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DIY Projects to Hide Your Survival Plants in Plain Sight
by RICH M.
November 17, 2023
Growing a survival garden has become a staple of prepping.
When we realize that any long-term or TEOTWAWKI event that comes along is likely to far outlast our food stockpile, no matter how big it is, it doesn’t take much to convince us of the need for a survival garden.
The big problem for most of us though, is having enough room to plant that garden. Added to that, is the challenge of keeping your garden from prying eyes.
Let’s face it, it’s almost impossible to hide what we’re doing from our neighbors; especially if they happen to be nosy ones.
Most people are curious enough that they pay attention to what’s going on at the house next door. If what’s going on looks interesting, they pay even more attention. That makes it hard to hide a garden from their curiosity.
Adding to that is the problem of space. It takes a large garden to feed your entire family, especially if you consider that you need to grow enough to get through the entire year.
However, with this guide, you can become self-sufficient, even with a small yard. It’s designed for a quarter-acre setting, with the objective of achieving total self-sufficiency for a family of 4, and having goods to sell. But it was created in such a way that it is easy to downsize if you have less land or fewer family members.
While raising your own vegetable garden isn’t exactly commonplace, it’s not so strange as to make anyone draw the conclusion that you’re a prepper. There are still people today who raise their own vegetables, but aren’t counted amongst the ranks of the prepping community.
Nevertheless, it’s highly likely that those neighbors will remember your garden when food runs out and they want something to eat. That’s when they might be tempted to slip over the fence and see what you have that they can reappropriate for their own use.
This makes it so that the real trick about growing a survival garden is keeping your garden from being obvious. As an alternative, some parts of your garden might end up being obvious, but you’ll want to make sure that not all of it is readily identifiable as a vegetable garden. The more of your garden that you can keep people from recognizing for what it is, the better.
Related: 6 Signs Your Neighbor Will Become A Looter As Soon As SHTF
Fortunately for us, most people don’t know what they’re looking at, when they look at garden plants. Oh, they’ll recognize tomatoes growing on your plants, but they’re unlikely to recognize a potato plant. If you can manage to keep the melons hidden, they won’t recognize a watermelon or cantaloupe vine either.
Deception Is Your Friend
https://www.askaprepper.com/wp-conte...lain-Sight.jpgIf you want to live the life of a self-sufficient prepper, without people realizing what you’re doing, then deception has to become part of your plan.
I’ve planted food, built both a wind turbine and solar panels, put in rainwater capture with some massive water tanks and other projects at my home.
As far as my neighbors are concerned, I’m just an eccentric former engineer, who likes to experiment.
When it comes to your gardening, it’s easy to come up with excuses. You might say that you don’t trust GMO produce. Perhaps you prefer the taste of vegetables that are freshly picked off the plant. Your family may have a tradition of canning your own.
You can even say that you just want to try some of the more unusual varieties of vegetables, which aren’t available in the store. Any excuse will work, just as long as you make it plausible and carry through with it. This way, they can see you doing what you say.
One of the more effective ways of growing vegetables in a way that doesn’t look like you’re growing veggies is to plant them randomly. People are accustomed to seeing vegetable gardens planted in rows, whether that is in raised beds or in a ground-level garden.
Planting your veggies randomly, mixed in with other plants, plays tricks on their mind, making them think that what they’re seeing is a decorative garden, rather than a vegetable garden.
Start with Your Regular Garden
https://www.askaprepper.com/wp-conte...in-Sight-1.jpgThe starting point for any survival garden is the most obvious part, regular raised beds for planting.
While you’re making your raised beds, take the extra time to make a greenhouse for them.
Related: DIY Poor Man’s Greenhouse
This can be made of PVC pipe and clear plastic sheeting, which really isn’t clear.
If you live in a temperate or colder climate, the greenhouse can be explained away as a means of growing plants before the weather gets warm enough for your flowers to grow. Make sure that they see you bringing flowers out of your greenhouses from time to time, to substantiate that story.
Other than the flowers you’re going to plant in your regular garden as camouflage for your veggies, you mostly want to plant things that will be easy for people to identify.
This is the place to plant your tomatoes and peppers, both of which are extremely obvious, once they begin to bear fruit. But people won’t recognize the fruit, if they can’t see it.
You can also use this easy guide to build a hidden food growing fence. This way you can turn an idle fence into a hidden but bountiful garden. You can make it from wooden planters or even discarded pallets. Even people who pass by, looking over the fence would not see it.
Decorative Planting in Plain Sight
Most people have some sort of garden in their front yard, mostly flower beds along the walkway and up close to the house.
Rather than planting flowers in these places, plant green, leafy plants that are native to your area. Ideally, plants which will require minimal watering. This is called “xeriscape” gardening and it has become quite popular, especially in more arid regions of the country.
https://www.askaprepper.com/wp-conte...in-Sight-2.jpgSince you’ll be growing mostly leafy plants, rather than flowing ones, it’s easy to add in other leafy plants, without people recognizing them.
