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Preppers Basic Skills
Garden
Every prepper needs to have a renewable source of food, so having a little backyardgarden is a nice idea, even if you live in an apartment you can have a thing or two that
come in handy when in a survival situation.
Here is a small list of some plants and tree that you may take in consideration to have in
your little yard.
Small plants:
Flowers:Calendula, Calendula officinalisalso known as, pot
marigold, ruddles, common marigold, garden marigold,
English marigold, or Scottish marigold.
It is a short-lived aromatic herbaceous perennial, growing
to 80 cm (31 in) tall, with sparsely branched lax or erect
stems. The leaves are oblong-lanceolate, 517 cm (27
in) long, hairy on both sides, and with margins entire oroccasionally waved or weakly toothed. The
inflorescences are yellow, comprising a thick capitulum
or flowerhead 47 cm diameter surrounded by two rows
of hairy bracts; in the wild plant they have a single ring of
ray florets surrounding the central disc florets. The disc
florets are tubular and hermaphrodite, and generally of a
more intense orange-yellow colour than the female,
tridentate, peripheral ray florets. The flowers may appear all year long where conditions
are suitable. The fruit is a thorny curved achene.
Pharmacological studies have suggested that Calendula extracts may have anti-viral, anti-
genotoxic and anti-inflammatory properties in vitro. In an in vitro assay, the methanol
extract of C. officinalis exhibited antibacterial activity and both the methanol and the
ethanol extracts showed antifungal activities. Along with horsetails (Equisetum arvense),
pot marigold is one of the few plants which is considered astringent despite not being high
in tannins.
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Citronella, Cymbopogon nardus - Is a perennial of the
Poaceae grass family, originating in tropical Asia.It is
commonly used as an essential oil known as "citronella oil".
Cannot be eaten because of its unpalatable nature.Is an
invasive species that renders pastureland useless as cattle
will starve even in its abundance. Essential oils are extracted
from the aerial parts, and are applied topically as an insect
repellent.
Citronella grass (Cymbopogon nardus and Cymbopogon
winterianus) grows to about 2 m (about 6.5 ft) and has
magenta colored base stems. These species are used for the
production of citronella oil, which is used in soaps, as an insect repellent especially
mosquitoes in insect sprays and candles, and in aromatherapy, which is famous in Bintan
Island, Indonesia and the Philippines. Therefore, its origin is assumed to be Indonesia. The
principal chemical constituents of citronella, geraniol and citronellol, are antiseptics, hencetheir use in household disinfectants and soaps. Besides oil production, citronella grass is
also used for culinary purposes, in tea and as a flavoring.
Citronella is usually planted in home gardens to ward off insects such as whitefly adults. Its
cultivation enables growing some vegetables (e.g. tomatoes and broccoli), without
applying pesticides. Intercropping should include physical barriers, for citronella roots can
take over the field.
St John's wort, Hypericum perforatum- is a
yellow-flowering, stoloniferous or
sarmentose, perennial herb indigenous to
Europe. It has been introduced to many
temperate areas of the world and grows wild
in many meadows. The herb's common name
comes from its traditional flowering and
harvesting on St John's day, 24 June. The
genus name Hypericum is derived from the
Greek words hyper and eikon , in reference to
the plant's traditional use in warding off evil
by hanging plants over a religious icon in the house during St John's day. The species name
perforatum refers to the presence of small oil glands in the leaves that look like windows,
which can be seen when they are held against the light.
St John's wort is a perennial plant with extensive, creeping rhizomes. Its stems are erect,
branched in the upper section, and can grow to 1 m high. It has opposing, stalkless,
narrow, oblong leaves that are 12 mm long or slightly larger. The leaves are yellow-green
in color, with transparent dots throughout the tissue and occasionally with a few black
dots on the lower surface. Leaves exhibit obvious translucent dots when held up to the
light, giving them a perforated appearance, hence the plant's Latin name.
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Its flowers measure up to 2.5 cm across, have five petals, and are colored bright yellow
with conspicuous black dots. The flowers appear in broad cymes at the ends of the upper
branches, between late spring and early to mid summer. The sepalsare pointed, with
glandular dots in the tissue. There are many stamens, which are united at the base into
three bundles. The pollen grains are ellipsoidal. When flower buds (not the flowers
themselves) or seed pods are crushed, a reddish/purple liquid is produced.
