Growing Food Indoors. Contents DISCLAIMER Chapter I... 5 Choosing the Best Seeds for Long Term Survival Crops... 5 GMO Seeds...

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2 Contents DISCLAIMER... 4 Chapter I... 5 Choosing the Best Seeds for Long Term Survival Crops... 5 GMO Seeds... 5 Heirloom Seeds... 6 Hybrid Seeds... 7 Organic Seeds... 7 Chapter II... 9 How to Start Your Survival Garden Indoors... 9 Best Container Types When to Plant What to Plant Bell Pepper Bush Beans Cabbage Carrots Fennel Garlic Onions Radishes Sweet Peas Page 2 of 21

3 Tomatoes Zucchini Chapter III Common Plant Diseases or Pests and How to Manage Them Best Ways to Prevent Plant Diseases What to Prevent Powdery Mildew Grey Mold Viral Infections Root Rot Bacterial Infections White Flies Aphids Spider Mites Mealy Bugs Scale Page 3 of 21

4 DISCLAIMER THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN GROWING FOOD INDOORS IS MEANT TO SERVE AS A COMPREHENSIVE COLLECTION OF TIME-TESTED AND PROVEN STRATEGIES THAT THE AUTHORS OF THIS COURSE LEARN OVER THE YEARS. SUMMARIES, STRATEGIES, TIPS AND TRICKS ARE ONLY RECOMMENDATIONS BY THE AUTHORS, AND READING THIS EBOOK DOES NOT GUARANTEE THAT ONE S RESULTS WILL EXACTLY MIRROR OUR OWN RESULTS. THE AUTHOR OF GROWING FOOD INDOORS HAS MADE ALL REASONABLE EFFORTS TO PROVIDE CURRENT AND ACCURATE INFORMATION FOR THE READERS OF THIS COURSE. THE AUTHOR WILL NOT BE HELD LIABLE FOR ANY UNINTENTIONAL ERRORS OR OMISSIONS THAT MAY BE FOUND. THE MATERIAL IN GROWING FOOD INDOORS MAY INCLUDE INFORMATION, PRODUCTS, OR SERVICES BY THIRD PARTIES. THIRD PARTY MATERIALS COMPRISE OF THE PRODUCTS AND OPINIONS EXPRESSED BY THEIR OWNERS. AS SUCH, THE AUTHORS OF THIS GUIDE DO NOT ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY FOR ANY THIRD PARTY MATERIAL OR OPINIONS.THE PUBLICATION OF SUCH THIRD PARTY MATERIALS DOES NOT CONSTITUTE THE AUTHORS GUARANTEE OF ANY INFORMATION, INSTRUCTION, OPINION, PRODUCTS OR SERVICE CONTAINED WITHIN THE THIRD PARTY MATERIAL. WHETHER BECAUSE OF THE GENERAL EVOLUTION OF THE INTERNET, OR THE UNFORESEEN CHANGES IN COMPANY POLICY AND EDITORIAL SUBMISSION GUIDELINES, WHAT IS STATED AS FACT AT THE TIME OF THIS WRITING, MAY BECOME OUTDATED OR SIMPLY INAPPLICABLE AT A LATER DATE. THIS MAY APPLY TO THE GROWING FOOD INDOORS AS WELL AS THE VARIOUS SIMILAR COMPANIES THAT WEHAVE REFERENCED IN THIS EBOOK, AND OUR SEVERAL COMPLEMENTARY GUIDES. GREAT EFFORT HAS BEEN EXERTED TO SAFEGUARD THE ACCURACY OF THIS WRITING. OPINIONS REGARDING SIMILAR WEBSITE PLATFORMS HAVE BEEN FORMULATED AS A RESULT OF BOTH PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, AS WELL AS THE WELL DOCUMENTED EXPERIENCES OF OTHERS. NO PART OF THIS PUBLICATION SHALL BE REPRODUCED, TRANSMITTED OR RESOLD IN WHOLE OR IN PART IN ANY FORM, WITHOUT THE PRIOR WRITTEN CONSENT OF THE AUTHORS. ALL TRADEMARKS AND REGISTERED TRADEMARKS APPEARING IN GROWING FOOD INDOORS ARE THE PROPERTY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNER. Page 4 of 21

