Simple Garden Plans, Including Lasagna Gardening

Simple Garden Plans and Types

NOTE:  Instead of copying all the great information from the following sites, I decided to just include the links so you can get the information yourself.  I've included my own comments about the sites below:

No-Dig-Vegetable Garden:

http://www.no-dig-vegetablegarden.com/build-a-garden.html

This site has information on about a dozen different types of gardens which are easy and effective.  It covers everything from a lasagna garden to square foot gardening.  Check out all the links!

Lasagna Gardening:

Lasagna Gardening 101

http://ourgardengang.tripod.com/lasagna_gardening.htm

Lasagna Gardening-complete guide from Mother Earth News

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/1999-04-01/Lasagna-Gardening.aspx

Lasagna Gardening-complete, but concise article.  This one covers it all in a nutshell!

http://organicgardening.about.com/od/startinganorganicgarden/a/lasagnagarden.htm

Plant a Garden

Plant a Garden

It will soon be time to plant a garden, so here’s how to get started:

v     Choose a plot of land that gets at least 6 hours of sunlight each day. If you can’t plant directly in the soil, use this site for containers.

v     Prepare the soil by loosening it, removing weeds and stones, and adding compost or manure.

v     Check out the blog post for “Lasagna Gardening” to make your cultivating tasks even easier.

v     You can either start your plants from seeds or buy seedlings from your local nursery.

            “We encourage you to grow all the food that you feasibly can on your own property. Berry bushes, grapevines, fruit trees—plant them if your climate is right for their growth. Grow vegetables and eat them from your own yard. Even those residing in apartments or condominiums can generally grow a little food in pots and planters.” ~ Spencer W. Kimball, “Family Preparedness,” Conference, April 1976

            “Home production of food and nonfood items is a way to stretch your income and to increase your skills and talents. It is a way to teach your family to be self-sufficient. Our children are provided with much needed opportunities to learn the fundamentals of work, industry, and thrift.”

~ Vaughn J. Featherstone, “Food Storage,” Ensign, May 1976

Garden Possibilities

The following vegetables will grow well in your summer garden:

v     Corn (plant April—July): Plant corn in several rows to improve pollination. Splitting the crop into two or more plantings spaced a week or two apart will prolong the harvest period.

v     Cucumbers (plant April—June): Cucumbers grow on prickly, dark-green vines which take up lots of room in the garden. Conserve space by growing them on a trellis.

v     Eggplant (plant March—May): Members of the tomato family, these do best in sunny locations. These require a long growing season, so plant early! Will grow in containers.

v     Green Beans (plant April—August): “Bush” style green beans are compact—growing only a foot tall—and therefore ideally suited to growing in containers. “Pole” beans need support, such as a stake or trellis; they promote maximum usage of limited garden space.

v     Melons (plant May—June): Fresh melons—cantaloupe, honeydew, casaba, watermelon, etc.—surpass the melons you buy at the grocery store. They do take up a lot of space unless you trellis them.

v     Peppers (plant May—June): Available in many varieties: sweet (red, green, yellow, purple) and hot (jalapeno, cayenne, habanero, etc.) Can be grown in containers.

v     Summer Squash (plant March—July): These are “soft-skinned” squash which are normally eaten fresh, such as zucchini, yellow crookneck, and scallop squash. Very productive. Can be planted in a very large container (2 feet in diameter minimum).

v     Tomatoes (plant March—June): Take maximum advantage of limited space by providing your tomato plants with adequate support. (The cheap tomato cages available at home improvement stores are rarely sturdy enough.) Tomatoes do well in pots. Get hooked on home-grown tomatoes, and you’ll never want to go back to the store-bought stuff.

v     Winter Squash (plant April—June): These hard-shelled squash keep well for many weeks in a cool location, and are usually boiled or steamed for eating. Like melons, these need lots of space.

Please note that lettuce and other greens grow best in early spring or fall: they quickly go to seed in hot temperatures.

BOB - Bug Out Bags!

BOB-in-the-Box

(Taken from: www.emergencyprep.net, which has more info on 72-hour kits.)

This exercise will help you put together a 72-hour kit (also called a “BOB,” or Bug-out bag). It is assumed that you already have at least a week’s worth of food in your home, as well as bottled water. You are going to build your kit using materials you should already have on hand.

First, you’ll need a container to hold everything. I like to keep everything

separated, one kit per person in the household.  But you can put everything in one big container if you like.

What could you use as a container? You can use anything from an extra large shopping bag to a cardboard box to a tote bag to a 5-gallon bucket. Anything you can find around the house that will hold all of these things will work, though containers that can be closed are preferable.

Take enough food to last three days and stack this on the bottom of your container.