Medical uses
Major depressive disorder
St John's wort is widely known as a herbal treatment for depression. In some countries,
such as Germany, it is commonly prescribed for mild to moderate depression, especially in
children and adolescents. It is proposed that the mechanism of action of St. John's wort is
due to the inhibition of reuptake of certain neurotransmitters.An analysis of twenty-nine
clinical trials with more than five thousand patients was conducted by Cochrane
Collaboration. The review concluded that extracts of St John's wort were superior to
placebo in patients with major depression. St John's wort had similar efficacy to standard
antidepressants. The rate of side-effects was half that of newer SSRI antidepressants and
one-fifth that of older tricyclic antidepressants. A report from the Cochrane Review states:
The available evidence suggests that the Hypericum extracts tested in the included trials a)
are superior to placebo in patients with major depression; b) are similarly effective as
standard antidepressants; and c) have fewer side-effects than standard antidepressants.
There are two issues that complicate the interpretation of our findings:
1) While the influence of precision on study results in placebo-controlled trials is less
pronounced in this updated version of our review compared to the previous version (Linde
2005a), results from more precise trials still show smaller effects over placebo than less
precise trials.
2) Results from German-language countries are considerably more favourable for
Hypericum than trials from other countries.
Other medical uses
St John's wort is being studied for effectiveness in the treatment of certain somatoform
disorders. Results from the initial studies are mixed and still inconclusive; some research
has found no effectiveness, other research has found a slight lightening of symptoms.
Further study is needed and is being performed. A major constituent chemical, hyperforin,
may be useful for treatment of alcoholism, although dosage, safety and efficacy have not
been studied.Hyperforin has also displayed antibacterial properties against gram-positive
bacteria, although dosage, safety and efficacy has not been studied.Herbal medicine has
also employed lipophilic extracts from St John's wort as a topical remedy for wounds,abrasions, burns, and muscle pain.The positive effects that have been observed are
generally attributed to hyperforin due to its possible antibacterial and anti-inflammatory
effects.For this reason hyperforin may be useful in the treatment of infected wounds and
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inflammatory skin diseases. In response to hyperforin's incorporation into a new bath oil, a
study to assess potential skin irritation was conducted which found good skin tolerance of
St John's wort.
A randomized controlled trial of St John's wort found no significant difference between it
and placebo in the management of ADHD symptoms over eight weeks. However, the St
John's wort extract used in the study, originally confirmed to contain 0.3% hypericin, wasallowed to degrade to levels of 0.13% hypericin and 0.14% hyperforin. Given that the level
of hyperforin was not ascertained at the beginning of the study, and levels of both
hyperforin and hypericin were well below that used in other studies, little can be
determined based on this study alone. Hypericin and pseudohypericin have shown both
antiviral and antibacterial activities. It is believed that these molecules bind non-
specifically to viral and cellular membranes and can result in photo-oxidation of the
pathogens to kill them.A research team from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid
(UCM) published a study entitled "Hypericum perforatum. Possible option against
Parkinson's disease", which suggests that St John's wort has antioxidant active ingredientsthat could help reduce the neuronal degeneration caused by the disease.Recent evidence
suggests that daily treatment with St John's wort may improve the most common physical
and behavioural symptoms associated with premenstrual syndrome. St John's wort was
found to be less effective than placebo, in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled
trial, for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome.St John's wort alleviated age-related
long-term memory impairment in rats.
Adverse effects and drug interactions
St John's wort is generally well tolerated, with an adverse effect profile similar to
placebo.The most common adverse effects reported are gastrointestinal symptoms,
dizziness, confusion, tiredness and sedation.It also decreases the levels of estrogens, such
as estradiol, by speeding up its metabolism, and should not be taken by women on
contraceptive pills as it upregulates the CYP3A4 cytochrome of the P450 system in the
liver.
