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Contents
What is a survival plant?3
Why survival plants? 4
Do your bit for the environment.4
Why you won't see these plants in your supermarket 6
The survival food forest 6
Real nutrition 7
Survival Gardening Tips 9
Tip #1 - Try anything and everything! 9
Tip #2 - Learn to eat what you grow 9
Tip #3 - Don't sweat the bugs 10
Tip #4 - Leave your spade in the shed 11
Tip #5 - Work the soil not the plants 13
The plants 15
Plant listings
by climate 57
for dry areas 57
for bog areas 58
for shady areas 58
for pots and containers 59
for mulch 59
for high nutrition 60
for salads 60
for stir fries 61
for soups and curries 61
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What is a survival plant?
It's a little difficult to define "survival plant". In a survival situation, any plant that can be eaten
would be considered a survival plant. That would include any vegetable or fruit you have in the
garden right through to local weeds or plants that are edible (well at least a non-poisonous form of
nutrients!).
I think a survival plant is one that you put in the garden once and it grows continuously with a
minimum of care. A plant you can turn to in times of need
A survival plant should meet the following criteria (in order of importance):-
It should be edible (of course), tasty and nutrient rich
It should perennial - or at least readily self-seeding
It should need a minimum of care
It should have a long or repeated harvest
There's not too many conventionally grown vegetables that will meet all of this criteria. Most
require regular preparation of the soil, regular & seasonal planting, regular watering, regular
fertilising and once the plant has yielded it's crop, you have to pull it up & start all over again.
Growing conventional crops is very rewarding, but let's face it - it's a bit of work.
From my experience growing both conventional
vegetables and survival plants, I can say that
survival plants have far less problems with bugs,
diseases, and bad weather - if they do, they will
usually recover without any assistance on your
part. Even better, if you interplant them with your
conventional vegetables, they'll get less bugs too!
Survival plants on the other hand, take a little bit
of work up front to get them settled in and then
you can leave them to do their own thing. Some
will die back in winter and resprout in spring,
others will go all year round - the common thingwith survival plants is that they are perennial and
don't require replanting every year. If allowed to,
most survival plants will never need replanting.Many don't need watering if you get a decent
amount of rainfall, and fertiliser requirements are
optional - just fertilise & mulch when you get to it.
The most work you'll do is harvesting
The more plants you try, the more you'll
have success with.
Greens from my survival garden
To get most value out of survival plants, it is bestto learn how to use them. Why wait for disaster to
hit when you could be getting value out of them all
year - every year? Many of them have far morenutrition than many conventional vegetables and
they all taste great. The best way is to use them is
in combination with the vegetables you eat now,
but try using them on their own too.
Once you've learnt how to grow & use these plants
regularly, you won't need to be concerned with
food or nutrition if there was any interruption to
the food supply. Your backyard garden could keep
you going for months or even years. You'll also
save money in the meantime - and more in future
as food prices continually move upward.
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Why survival plants?
Perhaps this is a good time to explain how I have come to know and love these wonderful plants.
For a long time now I've been interested in growing my own food. I've tried to grow just about
every conventional vegetable there is over the years. Some years I'll do well with some, and fail
dismally with others. Sometimes the weather will ruin my crops, at other times it'll be the bugs
that come in and wipe them out. Even to this day, there's many crops I won't bother with as they
just don't seem to do well in my soil & my climate.
You see I'm not the type of gardener that faithfully works in the garden every day. At times, Imight spend an entire weekend in there preparing new gardens & planting new crops. At other
times, I might not do any work in there for weeks or even months. My work or family might take
me away, or sometimes I'm just not motivated or interested in garden work. At the times I'm
working in the garden regularly, I find I'll get great crops of things like lettuce, broccoli, tomatoes,beans, cauliflower, cucumber, eggplants etc some failures sure, but mostly good returns on my
efforts.
At the times I'm neglecting my garden though, something very interesting happens. Apart from the
obvious proliferation of weeds, the exotic survival plants I've put in continue to thrive. In fact,
mostly they'll outcompete the weeds and continue to provide daily food for me and my family.While this is happening, most or all of the conventional veges I've planted eventually fail.
Seems almost too good to be true plants that thrive on neglect! Plant them once, they'll multiply
by themselves and continue to provide food on a daily basis. If anything, many of these plantsbecome a weed themselves and might need to be removed just like you would any other weed.
If, on the other hand, you do have a green thumb and successfully grow conventional vegetables
on a regular basis, survival plants still have plenty to offer.
Firstly, they make great companion plants. Plant them around the edge of your garden beds or
amongst ornamental plantings and they'll help by diversifying your garden & confusing the bugs.
Many of them make great mulch and so don't need to be eaten to be of value.
Secondly, they'll add variety to what you can put on the table. These plants in general are highly
nutritious and tasty too and will add interest to all your salads & stir fries in particular. It's fun to
explain to visitors what those unusual delicious leaves are in the salad!
And finally, it improves your personal food security. If through sickness or absence you're unableto attend to your garden, your perennials will keep right on growing and cover any losses to your
regular food production.
Do your bit for the environment
Human beings are like a plague on our planet - ecologically speaking. And in the last 200
years we've become a plague out of control.
For tens of thousands of years up until 1800, we grew our population to less than a billion people.There are many instances up until that time, of dramatic reductions in the human population
mostly through plagues & wars, and occasionally through natural disasters. This is an ecosystem's
way of bringing balance to the system Mother nature's way of keeping things in harmony.
Since that time, we've grown our population to
about 7 billion now.
We've cut down or bulldozed a significant portion of
our forests to house us & for farming. Forests turncarbon dioxide - a human waste product, into
oxygen - a human requirement for life. We've cut a
lot of them down and the cutting goes on. In
minutes, we cut down what took thousands of years
to establish.
And now in areas where the forest is cut down,some of the land is now so degraded we can't use
it. The degradation goes on at an alarming rate.The total destruction of forest by
clearfelling. Photo:TJ Watt
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We've depleted many of our natural resources. We've pulled so much oil, gas & minerals out of theground now, that questions are being raised about how much longer they will last. Nearly all of this
in the last 200 years. 200 years to diminish resources that took millions of years to create!
Same with water underground water supplies that took thousands of years to stock are being
diminished and some are nearly empty. We've polluted our waterways to the point now that wecan't even bathe in some of them let alone drink from them.
We've created this system of money and globalised everything so that the rich get even richer, andthe poor get even poorer. Rich countries have problems with obesity while a billion people are
undernourished, and over 100 million of them are actually starving.
People in suits, in luxurious offices, in high rise buildings are making lots of money trading food as
a commodity, while small farmers are being forced off their land because they can't make enough
money to survive, and again, a billion people are undernourished and starving.
We used to get most of our food locally, now it could come from anywhere in the world. It used to
come from small, organic, sustainable farms and now we leave it in the hands of massive
corporations who use lots of oil to produce our food and make lots of pollution. Then they use lots
of oil & make lots of pollution to send it around the world.
If we got hurt or sick, we used to deal with it in the home or our community with plants that were
given to us by nature and which were often very effective. Now we leave it in the hands of large
drug companies to produce drugs - usually a synthesisation of something offered in nature, for the
most minor of complaints. Large drug companies that are primarily in the business of making
money, using up oil & making pollution to replace something we already have in nature?
In the last 200 years especially, our passion for economic growth, technology and a material
lifestyle has been at the expense of our environment, and sometime in the future, there will be a
price to pay. Who knows exactly how high that price will be, and how soon it will happen, but one
thing's for sure - we can't keep our current track for too much longer. Many argue that it's already
too late, and we should should be preparing for all sorts of disasters right now.
Myself, I'm not sure what's going to happen and when, but I'd like to do my bit about rightingthese wrongs. As I see it, restoring harmony with mother nature starts in our own backyards. If we
stop buying food from halfway around the world, then maybe the exploitive producers will go out of
business. If we start growing our own food, or at least buy it from a local farmer, that's some oil
saved & pollution reduced. That's some money going to someone in our local community, insteadof more money going into the hands of big business. If millions or billions of us do it, that's going
to have a profound impact on our relationship with the earth.
