Preppers Pocket App Ebook: Survival Guide

By Michael Angelo

There is a-lot of information on the internet about how to start an organic garden, learn basic first aid skills, food storage and more, but none of it is screened or consolidated into one app. All proceeds during the month of September 2014 will go to help our retired veterans. Thanks for your support!

Let me introduce you to the first E-book that consolidates topics that everyone should know from gardening to hunting, and fire-starting tips to building a shelter, all in one handy E-book.

The Preppers Pocket App. E-book was created to provide time-tested self reliance skills and information that previous generations knew and relied on to live. Our generation has an increasing need to learn these skills, live more healthy, save money at the grocery store, and live in harmony with all that nature provides.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Michael Angelo
• Release date: Sep 23, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310891717

Michael Angelo

The Preppers Pocket App E-Book was created to inspire every day people to learn the basics of survival such as fishing, gardening, fire starting, shelter building, hunting, water purification, food storage, canning and more. We are already working on the next e-book and would encourage everyone to send us your favorite survival / prepper articles or videos for inclusion into our next e-book. Thank you for your support!

Book preview

GARDENING

How To Start A Window Herb Garden Planting Your Herb Garden Caring For Your Herb Garden How To Choose What To Plant In Your Garden How To Choose Vegetables To Grow How To Build Economical Raised Vegetable Beds How To Care For A Food Garden How To Find Edible Plants How To Build A Tumbling Composter

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How to Start a Window Herb Garden

One of the most rewarding gardening tasks is planting and tending an herb garden. Planting herbs can save you money in the long run, because it keeps commonly used herbs on hand for cooking. You can simply use what you need for 1 recipe and leave the rest to grow until the next time. In order to have a healthy indoor herb garden you must have a sunny window sill, potting soil, pots and seeds for your favorite herbs. Your herb garden may grow and change over time as your expertise grows and you try planting new herbs. Learn how to start a window herb garden.

Steps

Planning your Herb Garden

Choose your window. Herbs must have at least 6 hours of sunlight per day, so choose an east or south facing window in your home. Measure the windowsill so you know how wide your pots can be. Note: Florescent light can help your herbs to thrive, so you should also choose a room where you have florescent light to help keep your plants alive through cloudy and/or winter months.

Choose the herbs you would like to grow. You should choose herbs that you use a lot in your cooking, because they need to be trimmed back, or used, on a regular basis. Not all herbs are the same; the following are types of herbs that you can plant.

Plant annuals, such as sweet basil or parsley. An annual plant will die back each year. You may need to remove it each year and start anew.

Plant perennials, such as oregano, rosemary, chives, thyme and sage. Perennials grow back each year and do not usually need to be replanted. You do not want to plant annuals next to perennials, because removing the annual plant can disturb perennial roots.

Decide if you want to plant seeds or seedlings. If you want to plant seeds, you will need to buy a seed packet and start them in a moist environment, before weeding out the stronger plants from the weaker ones. If you buy seedlings, you need only plant a seedling with already-formed roots in your container and water it as usual.

You can find seeds at most gardening and home improvement stores. You can find seedlings or starts at home improvement stores or farmer's markets.

Choose your pots. Bring a ruler to the gardening or home improvement store so you can measure according to the width of your window sill. Seeds require smaller pots, where starts require larger pots.

You can find a special container at gardening stores for planting seeds. A seed planter divides each seed into a small section. You plant the seeds in potting soil and keep them warm and moist. After they start to grow, you replant the sprout and roots in a larger pot.

Pick containers with excellent drainage. This means that they should have holes in the bottom where the water can seep out. If clay, plastic or wood pots come with trays, that is even better, because it keeps a wooden window sill clear of water. Drainage is essential to keep the herb roots from rotting.

Planting your Herb Garden

Soak your seeds in a wet paper towel for 2 to 4 hours before planting. Place potting soil in the seed tray or small pot up to 3/4 of an inch from the top of the pot. Sprinkle the seeds in, and then cover them with 1/4 inch of potting soil.