St John's wort may rarely cause photosensitivity. This can lead to visual sensitivity to light
and to sunburns in situations that would not normally cause them. Related to this, recent
studies concluded that the extract reacts with light, both visible and ultraviolet, to produce
free radicals, molecules that can damage the cells of the body. These can react with vital
proteins in the eye that, if damaged, precipitate out, causing cataracts.This finding is
contradicted by the results of another recent study, which found that St John's wort
inhibits free radical production in both cell-free and human vascular tissue, revealing
antioxidant properties of the compound.St John's wort is associated with aggravating
psychosis in people who have schizophrenia.
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Herbs:
Rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis- Is a woody, perennial herb
with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves and white, pink,
purple, or blue flowers, native to the Mediterranean region. It is
a member of the mint family Lamiaceae, which includes manyother herbs. The name "rosemary" derives from the Latin for
"dew" (ros) and "sea" (marinus), or "dew of the sea".
Rosemary is an aromatic evergreen shrub that has leaves similar
to hemlock needles. The leaves are used as a flavoring in foods
such as stuffings and roast lamb, pork, chicken and turkey. It is
native to the Mediterranean and Asia, but is reasonably hardy in
cool climates. It can withstand droughts, surviving a severe lack of water for lengthy
periods. Forms range from upright to trailing; the upright forms can reach 1.5 m (5 ft) tall,
rarely 2 m (6 ft 7 in). The leaves are evergreen, 24 cm (0.81.6 in) long and 25 mm
broad, green above, and white below, with dense, short, woolly hair. The plant flowers in
spring and summer in temperate climates, but the plants can be in constant bloom in
warm climates; flowers are white, pink, purple or deep blue.
Traditional medicine, Hungary water was first prepared for the Queen of Hungary
Elisabeth of Poland to "... renovate vitality of paralyzed limbs ... " and to treat gout. It was
used externally and prepared by mixing fresh rosemary tops into spirits of wine.Don
Quixote (Part One, Chapter XVII) mixes it in his recipe of the miraculous balm of Fierabras.
Rosemary has a very old reputation for improving memory and has been used as a symbol
for remembrance during weddings, war commemorations and funerals in Europe and
Australia.Mourners would throw it into graves as a symbol of remembrance for the dead.
In Shakespeare's Hamlet, Ophelia says, "There's rosemary, that's for remembrance."
(Hamlet, iv. 5.)Rosemary contains a number of potentially biologically active compounds,
including antioxidants carnosic acid and rosmarinic acid. Other chemical compounds
include camphor, caffeic acid, ursolic acid, betulinic acid, rosmaridiphenol and rosmanol.
Rosemary antioxidants levels are closely related to soil moisture content.
Thyme, Thymus vulgaris- (common thyme, garden
thyme or just thyme) is a species of flowering plant
in the mint family Lamiaceae, native to southern
Europe from the western Mediterranean to
southern Italy. Growing to 1530 cm (612 in) tall
by 40 cm (16 in) wide, it is a bushy, woody-based
evergreen subshrub with small, highly aromatic,
grey-green leaves and clusters of purple or pinkflowers in early summer.It is useful in the garden
as groundcover, where it can be short-lived, but is easily propagated from cuttings. It is
also the main source of thyme as an ingredient in cooking and as an herbal medicine.
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Medicinal use, Oil of thyme, the essential oil of common thyme (Thymus vulgaris),
contains 2054% thymol. Thyme essential oil also contains a range of additional
compounds, such as p-Cymene, myrcene, borneol and linalool. 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. One study by Leeds Metropolitan University found that thyme
may be beneficial in treating acne.
Cactus:Aloe vera- Is a stemless or very short-stemmed
succulent plant growing to 60100 cm (2439 in)tall, spreading by offsets. The leaves are thick and
fleshy, green to grey-green, with some varieties
showing white flecks on their upper and lower
stem surfaces. The margin of the leaf is serrated
and has small white teeth. The flowers are
produced in summer on a spike up to 90 cm (35
in) tall, each flower being pendulous, with a yellow tubular corolla 23 cm (0.81.2 in)
long. Like other Aloe species, Aloe vera forms arbuscular mycorrhiza, a symbiosis that
allows the plant better access to mineral nutrients in soil. Aloe vera leaves containphytochemicals under study for possible bioactivity, such as acetylated mannans,
polymannans, anthraquinone C-glycosides, anthrones, anthraquinones, such as emodin,
and various lectins.