So that's what this book is all about. Encouraging you to use some of these very easy to grow and
very tasty and nutritious to eat plants to take care of some or even most of your family's food
needs. You don't need to be a great gardener, or break your back doing it. I'll share some tips withyou that'll make growing food much easier. If we all do that, and encourage others to do the same,
we will be making a difference.
And if disaster strikes, we'll be much better prepared to see it out.
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Why you won't see these plants in your
supermarkets
You may well ask if these plants are so nutritious & so easy to grow, why aren't they available in
supermarkets?
The quick answer is it depends where you live.
Many of these plants are staple foods in other partsof the world especially Asia & Africa where they're
bought & sold in local markets or grown in local
plots. In some cases, they're endemic to the area &
are wild harvested.
If you live in a western society, the story's a little
different. Supermarkets are geared to be the end
seller of what modern agriculture can produce.
They won't show much interest in few kilograms of
local produce. Their mode of operation is to buy
produce by the ton, then package & distribute it
around the country. High nutrient value is of no
interest to supermarkets it's all about long shelflife & appearance - or in other words - profit, profit
& more profit!
Commercial harvesting of Kang kong
Photo: Pen War
I'm not suggesting you aim for self-sufficiency here (that's a worthy but difficult goal), just that
you put some of these amazing plants in your garden, and even better, learn how to incorporate
them in your diet.
Even adding a single perennial food plant to your back yard can have an impact on your diet.These plants are packed full of nutrients that are mostly lost in fresh food available in
supermarkets. Simply adding a leaf or two a day to your salads straight from the garden will make
a difference, and getting the bulk of your greens from the garden will most certainly improve your
chances of good health.
This process of growing food & then eating the produce will also bring you closer to nature, you'llbe much less reliant on modern farming for your nutrition and at the same time reduce your impact
on the earth's ecosystems.
The survival food forest
The best thing about a survival food forest is that it needn't be a lot of work.
A food forest is a bit of effort up front to find and plant the different varieties, maybe some
fertilising, weeding and mulching along the way, and if it get's really dry, maybe a bit of watering.No daily, weekly or monthly chores and certainly no back-breaking chores like digging or starting
new gardens from scratch every season.
Survival plants are mostly very forgiving and will
still reward you when you neglect them. If you can
get them established in your garden, you'll probably
have them forever. If you can learn to eat them,
you'll have free, high quality food forever. It's a
pretty good deal.
Another great thing about a survival food forest is
that it is a great place to hang out and relax. An
awesome place to be at dawn or dusk perhaps
picking your next meal. A place to wander around
picking at leaves or berries as you go. A place tomeditate or enjoy a relaxing cup of tea. The survival food forest - lots of species,
not a lot of cultivation.
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If you really want to survive well in a time of crisis, why not form a "friendship" with your gardennow - get to know the individual plants, how to use them and how to incorporate them into your
lifestyle. Always be on the lookout to bring some new ones in, get to know them too. Learn to
propogate them, and share them around with your friends and neighbours. Anywhere you've got
persistent weeds, replace them with survival plants and save yourself some weeding.
Then, if you and your family were ever thrown into a survival situation, you'd have the food aspectalready covered from day 1. Maybe not all your food requirements, but enough to keep you alive
and thriving for a long time.
RealNutrition
If the term "survival food plant" conjures up thoughts of a plant that tastes like cardboard and is
empty of nutrition - think again. Nutritional facts from the USDA national nutrient database say
otherwise.
I like and grow Lettuce too, but I'm well aware that it's my survival plants that pack the nutritional
punch to my diet. Same goes for survival plant tubers compared to potatoes. I've set out a table
below of Lettuce compared to 4 of the plants I've introduced you to on this site (Taro isn't included
as it can't be eaten raw)
It quickly becomes obvious that the perennial survival plants win hands down. That's in a scientific
comparison under controlled conditions. It doesn't take into account the nutrients lost in the timebetween harvesting and eating - something you won't have to worry about if you plant them in
your garden.
As for taste, well it's always personal preference, but I consider Lettuce pretty bland next to theseperennial survival plants - more than likely you will too. You can add variety, flavour and nutrition
to your diet by using these plants in addition to the vegetables you use now.
In my eBook I detail over 40 edible plants that can be used in salads and cooking so you're
virtually guaranteed to find several (if not lots more) you like.
Nutrient facts - Salad leaves (raw)
UnitLettuceMalabarspinach KangKong
Sweet
potatoleaves
Garlicchives
Energy kCal 14 19 19 35 30
Protein g 0.9 1.8 2.6 4 3.27
Fat g 0.14 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.73
Carbohydrate g 2.97 3.4 3.14 6.38 4.35
Fiber g 1.2 2 2.1 2 2.5
Vitamins
Vitamin A mcg 25 400 315 51 218
Vitamin B mg 0.35 1.14 1.32 2.13 1.41
Vitamin C mg 2.8 102 55 11 58.1
MineralsCalcium mg 18 109 77 37 92
Iron mg 0.41 1.2 1.67 1.01 1.6
Magnesium mg 7 65 71 61 42
Phosphorous mg 20 52 39 94 58
Potassium mg 141 510 312 518 296
Sodium mg 10 24 113 9 3
Zinc mg 0.15 0.43 0.18 0.29 0.56
Copper mg 0.03 0.11 0.02 0.04 0.16
Manganese mg 0.13 0.74 0.16 0.26 0.37
Selenium mcg 0.1 0.8 0.9 0.9 0.9
source: USDA National Nutrient Database
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Survival gardening tips
The survival garden is not meant to be a lot of work. Maybe the odd burst of weeding,
fertilising and mulching, but there shouldnt be any need for you to be in there every day or
even every week.
Perennial survival plants once established should pretty much take care of themselves. A true
Lazy mans garden You should spend most of your time in a survival garden harvesting not
working.
The best measure of how your survival gardens going is how much you eat out of it, or how
much youre enjoying growing it. It shouldnt be a burden.
With that in mind, and conscious of the fact that some of my ideas will fly in the face of some
conventional thinking, I have five key tips to offer survival gardeners for greater success.
Tip#1 Try anything and everything
I started out food gardening by reading lots of books and following much of the advice to theletter. What grows in my climate, what soil & water conditions it likes, when to plant it & what to
feed it.
The more books I read, the more confused I got it seems theres many different opinions about
what individual plants like, and my actual growing experience was often quite different to whatthe books said.
So my tip is, give everything a go. If you buy a
punnet of seedlings, ignore the instructions & tryplanting in different positions and see what
happens. Throw seeds in many different spots and
see what comes up.
Try everything!
Plants like to grow thats what they do. Just care
for them the best you can and let them do their
own thing. If a plants happy in the position you
give it, let it grow, if not, dig it up and try it
somewhere different. Some of the results can bequite amazing regardless of what the books say
and some plantings that should grow well will be
complete flops!The more plants you try, the more you'll
have success with.
Tip#2 Learn to eat what you grow
Many gardeners write that you should only be bothered planting what you eat. Theres plenty of
merit in this after all, no sense growing sweet potato if you dont like it!
Thatll work out fine for you if you enjoy many different vegetables and are prepared to put the
work into growing them. Youll need to time your preparation and plantings with the seasons, and
once you get the hang of it youll have a great supply of different in-season vegetables all year
round. That might mean no cucumbers in winter & no broccoli in summer, but thats easy enough
to adapt to.
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If youre a fussy eater, the idea of planting only what you eat becomes a bit more problematic.
Most annual vegetables have a limited growing & harvesting period and any thoughts of growing
them all year round will be futile. You can get many of them in the supermarket all year round,
but they might come from the other side of the world. So if you insist on having your cucumbers
and broccoli on the table every week of the year, youre stuck in the modern food system and at
the mercy of whatever they decide to do to your food. Youll be in a bit of trouble if youre everput in a survival situation thered be nothing to eat that you like!
Why not open up a little and try eating whateveryour garden provides. Try the things you like & try
everything else too. Get these survival plants in,
and learn how to eat them.
You cant compare the taste of homegrownvegetables to what you buy in the supermarket
your palate is sure to widen when you eat home
grown. Plant lots of perennials so you have lots of
choices, different ones, at all times of the year.