5 Chapter I Choosing the Best Seeds for Long Term Survival Crops When disaster hits, you won't be able to protect home gardens and buy seeds for the next season. Money- and space-wise, it is going to be impossible to store away decades worth of food and water in a way that covers you in all possible situations. Knowing more about different seed types and how to use them for indoor gardening may make the difference between life and death for your family and future generations. So shop smartly for seeds when starting you survival garden! GMO Seeds Genes from other living things are joined together to form a plant that can't occur in nature. These plants, in turn, make GMO seeds which may or may not sprout. Page 5 of 21

6 Advantages Some GMO seeds are self-pollinating and do not require bees in order to produce crops. They also tend to be drought-resistant, grow faster, and produce more fruits and vegetables. Disadvantages Because the genetic material has been changed so much, there is no way to determine if future generations of GMO seeds will be viable. Therefore, a future generation of GMO seeds may never make it to the seedling stage let alone produce a viable crop. In addition, since GMO seeds produce genetically mutated plants, consuming them may increase your risk of developing cancer and other diseases. It is important to note that most survival-oriented food production will rely on hydroponics or other forms of indoor gardening. At the current time, GMO seeds are not produced for these applications therefore, without trial and error, it is impossible to determine if seedlings started from GMO seeds will actually produce crops in an indoor garden. Heirloom Seeds These seeds have a proven track record for making the same kind of plants and crops from generation to generation. Some varieties have been handed down for hundreds of years. Today, all seeds marked as Heirloom must be produced from plants that were open-pollinated. They must also be free of GMO and hybrid pollen. Advantages Heirloom seeds are perfect if you want to make sure seeds will sprout, and crops will be the same from one plant generation to the next. Disadvantages Most require bees, optimal lighting, and suitable temperatures for successful pollination. Most survival gardeners feel that heirloom seeds are best for long term crop production. They are also preferred by indoor gardening, vertical container, and aquaponics gardeners. Page 6 of 21

7 That said, you should make sure you can successfully germinate the seeds, and then advance them to seedling and crop stages in any setting of interest before trying to grow them out of necessity. Hybrid Seeds This type of seed is made when pollen from one strain of plant is used to pollinate the flowers from a different strain. Hybrids make plants with features from both strains, and even completely new traits. Advantages Hybrid seeds make plants that grow in conditions that would kill heirloom types. For example, if tomatoes are going to be a staple crop, you can select ones for container growing as well as ones that work well in dry soil, or ones that will resist disease in a hydroponics setup. Disadvantages There is no way to tell if hybrid plants will produce viable seeds for the next generation. Since hybrid seeds also get mixed with GMO strains, eating plants from them can be unhealthy. In addition, hybrids tend to be the most popular for commercial and home use; and often get covered with harmful chemicals that find their way into the final crop. If you choose compact strains suitable for various levels of humidity, hybrid seeds can be used for hydroponics and indoor gardening. On the other hand, even if you start working with these seeds now, there is no guarantee that they will germinate and continue to produce plants in the future. Organic Seeds Organic seeds are guaranteed to come from plants that were grown using natural methods. While this may include using a number of chemicals and fertilizers, most organic seeds are not treated with synthetic pesticides. Page 7 of 21

8 This type of seed is also free of GMO contamination, but may still be a hybrid variety of non- GMO strains. Advantages You can get chemical-free hybrid seeds. Some organic seeds may also be specially grown in hydroponic and indoor settings. Disadvantages Even though organic seeds are becoming more popular, they are not as readily available as other seed types. You may also find that organic seeds do not thrive well outside of the geographic region they came from. As with other types of seeds, you should be able to find suitable seeds for indoor gardening and hydroponics. That said, if you can t seem to grow plants past the seedling stage, you may need to look at where the seeds come from and determine if you need to make additional adjustments to the growth environment. Rather than simply purchasing the first pack of seeds that looks good, it is important to make sure that you know what type of seed you are working with. It is also very important to successfully grow and harvest several generations of plants in order to make sure that you can achieve the same success in an emergency situation. Needless to say, practicing aquaponics, hydroponic and indoor gardening methods are just as important as more traditional outdoor forms of growing edible plants. Waiting until your survival is dependent upon their growth is a bad time to find out if you re any good at alternate growing methods! Page 8 of 21

9 Chapter II How to Start Your Survival Garden Indoors Even though you may be planning to have your survival garden mature outdoors, it will be necessary to start growing some plants indoors. This is especially important to consider if you are going to make use of plants that have longer growing seasons, or ones that require special care. Depending on where you live, some plants may need to be started indoors if you are going to get enough nutrients to live on from your garden. Page 9 of 21