Toxicity, in 2011, the NTP carried out a series of short- and long-term carcinogenicity
studies of a nondecolorized whole leaf extract of Aloe barbadensis miller (Aloe vera) in
rats and mice, in which the extracts were fed to the rodents in drinking water.The studies
found "clear evidence of carcinogenic activity" in the rats, but "no evidence of
carcinogenic activity" in the mice. Both the mice and rats had increased amounts ofnoncancerous lesions in various tissues. The NTP believes further studies of oral
preparations of aloe are important, as are studies of the oral exposure of humans to aloe;
topical preparations are still considered safe. Oral ingestion of Aloe vera may also cause
diarrhea, which in turn can lead to electrolyte imbalance, kidney dysfunction, dry mouth,
headache, and nausea, while topical application may induce contact dermatitis, erythema,
or phototoxicity.
Research into medical uses, two 2009 reviews of clinical studies determined that all were
too small and faulty to allow strong conclusions to be drawn from them, but concluded,"there is some preliminary evidence to suggest that oral administration of aloe vera might
be effective in reducing blood glucose in diabetic patients and in lowering blood lipid levels
in hyperlipidaemia. The topical application of aloe vera does not seem to prevent
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radiation-induced skin damage. It might be useful as a treatment for genital herpes and
psoriasis. The evidence regarding wound healing is contradictory. More and better trial
data are needed to define the clinical effectiveness of this popular herbal remedy more
precisely." One of the reviews found that Aloe has not been proven to offer protection for
humans from sunburn, suntan, or other damage from the sun. A 2007 review of aloe
vera's use in burns concluded, "cumulative evidence tends to support that aloe vera might
be an effective interventions used in burn wound healing for first- to second-degree burns.
Further, well-designed trials with sufficient details of the contents of aloe vera products
should be carried out to determine the effectiveness of aloe vera. Topical application of
aloe vera may also be effective for genital herpes and psoriasis.
Vegetables:
Carrots- (Daucus carotasubsp. sativus;etymology: from Late Latin carta, from Greek
karton, originally from the Indo-
European root ker- (horn), due to its horn-like
shape) is a root vegetable, usually orange in
colour, though purple, red, white, and yellow
varieties exist. It has a crisp texture when fresh.
The most commonly eaten part of a carrot is a
taproot, although the greens are sometimes
eaten as well. It is a domesticated form of the
wild carrot Daucus carota, native to Europe and southwestern Asia. The domestic carrot
has been selectively bred for its greatly enlarged and more palatable, less woody-textured
edible taproot. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reports
that world production of carrots and turnips (these plants are combined by the FAO for
reporting purposes) for calendar year 2011 was almost 35.658 million tonnes. Almost half
were grown in China. Carrots are widely used in many cuisines, especially in the
preparation of salads, and carrot salads are a tradition in many regional cuisines.
Is a variable biennial plant, usually growing up to 1 m tall and flowering from June to
August. The umbels are claret-coloured or pale pink before they open, then bright white
and rounded when in full flower, measuring 37 cm wide with a festoon of bracts beneath;
finally, as they turn to seed, they contract and become concave like a bird's nest. The dried
umbels detach from the plant, becoming tumbleweeds.Similar in appearance to the deadly
poison hemlock,D. carota is distinguished by a mix of bi-pinnate and tri-pinnate leaves,
fine hairs on its stems and leaves, a root that smells like carrots, and occasionally a single
dark red flower in its center.
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Garlic - Allium sativum, commonly known as garlic, is a species in
the onion genus, Allium. Its close relatives include the onion,
shallot, leek, chive, and rakkyo. With a history of human use of
over 7,000 years, garlic is native to central Asia, and has long
been a staple in the Mediterranean region, as well as a frequent
seasoning in Asia, Africa, and Europe. It was known to Ancient
Egyptians, and has been used for both culinary and medicinal
purposes.
Allium sativum is a bulbous plant. It grows up to 1.2 m (4 ft) in
height. Its hardiness is USDA Zone 8. It produces hermaphrodite
flowers. Pollination occurs by bees and other insects.