Sprinkle the seeds with water and place them in indirect sunlight. If your house is not very warm, you can create a small greenhouse over each seed pot by covering it tightly with plastic wrap. You want to create a warm, moist environment.

Place the seeds in the sun when they germinate and start to sprout. Spray them with a spray bottle to water them, so that you don't break the seedlings with strong water pressure.

Plant your seedlings 2 to 3 inches deep into your larger pot, if you are transplanting from a seed tray or planting starts. Place a small amount of gravel in the bottom of each pot to improve drainage. Place some potting soil into the container, and make a hole in the center for the plant. It is a good idea to choose a potting soil with perlite in it. Perlite is a volcanic glass that has high water content. If not, you can add about 20 percent perlite to it for an even healthier planting environment. You should also choose a potting soil with peat moss in it.

Caring for your Herb Garden

Water your herb garden frequently, to make sure it stays moist. Do not let the soil get dry, or the plants will die off. Water from the bottom, near the soil, since some herbs do not like to get water on their leaves.

Snip off the starts of neighboring herb plants to prevent overcrowding. You can use kitchen shears and cut them off at soil level, so they will not be competing for the same nutrients. Frequent snipping and trimming can give you bushy plants that provide enough sprigs for cooking.

Snip off sprigs of herbs to use in your recipes. Wash them thoroughly. Use immediately.

Leave at least 1 healthy sprig of your herb plant at all times, so that it can continue to grow and be healthy.

If your herb garden gets overcrowded or you aren't using it and they have become bitter, you can cut down the overgrown plants just above the soil. They will regrow tender shoots.

Tips

If your plants are not thriving, you can add plant food every 10 days. This is available at home improvement and gardening stores. You can also place the herbs by a grow lamp, to help them if they aren't getting enough sunlight.

Warnings

Do not use pesticides or other harsh chemicals on your herb garden. This window sill garden is meant for direct kitchen use, so everything that goes in should be safe to consume.

Things You'll Need

Seeds or seedlings

Potting soil

Pots

Water

Ruler or measuring tape

Gravel

Seed tray

Saucers or trays

Spray bottle

Plastic wrap

Paper towels

Perlite

Kitchen shears

http://www.wikihow.com/Start-a-Window-Herb-Garden

How to Choose What to Plant in Your Garden

Many homeowners buy their homes based on the presence of a garden, or the possibility to cultivate one on a new lot. However, all gardens require a certain amount of planning and upkeep depending on the type of garden you choose, so it's best to choose what to plant in your garden based not only on personal preference, but also on the local climate, your budget, and how much time you want to spend gardening. The following steps will show you how to make informed decisions when it's time to choose what to plant in your garden.

Steps

Determine what types of plants grow naturally in your climate to determine the style of garden you want. Though this isn't a foolproof way to guarantee a thriving garden, it will maximize the chances of the plants doing well without having to resort to artificial climate creation, such as a greenhouse. A Mediterranean garden with olive trees will be much harder to maintain in a cold climate, while an English rose garden will require a lot of extra irrigation in a warm climate.

Consider how much sun and shade you have in your garden. Your neighbor's home, your own home and any outbuildings, as well as existing trees or shrubs, may cast shadows where you want to plant, so take this into account when choosing what to plant in your garden.

Choose garden plants that create textures and layers. This makes the garden more interesting to look at and offers more depth than garden plants that are all the same type or height.

Evergreen shrubs and trees offer color and structure all year round, which means that your garden will never look completely bare.

Trees add height, color, and interesting shapes to your garden. Deciduous trees are especially interesting to provide accents that change with every season, as they bud, bloom, and finally shed their leaves.

Shrubs can act as filler between trees or larger plants, and can be beautiful additions to your garden in their own right. There are evergreen shrubs and deciduous shrubs, as well as shrubs that flower.

Ground covering plants are sprawling and remain low to the ground. Consider how thickly and quickly they grow to determine how effective they will be in your garden.

Climbing plants, such as vines, provide texture and cover for walls, decorative elements, and any eyesores you want to cover.