10 Best Container Types Perhaps it can best be said that seeds will sprout in just about any kind of container. On the other side of the equation, advancing from seedling to second leaves can be a difficult process. For example, if you use seed starter mix in containers with poor drainage, the plants will develop large, weak stems, and then die. In a similar way, containers that are too small can lead to rootbound plans as well as ones with stunted growth. Today, most gardeners prefer 1.5 inch peat pots or pellets with one seed sown per pot or pellet. When to Plant As with regular gardens, each plant type requires different temperatures. Depending on where you live, most crops can be started in early spring. That said, if you live in the south, some plants may need to be started as early as February. Here are some plants commonly used by survival gardeners and information on how and when to start them for optimal success. What to Plant Bell Pepper Water Needs: Moist with good drainage Lighting: Full sunlight Optimal Temperature: Bell peppers require at least 70 degree temperatures to germinate. If they have flowers, the temperature should not go above 75 degrees or the flowers will fall off without making fruit. Best Soil: Neutral ph with good organic content. Page 10 of 21

11 When to Transplant Outdoors: It is best to transplant bell peppers when soil temperatures will not go below 65 degrees. It is also important to harden peppers off before transplanting, as the roots get disturbed easily. Special Notes: To help lower temperatures during the flowering stage, use removable shade canopies, straw mulch, and chilled water. Placing two pepper plants close to each other can also enable both plants to receive shade from each other. Bush Beans Water Needs: Moist soil, water near roots so that leaves do not remain wet for extended periods of time. Lighting: Full sunlight Optimal Temperature: Bush beans prefer slightly cooler temperatures, but can also do well in mid to late summer. They should not be sown after soil temperature rises above 60 degrees. Best Soil: Limited organic content, but soil should not be sandy. Excessive use of nitrogen in ground fertilizer will lead to reduced bean development. Since bush beans are legumes, they take in nitrogen through the leaves as opposed to the roots. When to Transplant Outdoors: It is usually best to plant bush beans directly outdoors since their roots are easily disturbed. If you must start bush beans indoors, be sure to use peat pellets or peat pots that prevent loss of nitrogen fixing bacteria attached to the root systems. Cabbage Water Needs: Moist with good drainage. Lighting: At least 6 hours of full sunlight. Optimal Temperature: Prefers cooler temperatures. You should start cabbage plants either six weeks before the last frost in your area, or about 8 weeks before the first frost in the fall. Best Soil: Cabbage requires soil with high organic content and a slightly acidic ph (below 7.0). Page 11 of 21

12 When to Transplant Outdoors: It is best to transplant cabbage outdoors within two weeks of the appearance of second leaves. If it is still too cold out, you can use black plastic or cold frames to protect the plants. Unfortunately, if cabbage plants become stunted at this stage, they will never pick up the growth tempo later on. Carrots Water Needs: Moist with good drainage. Lighting: Carrots require full sunlight, but can tolerate some shade. Optimal Temperature: Tend to be cool weather crops. You can start planting carrots about 2 weeks before the last frost and continue through spring. Best Soil: Requires soft soil with a slightly acidic ph. It is best to avoid nitrogen-based fertilizers. When to Transplant Outdoors: You can transplant outdoors as soon as first true leaves appear. If temperatures are still on the cold side, you can use cold frames or black plastic to keep plants warm. Fennel Water Needs: Moisture but not water logged. Needs good drainage. Lighting: Requires full sunlight. Optimal Temperature: In most areas, fennel is a perennial that can withstand freezing temperatures as well as summer highs. Best Soil: Slightly sandy with good organic content. When to Transplant Outdoors: Fennel usually doesn t do well indoors, nor does it transplant well. That being said, if you start fennel indoors, you should transplant once the second or third set of full leaves appear. You can use peat pots or pellets to minimize transplant shock. It will also help to bring the plants outdoors for an increasing number of hours each day. Page 12 of 21

