Innovative Planting methods for Aftertime

[bill]

In responding to the latest zetatalk, I am also preparing this blog for innovative planting methods for Aftertime.

If you have any innovative planting methods for Aftertime that you like to share, your contribution is much appreciated.

I found this through youtube - I am yet to test it but the idea sounds great!

Hanging Bottle Garden 1

Hanging Bottle Garden 2

Aquaponic Bottle Wall Garden 1

Aquaponic Bottle Wall Garden 2

[Lana]

According to my experience, there are a lot of "cold climate" vegetables that don't need much sunlight and need a lot of moisture and water (even prefer dim light and can't grow in the hot, dry and sunny climate). Those are all plants from the cabbage family (collard greens, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, borecole, brussel sprout, swiss chard…), root plants (like carrots, daikon, beets, radish, parsnip, red beet, potato ...), green pea, broad bean (for those two I am sure, but maybe some other beans also).

For the grains I'm not sure, but I think those are: rice (it grows in the water), barley (it is mentioned in the Bible that after the last PX passage there was no wheat but there was enough barley) and buckwheat.

I plan a to have a lot of those and will try to plant a part of it immediately after the PS.

Also there are mushrooms. They like shady places and a lot of moisture (I think they are ideal for the after time). In my country, we can buy the spores (10 varietes) which are planted into something like the plug for the wine bottle. You take the log (oak is preferred) and drill the holes in it and put those “plugs” into the holes. 3-6 months after you can pick your mushrooms as they grow. They say that you can harvest them for next 3-6 years.  Also those “plugs” can be stored for 6 months in a cool and dark place – great survival item. We planted some last week. Note that you should be very careful with the mushrooms because some of them are very poisonous! I don't plan to pick them from the woods, I will only grow them. Also it would be good to learn how to propagate them.

Comment by Zeke L. Rose

Hey Bill, very innovative!

Can someone tell me what edible plants (esp. veggies) grow in dim light?  I'm a gardener but I only know veggies love sun.  So how do we get around this?

[Jorge]

I have to deal with a rabbit plague. Great eaters. They eat everything, including roots, flowers, plants, fruits. etc, and they won't let you grow anything, unless you keep them away. Dogs keep running around, day and night, because of the rabbits. Hunting is one way to deal with them. Building some kind of solid barrier around your garden is another way to handle them. Any other ideas, please ?

 

[bill]

@Zeke, i am new to gardening but by reading the description, I think one such example can be "Kang Kong"

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 perennial that will grow anywhere at anytime it’s growing conditions are met – that is, when it’s hot & wet. It grows like mad in these conditions, and will meander or die back when it’s cold and/or dry. 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 wet season begins and will require no maintenance. If there’s 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 it’s growing season might be quite short.

Given it’s water requirements, it does best in a boggy area or on the edges of ponds. It’s just as happy in shallow water as it is in wet mud. It does well in a shadehouse or hothouse and it’s 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 without any 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 tip cuttings – they’ll 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.

I’ve had great success growing Kang Kong in closed containers – simply fill any closed container (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 your cuttings 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.

It’s 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.

Kang Kong growing in styrofoam boxes (no drainage)

Nutrition: Despite the fact that it requires very 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:

[Derrick Johnson]

Hi Zeke

This Troubled Times link has a low light section

http://www.zetatalk.com/food/tfood01.htm