Hone your cooking skills a bit and figure out how tocook your gardens produce to your liking. Its a
fabulous feeling cooking food that you grew
yourself, and a great talking point with dinnerguests. Have a bit of fun and make a salad or stir
fry only with what you can find in the garden you
might create some new favourite meals!
And by eating whats in season, youll be living
more in harmony with the natural way of things
and at the same time sidestepping the modern food
system.
It's a fabulous feeling cooking food
that you grew yourself.
Its a simple idea, but it can make a huge difference to how much of your own food you eat.
Tip#3 Dont sweat the bugs.
At certain times of year, mostly in the warmer weather, you are going to be faced with garden
pests of some type. Thats a fact of gardening life and one you might as well accept.
When they have their season, if you like, you can go to war with them and try to wipe them out
thats going to cost you time and money and often its a pretty hard war to win. In fact it candrive you nuts! If youre going to take this path, at least ensure you use organic pest control so
you dont ruin the food you want to eat.
Myself, Id rather put my that time & money into starting new plants, fertilising and waiting it out.
Eventually a predator will come along or the weather will change & the bug population will getwiped out anyway.
There are a few easy strategies that will help in minimising the impact of bugs though:-
If the bugs are ruining half of your crop, then maybe its as simple as planting twice as much!
Please, please dont put your food plants in nice neat rows. This is an open invitation to the
bugs, once established, to ruin your entire crop. Instead, mix your plantings up as much aspossible to help confuse them. If youve got broccoli planted in all different spots in the garden
amongst lots of other plants, theres a good chance that the cabbage moth wont find all of them.
If theyre in a nice neat row, once they find the first one, you can kiss goodbye to all of them.
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By all means, spend a bit of time manually removing the caterpillars, grasshoppers, snails and
slugs. Every one you pick off interrupts the breeding cycle and can have a marked effect on their
population. Try offering the kids some pocket money for every one they pick off for great effect.
Leave spiders, wasps & lady beetles be they kill and eat many of the same bugs youre trying
to eradicate.
Plant more plants from the onion family like chives, shallots & garlic. Most bugs dont like them
and dotted throughout your garden, they can act like a pest repellant. Nasturtium is another good
companion plant for bugs.
A better long term solution is to interplant a large variety of survival plants with your conventional
vegetables.
Companion planting with survival plants
Above is a photo of two garden beds. They were built on the same day, of
exactly the same materials and all planting was done on the same day. The
front garden is Broccoli interplanted with other annual plants, and the back bed
is broccoli interplanted with some survival plants. If you take a close look at thebroccoli plants, the ones in the front bed have been badly affected by cabbage
moth, whereas the ones in the back bed havent been affected at all. Further,
the annuals in the front bed are quite stunted and growing only slowly whereas
the survival plants in the back bed are thriving and providing plenty of food.
Tip #4 - Leave your spade in the shedIve never understood why conventional farming involves ploughing up the soil or why home
gardeners dig it up with a spade every season. Perhaps its to remove weeds, or to loosen up the
soil so the roots can grow penetrate the soil easier.
As far as I know, this doesnt happen anywhere in nature. Dont the plants drop their leaves on
top of the soil, which are then recycled by worms and bacteria to create a humus rich topsoil
which then in turn supports the plants for the whole thing to happen all over again? Whole forests
seem to grow just fine this way.
Unless you enjoy digging up your garden, Id suggest you never do it again. Let the worms and
soil bacteria do their jobs without interruption. Build it up instead.
Simply add layers of manure, hay, compost, seed-free garden waste, mushroom compost ormanure pellets on top of the soil no need to dig it in.
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New gardens can be started this way too just start with a thick layer of newspaper or cardboardto suppress weeds. Below are photos of a new garden being built layer by layer. You dont need to
use the same materials I have just go for a variety of different ones if you can.
Some gardeners advise that the bed should be left for a few weeks to breakdown somewhat, but I
never bother. I simply dig little holes into the bed, add a handful or two of compost or garden soil
and put my seedlings or seeds in that. By the time the plant gets settled and starts to spread itsroots, the layers in your no dig bed will have already started to breakdown.
Building a no-dig garden
a six layered no dig garden in photos
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and the results
Before and after photos of a no dig garden after 55 days
Tip#5 Work on the soil not the plants.
Survival plants, being hardy perennials, will either work in a position or they wont. If its too cold,
shady etc. theyll just struggle & eventually die. If all other conditions are OK, theyll mostly
survive in poor soils without any help.
If you want to help them, think about improving the soil not attending to the plants. If the soils
good, your survival plant should thrive without any care whatsoever if it isnt thriving, then its
probably better to try something else.
My approach to the soil is to make it as attractive as possible for the worms and bacteria living
under the soil they do all the work in making nutrients available to plants nutrients that end
up on our tables. They also improve the structure of your soil making it easy for your plants rootsto obtain air and water.
My worms seem to like compost, animal manure, mulch Ive grown myself (esp. Comfrey), seed-
free garden waste, hay or lucerne mulch, mushroom compost, seaweed drenches, blood and bone
and even newspaper and cardboard!. Rather than use the same worm-food every time, I prefer
to vary it as much as possible, thinking that will make a wider range of nutrients available to the
plants (and me).
I get what I can locally (living in a rural area helps) and I go out of my way to try and get organicproducts. If you dont have access to fresh manure, try the animal manure pellets that are
available in garden shops especially if they have added trace elements good for the garden
good for you.
Even better grow your own worm farm and use the juice on your garden for great results.
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Arrowroot
Attractive, thick foliage of Arrowroot
Botanical Name: Canna edulis
Some other names: Achira, Canna Achira,
Queensland arrowroot
How to grow it:
Arrowroot is amongst the most hardy and
productive of all edible perennial plants. If you
know the ornamental Canna lillies, then youll
have a good idea about the growth habit of
Arrowroot. It will grow to about 2m and produce
lush green foliage for all but the coldest months
of the year. Prefers full sun, but handles light
shade well too.
In the tropics, it will grow all year round without
dieback and in colder climates it will die down in
winter resprouting at the first sign of spring. Ifyou experience a winter freeze you may need to
treat it as an annual, planting new rhizomesevery spring.
Arrowroot will tolerate all water conditions from
bog to drought, but will obviously produce more
if given a regular water supply.
Ive never watered mine it seems quite happy
with whatever rainfall nature provides. Of course
you can expect higher production in deeper and
more fertile soils, but really, theyll grow just
about anywhere.
Propogation is as simple as digging up the
tubers and replanting them in their new
position. Just make sure each tuber has an eye
from which to sprout from some tubers have
several.
Nutrition:
Revered mainly for the starch content in the
tubers, which can be made into an easy to
digest flour or thickener. Also contains protein,
potassium, calcium & phosphorous. Not the
most potent plant nutrition wise, but a handy
addition to stretch out a cooked meal.
Using it in the kitchen:
Young growing tips & unfurled leaves can be
used as a cooked vegetable or added to stir-fries for an interesting texture.
Peeled tubers can be grated or diced raw
into salads they have a slightly sweet,crunchy texture.
Most commonly though, the tubers are
peeled and used like potatoes in
casseroles, soups and curries or chopped
into chips or a roasted vegetable. They tend
to take on the flavour of the meal and retaintheir crunchy texture. I think theyre best
cooked a little longer than you would
potatoes.
To thicken a meal especially soups, try
grating them.
Arrowroot is a brilliant survival food as
theyre incredibly hardy and productive and
can be harvested at any time of year. I only
use the tubers occasionally, but am wellaware that theres plenty of food in the
garden anytime youve got some arrowroot
in.
Arrowroot tubers cleaned & ready for
cooking.
Other uses:
Arrowroot makes a great mulch for your
garden & can be cut down to the base
several times in any growing season. Its
worthy as a plant in your garden just for this
purpose.
Also makes good animal fodder (the leaves
are high in protein) and an excellent
windbreak or border for your vege patch.
All in all an extremely useful plant.
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Asparagus
Autumn foliage of Asparagus
Botanical Name: Asparagus officinalis
How to grow it:
Asparagus is a flowering perennial plant which
dies back in winter and is harvested in spring
for its emerging spears. Its a fascinating plant
to grow and harvest.
An easy to grow plant, but youll need to have
patience. It might take a few years before you
get serious harvests. One of the best things
about asparagus is that it will grow in most
climates so its very likely it will grow in yours.