13 Garlic Water Needs: Moist, but may require more water during bulb production. Lighting: Full sunlight. Optimal Temperature: Garlic can be started 2-4 weeks before the last frost in your area. Since it is a perennial, you can also plant in the late fall and look for shoots in the spring. Just be sure to cover garlic with straw or mulch in cold areas. Best Soil: Loamy and well drained. When to Transplant Outdoors: Since garlic is not usually started from seed, the bulbs are best planted outdoors. That said, garlic lends itself well to vertical container planting as long as the soil is loose and well-drained. Onions Water Needs: Moist, with well-drained soil. Lighting: Requires 14+ hours of full sunlight each day regardless of whether you are starting with seeds or sets. Optimal Temperature: Start onion seeds at least 6 weeks before last frost date. Sets can be started 2 weeks before last frost, or planted directly in cold frames at this time. Best Soil: Onions require soil rich in nitrogen. It should also be loose and drain well. When to Transplant Outdoors: Overall, onions do not transplant well from indoor to outdoor settings. You can decrease transplant shock by exposing plants to outdoor conditions for an increasing number of hours each day. Similar to garlic, onions do very well in vertical containers and can be kept indoors for the full growth cycle. Additional Notes: Since bulb growth is dependent upon the number of light hours, select long day onions if you live in the north, and short day for southern gardens. Radishes Water Needs: Moist, well drained soil. Lighting: Requires full lighting. It is also important to keep radishes from being shaded by other plants. If radishes are planted too close to other crops, they will produce more leaves in order to compete instead of form roots. Page 13 of 21

14 Optimal Temperature: Radishes should be planted as soon as possible after the last frost. You can start new seeds until 6 weeks after the last frost in order to extend the harvest. Radishes can also be planted in the fall about 4 weeks before the first frost. Best Soil: Prefers soft soil with good organic content. When to Transplant Outdoors: It is usually best to start radishes outdoors, although they can be grown in large pots. If you need to start radishes indoors, use peat pots or pellets in order to reduce root shock. Sweet Peas Water Needs: Damp with good drainage Lighting: Full sun Optimal Temperature: Prefers cooler temperatures associated with early spring and fall. Best Soil: Sweet peas prefer soil with low organic content. You can use straw and other organic mulch to keep shallow root systems moist and cool. When to Transplant Outdoors: As with other legumes, sweet peas do best when planted directly into the garden. You can try using peat pots or pellets, and then harden them off gradually if needed. Tomatoes Water Needs: Moist with good drainage. Lighting: At least 8 hours of full sun each day. Optimal Temperature: Start seeds about 4 weeks before last frost. They can be set outside once three or four sets have grown. Best Soil: Slightly acidic with high organic content. Starting compounds with slow release fertilizers tend to work better for advancing from seedling to plant stages. When to Transplant Outdoors: You can transplant tomatoes as soon as all danger of frost is past. In order to spur growth, bury stem up to first set ofleaves so roots can develop on it. Page 14 of 21

15 Zucchini Water Needs: Moist soil with increased water once flowers and fruit begins to develop. Lighting: Full lighting. Optimal Temperature: Zucchini plants prefer temperatures in the 65 to 80 degree range. You can keep soil cool with straw mulch and removable shading tents. Best Soil: Well drained soil with good organic content. Zucchini also usually requires additional fertilization later in the season for optimal production. When to Transplant Outdoors: It is best to transplant zucchini outdoors when soil temperatures do not go below 65 degrees. Many people interested in survival gardening realize that indoor gardening may be required to start crops that are usually planted outdoors. As long as you choose a container and soil that allows for easy transplant, it should be possible to achieve this goal, as well as keep plants indoors for the entire season if needed. Needless to say, you can take advantage of both growth environments; it will maximize survival potential in any situation. Page 15 of 21

16 Chapter III 10 Common Plant Diseases & Pests and How to Manage Them When it comes to preparing for complete environmental and social collapse, it is very important to make sure you will have enough food to eat, and growing you own garden is the perfect solution. Or consider a situation where a nuclear explosion, bio warfare agent, or some other toxin makes it impossible to grow crops outdoors. Under these circumstances, if you want to survive, you will need to be able to grow all your food indoors too. Unfortunately, even the best seeds and equipment will be wasted if you do not know how to go about pest control. This guide is intended to provide information on the most common pests and diseases you will encounter with your gardening. Having a supply of basic, natural remedies plus the knowledge Page 16 of 21