Take six bottles of water per person and put these on top of the canned goods.

Now, go to your closet. Take out one pair of pants, one shirt, two pairs of socks, and one set of underwear per person. I put our clothes in gallon-sized Ziploc bags before putting them in with the other stuff, but if you don’t have any available just fold the clothes and put them on top of the water.

If you have a first-aid kit in your home, put it on the very top of the kit.

What you have just constructed is a very basic 72-hour kit. You will want to expand it in the future, but for now, at least, you have something.

Emergency Sanitation

EMERGENCY SANITATION

Following a major disaster, sanitation facilities may not be available if water and sewage lines have been disrupted. Because cleanliness is essential to maintaining good health, it is important to know how to improvise emergency sanitation facilities.

Have emergency sanitation supplies on hand

v     medium-size plastic bucket with tight lid

v     plastic garbage bags and ties (heavy duty)

v     household chlorine bleach

v     small shovel (for digging an expedient latrine)

v     soap, liquid detergent

v     toilet paper

v     towelettes

Building a makeshift toilet

Line a medium-size plastic bucket with a garbage bag. (If the sewage lines are broken but the toilet bowl is usable, place the plastic garbage bag around bowl.) Make a toilet seat out of two boards placed parallel to each other across the bucket. An old toilet seat will also work.

Sanitizing waste

After each use, pour a disinfectant such as bleach into the container to avoid infection and spreading of disease. Cover the container tightly when not in use.

Disposing of waste

Bury garbage and human wastes in the ground to avoid the spread of disease by rats and insects. Dig a pit two to three feet deep and at least 50 feet from any well, spring or water supply. LOCAL REGULATIONS MAY PROHIBIT YOU FROM BURYING HUMAN WASTES. LISTEN TO THE RADIO FOR INSTRUCTIONS, OR CHECK WITH YOUR LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT. If the garbage cannot be buried immediately, strain the liquids into the emergency toilet, wrap the residue in several layers of newspapers and store it in a large can with a tight-fitting lid. After two or three days, place the can outside until it can be buried.

Disinfectants

The best choice is a solution of one part liquid chlorine bleach to ten parts of water. Other commercial disinfectants include calcium hypochlorite which is available at swimming pool supply stores, portable toilet chemicals which are available through recreational vehicle supply stores and powdered chlorinated lime which is available at building supply stores.

Keeping the body clean

Keeping clean is essential to good health. Because water is so precious and should be

reserved for drinking purposes, consider alternatives to water for cleansing the body.

Water Substitutes for Cleansing

v     rubbing alcohol

v     lotions containing alcohol

v     shaving lotions

v     face creams and hand lotions

v     towelettes

Wet Wash Cloth

v     Use a wet wash cloth to brush teeth, wash faces, comb hair and wash body.

Makeshift Shower

v     Use a spray bottle to shower.

Makeshift Bathtub

v     Create a bathtub by digging a trench in the ground, lining it with newspapers

v     and thick plastic sheeting, then filling it with water. If possible, heat the water

v     by the fireplace.

Controlling rodents and insects

v     Keep living area clear of debris and body wastes.

v     When possible, repair holes and keep out rodents.

v     Only use household insecticides in small, enclosed, and occupied areas.

Intestinal ailments

Consuming contaminated water and food can cause diarrhea, food poisoning and other intestinal diseases. Take steps to protect against these diseases.

v     keep body and hands clean

v     use paper plates or eat from the original food containers if water is not available for washing dishes.

v     wash and peel all fruits and vegetables

v     keep all food in covered containers

v     prepare only as much food as will be eaten at each meal

v     keep cooking and eating utensils clean

Car Emergency Kit

EMERGENCY KIT FOR THE CAR

 Create your own kit* or purchase one ready made**!

A BASIC KIT for the car might include:

 Flashlight with batteries &/or light sticks

 Jumper cables

 Small first aid kit

 Water

 Non-perishable food

 Diapers/personal supplies (as needed)

 Wet wipes

 Toilet paper

 Work gloves (especially useful in earthquake areas)

 Blanket ("real" or emergency mylar-type)

To EXPAND your kit you may choose to add:

 Motor oil &/or auto tools

 Change of clothes, extra shoes

 More first aid items

 Toothbrush and toothpaste, hairbrush

 Money: change for pay phones, at least $20 in small bills

 Photocopies of documents (birth certificate, driver's license, insurance policies, etc.)

 Rain poncho, hat, mittens

 Garbage bags

 Pencil & Paper (for leaving notes)

 Sunscreen

 Waterless hand cleaner

          Suggestions:

 Christmas could be a great time to give or receive items for an Emergency Kit.

