GTMO Gardening

My primary goal is to grow tomatoes. However, this time of year the ground temperature is too warm. In an effort to trick mother nature I'm shading the ground, and pumping cool water around my tomato plants.

Notice that the basil and cilantro are doing well, but tomatoes not-so-much.



My container plants have the same problem; too warm here this time of year.



Tropical plants, like this pineapple, are doing well.



I was hoping for fresh bananna's, but this seems to be a plantain plant. I'll take what I can get.



We enjoy fresh Mango's, when in season.



I've never seen a Banyon tree before coming to GTMO. These can be freeky and huge.



I'll probably have to wait for cooler weather before I can successfully grow tomatoes again. Meanwhile, I'll enjoy the beach.

John

Survival in the 21st Century

What would happen to you and your family if a pandemic, natural disaster or a major terrorist attack were to occur? Imagine empty grocery store shelves, no gasoline, no running water, no electricity, and no natural gas service. You may have enough food and water to last for a few days, but what do you do after that?

You can live 3 minutes without air.
You can live 3 days without water.
You can live 3 weeks without food.

A good survival plan should begin with preparations to deal with an emergency within the first few minutes, and end with strategies for long-term survival.

In the event of an explosion, fire, or crash you may need to deal with broken glass and sharp metal objects and hot objects. Imagine how handy gloves would be. You should also be prepared to handle physical injuries you may sustain, as well as those of family members and others nearby. A knife is a necessity, as is a well-equipped first aid kit.

Survival preparations for the first few days after the emergency should include a supply of food and water, of course, but you’ll also need shelter and perhaps the ability to stay warm and dry. Help may be slow in coming in the event of a large-scale disaster. Many New Orleans residents learned this the hard way after Hurricane Katrina.

Survival becomes something else after the first few days. Your need for water and food is an ongoing one, and your stockpile may be running low. Perhaps you’ve banded together with neighbors, and pooled your resources. That’s a good thing. Each member of the group has his or her own unique talents, many of which can help to ensure the survival of your group. Skills such as hunting, trapping, and fishing will certainly come in handy, as will the ability to identify edible plants.

Whether you live in a city, or in a rural area, the importance of urban gardening and small-scale farming cannot be overemphasized. And, of course, you’ll need to know how to preserve and store food. Improperly stored food may rot, or be ruined by insects or rodents. It should be obvious that these skills need to be learned BEFORE an emergency. The people most likely to survive are those who’ve already incorporated elements of sustainable living into their everyday lives. Some have moved out of heavily populated areas, realizing that in the event of a disaster it will be difficult to get food when a million of their neighbors are also looking for it. They’re learning and practicing the skills that their great grandparents knew well. Some are making their own electricity with solar panels, windmills, and micro-hydro systems. Life in a rural area presents an abundance of opportunities for sustainable living, many of which are not available in the city.

Electricity may seem like a luxury, and some may believe that solar panels, windmills, and micro-hydro systems shouldn’t be included in a survival discussion. I disagree. Electricity can be an important aspect of survival in several ways. When used to power a refrigerator or freezer, electricity becomes a big part of a food preservation strategy. Additionally, refrigeration is often needed to keep medications from spoiling. Having electricity means that you’ll have good lighting, an important security consideration, and it helps to prevent accidental injuries around the home. Without electricity, you might have to boil water over a fire to make it safe for drinking. A renewable supply of electricity can keep a radio or TV operating, providing critical information as well as entertainment. When you think of all the electrically-operated appliances that you would otherwise have to do without, it’s obvious that electricity can make life comfortable in an otherwise unbearable situation.

Some will have you believe that you’ll need to spend tens of thousands of dollars for a practical solar electric system, but that’s simply not true. A system to meet your basic needs can be built for under $1000.00. You won’t have central air-conditioning with a small system, but you will have lighting, communications, and perhaps a limited amount of electricity for cooking and refrigeration. In the absence of grid power, you’ll be thankful for the small amount of electricity your system provides. You’ll learn techniques for getting by with less. A chest freezer, for example, can meet your refrigeration needs with much less energy consumption than a refrigerator.

You may think that these gloom-and-doom scenarios are unrealistic and choose to do nothing, but if you believe that that things could get ugly you should prepare as soon as you can. If you wait until things get bad, it will be too late. You’ll be forced to use the resources you have available, not the systems you planned to install someday. Surviving a disaster will be a challenge, so being in good physical condition is important. Don’t abuse alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs. You may have the additional task of caring for very young or very old family members. Make regular exercise a part of your plan. Don’t be overwhelmed, the important thing is to get started. Eat healthy and get plenty of rest.

“The thing about being a survivalist kook and stockpiling gold, guns, and food is that there’s no downside. Even if you’re wrong, you’ve still got gold, guns, and food.” W.C. Verson

Being a “survivalist” today means more than simply providing for your own comfort. Today, survival of the planet is an important consideration as well. In the absence of a healthy planet, even the most carefully laid out personal plans will be of no value.