Specifically, this is a great place to plant root vegetables, like potatoes, onions, garlic, carrots, turnips, beets, radishes and sweet potatoes.
Just make sure that when you harvest, you don’t leave anything behind for your neighbors to dig up, thinking you’ve left food there for them.
Plant a Garden Forest
Another useful trick for hiding your fruit and vegetable bearing plants is to hide them in the midst of a ‘forest.” Granted, you probably can’t plant an actual forest on your property, unless you have a lot of land; but you can plant a garden in a forest-like way.
If you think of any forest you’ve ever seen, the predominant foliage is the trees. Tress will be scattered around, randomly, with at least some space between them. Sometimes, there will be larger trees growing, with smaller ones in-between.
These may be of the same species or different ones, depending on the forest. What’s important though is that they are trees which will probably not grow to the full stature of the mature trees.
Between all those trees, you’ll find both bushy plants and smaller ones. Often, the busy plants will be growing up close around the tree trunks, with the other plants growing outside the bushes. This gives any forest a “three-dimensional” growing pattern which we can make use of.
What you want to do, to reproduce this in your own backyard, is to start out by planting trees, preferably fruit trees, which will provide you with food. Rather than planting those trees in rows, scatter them out, so that as they grow, it will look more like they grew there naturally.
With the trees in place, as the anchor for your garden, you can start planting a combination of vegetables, berry plants, melon vines and some leafy greens. As with the tree planting, make your pattern random, so that it looks like the various plants just grew there naturally, rather than as a planned garden.
When people see it, they won’t see the forest, for the trees. Put another way, they are likely to overlook the vegetables growing in your yard, because their attention will be fixed on the overall affect of how your “forest” looks.
DIY Projects to Hide Your Survival Plants in Plain Sight - Ask a Prepper
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50 Survival Uses For Vinegar
by KATHERINE PATERSON
April 1, 2022
Vinegar is one of those items that has so many uses. A staple of the pantry, vinegar is commonly used for cleaning, cooking, getting rid of odors, and so many other things. In fact, vinegar has so many different uses that it should be a part of your preparedness kit in case of an emergency.
Here are just 50 of the many survival uses for vinegar that will encourage you to add it to your preparedness kit today.
Unclog Drains
Combine baking soda and vinegar to unclog a plugged drain.
Clean Wounds
Vinegar kills bacterial pathogens and contains acetic acid, which works the same way antiseptics do. These properties make vinegar perfect for cleaning and disinfecting cuts and wounds.
Manage Diabetes
https://www.askaprepper.com/wp-conte...or-Vinegar.pngVinegar, particularly Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV), has been shown to help lower blood sugar after meals when 20ml is diluted in 40ml of water and may also be used to help moderate blood sugar after waking up.
Related: Making Raw Apple Cider Vinegar at Home
Soothe Bug Bites
Dabbing vinegar on a bug bite will reduce swelling and ease soreness around the site.
Heal a Sunburn
A well-diluted mixture of Apple Cider Vinegar and water can help ease irritation from sunburn. Apple Cider Vinegar diluted in water can be applied to the affected area using a cloth soaked in the solution, a spray bottle, or by adding it to a cool bath.
Cure Hiccups
Having hiccups is annoying, but vinegar can provide relief. Add 1 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar(ACV) to 1/3 cup water and drink the mixture to stop hiccups.
Ease a Sore Throat
https://www.askaprepper.com/wp-conte...-Vinegar-1.pngWhile a sore throat will usually subside on its own, vinegar can help provide some relief.
ACV can kill bacteria, and ease the inflammation associated with a sore throat. Try mixing diluted ACV with honey and drinking the mixture to soothe a sore throat. You can also gargle with ACV for quick relief.
Reduce Inflammation
For years, people have claimed that wrapping a sprained or sore body part in a cloth soaked in vinegar helps reduce swelling and inflammation.
Support Digestive Health
Proper digestion is key to a healthy body, yet millions of people suffer from digestion issues.
One to two teaspoons of ACV in an 8oz glass of water before eating can aid healthy digestion and reduce bloating and heartburn for many people.
Remove The Smell Of Smoke And Other Odors
https://www.askaprepper.com/wp-conte...-Vinegar-5.pngWhile it is not necessarily a life-saving tip, vinegar is an excellent tool for combatting odors and freshening fabrics.
Dilute vinegar in water and spray on fabrics to freshen them and remove odors. You can also add a splash of fabric softener or essential oils to create a more pleasant experience.
Cure Heartburn
Many people swear by the use of vinegar to ease heartburn. Swallowing just a tablespoon of vinegar can quickly provide relief.
Ease An Upset Stomach
Much like treating heartburn, vinegar is also used by many to ease an upset stomach.