17 on how to use them can make indoor gardening for survival as enjoyable as it is life-saving for you and your family. Best Ways to Prevent Plant Diseases As with so many other things, the best way to deal with plant diseases is to prevent them from happening in the first place. Here are some basic things that will keep your also indoor gardening ventures pest-free and productive: Make sure all pots, soil, and tools are sterile and free of pathogens. Wash all tools before moving from one plant to the next. Remove all dead or dying leaves before they have a chance to contaminate the soil. Quarantine all new plants to make sure they do not carry diseases. Inspect plants at critical points on a daily basis. Look under the leaves as well as on top, at leaf joints, and at the soil.it is also important to pay attention to movement in the soil during and after watering. This can reveal the presence of bugs and other parasites not visible on the plant surface. Always provide plants with adequate lighting, water, and nutrition. Even if a plant gets hit by any given disease or pest, good health will help to ensure speedy recovery and reduce risk to other plants. Provide adequate ventilation. What to Prevent Powdery Mildew Symptoms: Flour-like or white powdery film appears on the top surface of leaves. Figure 1: Powdery Mildew (Photo: frontrangefoodgardener.blogspot.com) Treatment: Remove infected leaves and increase air circulation. You can also use a mix of mild soap and water to coat remaining leaves and stems. Page 17 of 21

18 Grey Mold Symptoms: clumps of gray fuzz appear on top of leaves and on leaf stems. Figure 2: Grey Mold (Photo: plants with infection until they are clear. Treatment: Remove infected leaves and increase air circulation.coating leaves with a mix of mild soap and water may help prevent further infection growth on other leaves. Just be sure to wash tools and clean your soap and water bucket before handling other plants. Since gray mold is a fungal infection, you should isolate Viral Infections Symptoms: Leaves and stems may have yellowish or brown streaks. New growth may also be stunted or have odd shapes. Figure 3: Viral infection on plant (Photo: best served by discarding it. Treatment: Even though there is no cure for viral infections, you should isolate the plant and rule out nutritional and lighting deficiencies before throwing it out. This may include changing the soil ph, adding more organic content, and/or increasing the amount of sunlight. If the plant does not respond to these changes, you will be Root Rot Symptoms: Plants wilt and show leggy growth, then turn yellow or brown and die. Treatment: Repot plant in container with better drainage. Add sand or clay breaking agents to increase air circulation in the soil. It may also help to use less water. Figure 4: Root rot (Photo: mtvernon.wsu.edu) Page 18 of 21

19 Bacterial Infections Symptoms: Discolored round spots appear on leaves. Depending on the infection, it may eat through the leaf and also infect stems. Treatment: Reduce moisture in the air and in the soil. Repot plant and add sand to increase drainage. You should also increase air circulation in the room. Figure 5: Bacterial infection (Photo: extension.missouri.edu) White Flies Symptoms: Small flies with greasy whitish wings on the underside of plant leaves. White flies eat sap, which causes leaves to turn yellow and wither. If left unchecked, mold can develop as a secondary plant infection. Figure 6: White Flies (Photo: Treatment: Spray plant with Neem oil, or a mix of mild soap and water. Since white flies will move from the plant when disturbed, all plants in the area must be treated. Aphids Symptoms: Black mold on leaves and stems of plants. If you look closely, you may also see tiny bugs on the underside of the leaves or near stem joints. Figure 7: Aphids (Photo: farmerfredrant.blogspot.com) Treatment: Turn plant upside down and saturate soil and all leaf surfaces with soapy water. It is also very important to do this with all new plants, since aphids can be very hard to see. Page 19 of 21

20 Spider Mites Symptoms: Spider mites often create white, powdery webs on leaves. Usually, once these webs appear, it is too late to get rid of them. Treatment: For adult plants with sturdy leaves, try dabbing a 50% rubbing alcohol solution on all leaf and stem surfaces. You can also try using Neem oil. Figure 8: Spider Mites (Photo: badger.uvm.edu) Mealy Bugs Symptoms: White, fluffy-looking bugs that are usually found on leaves and stems of plants. Treatment: Spray with Pyrethrin or insecticidal soap. It may require several applications to get rid of eggs and hidden insects so be diligent. Figure 9: Mealy Bugs (Photo: paddysgarden.com) Scale Symptoms: Tiny red, scaly splotches that appear stuck to stems and leaves. Treatment: You can try insecticidal soap, but even commercial strength bug sprays don t work well. Most people discard plants with signs of scale. Figure 10: Scale (Photo: johnston.ces.ncsu.edu) Page 20 of 21

21 No matter how hard it may be to survive during a sudden disaster, rest assured that all kinds of parasites will thrive. From that perspective, if you are going to have a garden - indoor or outdoor --, make sure that you have tools and materials on hand to manage pest control. On a similar note, it is also very important to know how to prevent infestations to begin with so that you do not lose all of your hard work and money. Often, once a plant is symptomatic of one of these conditions, saving it is iffy. Prevention is the key. Page 21 of 21