What To Garden In Hard Times

What To Garden In Hard Times, from “The Holistic Garden For Small Spaces” by Clinton  R. Kraft, Part IV – Chapter Two: The Honorable Mention Of Nutritious Plants (A book review and commentary.)

Chapter Two: The Honorable Mention Of Nutritious Plants - This post will conclude Chapter Two and next week will conclude our review and commentary on Mr. Kraft’s book. Here then are the rest of the ’Nutritious Plants’ with a slight variation in the authors sequence:

• Watermelon: ’… are not superlative in any particular nutrient, however, they are above average in vitamin A and C, thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin. Looked at this way, are more nutritious than spinach.”
• Chinese Box Thorn: “To date, my best tip (for a “survival vegetable”) for temperate areas … is a hardy shrub, about 3-4 ft. in height, that is native to China and Japan. The leaves are rich in protein, vitamin A, and minerals and are used as a vegetable in parts of Asia. A perennial shrub … .”
• Filberts: “Filberts are the highest in fat in area and weight efficiency (remember fat and calories are important in a self-sufficient diet), and the highest in calories, isoleucine, and riboflavin in weight efficiency. …they may be cultivated as a tree with a 20 ft. spacing, or … grown as hedgerows.”
• Parsley: “… parsley is listed as the most efficient in weight for vitamin A … . It is also high in vitamin C, minerals, and is a good nutritional complement to potatoes. … insist on the more nutritional plain leafed varieties.”
• Alliums: “Garlic was discussed earlier and this section will continue with onions and leeks. Onion varieties are often classified as either sweet onions, that do not store well, or varieties grown for their storage ability. A holistic garden would consider long storage ability as a very desirable characteristic.” (PH Note: Sweet onions are easier to eat raw for most adults and children.) “… leeks can easily be made to self-seed … and will not cross with onions. Leeks are listed as the most efficient in area for cystine and methionine … .”
• Wheat: “…  in the front yards of American suburbia … wheat would rarely require watering, its roots would help condition the soil, and the straw returned to the soil would replenish carbon. … wheat is edible” and “… is considered the most efficient source of carbohydrates by weight.” and “… carbohydrates would be imperative in a self-sufficient diet.” and “Wheat will store for thirty years … .”
• Rye: “… is the hardiest of the cereals and is popular in northern and eastern Europe where other grains do poorly … .”
• Millet: “Unlike many common grains, millet does well in hot, dry weather, and like rye, millet will grow in poor soils. …Southern growers might try pearl millet … . … millet lends itself to  substitution in virtually any recipe calling for rice.”
• Amaranth: a “… warm season grain …. Grain amaranth probably comes closest to a complete food of any grain. … Generally the white seeded varieties are preferred as a grain.” and “,,, the leaf version of this plant is one of the most nutritious vegetables one can grow.”
• Squash: “Generally … the orange fleshed winter types are the most nutritious. … The seeds are high in lysine and oil, and may, in fact, be the most important part in a self-sufficient setting.”
• Beans: ’a holistic garden would benefit from growing a number of bean species.” as the chances of finding varieties ideally suited to one’s micro-climate would be increased. … Cowpeas may be of particular interest…” as “The beans and leaves can be utilized for food and the proportion of edible biomass of cowpeas is potentially greater than many other legumes. … Beans can be stored for long periods and they are an  excellent source of nutrition. Combined with grains or cheese they offer a complex protein”
• Fava Beans: Unlike true beans, … favas, which are related to vetch, are frost hardy to 15 (degrees) F, and have more similarity to peas than beans. … favas do keep for long periods and can be utilized as dry beans.”
• Broccoli: “Broccoli can be grown virtually anywhere in temperate North America … Few vegetables exceed broccoli in nutrition …“ and “ Broccoli has even been suggested as a natural anti-cancer food due to its unique mix of nutrients, …In total nutrition, … is exceeded only by sunflower seeds and leaf amaranth. … Broccoli has one of the widest ranges of nutrients of any vegetable.”

Until next time; keep your eyes on the horizon as the weathers changing fast.