The better position you can give it, the better
the results. Full sun, deep, fertile soil, regularaddition of fertiliser. It is a very hardy plant
though in tougher conditions it will just give
less spears.
You can start asparagus from seed if you can
wait until the 3rd year for your crops. Youll
get better crops in the 2nd year by sourcing
crowns (below ground parts) or dividing your
own. Ive always just gone the seed option
and waited the extra year.
Nutrition: Asparagus is a seriously nutritious
plant. Spears have high levels of Vitamins A,
B, & C, E, & K, potassium, iron, phosphorous,
copper, manganese & many other nutrients.
Also thought to be high in antioxidants
Using it in the kitchen:
Youve never really tasted asparagus until
youve picked some fresh & eaten it raw. Its amuch more subtle flavour and the spears are
so tender they almost melt in your mouth. In
my home, the spears dont usually make it to
the table as competition is so high for them
straight from the garden.
If you do manage to get some to the kitchen,
try eating it raw in salads
In cooking, it should be lightly steamed or stir
fried 1-2 minutes is plants
Spears of Asparagus just waiting to be picked!
Theyll store for a week or so in the fridge, but
the basic idea is to eat them as soon as youcan after picking.
Asparagus is a great survival food as its so
easy to grow & rewards with repeated crops of
nutritious vegetables year in year out.
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Brazilian Spinach
Brazilian spinach - low growing, shadeloving source of greens
Botanical Name: Alternanthera sissoo
Some other names: Sissoo spinach, Samba
lettuce
How to grow it: Brazilian spinach is a low
growing perennial that will extend over a large
area if allowed. Its very easy to control
though through regular harvesting of the tips.
Will survive in full sun, but prefers shade. A
good plant for understory situations, or around
the house where it wont get too much sun.
In warmer areas it will provide leaves & stems
all year round, in colder climates it may dieback in winter, but will normally sprout as
soon as the frost has passed. In very cold
climates it will need to replanted from seed.
Likes a regular supply of water, but will holdits own in drought conditions leaf production
will slow down.
Propogation is by tip cuttings which root easily,
or the plant can be divided at the base
Tip cuttings of Brazilian spinach take root
easily
Grows really well in pots just make sure it
doesnt dry out too much or you wont get
much to pick
Nutrition: Theres not much information on
Brazilian spinach other than its high proteincontent. Its likely to be a good source of
vitamins and minerals just like most other
greens.
Using it in the kitchen:
The most notable thing about the leaves would
be the crunchy texture which survives even
with a little cooking. Has a milder flavour than
most greens like it.
Remove all stems and add it to salads or
sandwiches for a bit of crunch.
Leaves can also be added to stir fries, soups,
curries & casseroles just like you would any
other spinach.
Brazilian spinach is a good survival food as its
available for most of the year and handles
shade better than most plants like it.
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Cassava
Lush foliage of Cassava
Botanical Name: Manihot esculenta
Some other names: yuca, tapioca, mandico,alpim
How to grow it: Cassava is a short lived
perennial bush that can grow to several
metres. Its an attractive plant with lush
foliage on red-green stems.
Cassava is grown extensively in the tropics &
sub-tropics and will do best in these climates.
Will have a shorter growing season in cooler
climates and is better treated as a annual planted when the weather has warmed up.
Likes full sun and a position where the soil
drains well. Cassava likes a regular supply of
water, but does very well in drought
conditions. As long as there is some water inthe season, it will continue to produce. Ive
found it will grow well in poor soils as long as
it doesnt get waterlogged.
Propogation is by stem cuttings. In late winter
or early spring, cut off a large stem from thedormant plant. Then cut the stem into 15-
20cm pieces with at least two nodes on them.
Plant them in position or in pots & theyll strike
quite easily when the weather warms up.
Grows OK in pots, but youll need big ones if
you plan to harvest the tubers
Nutrition: Cassava roots are mainly a source
of carbohydrates, but are also high in calcium,
phosphorous & vitamin C.
The leaves are high in protein.
Cassava contains varying levels of HydrocyanicAcid which is poisonous to both humans and
animals. Both the leaves & the tubers must be
cooked to remove this toxin. There are low
toxic varieties, and I know in some cultures
the leaves are eaten raw, but Id recommend
cooking at all times.
Using it in the kitchen:
To use Cassava leaves, they must first be
boiled in water for 10 minutes, with the waterdiscarded.
Then they can be added to salads, soups,casseroles, and curries.
The tubers can be used just like you would
potatoes. They make great chips or roast
veges. Remove the skin & rinse in water
before use.
Roots of Cassava ready for baking or boiling
(peel first).
Cassava makes a great survival food as its
hardy to drought conditions and both the
leaves & roots can be eaten.
Other uses
The lage lobed leaves can be harvestedregularly during the growing season & make
great mulch for the garden.
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Chilli tree
Chilli tree - gives plentiful crops
year in year out.
Botanical Name: Capsicum frutescens
Some other names: Pepper, hot pepper, chili
How to grow it: The Chilli tree is a perennial
bush to about two metres that providesgenerous supplies of consistently flavoured
chillies.
Im unsure of the botanical name for the
species I grow (I bought it many years ago at a
market stall), but it differs from all otherchillies Ive grown by the fact that it develops
into a larger plant & rebounds more strongly in
spring. Many of the other chilli varieties Ive
grown tend to struggle with winter & then
regrow at less vigour than the first year.
It handles a wide range of conditions from
drought to quite wet (not boggy) but will
respond with better fruiting it grown in well
drained soils that receive regular water. Itprefers heat, but would grow in cooler climates
with a shorter fruiting season. In my cool sub-
tropical climate it gives fruit for at least 6
months of the year.
Responds well to fertilising and mulching go
easy on high nitrogen fertilisers you want
fruit not leaf!
Propogation works from tip cuttings, but is
much easier by seed. Just pick some ripe fruits
in late Autumn, dry them out over winter, and
plant them when the weather warms up. Youll
get good crops in the first year.
Chilli tree fruit - seeds of the ripe fruit will
sprout in warmer weather.
It does well in large pots You might have to
trim its roots every 2-3 years for best
results.
Nutrition: Fruit is high in protein & contain
vitamins A, B, & C, calcium, potassium, iron
and zinc.
It has many herbal actions and is consideredvery good for the circulatory system and the
blood. It is thought that regular consumption
reduces the risk of heart attack.
Using it in the kitchen:
Chillies can be harvested at anytime they are
fully grown, whether they are green, red, or
any colour in between.
Anyone who cooks would be familiar withtheir use, but if youd like to get more chilli
into your diet, try adding them to the
omelettes, scrambled eggs, soups, pasta
sauces, and basically any dish that could
handle a bit of spicing up.
At the end of their season, I harvest all the
red ones I can, dry them out, crush them
slightly and then put them in a bottle with
cold pressed olive oil. After a couple of
months this infusion tastes very good (andhot!) and can be added cold at the end of
cooking (stirred in after the heat is turned
off), or even drizzled onto pizzas for a bit of
bite.
I can also vouch for chillis ability to ward off
& reduce symptoms of colds and flus. Make a
strong tea of dried chilli, fresh ginger slices,
crushed garlic and lemon juice add honey if
youd like the tea sweetened.. During the dayor days youre fighting off the cold, dilute this
tea with hot water & sip regularly throughout
the day. It works!
Chilli tree is a great survival plant as it growsfor many years in a wide range of conditions,
gives an abundance of fruit which is great for
cooking and for your health.
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Chinese artichoke
Summer foliage of Chinese artichoke
- will spread rampantly if you let it.
Botanical Name: Stachys affinis
Some other names: crosne, chorogi,knotroot
How to grow it: Chinese artichoke is a low
growing perennial that will sprawl over a large
area if allowed. It has a lush green foliage thatdies back in winter at which time the harvest
is ready.
Will survive in full sun, but prefers a moist,
shady position. Loose soil would be an
advantage, but they seem to crop pretty wellin all types of soils. Copes well with drought,
but produces better with a regular water
supply.
Think carefully about where you will plant it as
it can easily overrun an area & spread wayfurther than what you might imagine. It can
then be quite hard to control. Ive learnt this
lesson the hard way & now put them in
contained areas only.