Beans - Phaseolus vulgaris, the common bean, string
bean, field bean, flageolet bean, French bean,
garden bean, haricot bean, pop bean, or snap bean,
is a herbaceous annual plant grown worldwide for
its edible fruit, either the dry seed or the unripe
fruit, both of which are referred to as beans. The
leaf is also occasionally used as a vegetable, and the
straw can be used for fodder. Along with other
species of the bean genus (Phaseolus), it is classified
botanically into the legume family (Fabaceae), most of whose members acquire nitrogenthrough an association with rhizobia, a species of nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
The common bean is a highly variable species with a long history of cultivation. All of the
wild members of the species have a climbing habit, but there are many cultivated
varieties, classified as bush bean, or pole bean depending on their particular style of
growth. Kidney bean, navy bean, and wax bean are types of Phaseolus vulgaris named for
their fruit and seed characteristics. The other major types of commercially-grown bean are
the runner beans (Phaseolus coccineus) and the broad bean (Vicia faba).
Production of beans is well distributed worldwide, with countries in Asia, Africa, Europe,Oceania, South and North America among the top bean growers. Brazil and India are the
largest producers of dry beans, while China produces, by far, the largest quantity of green
beans. Worldwide, 23 million tonnes of dry common beans and 17.1 million tonnes of
green beans were grown in 2010.
Beans, squash and maize constitute the "Three Sisters" that provide the foundation of
Native American agriculture.
The common bean is a highly variable species with a long history. Bush varieties form erectbushes 2060 centimeters (7.924 in) tall, while pole or running varieties form vines 23
meters (6 ft 7 in9 ft 10 in) long. All varieties bear alternate, green or purple leaves, which
are divided into three oval, smooth-edged leaflets, each 615 centimeters (2.45.9 in) long
and 311 centimeters (1.24.3 in) wide. The white, pink, or purple flowers are about 1 cm
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long, and they give way to pods 820 centimeters (3.17.9 in) long and 11.5 cm wide.
These may be green, yellow, black, or purple in color, each containing 46 beans. The
beans are smooth, plump, kidney-shaped, up to 1.5 cm long, range widely in color, and are
often mottled in two or more colors.
Berries:
Strawberry - The garden strawberry (or simply
strawberry /strb()ri/; Fragaria ananassa) is
a widely grown hybrid species of the genus
Fragaria (collectively known as the
strawberries). It is cultivated worldwide for its
fruit. The fruit (which is not a botanical berry,
but an aggregate accessory fruit) is widelyappreciated for its characteristic aroma, bright
red color, juicy texture, and sweetness. It is
consumed in large quantities, either fresh or in
such prepared foods as preserves, fruit juice, pies, ice creams, milkshakes, and chocolates.
Artificial strawberry aroma is also widely used in many industrial food products.
The garden strawberry was first bred in Brittany, France, in the 1750s via a cross of
Fragaria virginiana from eastern North America and Fragaria chiloensis, which was brought
from Chile by Amde-Franois Frzier in 1714.Cultivars of Fragaria ananassa havereplaced, in commercial production, the woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca), which was
the first strawberry species cultivated in the early 17th century.
Technically, the strawberry is an aggregate accessory fruit, meaning that the fleshy part is
derived not from the plant's ovaries but from the receptacle that holds the ovaries. Each
apparent "seed" (achene) on the outside of the fruit is actually one of the ovaries of the
flower, with a seed inside it.
Cultivation strawberry cultivars vary widely in size, color, flavor, shape, degree of fertility,
season of ripening, liability to disease and constitution of plant.Some vary in foliage, and
some vary materially in the relative development of their sexual organs. In most cases, the
flowers appear hermaphroditic in structure, but function as either male or female.For
purposes of commercial production, plants are propagated from runners and, in general,
distributed as either bare root plants or plugs. Cultivation follows one of two general
modelsannual plasticulture, or a perennial system of matted rows or mounds. A small
amount of strawberries are produced in greenhouses during the off season.