About 50% of the electricity produced in the United States comes from coal-fired power plants. Mining, transporting, and burning coal has terrible environmental consequences. Additionally, oil reserves are running low (peak oil). It should be obvious that we’re on the brink of a radical lifestyle change. The good news is that we can do a lot, with very little sacrifice. Our lifestyles include a lot of waste, and therefore we have numerous opportunities to make changes that will benefit not only ourselves, but all of mankind and the planet.

By incorporating elements of self-sufficient living into your lifestyle, you’ll benefit from a better quality of food, more exercise, and better air quality. Anyone who’s ever compared a store-bought tomato to one grown in a backyard garden knows what I mean. Tomatoes that have to be shipped a long distance are picked green, and “gassed” to turn them red by the time they show up in the supermarket. They’re rock-hard, and have little flavor. I can only guess that the nutritional and cancer-fighting properties are not what they should be either. And it’s wise to remember that the recent salmonella outbreak linked to tomatoes was a result of industrial agriculture. Shipping fewer vegetables not only means better food, it also means fewer trucks on the road, which reduces fossil fuel use and improves air quality.

In the words of Charles Darwin, "It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” Problems related to global warming and the decline of oil are among the most significant changes this generation will face. Many believe that global warming is responsible for climate change, including extreme weather, such as storms of greater intensity. Some believe that global warming is a natural phenomenon, while others believe that it is caused by our actions. Perhaps it’s some of both. Regardless of the cause, our response needs to be a thoughtful plan, not simply a knee-jerk reaction to the latest crisis.

Someday we’ll have a leader who will actually work with us to solve problems, instead of telling us we’re “addicted to oil”, but for now we’re just going to have to rely on our own efforts. Mass acceptance of renewable energy systems by the general public will show our elected officials, and the rest of the world, that we want to do the right thing. We can do it. We should do it. Future generations will appreciate our efforts.

John

Grow Your Own Medicine

Last week I provided strategies for growing your own vegetables. If you choose to do that you’ll not only be eating fresher and healthier food, you’ll avoid harmful chemicals and pesticides. This is more important today than ever before for a couple of reasons: Much of the food we consume comes from bioengineered plants, and those plants are much more dependent upon chemicals than the plants they’ve replaced. As a result, we’re exposed to chemicals to a much greater extent than we were in the past. Additionally, much of the food we consume today comes from foreign suppliers, including China, where regulations and inspections are not as thorough as they should be. And unfortunately, only a small percentage of food imports are inspected as they enter the United States.

While your garden might include great-tasting tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, and so on, you might also consider growing medicinal crops. Many people have already switched to alternative medicine due to the high cost of conventional medicine, while others choose alternatives when conventional medicine fails. The possibility of a dramatic cure, improved quality of life, and increased life expectancy are a few more reasons some people choose alternatives.

Of the medicinal crops that you might consider, Bitter Melon is one that can be used to treat a variety of disorders, including diabetes and HIV. Bitter Melon is a green, cucumber shaped fruit, with gourd-like bumps. While all parts of the plant have been used, the fruit is the safest and most prevalent part of the plant used medicinally. Rich in iron, bitter melon has twice the beta carotene of broccoli, twice the calcium of spinach, twice the potassium of bananas, and contains vitamins C and B 1 to 3, phosphorus and good dietary fiber. It is believed to be good for the liver and has been proven by western scientists to contain insulin, act as an anti-tumor agent, and inhibit HIV-1 infection. Multiple clinical studies have clearly established the role of Bitter Melon in people with diabetes. Practitioners of Chinese medicine have been using it for hundreds of years with good results. In the Philippines, Bitter Melon (known as Ampalaya) is also used to treat infections, fevers, and rheumatism.



Bitter Melon contains an insulin-like principle, known as plant-insulin, which has been found effective in lowering blood and urine sugar levels. The diabetic should take the juice of about four or five fruits every morning on an empty stomach. Bitter Melon seeds can be added to food in a powdered form. Fresh juice from the leaves of Bitter Melon can be used to treat a variety of disorders. To prepare a Bitter Melon extract:

Wash and finely chop the leaves.
Add 6 tablespoons of the chopped leaves in 2 glasses of water.
Boil it for 15 min. in an uncovered pot.
Cool down and strain.
Drink 1/3 cup of it 3x a day.

Although research supports the use of Bitter Melon as a treatment for many conditions, it is not clear what dose is safe and effective. Bitter Melon should be used cautiously, with close monitoring by your health care provider.

Need seeds? Let me know.

Link:

Check out Garden Web, Asian Vegetables section, for information about growing Bitter Melon. As you search for additional information, keep in mind that Bitter Melon is also known as Ampalaya and Bitter Gourd.