Can be propogated at any time of the year by
root cuttings, but the best time would be earlyspring ensuring a full growing season for the
following winters crop. Any piece of root
seems to grow.
Chinese artichoke is an ideal plant for pots and
will reward you well each season.
Using it in the kitchen:
Chinese artichokes have a mild nutty flavourand are more notable for their appearance &
crunchy texture. Quite a novelty for guests!
All that needs to be done is remove the dirt
which can be done quite effectively with an old
toothbrush. No need to peel them.
Harvest of Chinese artichokes
Once cleaned they can be eaten fresh in
salads, or served as a vegetable dipper for
dips.
I also like to add them to soups, stir fries,
casseroles & curries for their texture asmuch as anything.
Chinese Artichoke easy to grow plant with a
novelty harvest.
Chinese artichokes are a great survival food
for the hardiness of the plant and the novelty
of harvest not so much the nutrition.
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Choko
Choko - a hardy vine with many uses
Botanical Name: Sechium edule
Some other names: Chayote, Alligator pear,
vegetable pear, christophene, citrayota
How to grow it: Choko is a sprawling, hardy
perennial vine to several metres that willhappily climb fences, trellises & other
vegetation. It is usually grown for its fruit, but
all parts of the plant are edible making it a
very useful plant.
Its grown very successfully in the sub-
tropics/tropics where its warm season growth
can be quite massive invasive if it isnt given
the room. In cooler climates, it will die back in
cooler weather and wont tolerate heavy
frosts. May need to be treated as an annual inthese climates.
Its fairly hardy overall, but will do much
better in moist well drained soils. Its roots
might rot in heavier soils. Needs full sun for
best results.
The easiest way to propogate Choko is to bury
a fruit in the ground in spring. It strikes very
easily as youll notice from any fruit that falls
to ground theyll start growing with almost
100% success. Tip cuttings in spring also work
well.
Not a great plant for pots unless you wantgrowing tips and tendrils for your stir-fries.
Plant 2-3 fruits in a pot and cover with mulch.
Then harvest the shoots & tendrils very
regularly to keep the plants under control.
Nutrition: Choko is an excellent source ofVitamin C, and has good levels of Vitamin B,
zinc, copper, manganese, and potassium.
Using it in the kitchen:
Choko is an amazing food plant. Most people
are aware that fruits can be eaten, which in
season are abundant. Try eating the smaller
fruits chopped in salads and stirfries. Larger
fruits are great quartereed and baked, as wellas added to curries, soups, and casseroles.
What people arent so aware of is that the
plant is a bountiful source of shoots and
tendrils which are highly nutritious in salads
and stir fries or even sandwiches. Any shoots
that snap off will be tender and added at the
last minute, have a great texture in stir fries.
Tubers can also be harvested in the dormant
season and used the same as yam or
potatoes.
Seeds have a nutty flavour and can be eaten
fresh or roasted.
Choko fruits cut to show flesh
Other uses
Chokos are a great plant to grow over the
chooks run to provide shade, protection and a
regular supply of fresh greens.
The prolific leaf growth can be cut back several
times during the growing season and used as
mulch this will encourage growth of new
shoots for use in cooking.
Choko is an excellent survival plant as itseasy to grow, prolific, and the entire plant can
be used as food.
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Coco yam
Coco yam - a very pretty & hardy survival
food.
Botanical Name: Xanthosoma sagittifolium
Some other names: Arrowleaf elephantsear, Malanga, Taro kang kong
How to grow it: Coco yam is a perrenial
clumper to about 1.5m which in many ways is
similar to Taro except the leaf is more arrow
shaped, and connects to the stalk at the base
of the leaf not from the centre as in Taro. It
is grown extensively in tropical areas of the
world as a food plant
Though it does best in the tropics, it will also
do well in cooler areas provided theres no
heavy frost. In cooler areas, it will die back &
reshoot in spring. Grows well in sun or shade.
Unlike Taro, it prefers soil that drains
stagnating or dying in boggy situations.
Deeper, more fertile soils will produce bigger
tubers. Regular watering is still essential for
healthy plants.
For best growth, mulch & fertilise well. The
leaves can get very large & attractive an
excellent ornamental plant.
In colder climates, you could grow it inside in a
pot until conditions warm up. Prefers some
sunlight, but will handle light shade well too.
It does well in large pots I grow some in my
greenhouse where it loves the warmer moist
conditions.
Propogation once you have one patch
established is as simple as replanting roots or
suckers that will come up all around the main
plant. If you harvest the main plant, the area
around it will quickly reproduce new shoots.
Will do very well in pots, though harvest oftubers will be much smaller than a ground
grown one. Great looking pot plant though.
Nutrition: Leaves are high in protein &
contain vitamins A, B, & C, calcium &
potassium. Good source of fibre.
Tubers are rich in easily digestiblecarbohydrates, and also contain good amounts
of Vitamins A & C, protein, magnesium,
potassium & phosphorous.
Using it in the kitchen:
All parts of Coco yam need to be well cooked
before eating as they are toxic raw. The toxins
are destroyed by cooking. Corms should be
peeled first.
The leaves and stems can be cooked into
curries, soups & casseroles for their high
protein content. The stems also add an
interesting texture & they will tend to take on
the flavour of the dish.
Corms can be added to all the same hot dishes
and are excellent as a roast or boiled
vegetable or cut into chips.
Coco yam tubers from 1 small plant.
Coco Yam is a great survival food as all parts
are eaten, and its very hardy as long as you
live in a warmer climate. Makes an excellentornamental that can be harvested in times of
need.
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Comfrey
Comfrey - an easy to grow plant
with many uses.
Botanical Name: symphytum officinale
Some other names: Knitbone, Boneset,
Woundwort, Bruisewort
How to grow it: Comfrey is amongst the
easiest & most hardy of all plants I know. Onceestablished, it is virtually unkillable and it
would be wise to carefully consider where to
plant it as it will always be there!
Like many perennials, comfrey will do best in a
deep, well drained, fertile soil, but it has a wide
tolerance for all conditions. Will tolerate
drought, sunlight, lack of sunlight, will
outcompete all weeds and can be continually
harvested for most of the year.
It has deep roots which will mine nutrients and
moisture from deep in the soil. Other thanmaybe a bit of seaweed spray, Ive never
directly fertilised my comfrey plants and theyalways seem to thrive.
The best way to propogate is break off a root,
further break it down to 2cm pieces, and plant
it sideways in the soil. It seems that any piece
of root will strike, so one established plant willmake many, many new ones.
Will grow very happily in pots, though it wont
reach anywhere near the size & productivity of
the ground grown ones.
The comfrey controversy:Comfrey is a very
nutrient dense plant with high levels of vitamin
A, B, C & E, potassium, calcium, phosphorous,
magnesium + many more minerals. It also has
constituents that lead to a range of herbal
actions.
Medical science however, has determined that
the plant includes alkaloids that are
dangerous to humans proven through
laboratory testing in rats. There is very little
evidence to suggest that humans or livestock
have actually been poisoned by the herb, but
nevertheless, it is now banned for internal(mostly) and/or external use in manycountries. It is surely ironic that you can buy
a pack of cigarettes from the local corner
store which has been proven to kill millions,
but you cannot use comfrey no matter how
beneficial it might be!
In history, it has a long record of use and
there are many, many anecdotal accounts of
its effectiveness in dealing with many
different diseases including chronic ones like
cancer, arthritis, asthma and digestive
disorders. And thats only by taking it
internally. Externally, its been used fordealing with broken bones, bruising and even
healing open wounds.
So given that authorities have banned its
use, I cant recommend that you use the
herb, only that you research its potential
benefits/drawbacks for yourself.
My own experience using Comfrey externally
leads me to value the herb medicinally more
than any other in my garden. Ive used it on a
variety of complaints in my family and found
it to very effective, if not amazing! Openwounds healing in a fraction of the normaltime, rashes disappearing overnight, even
pain relief and quick healing of sprained
ankles etc.
Other uses:Fortunately, even though
comfrey is banned in many countries for useas food or medicine, there a still numerous
uses for it in the garden.