The bulk of modern commercial production uses the plasticulture system. In this method,
raised beds are formed each year, fumigated, and covered with plastic to prevent weed
growth and erosion. Plants, usually obtained from northern nurseries, are planted through
holes punched in this covering, and irrigation tubing is run underneath. Runners are
removed from the plants as they appear, in order to encourage the plants to put most of
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their energy into fruit development. At the end of the harvest season, the plastic is
removed and the plants are plowed into the ground. Because strawberry plants more than
a year or two old begin to decline in productivity and fruit quality, this system of replacing
the plants each year allows for improved yields and denser plantings. However, because it
requires a longer growing season to allow for establishment of the plants each year, and
because of the increased costs in terms of forming and covering the mounds and
purchasing plants each year, it is not always practical in all areas.
The other major method, which uses the same plants from year to year growing in rows or
on mounds, is most common in colder climates. It has lower investment costs, and lower
overall maintenance requirements. Yields are typically lower than in plasticulture.
A third method uses a compost sock. Plants grown in compost socks have been shown to
produce significantly higher oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), flavonoids,
anthocyanins, fructose, glucose, sucrose, malic acid, and citric acid than fruit produced in
the black plastic mulch or matted row systems. Similar results in an earlier 2003 studyconducted by the US Dept of Agriculture, at the Agricultural Research Service, in Beltsville
Maryland, confirms how compost plays a role in the bioactive qualities of two strawberry
cultivars.
Strawberries are often grouped according to their flowering habit. Traditionally, this has
consisted of a division between "June-bearing" strawberries, which bear their fruit in the
early summer and "ever-bearing" strawberries, which often bear several crops of fruit
throughout the season. Research published in 2001 showed that strawberries actually
occur in three basic flowering habits: short-day, long-day, and day-neutral. These refer tothe day-length sensitivity of the plant and the type of photoperiod that induces flower
formation. Day-neutral cultivars produce flowers regardless of the photoperiod.
Strawberries may also be propagated by seed, though this is primarily a hobby activity,
and is not widely practiced commercially. A few seed-propagated cultivars have been
developed for home use, and research into growing from seed commercially is ongoing.
Seeds (achenes) are acquired either via commercial seed suppliers, or by collecting and
saving them from the fruit.
Manuring and harvesting a diorama created from beeswax by Dr. Henry Brainerd Wright atthe Louisiana State Exhibit Museum in Shreveport, Louisiana depicts strawberry
harvesting. Strawberries are particularly grown in the southeastern portion of the state
around Hammond.
Harvest most strawberry plants are now fed with artificial fertilizers, both before and after
harvesting, and often before planting in plasticulture.
To maintain top quality, berries are harvested at least every other day. The berries are
picked with the caps still attached and with at least half an inch of stem left. Strawberriesneed to remain on the plant to fully ripen because they do not continue to ripen after
being picked. Rotted and overripe berries are removed to minimize insect and disease
problems. The berries do not get washed until just before consumption. They are covered
in a shallow pan and refrigerated when storing.
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Soil test information and plant analysis results are used to determine fertility practices.
Nitrogen fertilizer is needed at the beginning of every planting year. There are normally
adequate levels of phosphorus and potash when fields have been fertilized for top yields.
In order to provide more organic matter a cover crop of wheat or rye is planted in the
winter the year before planting the strawberries. Strawberries prefer a pH from 5.5 to 6.5
so lime is usually not applied.
The harvesting and cleaning process has not changed substantially over time. The delicate
strawberries are still harvested by hand. Grading and packing often occurs in the field,
rather than in a processing facility. In large operations, strawberries are cleaned by means
of water streams and shaking conveyor belts.
Blueberries - are perennial flowering plants with
indigo-colored berries from the section
Cyanococcus within the genus Vaccinium (a
genus that also includes cranberries and
bilberries). Species in the section Cyanococcus
are the most common fruits sold as
"blueberries" and are native to North America
(commercially cultivated highbush blueberries
were not introduced into Europe until the
1930s).
They are usually erect, but sometimes prostrate
shrubs varying in size from 10 centimeters (3.9
in) to 4 meters (13 ft) tall. In commercial
blueberry production, smaller species are known as "lowbush blueberries" (synonymous
with "wild"), and the larger species are known as "highbush blueberries".