 Include car kit items on your wish list

 Give a preparedness gift to family or friends

*Create your own kit using the lists provided. Use a backpack,

duffel bag or box to store in your trunk. If you drive a van; a plastic storage bin works well.

Or

**Purchase a ready-made emergency kit –many varieties are available. Below are some websites for purchasing emergency kits:

          http://beprepared.com/

          http://www.mycarstats.com/store/first_aid_kits.asp

          http://www.areyouprepared.com/survival-kits-car.html

          http://www.nitro-pak.com/index.php/cPath/21

          http://www.iprepare.com/100kt3.html

          http://www.globalsources.com/manufacturers/Car-Emergency-Kit.html

For additional ideas online we suggest:

          www.lds.org (click on “provident living” then “food storage and emergency preparation”)

          http://www.emergencyprep.net (created by Robin Schneider)

          http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/howto/articles/43798/article.html

72-Hour Kits

72-Hour Kit Checklist

You should prepare a portable kit for each member of your family. Consider

preparing one for your place of work as well as one for the car.

• WATER. Store 1 gallon of water per person per day. Keep at least a three day supply of water.

• FOOD and UTENSILS. Include at least one to three-days supply of nonperishable food that could include ready-to-eat meats, juices, and high-energy foods such as granola or power bars.

• NOAA WEATHER ALERT RADIO, either hand crank or battery powered, extra batteries if needed.

• BLANKETS/PILLOWS/ SLEEPING BAG

• FLASHLIGHT and extra batteries or light sticks. Do not use candles or open flame during an emergency.

• WHISTLE for emergency signal. Ready to hang around neck.

• DUST or FILTER MASKS, readily available in hardware stores, N95 mask recommended for preventing inhalation of airborne particles.

• MOIST TOWELETTES or Baby Wipes for sanitation

• TOOLS - Wrench or Pliers to turn off utilities, Broom, Shovel, Hammer and Working Gloves.

• CAN OPENER for food (if kit contains canned items).

• PLASTIC SHEETING and DUCT TAPE to “seal the room” for sheltering in place.

• MEDICATIONS to include prescription and non-prescription medications such as pain relievers, stomach remedies and etc.

• FIRST AID SUPPLIES. An assortment of bandages, ointments, gauze pads, cold/hot packs, tweezers, scissors and sanitizer.

• PERSONAL HYGIENE ITEMS to include at least one change of clothing /shoes/outerwear.

• GARBAGE BAGS and plastic ties for personal sanitation.

• PAPER SUPPLIES. Note pads, markers, pens, pencils, plates, napkins, paper towels and etc.

• CAMERA. Disposable camera to record damage.

• CASH/ATM AND CREDIT CARD. Keep enough cash for immediate needs in small denominations.

• EMERGENCY CONTACT PHONE LIST.

• MAPS. Local road and area maps.

• MEDICAL HISTORY LISTS. For every family member in your home make a list of medical history, all medications (by name) and dosages.

Emergency Container Tip:

Create emergency kit(s) and store in any type of containers with wheels. Such as for the larger kits; garbage cans, foot-lockers, chest, duffle bags, tote bags, ice chest, various size suitcases or various size plastic boxes. A water-tight container is most ideal for keeping a 72-Hour Kit.

Suggested Areas To Store Emergency Kit(s):

Store grab-and-go food and water container where easy to access in case you are advised to evacuate.

Children and adults keep their emergency kit(s) in their bedrooms. Let the children have responsibility for their own backpack and have the older children buddy-up and take care of younger brothers or sisters. Mom, dad take care of baby.

If a senior citizen resides with the family, also buddy-up and help them for they move slower and a backpack may be too heavy for them to carry.

Donʼt forget that house pets should also have emergency kits to be ready to grab-and-go. Pack the foods pet(s) normally eat, leashes, crates and litter box.

Re-think where all of your camping gear is located throughout the household. Keep it in one area if possible for easy access so youʼre not looking in the dark with a flashlight for things.

Always keep a pair of hard sole shoes underneath your bed.

More:

Here are some other great sites you might want to reference before putting your kit together:

http://lds.about.com/library/bl/preparation/72_hour_kit.pdf

http://www.nitro-pak.com/emergency-preparedness-information/72-hour-kit-checklist

Ready or Not!!

     We are really excited about the Ready or Not Community Preparedness Fair that we will be putting on in just a little over a week for the Sweetwater, Texas area.  There will be booths demonstrating a variety of areas of preparation, such as:  water procurement, disinfection, and storage, sanitation, cooking without electricity, 72-hour kits, gardening methods, food preservation and storage, first aid, and developing a family plan.
     If you live in the area, please come to the Wal-Mart parking lot on Saturday, November 13, from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm for samples, demonstrations, and education.