Due to its deep roots, it mines nutrients from
deep in the soil that arent available to otherplants, and the leaves can be harvested very
regularly and used as mulch on the garden.Containing good levels of Nitrogen, potassium
& phosphorous + trace elements makes it
almost a complete plant fertiliser. It can be
soaked in water for a week, and then used as
a rich liquid fertiliser. Comfrey is a known
compost activator, and can be added
regularly to the compost to speed things
up.
If youre concerned about taking comfrey
internally, try chopping it up and giving it to
your chickens then eat the eggs. In fact all
livestock will benefit from its regular use.
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Drumstick Tree
Drumstick tree - all parts are used.
Photo: Iaminfo
Botanical Name: Moringa oleifera
Some other names: Horseradish Tree,
Moringa, Ben oil tree, Benzolive
How to grow it: Drumstick tree is a
leguminous tree to 10 m which originates in
Asia but is grown around the world in
subtropical/tropical climates.
It is very hardy particularly to drought and
grows in a wide range of soil types. Does far
better in full sun.
It is tender to frost, so may need to be planted
every year in cooler climates. Except in tropical
areas, expect the plant to die down in winter &
re shoot in spring.
Will also do OK in pots, but youll need to repot
it every year or so, trimming the roots, or you
can just grow new ones from seed every
spring.
Small Drumstick Tree in a container for
harvesting leaves
Propogation is by seed or limb cutting just
cut a 1-2m limb off when the plant goes
dormant in winter & put it upright into the
ground. Once the weather warms up the limbwill shoot and youre on your way to another
tree.
Nutrition: Advocates of the Drumstick Tree
claim that it has 7 times the Vitamin C in
oranges, 4 times the calcium in milk, 4 times
the Vitamin A in carrots, 2 times the protein
in milk, and 3 times the potassium in
bananas! Im not sure how accurate those
claims are, but science does confirm this is
one of the most nutritious plants on the
planet and a potential treatment for many,many human ailments.
Using it in the kitchen:
The raw leaves arent especially tasty (nor
are they disagreeable), but given their
extraordinary nutrition, they could be added
to salads & sandwiches with other greens on
a regular basis.
They can be added to cooked dishes the same
you would any spinach, but remember youll
probably destroy the vitamin C content so
perhaps adding them at the last minute wouldbe best.
The young seedpods can be cooked like green
beans the flavours quite simliar actually,
and the dried beans can be cooked into stews
and casseroles or fried or roasted like nuts.
If you search the plant on the internet, youll
find many other uses in many cultures. A
truly versatile and hardy plant and surely one
of the best survival plants available to us!
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Galangal
Galangal foliage is lush and will grow to 2m
Botanical Name: Alpinia galanga
How to grow it: Galangal is a hardy perennial
plant to 2 metres that is grown for its
underground rhizomes and used to flavour
oriental flavoured dishes.
Grows in full sun to shade, handles annual dry
seasons well, but responds well to lots of
water.
Grows all year round in the subtropics &
tropics, and will die back and resprout inspring in cooler areas. Doesnt like frost, so in
cooler areas use as an understorey plant.
For large and easy to harvest rhizomes, plant
in a deep, loose soil.
Propogation is by root division basically
anytime its warm simply dig up some roots
and put them in their new position. Ive often
struck plants from rhizomes found in fruit and
vegetable stores and markets, so keep youreye out.
Will do well in pots for a year or two until it
becomes potbound & you have to dig it all up
& start again.
Using it in the kitchen:
Galangal is used almost exclusively in asian
soups, curries & curry pastes. It has a unique
aroma that adds authenticity to these dishes,
and in my view, cannot be omitted orreplaced. Lucky its a gorgeous plant &virtually unkillable!
Galangal - irreplaceable for asian food fans
Slice it thinly and add it to soups, or chop it
finely and add it to stir fries, curries or curry
pastes.
It also has a pleasant perfumy aroma thatgoes well with herbal teas.
Not the most important of survival plants for
its very limited use, but its really easy togrow & looks great. If you love asian food itactually is a survival plant!!
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Garden sorrel
Garden sorrel - a year round supply of freshgreens
Botanical Name: Rumex acetosa
Some other names: Sorrel, Common Sorrel,
English Sorrel, Spinach Dock, Narrow Leafed
Dock.
How to grow it:
Sorrel is amazingly hardy, growing all year
round in frost free climates, and much of theyear in colder climates in just about any soil
type.
It has deep roots making it quite tolerant to
drought, but the leaves can get a bit chewy &
sharp. In moist conditions, it will growprolifically & provide plenty of succulent leaves.
Sorrel is an attractive plant too it would beequally at home in a garden bed with shrubs or
flowers as it is in the vege garden. I like tohave it in a few spots in the garden (full sun &
part shade) & will pick from the one that has
the most succulent leaves at the time.
It will also do very well in pots, but needs to be
divided regularly as it will become potboundquickly.
Addition of fertiliser will only make Garden
sorrel more prolific than it already is, but it
seems just as happy when left to pull nutrientsdeep from the ground with its long roots.
Propogation is easy once you have one plant
established just simply dig up the whole
plant, divide it into clumps with your spade
(see photo below) & replant or put it into pots.Within a couple of weeks it will resprout & you
can start eating the leaves immediately.
In my climate (sub-tropics), Ive never seen
garden sorrel seed, but in cooler climates
seed can be collected in autumn or the plant
just allowed to self-seed. Its a very common
plant you should find it at most herb
nurseries or you can get seeds online.
Nutrition:
Sorrel has high levels of vitamin C along with
Vitamin A & B. It also contains calcium,
potassium, iron & sulphur. Very nutritious for
something so easy to grow!
Using it in the kitchen:
Sorrel leaves have a sour taste that varies in
intenisty depending on which leaves you pick.
The young leaves growing from the centre ofthe plant are very mild and the outer leaves
can get quite sharp in taste particularly ifgrown in full sun in the hotter weather. So
just pick leaves according to your own taste.
Use young leaves in salads and sandwichestheyll add a mild flavour and have nice
texture.
Older leaves can also be used fresh, but this
will be according to your taste. You can alsouse older leaves in stir fries, soups, quiches,
casseroles and omelettes generally in
combination with other greens.
Sorrel is an obvious candidate for survivalfood as it is so hardy & prolific. Ive neverthought about preserving because its always
available fresh from the garden
Other info:
I occasionally feed it to chickens & add leavesto the compost or mulch, but mostly I just
eat it.
Would be good for erosion control or on the
edge of gardens as it outcompetes all weeds.
If you like the flavour, try sheep sorrel it
has much smaller leaves and a sharper taste,
but is higher in nutrients & has greater
medicinal value.
Its also worth learning about yellow dock a
common weed. In a survival situation it could
be used in cooking the same as garden sorrel,
but its definitely worth preboiling to reduce
the sharp taste and oxalates.
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Garlic chives
Thick, juicy, ribbon-like leaves of Garlic chives
Botanical Name: Allium Tuberosum
Some other names: Thai leeks, Chinese
Chives, Gow choy, Oriental garlic.
How to grow it:
Garlic chives are a perennial herb to about
50cm with strap like leaves that distinguish it
from its close cousin Onion chives. Ive found
it to be much more hardy & prolific than onionchives. Handles all soils well & does best in full
sun.
In warmer climates it will grow & can be
harvested all year round, in colder climates it
might die down in winter, but resprout prettyquickly when the weather warms up.
Will benefit from the addition of fertiliser andregular watering, but seems to grow happily
without much care
Will do very well in pots but will need to be
pulled up & thinned out every couple of years.
Garlic chives have a very strong root system
and will handle neglect where most other
plants wont. Often when Ive seen a run-down
vegetable patch, the only plant outcompeting
the weeds & handling drought are the garlic
chives. Seems to grow faster if its harvested
regularly.
It grows easily from seed, but once you have
plants established, the best way to propogate
is to dig the whole plant up, divide the bulbs
and roots into small sections & replant. Within
a week or two, the plants are on their wayagain.
You wont have to look very hard to find seeds
or plants at your local nursery.
Nutrition:
High in Vitamin C also rich in vitamins A & B,
iron, calcium, sulfur and magnesium. Good
tonic herb to take regularly.
Using it in the kitchen:
Garlic chives can be used in all dishes
cooked & uncooked where the delicate flavour
of onions & garlic are required.