Related: 5 Natural Painkillers To Use Instead Of Opiates
Drinking a mixture of ACV and water will soothe an upset stomach in seconds.
Remove Stickers
This is another tip that may not be life-saving, but it sure is handy to know. Stubborn stickers can be removed using vinegar. This tip can come in handy when acquiring items secondhand.
Make Those Bugs, Bug-off
If you have ever been outside, which I am sure you have, you know how annoying bugs can be.
Kill Weeds
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There is no doubt that vinegar has many great uses, and some are in the garden.
Use a mixture of vinegar and dish soap to kill weeds in the garden and grow healthier plants.
Related: Edibility Test: Find Out Which Backyard Weeds are Edible
Be aware the acid found in vinegar can kill other plants and weeds and should be applied as directly as possible.
Get Rid Of Moss
Another outdoor use for vinegar is to kill moss.
Combine 1 tbsp of white vinegar or ACV with 1 gallon of water and spray the mixture on mossy areas of the garden, carefully saturating the top layer. Repeat daily until the moss dies.
Trap Those Annoying Fruit Flies
Add a small drop of dish soap to a dish and top with some ACV. Next, cover the mixture with plastic wrap with holes poked in it and leave it out to trap fruit flies easily.
Clean and Sanitize Any Surface
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The best thing about vinegar is that it can be used on almost any surface without fear of damage.
Since vinegar is antibacterial and kills many bacteria on contact, it is an excellent option for quickly sanitizing items before use.
Remove Hardwater Stains On Plastic
Hard water wreaks havoc on all surfaces and is difficult to remove. You can use vinegar to remove hard water stains from plastic and bring containers back to life.
These containers can then be used for food storage in times of need.
Prevent Bacteria Growth
As explained, vinegar can kill microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses. Due to its antimicrobial properties, vinegar has been used to treat ear infections, warts, and nail fungus, among other things.
Related: How To Make Tea Tree Oil To Treat Infections
It has also been used to treat certain skin infections and burns. Vinegar is a multipurpose product that should be placed in any preparedness kit.
Disinfect Your Cutting Board
https://www.askaprepper.com/wp-conte...-Vinegar-2.pngCutting boards can be home to a plethora of bacteria, and without proper sanitization, that bacteria can end up wreaking havoc on your body.
Clean and sanitize cutting boards using vinegar to kill bacteria and keep your family safe.
Freshen Up The Air
Again, this may seem insignificant, but vinegar can be used to freshen the air.
Mixing vinegar and water in a spray bottle and adding in fabric softener or essential oils can help keep any space smelling fresh.
Sanitize Jars And Containers
Food storage is vital to preparedness, and having containers and jars that are clean and sanitary is vital to safety.
Use vinegar to safely clean and sanitize jars that will be used to store prepared or pickled foods.
Create A Grease-Cutting Scrub For Pots And Pans
https://www.askaprepper.com/wp-conte...-Vinegar-9.pngA well-known household tip that can come in handy during a crisis is the use of vinegar to create a scrub for pots and pans. Combine equal parts salt and flour with just enough vinegar to create a paste.
Related: How To Properly Clean And Season Your Cast-Iron Cookware
You rub this paste over any cookware or utensils, rinse with warm water, and dry thoroughly with a soft dishtowel.
Treat Dry Skin And Eczema
Many people who suffer from eczema report that ACV provides them some relief. ACV has beta-carotene, which aids in skin cell renewal.
It is also rich in potassium, has high concentrations of minerals, and contains lactic acid.
This means ACV can help treat and heal eczema. To use ACV for eczema, you have a few options:
- Use it as a moisturizer – mix 1 tbsp with coconut oil.
- Use it as a toner – Coat a cotton ball and dab it on your face.
- Use it on your hair – Mix with sunflower oil to use on your hair.
- Use it in the bath – Add 2 cups of ACV to a full tub.
- Drink it – 1-2 tbsp in an 8 oz glass of water each day.
- Combine it with honey – Combine 2 tbsp ACV with 1 tbsp honey in a glass of water and consume 2-3 times a day with meals.
- Mix it with baking soda – Half a cup of water, ¼ tbsp baking soda, 2 tbsp ACV and drink. You can add 1 tbsp of honey if you wish.
Treat Nail Fungus
https://www.askaprepper.com/wp-conte...Vinegar-10.pngSince vinegar is known to kill bacteria and fungus, many people use it to treat nail fungus.
To treat nail fungus with vinegar, you simply soak the nail in diluted vinegar a few times a day until the fungus subsides. A mixture of 1-to-1 works best for this treatment.
Stop Car Windows From Frosting Over
If you have ever survived a northern winter, you know the way windows tend to freeze over and how annoying it is to wait for the defrost in your car to clear that frost.
