Organic Gardening
The last Organic Gardening flyer, advertising the Backyard Homestead book, stated that even if you live in an apartment, you can start growing at least some of the food you eat and reap with every harvest — saving money ... boosting health ... savoring irresistibly fresh flavors ... conserving energy ... and have loads of fun. And I think also learning a thing or two and be much better prepared for a Collapse where these skills will come in handy.
Not only a source for growing the vegetables and fruits, Organic Gardening's Backyard Homestead also covers keep bees, raise chickens, goats, or even cows. As well as how to cook, preserve, cure, brew, or pickle the fruits you grow.
Some of the subject material in this new book, also include: 13 container-loving plants; Best ways to water for sweeter strawberries; Why you should never soak bean seeds before planting; How to tell if a tomato plant is hungry; Why your fruit tree needs a mate and what to do without one; Complete herb-growing guide from basil to watercress; How to tell if an egg is fresh; and, Beekeeping the easy way.
Another key element of gardening is crop rotation and learning how to properly do so is a great way to get more variety and bounty out of even the smallest gardens, while keeping in more soil nutrients. But successful rotation means planting the right crops in the right order — and making sure you don't follow certain plants with their "arch enemies." Backyard Homestead covers fail-proof planting plan for crop rotations.
Free Trial issue of Organic Gardening and a Garden Planner, click here.
Home gardening in preparation for a SHTF scenario has taken on a new importance with the degradation of the U.S. farming capability. The U.S. used to feed the world. Now we would have a hard time, absent of an exports ban, to feed ourselves. Part of the problem is the high start up and maintenance costs of commercial farming. Read this post from the Greenhorns Blog.
Greenhorns Blog/high costs of farming/
I own this book. It is INVALUABLE for a prepper, especially ones with limited space. It really shows how little overall space you need to be mostly to fully self sufficient. Another thing I have learned over the years: if a plant does not produce edibles, it gets removed from my landscape. Including trees. Instead of flower beds, we have herb beds (they flower nicely as well). Instead of just shade trees, we have fruit and nut trees. You get the picture. One thing the book is short on is rabbits. Rabbits are the ultimate meat supply livestock. Pound for pound they produce more meat per ounce of feed than cattle. Their droppings are perfect for compost piles, and they are quiet, they make no noise - they do not cluck, quack, bleat, moo, or crow. They also take up less room than chickens.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this post... Just ordered the book. Been on my list for a while...
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