The upper green parts can be used in salads &
sandwiches to great effect. They can be
chopped finely, but I prefer them cut in 2-3cm
sections as shown below the flavour seems a
little more noticeable.
When used in cooking, the upper parts can beadded to soups, casseroles, omelettes & stir
fries but I suggest adding them only at the last
minute or the flavour will be lost. The lower
white parts can be treated just like you wouldleeks, or my favourite is to add them to stir
fries for a delicious garlic flavour burst.
Rarely a meal goes by that Im not using garlic
chives both for the flavour & health giving
properties.
Garlic chives harvested & prepared for
cooking. The lower parts are better cooked.
Garlic chives are a great survival food as theyseem to survive any conditions and have great
nutrition. If I was in a survival situation, Id
cherish them for the flavour they would add to
my food.
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Ginger
The tropical foliage of Ginger
How to grow it:
Ginger is a hardy perennial plant that is grown
for its underground rhizomes and used in
cooking, medicine and as a tea.
In nature, Ginger is an understorey plant, and
so I tend to plant it under other trees. In
commercial cultivation though, its grown
usually in full sun and no doubt has higher
yields.
The main ingredient needed for ginger is
warmth. it will do well planted in spring in
both subtropical and tropical areas. In cooler
areas, youll have a shorter growing season
and may suffer from smaller rhizomes stillworth growing if you can.
Although tolerant of drought due to the
underground rhizome system, ginger does
best in moist, well drained situations where it
will produce large crops of swollen rhizomes.Best harvest time is when the foliage dies
down for winter, but I just harvest it as
needed the rhizomes are smaller, milder &
more tender early in the season, and will be
much larger & more pungent later in Autumn
& winter.
Propogation is by root division in spring
simply dig up some roots and put them in theirnew position. In warm areas, you can plant
them right up until summer & still get good
crops. Just get a piece of root from an organic
source, break it up into pieces & plant into
position. It strikes very easily.
Will do well in pots for a year or two until it
becomes potbound & you have to dig it all up
& start again.
Ginger rhizomes dug up for division and
replanting.
Nutrition:
High in potassium, manganese, copper &
magnesium, and vitmans A & B. Many
beneficial herbal actions.
Ginger is thought to be very good for your
digestive & circulatory systems and will reducenausea from morning sickness & motion
sickness. Helps ward off colds & flu. Add a few
slices to you tea or on its own.
Using it in the kitchen:
Ginger is mainly used as a spice in both
savoury & sweet dishes.
You can grate, chop, mince or slice it intostirfries, curries, soups usually with some
garlic & chilli. I find it has a special synergy
with sweet potato & pumpkin try it in your
next pumpkin soup for a flavour treat. Also
worth trying grated into your favorite meat
marinade.
I try and add it to food as much as possible for
its health benefits, but beware it can have a
dominating flavour or actually taste quite hot.
Stores fairly well in a dark dry spot in thepantry, or can be sliced thinly, dried and
reconstituted in water as required (or just
added to hot dishes as is).
Ginger is a great survival food for itshardiness, its long harvesting time, its
usefulness in cooking & for its health benefits.
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Globe artichoke
The attractive, thistle-like foliage of Globe
artichoke
Botanical Name: Cynara scolymus
How to grow it:
Globe artichoke is a perennial thistle to about
1.5 metres that it is grown for its immatureflower buds. It is a very attractive plant for itslarge blue green leaves. if the plant is allowed
to flower (thats not going to happen if you
like the buds for food), it has very pretty
bright purple flower heads.
It has a fairly wide climactic range, thoughmight need to be grown as an annual in cooler
climates. Needs protection from frost. Does
well in sun or part shade.
Its best to give globe artichoke well drained,
fertile soil. It will handle some dry periods, butdoesnt like heavy soils or bogs. Mulch and
fertilise well.
Get seeds or seedlings for globe artichoke
theyre very easy to start like this and youllhave access to a greater variety. You can also
take root divisions and root cuttings from
mature plants, but seeds are easier.
Will grow in pots, but the flowers are
somewhat stunted. I think Globe artichokeprefers a bit of room to move.
Nutrition:
A highly nutritious vegetable high in
potassium, calcium and iron and good levels of
vitamins A, B, C, magnesium & phosphorous.
Using it in the kitchen:
Young shoots of the plant can be eaten as a
vegetable either boiled or steamed on their
own, or added to curries & casseroles.
Flower bud of Globe artichoke ready for
harvesting
The delicious part though, is the heart of the
flower bud. Often it is trimmed and then boiled
or steamed (it is nice to then use the hearts
on pizzas!), but I think its best prepared as a
roasted vegetable.
Dont worry about trimming it, just put the
whole buds on an oven tray, and drizzle some
oil (infused with garlic and rosemary is good),
and slow roast them for about 1-1.5 hours.
Then when you eat it, youll get plenty of
meat from the petals and the heart is
deliciously tender.
Globe artichoke is a great survival plant for its
delicious vegetable and for its hardiness. As
its such a pretty plant, it could easily be
grown amongst your ornamental plants for itsfoliage, and then the flower buds can beharvested, or left for a gorgeous flower
display.
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Horseradish
Horseradish - the leaves and roots are used
Botanical Name: Armoracia rusticana
Some other names: Mountain radish
How to grow it:
Horseradish is a very hardy rambling perennial
to about 40cm. It is used for it young leaves
and large roots in cooking and medicine.
Probably best grown in climates with cold
winters, horseradish will still grow in warmer
clients but the flavour will be milder. Grows
well in sun or shade and is very drought
tolerant grows like mad when its wet, and
goes almost dormant in the dry.
Deep, well drained soils will produce thebiggest tubers, but it will grow well in poor
soils too. An ideal plant for underneath fruit
trees and amongst your vegetable crops. It is
thought to repel many pest and diseases and
make a great companion plant.
Propogation is by separation of the roots that
can be broken up into pieces & then root quite
readily. Once you have a plant established,
you can pretty much harvest anytime & the it
will resprout from the pieces of root left in the
ground. Can spread a metre or two
underground in just 1 year if left to.
Will also do quite well in pots if theyre large
enough for the plant to develop a decent size
root system. Regular harvesting would be
essential.
Nutrition:
A highly nutritious plant Vitamins A, B, & C,
potassium, calcium, iron and sulphur inparticular.
Eating horseradish regularly is beneficial to
your digestion and circulatory systems and foryour blood. Can be taken as an expectorant in
sinus conditions.
Using it in the kitchen:
Young horseradish leaves can be used fresh in
salads, or cooked into stir fries, soups, curries
and casseroles.
The roots are best eaten uncooked but need to
be preserved in either mayonnaise or vinegar.
My favourite method is to chop the roots
roughly & further chop them as finely as I can
in the food processor. Then dribble
mayonnaise or vinegar while the processors
still running until the mixture has the
consistency of a sauce. My family eats the
mixture as a delicious condiment, but it could
also be considered a great preventative tonicfor colds, flu and other viruses.
Horseradish roots cleaned & ready for
processing into horseradish cream
Horseradish is a great survival food as its so
easy to grow and use, and provides flavour in
cooking and health benefits.
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Jerusalem artichoke
Jerusalum artichoke - showy display in late
summer
Botanical Name: Helianthus tuberosus
Some other names: Sunchoke, Sunroot,
Topinambour
How to grow it:
Jerusalum artichoke is a hardy perennial to
over 2m which is grown for its roots. During
the growing season there is a showy display ofsunflower-like yellow flowers. Note that the
plant is nothing like an artichoke, and for that
matter doesnt come from Jerusalum either!
Will do best in full sun and in well drained,
fertile soils, but Ive received reasonable cropsin poor soils too.
Its ideal climate is temperate, where given
the right soil conditions, can spread quite
rapidly and become somewhat of a pest. Inthe tropics and subtropics its a little more
temperamental the root quality seems to
deteriorate year by year and it may be best
grown as an annual
Its an excellent plant for drought conditionsand needs very little fertiliser. Its one of those
plants you can put in out of the way and it
will continue to produce year after year.
Propogation is by root division in spring
simply dig up some roots and put them in their
new position. As the plant has high potassium
needs, its worth sprinkling some wood ash
around the planting area. Comfrey would
make an excellent mulch.