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/asianveg/

Other Links:

http://bittermelon.org/

http://holisticonline.com/Herbal-Med/_Herbs/h31.htm

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080327091255.htm

John

Strategies for Eating Healthy

“Eat your vegetables and you’ll grow up strong and healthy”, we were told as children, but things are different today. Today, much of our food comes from overseas, and hardly a week goes by without news of a tainted food product, usually from China. China’s agricultural exports to the United States surged last year, and I expect to see many more disturbing articles in the future. And sadly, we can’t rely on product labels for healthy eating. Some farmers in China are taking advantage of confusing rules to falsely label food. Chinese authorities have vowed to fix the problems, but the disasters keep coming.

Since the United States subjects only a small fraction of its food imports to inspection, it’s up to each of us to see that our families are eating healthy. With these things in mind, here are my suggestions:

1. Grow your own food. Preserve some of it for off-season consumption.

Canning, freezing, and storing food in a root-cellar are a few of strategies you might consider.

2. Buy locally-grown organic food when it is in season.

You can often find bargains, and will benefit by preserving some of those crops for off-season consumption.

3. Learn to grow food in the winter.


If you have a sunroom, or even a south-facing windowsill, you can grow your own vegetables and herbs year-round. Since full-sized plants might present a space problem, investigate dwarf plants instead. Red Robin, for example, is a tomato plant that grows to a height of only 16 inches, and produces bunches of great-tasting cherry tomatoes.


If you decide to grow your own vegetables indoors you’ll need to provide the right conditions for plant growth. This can be a little tricky, since each type of plant will have somewhat different needs. The small plant stand shown here includes a heater, and a shop light with fluorescent tubes. Upper and lower levels contribute to an efficient use of space.

Here are some things you'll need to know in order to grow dwarf tomato plants:

Temperature:

Seeds germinate best at about 70 to 80 degrees F.

The ideal temperature for new seedlings is about 60 to 65 degrees.

Mature plants need warmer temperatures for setting fruit (70 to 85 degrees).

Plants can tolerate night-time temperature drops, but avoid going below 50 degrees.

Avoid temperatures above 90 degrees. Extreme temperature variations will affect production.

Light:

Provide at least 6 hours of sunlight per day for seeds that have sprouted. More sunlight, up to 16 hours per day, will produce better tasting fruit. If potted plants will be getting light from a closed window, place the plants as close to the window as possible. If necessary, supplement natural sunlight with the light from a cool-white fluorescent bulb. For this to be effective, the light must be placed within a few inches of the top of the plants.

Soil:

Use a good quality seed starting soil. Repot, when necessary, in a good quality potting soil. Provide good drainage and avoid compaction of the soil. The bottom of the pot should have holes to allow excess water to drain. Red Robin will do well in an 8” diameter container, but you can try a smaller one if your space is limited. If the plant cannot support the weight of the fruit, stake it with a ¼” stick or dowel. Tie the main stem to the stake with cotton or nylon cloth. Do not use string or thread.

Water and feeding:

Use an organic fertilizer formulated specifically for tomatoes according to the instructions on the package. Don’t use fertilizer heavy in Nitrogen. That will result in lush plants with very little fruit. Occasionally, use water with 1 tablespoon per gallon Epsom salts. This provides additional magnesium for the plants.

Avoid watering from the top. Too much dampness at the base of the plant can result in a fungal problem. It is best to water from the bottom, allowing the potting soil to soak it up. Do not add more water than can be soaked up by the plant.

Air:

Plants breathe. Use a fan to circulate air through the leaves or open a window (weather permitting). A strong breeze not only helps with respiration, it helps stalks and stems grow sturdy. Remember that roots need air also. Avoid watering too much, and soil compaction.

Pollination:

Once a day, shake or tap plants that have produced flowers. This allows the plants to pollinate, and therefore, set fruit. A gentle breeze also helps with pollination.

Saving Seeds:

Cut a ripe tomato in half, scoop out the seeds and pulp, and place in a jar with a little water and cover with plastic wrap. Stir the seeds a few times a day for the next 2 or 3 days. During the fermentation process, the good seeds will separate from the gelatinous covering and sink to the bottom after which time you can pour off the liquid and junk. Rinse the seeds with cool, clean water. A fine mesh strainer or even coffee filters work. Dry seeds thoroughly before storing.

Additional Information:

Gardening, indoor or outdoor, not only reduces your exposure to harmful pesticides, you’ll enjoy fresher and tastier food and cut your grocery bill. Exercise and fresh-air are a couple more benefits you’ll experience as a gardener. But, there’s more! Have you ever considered growing medicinal crops? Check back next week for more information on that subject.

Links:

Here is a good source of seeds and information:

http://www.containerseeds.com/index.html

Garden Web is one of the best informational sites I’ve found:

http://www.gardenweb.com

Washington Post article about tainted milk from China:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/24/AR2007042402539_pf.html

More bad news from China:

http://www.manufacturing.net/News-Pesticides-Found-In-Frozen-Beans-From-China.aspx?menuid

John