Perennials bloom every year and come back each year. Annuals die after a year, and cumulatively cost more as you have to replace them every year.

Determine whether you need to avoid potentially dangerous plants, such as shrubs with poisonous berries, if you have children or pets.

Visit your local gardening center and choose what to plant in your garden

http://www.wikihow.com/Choose-What-to-Plant-in-Your-Garden

tbd

How to Choose Vegetables to Grow

Growing vegetables at home can be an inexpensive way to supply your family with high-quality, locally-grown vegetables. Different vegetables are suited to different climates and garden types. Also, you may have preferences for the types of vegetables you want to grow and the amount of work they need. This article will show you how to choose vegetables to grow.

Steps

Consider which vegetables grow best in your climate.

A good way to ascertain if a vegetable is suited to your area is to look at a zone map and chart to identify the zone in which you live. Then you can check a zone chart to find out which vegetables grow best in your zone. Zones are numbered 1 to 12 and are based on the average minimum temperature in an area.

Some vegetables grow best in warm conditions and cannot tolerate frost. These include snap beans, corn, cucumbers, melons and peppers.

Vegetables that grow best in somewhat cooler weather and can tolerate short periods of frost include beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, lettuce, spinach and sweet peas.

Perennial vegetables like asparagus and rhubarb can be harvested year after year if they are planted in the right area.

Choose vegetables that grow well where you plan to plant them.

Some vegetables prefer bright sun, while others prefer some shade. Learn the preferences of the vegetables you are interested in planting in order to find the proper placement for them in your garden.

Some vegetables, like tomatoes and cucumbers, grow well in pots. Others, such as carrots and beets, need to be planted in the ground. If you are planning to grow vegetables in pots on your porch, these and other root vegetables are probably not a good choice.

Determine how much time you are willing to invest in your vegetable garden.

Some vegetables only need weed control to thrive. These vegetables need less care and take less of your time than other types.

Some vegetables, such as peas and tomatoes, need staking or a fence or trellis. Consider the time needed to stake or build supports for these vegetables.

Some vegetables are more likely to be infested by pests than others. Consider the amounts and types of pest control you are willing to use in your garden.

Choose vegetables that you and your family enjoy or ones that you wish to try.

Many vegetables have a deeper flavor when they can be picked at the peak of ripeness and aren't transported very far. You may be surprised to find that your family and friends find they enjoy homegrown vegetables that they do not enjoy when they are bought in a store.

Many varieties of vegetables that are not commonly available in grocery stores can be grown in your garden. Vegetable gardening is a way to expand your eating choices.

Tips

Consider companion gardening as an organic method of pest control. In companion gardening, plants that have beneficial effects on each other are planted together. One plant may repel the pests of the other or provide important nutrients into the soil.

http://www.wikihow.com/Choose-Vegetables-to-Grow

How to Build Economical Raised Vegetable Beds

Raised beds are a great way to grow vegetables. They are a barrier to ground based pests, offer protection to less hardy plants, enable you to control your growing environment, and really save you a lot of backache! tbd

Steps

Start your raised bed frame. Take one of the 2x4 planks and offer it up to one of the 4' scaff planks, allowing 10cm to protrude from what will be the bottom of your frame. The finished bed frame will be 45cm deep (2x 22.5 cm width of scaff plank) - so you leave a 10cm 'foot' at the bottom to help anchor it in the ground.

Construction. Pre-drill the holes for 2 screws, through the scaff plank and the support 2x4 from the outside. Use a drill bit smaller than the screw width.

This is vital, as the screws are so long, they become impossible to tighten without pre-drilling.

Attach the scaff plank to the support 2x4.

Repeat until you have your frame completed frame.

Prepare the location. Measure out a 6x4' area on the ground where you want your raised bed to sit and mark it using sticks and string - this will ensure your edges are straight. (Choose a sunny spot for best vegetable results.) Make sure you have the required 10cm depth dug at the corners for the frame feet. Dig over the top layer of soil, piling the dug earth to the centre.