The leaves can be either deciduous or evergreen, ovate to lanceolate, and 18 cm (0.39
3.1 in) long and 0.53.5 cm (0.201.4 in) broad. The flowers are bell-shaped, white, pale
pink or red, sometimes tinged greenish. The fruit is a berry 516 millimeters (0.200.63 in)
in diameter with a flared crown at the end; they are pale greenish at first, then reddish-purple, and finally dark blue when ripe. They are covered in a protective coating of
powdery epicuticular wax, colloquially knows as the "bloom". They have a sweet taste
when mature, with variable acidity. Blueberry bushes typically bear fruit in the middle of
the growing season: fruiting times are affected by local conditions such as altitude and
latitude, so the height of the crop can vary from May to August depending upon these
conditions.
Blueberries may be cultivated, or they may be picked from semiwild or wild bushes. In
North America, the most common cultivated species is V. corymbosum, the northernhighbush blueberry. Hybrids of this with other Vaccinium species adapted to southern U.S.
climates are known collectively as southern highbush blueberries.
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So-called "wild" (lowbush) blueberries, smaller than cultivated highbush ones, are prized
for their intense color. The lowbush blueberry, V. angustifolium, is found from the Atlantic
provinces westward to Quebec and southward to Michigan and West Virginia. In some
areas, it produces natural "blueberry barrens", where it is the dominant species covering
large areas. Several First Nations communities in Ontario are involved in harvesting wild
blueberries. Lowbush species are fire-tolerant and blueberry production often increases
following a forest fire, as the plants regenerate rapidly and benefit from removal of
competing vegetation.
"Wild" has been adopted as a marketing term for harvests of managed native stands of
lowbush blueberries. The bushes are not planted or genetically manipulated, but they are
pruned or burned over every two years, and pests are "managed".
Numerous highbush cultivars of blueberries are available, with diversity among them, each
having a unique flavor. The most important blueberry breeding program has been the
USDA-ARS breeding program based at Beltsville, Maryland, and Chatsworth, New Jersey.This program began when Frederick Coville of the USDA-ARS collaborated with Elizabeth
Coleman White of New Jersey.[7] In the early part of the 20th century, White offered
pineland residents cash for wild blueberry plants with unusually large fruit.[8] 'Rubel', one
such wild blueberry cultivar, is the origin of many of the current hybrid cultivars.
The rabbiteye blueberry (Vaccinium virgatum syn. V. ashei) is a southern type of blueberry
produced from the Carolinas to the Gulf Coast states. Other important species in North
America include V. pallidum, the hillside or dryland blueberry. It is native to the eastern
U.S., and common in the Appalachians and the Piedmont of the Southeast. Sparkleberry,V. arboreum, is a common wild species on sandy soils in the Southeast. Its fruits are
important to wildlife, and the flowers are important to beekeepers.
Fruit Trees:
Lemon tree- The lemon (Citrus limon) is a small
evergreen tree native to Asia, and the tree's ellipsoidal
yellow fruit. The fruit is used for culinary and non-
culinary purposes throughout the world, primarily forits juice, though the pulp and rind (zest) are also used
in cooking and baking. The juice of the lemon is about
5% to 6% citric acid, which gives lemons a sour taste.
The distinctive sour taste of lemon juice makes it a key
ingredient in drinks and foods such as lemonade.
The average lemon contains approximately 3
tablespoons (50 mL) of juice. Lemons and limes have
particularly high concentrations of citric acid, which can constitute as much as 8% of thedry weight of these fruits (about 47 g/L in the juices). These values vary depending on the
cultivar and the circumstances in which the fruit was grown. Lemons left unrefrigerated
for long periods of time are susceptible to mold.
8/13/2019 Preppers Basic Skills - Garden
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The next tree suggestions are up to you because inn a tight space you may not be able to
accommodate all of them so from this list choose one more to put on your preppers
garden.
1. Apple tree2. Pear tree3. Orange tree4. Peach tree5. Plum tree6. Cherry tree7. Fig tree8. Pomegranate tree
Also depending on the country that you are you may find some native trees that are a
better fit than the one listed above so take that in consideration.
All the descriptions of the plants were taken from Wikipedia.
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