my three main veg for growing and storage

[buttystella]

hi, potatoes, carrots, and onions are the staple crops i like to grow. My reasoning is that they are all easy to store when kept in a frost free environment. They are also full of nutrients so i am told. Does anyone else know other veg that could be stored in a similar way.

[Erik]

also consider some varieties of turnips/swedes, mangels and sweet potatoes. leeks and cabbages stand for ages if left in the ground.
many kinds of apples store well in cool dry conditions.

[skinnyj]

Winter squash (pumpkins, butternut squash, etc) will all keep well, if kept frost free. Obviously, beans, if you harvest them when dried out rather than green, store well if kept dry and preferably air tight.. Many herbs can be dried to god effect, as can chillies and stored the same way and can be a useful source of flavor. Apples store pretty well as well.

We keep all of the above, plus potatoes, onions and carrots (in sand) over winter and they keep us and our pigs through the barren period till new stuff starts to emerge in the spring.

Hope that helps.

[buttystella]

thanks for that info not grown some of them but will try this season .

[buttystella]

does anyone know how to produce seed potatoes if SHTF and we are unable to buy them. Can we get seed from other crops to save for planting the coming season.

[allan]

does anyone know how to produce seed potatoes if SHTF and we are unable to buy them. Can we get seed from other crops to save for planting the coming season.

A seed potato is the one you didn't eat look for ones with eyes. You can save the seed from most crops but stick to the non hybrid types. The hybrid varieties will not produce viable seed.

[Magz]

Has anyone ever grown Ginger in our climate?

[buttystella]

tried growing ginger this year soon as weather turned cool it died friend of mine said it needs plenty of heat and humidity.

[Huorn]

does anyone know how to produce seed potatoes if SHTF and we are unable to buy them. Can we get seed from other crops to save for planting the coming season.

As Allan says, just use left over potatoes. If they have plenty of eyes are big spuds then cut them in half to make them go further provided you have eyes on each half.

The problem with doing this is spuds are prone to infections from insect borne viruses in most of the UK as the spud comes from the Andes originally. So, repeatedly saving seed spuds like this over more than three or four years you risk a build up of viral infections and the crop will suffer. Seed potatoes are produced in this country, well Scotland, as they have suitable growing land over a thousand feet above sea level. Fields at this height are required to produce virus free potatoes. So, in the long term, not good for those planning for TEOTWAWKI who can't live without chips!

Peas and beans are good crops to save seeds from, our seeds from Spinach have been good. Jerusalem artichokes are actually quite difficult to get rid of. For the last few years we've saved tomato seeds and have fair success.

H

[Magz]

ummm I might have a go at growing some inside then.