Level it. With the help of a friend, flip your raised bed frame and lay it, feet first, on to the dug area of the same size. Use the spirit level to ensure the frame is sitting level.

Add filling. Your raised bed can be filled with any type of soil. For best results, ensure that the soil is well raked.

Tips

Good topsoil is vital for growing vegetables, and is available cheaply from good garden supply stores. The deeper the better, but even a few inches will help.

Scaffold Planks are available from many suppliers nationwide, most will deliver them pre-cut to your specifications. The initial author made 2x 6x4' and 1x 4x4' raised beds for $100.

Warnings

Some weatherproofing for wood is toxic, ensure you use non toxic weatherproofing (or none at all) on the surfaces that will form the inside of your raised bed, otherwise the toxins can leach into the soil over time. Normal Weatherproofing is fine for the outer facing surfaces. N.B. Not weatherproofing the inside of the frame will shorten its life, but it should be good for 5+ years anyway.

http://www.wikihow.com/Build-Economical-Raised-Vegetable-Beds tbd

How to Care for a Food Garden

There is nothing like growing your own food, or at least a part of it. You'll enjoy the freshest fruits, vegetables, and herbs you can get, and there's a sense of satisfaction from knowing where your food came from. Many food plants are easy to care for. Here's how.

Steps

Plan your space. Choose where to plant what according to the micro climates in your yard. How much sun does each place get? How much wind? Does an area tend to be especially wet or dry? The hot, south side of a building or fence will benefit a very different set of plants than a low, wet spot in dappled shade.

Group plants with like requirements together. It will help with the watering if plants with similar water requirements are nearby.

Grow a variety of crops. A large number of identical plants invite more pests and diseases than a variety of different plants.

Your garden is a great place to experiment with more than just a couple of veggies.

tbd Squash, melons, cucumbers, pumpkins, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, peas, beans, and corn are all fairly easy plants for beginners.

tbd Asparagus and artichokes are perennial plants. Properly cared for, they will return year after year.

tbd Fruit trees, grapes, and different sorts of berries also grow year after year.

tbd Herbs, such as basil, rosemary, oregano, and thyme can be used to season your other plants.

tbd Many flowers, including chives, hibiscus, fuchsia, roses, and nasturtiums, are also edible[1]. Try garnishing your next salad with some nasturtium blossoms.

Grow what you like. There is no point in growing rows of radishes if you don't like radishes. tbd

Grow a reasonable amount to eat or can. A single zucchini seed can keep a moderately sized household busy all summer. Another zucchini seed can survive nicely for a year on a shelf in a cool, dry place. A good rule of thumb is to aim for at least five meals' worth of any given crop. If something was a great success, you can always plant more next season.

Rotate crops. If you are planting the same thing from one year to the next, plant it in a different location. Try a different variety, too. It helps to keep pests and diseases from doing too much damage.

tbd Prepare the soil. Dig in plenty of compost or manure. It takes work, yes, but it improves the structure and fertility of the soil. It also improves the drainage characteristics.

If you choose to add chemical fertilizer, do so in moderation. Over-fertilizing can burn plants and encourage rapid growth that makes plants susceptible to disease and pests.

tbd Consider building a raised bed, especially if the soil you have is very poor or doesn't drain well.

Plant according to your seasons and zone. Know your climate and the requirements of your plants. Seed packets and catalogs can help. Don't plant cold-sensitive seeds too early in spring and don't plant cool season crops at the height of summer. Some crops may never grow well (or at all) in your particular climate, so read the instructions and experiment with various things.

tbd Start your seeds. Take a garden shovel and make a line that stretches across the garden. Sprinkle the seeds into it and lightly cover over them. Depending on the seeds, you can also poke holes at intervals.

tbd Read the seed package or other instructions specific to your crop. Seeds need to go at different depths and spacings.

Try hills or clusters. If this is a garden you'll be looking at, you could even interweave foods with flowers.

tbd Know which seeds will transplant and which won't. Starting your seeds in pots can help you get a jump on warm weather or simply get them off to a healthy start.

