Preparing Your Garden in the Event of an Emergency

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As I write this, hurricane Irene is barreling down straight towards our location. For us here in the NJ, PA & NY areas this isn’t something that happens, since, well, ever in my lifetime. In fact, according to the latest news, nothing this strong has hit this region since 1944, so we are talking over 70 years ago. What I wanted to address in this article is what you can do about your vegetable garden so all is not lost. For help with this article I turned to some friends in the Florida area for their advice.

Let me strongly preface this article by saying that your vegetable garden is by no means more important than friends, family and the family pet. make sure you are prepared for their and your safety first.

First and foremost harvest what you can. If you are fortunate enough to either know how to can those vegetables or own a vacuum sealer such as a food saver, harvesting lots of veggies all at once won’t go to waste. Harvesting what you can now and bringing that food indoors will do two things. You will have food, just in case that after the storm you are unable to get to a market, and two, the veggies won’t get destroyed with the high winds that you will experience.

Second, remove all tomato cages, stakes and other loose items that you use in your garden. According to one source, in heavy winds these items will act like missiles. Get them indoors and out of the way of the wind. Your plants will be fine laying on the ground and you can always prop them back up later.

Third, fill up buckets of water and bring them indoors. You may be without power and clean water for a while and although your plants will more than likely survive for a while without a daily watering, it’s better to be prepared.

Lastly, after you secure everything down, if you are in serious harms way, get the hell out of there. You can regrow crops, and sow new seeds, but you won’t be able to either if you are no longer around. Always err on the side of caution and follow your local news for any type of evacuation plan.

Stay safe!

About the Author
Mike Podlesny is the owner of Mike the Gardener Enterprises, LLC, the exclusive home for the Seeds of the Month Club, which has appeared on NBC, ABC and MSN Money as a great way for consumers to save money.

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