Episode-383- 10 Uncommon Edible Plants for Every Backyard
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Today we discuss 10 edible plants that are not very common in most backyards or stores and the unique advantages they offer the modern survivalists concerned with producing their own food. Each of these plants offers unique advantages to the backyard and small homestead grower. Advantages such as good nutritional profiles, disease resistance, ease in seed saving, heat tolerance and more.
Note that the seed sources below are comprised of many sources. You can get many of these seeds from multiple providers. I just wanted the opportunity today to expose you today to a variety of solid providers of organic and non GMO seed.
Join me today as we discuss the following unusual edible plants…
- Orach (seed source) – MSB Members get free shipping from this source
- Ground Cherries (seed source)
- Calendula (seed source) – Just found this source, cool stuff and good prices!
- Sunberry (seed source) – Seed Savers is the only source I know of for this variety
- Huanzontle (pronounced “wah-zont-lay” (seed source)
- Asian Long Beans (seed source red noodle) (seed source black seeded)
- New Zealand Spinach (seed source)
- Amaranth (seed source)
- Lambs Quarters (seed source)
- Buckwheat (seed source) – MSB Members get 10% off from this source
Additional Resources for Today’s Show
- Members Support Brigade
- TSP Gear Shop
- Join Our Forum
- SOE Tactical Gear – (sponsor of the day)
- The Berkey Guy – (sponsor of the day)
- Good article on growing buckwheat
- How to harvest amaranth grain
- Article on growing huanuzontle
- Growing Lambs Quarters
- TSP’s YouTube Channel
- The Rifleman Radio Show (I will be a guest on Feb 23rd that is tomorrow)
- Truth Brigade (I will be a guest on March 3rd)
- Mastering the 22 Rifle (my eBook due out soon)
- Ron Hood’s Survival.com Magazine
Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show. Also remember you can call in your questions and comments to 866-65-THINK and you might hear yourself on the air.
Even here in Utah, the Orach is popping up where it planted it last year. We’ve had less snow than in recent years and the stuff has really taken off. Even if much of it dies with more winter, it will come back and thrive. I also collected bags of seeds that I’ll sow elsewhere. Even though it’s not as tasty as spinach, it’s still a great crop.
Jack,
Thank you for the good show . Could you include the perenial nature and zone of these special plants as they may not be useful for some of us due to climate or cultural growing plan.
I enjoyed this show especially because I am in the process of planting some crops! I would like you to talk about planting food in pots. Right now I am mobile and can not plant in the ground. What will work good in containers. Again, thanks for what you do!!!
Hello Jack,
Great show! I\’m new at the gardening thing – but after hearing several of your shows (on permaculture) including this one about uncommon edible plants you got me more motivated to get into such a great survival mode in growing plants. I\’m looking at growing the orach, ground cherries and the amaranth. I love buckwheat but don\’t want to overwhelm myself for now. Thanks man!
Just have to add that it\’s a pain to harvest amaranth. I managed it, but it took more time than the final amount of grain justified. It would probably be more effective on a larger scale rather than the two 4 x 8 raised beds I used. Still, it\’s fun to see grain come from your own garden.
Jack,
I thought this would interest you.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703615904575052921612723844.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsThird
Adam
Ordered orach, amaranth, calendula and buckwheat after hearing the show… hoping to expand my knowledge base. Thanks, Jack!
Thanks for the info in this timely show. I ordered Maypop and Ground Cherry seeds from Trade Winds Fruit. Seed Savers won’t have Ground Cherry seeds till sometime in March. Now is the time to start seeds in N. California so I found this source. They have a lot of the uncommon seeds you talk about. Thanks for this show and all you do!
Jack,
This was an excellent show. Extremely positive, well researched message. I’m definitely going to try a few of these. Can you teach us how to make a pie from the ground cherry? 😉
Fantastic show!
Darn! I already ordered and received my seeds! Now I have to order a few more. At least I already have ground cherries and a few different amaranth varieties. Excellent stuff today!
@ Jon- you can’t make a pie: there was a video by our own forum member, Trioxin, a while back that I cannot find, but, he said they were so good you pretty much would just eat the whole harvest before you could get it in the house. 🙂
WOW! What a great show, I\’m planning on expanding my garden & will include some of these in, also, thanks for providing the links.
One step closer to indepenpendence! 🙂
I ordered orach, ground cherry, sunberry and NZ spinach. I also order some leeks and tomatoes from the recommended vendors. This is how it\’s supposed to work for vendors. They give a little, get the traffic and end up with increased sales. Win. Win.
These are the shows that I love the most of all. The unusual awesome edible plants show are the reason my backyard now has the Russian Quince, the Cherry Dogwood, and the Valiant grape. I’ll be using these plants in the front yard!
I love learning all the interesting details about these uncommon, unusual plants. I’m totally into edible landscaping. I just moved and am starting over, so this is perfect timing for me. Looking forward to trying these. 🙂
I have been listening for a while (several months). I have not responded yet, mostly because I have not had something constructive to say. This episode has been my favorite of your to date.
I want to find myself some asian long beans now. I love green beans but the rest of my family does not. More for me, right?
I am looking forward to growing a great variety of leafy vegetables for salads to eat everyday. We are going to try to go all out on growing our own food this year. We have even set some money aside to do so.
I am cronicling my garden this year in video format at http://roberttgasperson.blip.tv
I thought i put a post on here but I must not have sent it. Just wanted to let you all know that Jack was mistaken when he stated that only running bamboos can grow very large. I am currently living on Geoff Lawton’s farm in NSW, Australia and we have clumping bamboos that are over 65 feet high and 4 inches in diameter. There are clumping bamboos of every shape and size, you just need to be able to find them. I think bamboo may be one of the most under rated plants in western culture and I suggest you all do some research and get some suitbale species for your home or farms. Good work Jack 🙂
Hey guys, just an FYI. Seed Savers has Ground Cherry SEEDS, but not transplants. I just ordered some.
. Right now I am mobile and can not plant in the ground. What will work good in containers. Again, thanks for what you do!!!