super cool super foods that health food and gym junkies love but that should NOT put you off storing this amazing whole grain!

I’m always a little suspicious of anything that gets labelled as a ‘superfood’. Which is why it took me a while to get around to trying quinoa...

Now I realise that NO prepper should be without this in there food stores! 

Quinoa is a highly nutritious 100% whole grain that is both gluten free and wheat free. It is a complete protein, an excellent source of iron, dietary fibre and contains vitamin B and essential amino acids. 

As well as being a great source of protein and delicious it’s simple to make (especially in a SHTF situation):

Rinse Quinoa, the combine ½ cup of Quiona and 1 cup of water (one part Quiona, Two parts water) and bring to the boil. Reduce and allow it to simmer for approx 8 minutes (until tender) and you’re done! 

You could add all kinds of vegetables, broths or seasonings to create a tasty meal. Or you can use it as a rice substitute. 

Speaking of rice, I have both rice and Quinoa in my food store however since I have discovered the wonder that is Quinoa I’m leaning more towards it than rice. 

Rice stores well and is less expensive but it does not have the same nutritional value that Quinoa does. I think it’s more important to stock up on a super food that will help keep me and my family healthy during a SHTF situation.

I highly recommend this product to everyone building a food store and to try in every day cooking!

Quinoa Recipes   Where to Buy Quinoa (or a local supermarket) Grow Quiona Buy Quinoa Seeds

 

Please note the above hyperlinks are examples only. We have no affiliation with any of the above websites. 

Hope for the Best, Prep for the Worst!  

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