Survival Food Plants

8/3/2019 Survival Food Plants

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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

2011 www.survivalfoodplants.com Page 2
http://www.survivalfoodplants.com/


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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


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.


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.



18/62

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.


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.



19/62

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.


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.



20/62

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.


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.



21/62

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.


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.



22/62

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.


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.



23/62

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.



24/62

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.


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!



25/62

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.


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!!



26/62

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!


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.



27/62

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.


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.



28/62

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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


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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Survival Food Plants