Growing Food (continued - p3 of 3)

Gardening With Soil

To reduce future maintenance, line and surround gardens with wire mesh screen as a physical barrier to keep out pests, cover with clay to absorb and store excess water for plants to reuse later, then top with a layer of gravel and sand for drainage and to help prevent mold growth. Cover with a layer of compost and mulch for nutrients, then a final layer of gravel, straw or bark chips to reduce or prevent the need for weeding. Rainwater and grey water systems may be used as a water source; if combined with a drip irrigation system or even soaker hoses, gardens can be set up for self-watering. At the end of each growing season till the soil, leave what remains of the plants grown there and after that, composting may be also be unnecessary. Although these and similar measures take extra time and labor in the beginning, a garden may be nearly self-sustaining with little to no need for weeding, watering or other maintenance.

Soilless Gardening

Hydroponics and aeroponics may be as simple or elaborate as you want, but the use of grow lights, timers, humidity control, chemicals and other expensive supplies are absolutely unnecessary. When water is the growing medium (as with hydroponics), nutrients can be provided by compost tea (i.e., compost that is dissolved, strained and diluted in water). Compost tea may also be used as the nutrient source if air is the growing medium (as in aeroponics), but in the form of a mist or spray.

Food Storage and Preservation

Whether soil is used as a primary growing medium or not, some form of food preservation may at some point become necessary. Aside from refrigeration and storing foods in a cellar or other dark cool place, nearly all food storage methods denature and/or destroy nutrients. Freezing and freeze drying destroys vitamin E and vitamin K, while heating foods to over 118 degrees destroys all nutrients except carbohydrates and minerals. Although it is unnecessary, dried foods are often heated to above 118 degrees, and canning involves temperatures over 240 degrees. Pickling is a method of food preservation using salt water as a fermentation medium, or vinegar as a solvent and storage medium. Some nutrient loss does occur with pickling however, as nutrients are slowly leached out of pickled foods and transferred to the liquids used over time.

Root Cellars

Fresh or dry, whole or prepared, all plant foods can be stored in a cellar, an icehouse or other such dark cool place. Storage times will vary, depending on the foods being stored, and surrounding climate conditions such as temperature, humidity, light and air. Optimum storage conditions require temperatures of 35-40 degrees (generally not more than 60F), 80-90% humidity, as little light as possible and adequate air ventilation. Generally all foods should be stored in sealed containers to help prevent the growth of mold and infestation by insects, rodents or other pests.

Some foods, such as fruit or vegetable juices and other liquids may only keep for up to a few days in a cellar. Fresh home-ground flours only keep for up to about two weeks in a cellar or other such dark cool place, so they should only be ground in sufficient quantities for short term use. Fresh fruits and vegetables can keep for up to six months, and for a year or more if dried and stored in sealed containers. Nuts, seeds, grains, beans and legumes will keep best if dried and stored whole. These and fermented foods may be stored in a cellar or other such dark, cool place for months or even years.