Inspect your plants. If you start with a seedling from a nursery, take a good look at that seedling before you bring it home. It does not need to be large (in fact, smaller seedlings may become better established in your garden), but it should not be root bound and it should be free of diseases and pests. Don't take it home if it isn't in good condition. tbd

Water regularly. Unless you're getting plenty of rain, that probably means at least daily until the seeds sprout and for the first few weeks until roots are established. After that, it depends upon your climate and the crop.

Over-watering can drown plants or lead to damping-off in seedlings.

In dry climates, a generous application of mulch can help to keep water in.

tbd A drip system or soaker hose can spare you having to wander around with a hose. Remember to put it on a timer or at least set a timer so you don't forget to turn it off.

Thin the seedlings. Many seed packets encourage you to plant extra seeds and then thin them. tbd

Support climbing plants. Beans and peas and grapes certainly require support. Tomatoes prefer it, and many squashes and melons can grow up a trellis to save space.

Fertilize the garden. Start about 5 days after they sprout they should be about 3-5 inches tall. You can add a bit of bagged fertilizer to plenty of water, use a slow-release fertilizer according to package directions or, if you prefer the organic approach, you can top-dress the garden with more compost. Remember, don't over-fertilize. It can scorch plants and cause excess growth at the expense of health and production.

Control weeds. A weed is any plant growing where you don't want it, and it might very well include plants that you want someplace else in your garden, such as poppies, mint, or ivy. Weeds in your food garden will compete with your plants for water, light, and nutrients.

Hand pull weeds close to your garden plants.

Hoe the weeds. Try a scuffle hoe. Its blade slides back and forth near the surface of the soil, chopping off the tops of weeds without disturbing too much underneath. Even weeds won't make it if you chop off their tops too many times. Try to pull or cut weeds before they go to seed and make more weeds for next season.

tbd Apply mulch, especially on pathways and areas away from plants. A thick mulch slows the growth of weeds and makes it easier to pull what does grow.

Use weed killers in moderation (if at all). The surface of the soil doesn't need to be spotless all summer, and organic controls are best. Some weeds are growing resistant to chemical herbicides. No weeds withstand pulling or repeated hoeing.

Add weeds that haven't gone to seed to your compost pile or let them dry out and use them as part of the mulch in your beds. Weeds that you remove from your garden remove nourishment with them.

tbd Control pests. Since this is a food garden, you will probably want to take it easy on the " chemicals.

Keep the garden healthy. Most plants naturally resist disease and pests if properly cared for. That means enough but not too much water, adequate spacing and light, and proper nourishment in moderation.

Rotate crops from one year to the next.

Don't demand perfection. Don't worry too much if a couple of leaves or fruits get chewed on. Water in the morning, especially if excess moisture is a problem. If your schedule only permits evening and you have not automated watering, water the ground and leave the foliage dry, or water early enough in the evening that the leaves can dry fully. Check the moisture level before watering.

Invite beneficial creatures. Wasps, bees, birds, bats, spiders, ladybugs, ducks, and many other creatures can all help to keep the insect population in check, but only if they themselves are not threatened by your other controls. Use traps targeted for problem pests. Place an upside-down flower pot near your garden or prop up an old board on sticks or other supports. Check it after dark and crush and remove any snails or slugs hiding there. [2] Try insecticidal soap (you can make it yourself[3] or neem oil [4] as less toxic alternatives for garden pest control.

tbd Harvest your food. This is why you grew the garden, wasn't it? Besides reaping the rewards of your efforts, harvesting makes many plants produce longer.

tbd

Save seeds for next year. Some plants come true (produce a plant similar to the "parent) and some don't. In general, you can save seeds from heirloom and other non-hybrid varieties, but look it up, if you aren't sure. Saving your own seeds saves yourself having to buy as many for next year.

Prepare for winter. Depending on your climate, you may be able to get a cool season crop in on the way to winter (or even during it).

Clear warm-season plants that have died back.

Clean up the garden. Dropped fruits and dead foliage can harbor diseases and pests from one season to the next.

Overwinter perennial plants.