Would probably grow well in pots if a new pot
is planted every spring.
Nutrition:
High in potassium and iron and also containscalcium, phosphorous, magnesium and
vitamins A, B, & C.
Using it in the kitchen:
The edible tubers are harvested once all the
foliage dies down. Its best to harvest onlywhat you intend to use, as they dont keep
very well. Any tubers left in the ground will
resprout in spring.
Tubers can be scrubbed and grated raw into
salads they have slight nutty flavour.
They can also be cooked like potatoes and
have a similar texture. Try them in soups,
casseroles & curries or on their own as a
baked or boiled vegetable.
Jerusalum artichoke tubers cleaned and ready
for baking or boiling.
Jerusalum artichokes are a great survival
plant, particularly in temperate zones as they
regrow every season with very little care.
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Kang kong
Kang Kong growing very happily in the wet
season
Botanical Name: Ipomoea Aquatica
Some other names: Water Spinach, Swamp
Cabbage, Ong Choy, Chinese Watercress and
many other local names throughout Asia.
How to grow it:
Kang Kong is a terrifically hardy perernnial that
will grow anywhere at anytime its growing
conditions are met that is, when its hot &
wet. It grows like mad in these conditions, and
will meander or die back when its cold and/ordry. Seems just as happy in sun or shade.
In the tropics, it will grow all year if it has
regular water, but is best planted as the wetseason begins and will require no maintenance.If theres a problem with it, it can get out of
control a great reason to harvest it regularly.
In cooler areas, it will die back in winter and
reshoot in spring. In cold areas its growing
season might be quite short.
Given its water requirements, it does best in a
boggy area or on the edges of ponds. Its just
as happy in shallow water as it is in wet mud.
It does well in a shadehouse or hothouse and
its growing period might be extended due to
the extra warmth.
Kang Kong will certainly benefit from the
addition of manure, compost, worm juice or
seaweed, but will also do pretty well withoutany maintenance at all. Once I put a cutting in
a vase of water to root, and it grew & produced
leaves for months without any help at all
quite amazing!
Very easy to propogate from stem or tipcuttings theyll readily shoot in water or just
put them in the ground on a rainy day or when
rain is imminent. The plant will start flowering
as the weather cools down and seeds can soon
be collected for planting in the following
seaason.
Ive had great success growing Kang Kong in
closed containers simply fill any closedcontainer (20 litre bucket, pots with no
drainage, styrofoam boxes etc) with soil
leaving 5-10 cms from the top. Fill with water
to a level just above the soil, and put yourcuttings or seeds in. As soon as the plants
start growing you can start harvesting. This
growing method can be very productive and is
great for drier climates just add a bit a bit
of water when needed the foliage will
reduce much of the water loss.
Its best to start a new container every spring
though one season is plenty for it to
become rootbound and the following year will
produce rather straggly leaf & stems.
Nutrition: Despite the fact that it requiresvery little care, Kang Kong is a highly
nutritious plant with high levels of protein,
calcium, iron, potassium, & vitamins A B & C.
A valuable addition to the diet.
Using it in the kitchen:
Freshly harvested Kang Kong leaf & stem"
Young leaves are fairly bland taste-wise and
easily substitute for lettuce in green salads.The best thing is they are so prolific when its
too hot or wet for other salad greens. In
season I eat the greens fresh on a daily basis
both in salads & sandwiches.
As a spinach, leaves can be used in almost
anything quiches, omelettes, soups,
casseroles anything that would benefit from
some nutritious greens. I prefer to add them
at the last minute as they wilt very quickly,
but they also do well in slow, long cooking
dishes.
The stems can be chopped finely & used in
salads, but are at their best when chopped
quite thickly & used in stir fries. Very tender
& tasty.
Kang Kong is a brilliant survival food as its so
nutritious, it grows like mad and keeps
coming back every summer.
Other uses:
Kang Kong makes great animal fodder due to
its high protein content. Just feed it fresh to
your livestock and grow it in boggy areas of
paddocks.
Due to its prodigious growth it could also
make good mulch or compost in the garden,
but Id sun dry it for a week first it will
sprout very easily in moist warm conditions.
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Lebanese cress
Lebanese Cress - a hardy & delicious salad leaf
Botanical Name: Apium nodiflorum
Some other names: Stonecress, Fools
Watercress.
How to grow it:
Lebanese Cress is what I would classify as a
hard-to-kill plant once you have it, youll
most likely always have it. Its a rapidly
spreading perennial ground cover that likes
wet conditions, but will handle periods ofdrought. Grows in full sun, but prefers some
shade especially at the hottest times of the
year.
In warmer areas I find it prefers the wetseason & cooler weather it will still grow
strongly in the heat, but the leaves may be
tougher & less palatable especially in full sun.
In cooler climates it will go dormant or even
die back in the winter so your best harvest
times will be spring & autumn.
Lebanese Cress likes moist conditions best of
all and so will grow well in bogs or anywhere it
gets a permanent water supply. if theres a
problem with it, it can be invasive though its
easy to remove if necessary.
It does respond well to fertiliser, especially
folier sprays like seaweed & worm juice.
Did I mention that Lebanese Cresscan be invasive?
Propogation is very simple just pull up some
plants roots and all & replant them into theirnew position or pots, water them in and theyllbe on their way with very little care.
Id suggest you start 2-3 different patches
with different sun/shade/water conditions
expecting youll have tender leaves in one of
the patches at most times of the year.
Nutrition:
Leaves a good source of protein with vitamins
A, B, & C, iron, calcium, phosphorous &
potassium.
Using it in the kitchen:
The leaves of lebanese cress have a refreshing
flavour that is like a cross between carrots &
celery. Delicious!
Use them frequently in salads and sandwiches.
I like them chopped up & added to coleslaws.
It would be well worth having some growing
right near the kitchen in a large pot so it can
be picked for a quick sandwich or salad on
those rainy days when its hard to get in thegarden.
A great survival food for its hardiness &
uninterrupted supply of nutritious leaves.
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Lemon balm
Lemon Balm - add a refreshing lemon scent toyour salads
Botanical Name: Melissa officinalis
Some other names: Balm, Bee Balm, Honey
plant, Cure all, Melissa
How to grow it:
Lemon Balm is a perennial herb to about 50cm
which is so easy to grow it can become
invasive. It does well and has a strongerflavour in full sun, but will produce larger
leaves for a longer period if grown in partial
shade. I grow it in several patches with varied
sunlight and moisture & find that I have it
available all year round.
In the subtropics and tropics (where I live) it
does better in Autumn to spring, in cooler
climates it might die back & resprout in spring.
Will do well in pots if well watered, mulched &fed again, preferring a partially shaded
position.
The simplest way to propogate is by root
division- just grab a handful of roots and all
from the middle of your patch, separate thepieces and plant directly into the ground. Keep
watered for a couple of days and theyll strike
easily. Will also strike well from cuttings or
grown from seed.
Nowadays its also very easy to obtain ingarden outlets or online.
Root divisions from Lemon Balm
Nutrition:
Lemon balm contains vitamins A, B & C and
volatile oils that have many herbal actions. It
is well known to be calming and sedative
just try grabbing a handful of leaves and takea deep breath with the aroma! Also thought to
ba a natural antioxidant.
Using it in the kitchen:
The leaves by themselves are not particularly
palatable a little bit chewy for my liking.
Combined with other greens though, they go
very well in salads & sandwiches and attract
many comments from guests in my home. The
lemon flavour is very striking & pleasant.
Leaves can also be added to hot dishes, but
youll need to add a good handful or two tohave much impact flavour-wise.
Probably Lemon Balms best known use is as a
calming herbal tea. Simply grab two handfuls
of leaves and stems per cup of boiled water.
Allow to steep for several minutes. Personally,
I like to add a variety of different leaves to the
lemon balm too.
Other info:
Although Ive written here about lemon balm, I
actually prefer Lime Balm for its flavour. Its
an identical plant in apearance & uses, but hasa refreshing lime flavour instead of lemon. It
might be a little harder to obtain in your local
area though.
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Lemongrass
Lemongrass easy to grow & useful
in the garden and kitchen
Botanical Name: Cymbopogon citra
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