Prune plants and plant bare root starts while things are dormant.

Tips

Your plants need fresh sunlight so choose the place of your garden wisely.

Adjust your watering schedule according to the weather. The best rule is to check whether the soil is wet an inch or two deep. Soon, you'll know how often to water for different conditions in your garden and your climate.

The best control for pests and diseases is to plant a variety of plants and keeping them healthy. Some plants and some years may be better than others. That's part of the process.

Apply soil amendments like compost and manure in advance to give them time to settle in and mix with the soil before you plant.

Keep a notebook noting what varieties you planted, where you planted them, when you planted them, how you (and the weather) treated them, and how well they did. It will help you to notice the best ways to treat your yard.

Food gardens can be very attractive. Look for resources on kitchen gardens or potagers to see examples of food gardens that are designed for looks as well as function.

It's said that the best fertilizer of all is the gardener's footsteps. Pay attention to your plants and they will thrive.

Warnings

If you plant flowers as food, make sure that you choose them carefully and treat them as food. Don't spray them with pesticides if you plan to eat them. *If you can't be sure that a flower wasn't sprayed (such as if you bought it from a supermarket), don't eat it.

Always apply chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides according to package directions, if you choose to use them.

Be aware that garden chemicals pose a threat to children, pets, and beneficial organisms. Store them safely and use them with great caution, if at all.

Try not use the water on the side of your house. Use well water instead as it is much healthier.

Things You'll Need

Soil that receives several hours sunlight per day

Water

Seeds to plant and/or seedlings to transplant

Compost or fertilizer

Mulch http://www.wikihow.com/Care-for-a-Food-Garden

How to Find Edible Plants

Have you ever looked around as you walked in the woods and wondered what you could eat if you were really hungry? Many wild plants are edible, but do you know which ones? If you are like most people, you didn't identify much that you knew for sure you could eat. It is to the advantage of all hunters, fishermen, campers and others, to know what is good to eat and how to determine a plants edibility if you are unsure. Any of us who spend any time in the outdoors could one day find ourselves lost, or in a survival situation. Then, our knowledge, or lack of knowledge, of plant life could mean the difference between life and death. Many of the elements of a health diet are found in plant foods.

While many plants are good to eat, there are ways to identify those that you want to stay away from. Any plant with umbrella shaped flowers on it, beans, peas, bulbs, plants that have a milky sap, or plants that irritate your skin, should be avoided. Additionally, stay away from any fungi, unless you know beyond a doubt it is safe to eat. But, even then, fungi add very little in the way of nutrition to your diet. I suggest you spend you time procuring better, more nutritional, items for your outdoor menu. Fungi are not worth the risk you can take eating them.

Well, what do you do when you cannot identify a single safe plant to eat? I suppose that will happen more often than not. If you can avoid them, do not eat unknown plants. However, in a survival situation it is often a matter of eating or going hungry. If you decide to eat a plant you are unsure of, there is no better (and proven) method of determining the edibility of plants than using the US Army's Taste Test (along with my comments).

Test only one part of the plant at a time. Comment: By eating more than one part you will not be able to determine (if you get ill) what part is safe to eat. Key in one only one part.

Break the plant down into base constituents: leaves, steams, roots, etc. Comment: Once again, it makes identification of safe and unsafe parts of the plant. Not all parts of a plant may be safe to eat.

Smell the plant for strong or acid odors. Comment: Avoid any plant with a strong or acid odor because the plant is considered unsafe to eat.

Do not eat for eight hours before starting the test. Comment: This is so you can be sure, if you get ill, it was the plant that caused it.

At first, put a small sample of the plant on the inside of your elbow or on your wrist. Wait 15 minutes and check to see if you had a reaction. Comment: A general rule is if the plant causes a reaction on your skin, it is not safe to eat.

During the test period, remember to take nothing orally except pure water and the tested plant. Comment: It you eat or drink anything besides pure water, the test is not valid. And, you will have to start over. It may have been another food that caused an ill effect.

Select a very small piece of the plant to be tested. Comment: Always use a very small piece