Related: How To Prepare Your Car In Case You Have To Live In It
Vinegar can quickly clear frost from windows when cold because it will not freeze and does not leave streaks on the window.
Eradicate Mildew
If you find that your bathroom has a build-up of mildew, you can reach for a bottle of vinegar.
Vinegar is a safe, natural choice for all kinds of cleaning and works well to destroy mold and mildew fast.
Get Rid Of A Wart
https://www.askaprepper.com/wp-conte...Vinegar-11.pngIf you find yourself with an unwelcome friend, vinegar may be able to help.
With clean hands, take a cotton ball soaked in ACV and apply it to the wart in question, covering it with tape to hold it in place. This treatment works best when it is done before bedtime and removed in the morning.
Soften Calluses
Vinegar can be used to soften calluses when needed. Create a foot soak by mixing 2 cups of lukewarm water with 1 cup of ACV.
Related: 36 Survival Uses For Hydrogen Peroxide
Many people also add salt to the mixture as well. Soak the calluses for 20 minutes and then treat them with a pumice stone to remove any hard skin. Pat dry and repeat as needed.
Fight Mold
As with mildew, vinegar can also be used to reduce and remove mold.
Disinfect Your Toilet Bowel
Toilets are disgusting. If you can not get your hands on toilet bowl cleaner, vinegar works the same way and gives you a clean bowl free of bacteria.
Clean And Sanitize The Toothbrush Holder
Vinegar is so safe that it can be used on or around objects that will go into your mouth. For example, vinegar can be used on a toothbrush holder without fear.
Use Vinegar In The Washing Machine
https://www.askaprepper.com/wp-conte...-Vinegar-6.pngUsing white vinegar in the washing machine helps to remove hard water build-up, mildew, or mold. It also makes clothes come out brighter, cleaner, and stain-free.
Related: How to Make Your Own Semi-Automatic Off the Grid Washing Machine (No Electricity)
Scale Fish With Less Effort
One interesting use for vinegar is in scaling fish. Vinegar will work to loosen fish scales, making them easier to remove for food preparation.
Dissolve Glue
Vinegar has many talents and uses. One of these talents is loosening and removing tough glue from many surfaces. Depending on the surface, type, and amount of glue to remove, you will soak the area with white vinegar and wait for it to loosen.
You may want to begin with diluted vinegar to ensure it does not damage the surface, but in most cases, however, it is safe to pour vinegar directly on the area to break down the glue.
Vinegar is an excellent tool for removing wood glue and wallpaper glue. It also works to strip glue residue from glass, loosens the glue from stickers, removes glue on plastic and many other types of adhesive on various surfaces.
Eliminate Bacteria And Freshen Fabrics
https://www.askaprepper.com/wp-conte...Vinegar-12.pngVinegar is an excellent tool for freshening fabrics and removing odors.
As explained previously, mix water, vinegar, and fabric softener or essential oils.
This vinegar solution kills bacteria and provides a fresh scent.
Clean Produce
Wash your produce in 4 cups of water and 1 cup of vinegar to keep it fresh and pest-free. Soaking fruit in vinegar will also help remove the wax coating on grocery store fruits.
Preserve Food
One of the most common uses for vinegar is to preserve food. Preserving food in vinegar means the food will become long-lasting and retain its crisp, flavorful qualities.
While most people use plain white vinegar for pickling, ACV can also be used and may enhance the flavor of the preserve.
There are hundreds of pickling recipes available online, and most provide easy-to-follow instructions.
Revive Wilted Vegetables
Not only can you wash your vegetables in vinegar, but it is also great for giving life to wilted vegetables. To revive wilted veggies, soak them in water with a little bit of vinegar and sugar.
Replace Lemon Juice
If a recipe calls for lemon juice and you find that you are all out, you can substitute vinegar in its place.
Vinegar is also great when creating large batches of tomato sauce to store for later use as it keeps it fresh and bacteria-free.
Purify The Air
Vinegar will not only freshen the air, but it will also kill any floating bacteria, therefore purifying the air in your home.
Lift Stains
We have all had a white shirt ruined by sweat stains. Thankfully, vinegar can help lift those stains so you can continue to wear your favorite item of clothing.
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It can also remove stains from carpets.
To use vinegar to remove stains, simply soak the item in vinegar for 15 minutes to a few hours (depending on the strength of the stain).
Then wash with a laundry booster added to the washing machine.
Remove Pesky Pet Odors
We mentioned how vinegar could be used to reduce and eliminate odors in your home. Pet odors are one of those smells that are difficult to get rid of, but vinegar works great for lifting the smell and reviving the area.
Germinate Seeds Faster
Soaking seeds in vinegar aids the germination process by breaking down the seeds’ outer layer faster and encouraging sprouting.
Related: 20+ Must-Have Seeds For The Upcoming Crisis
Deter Those Garden Pests
If you have ever had a garden, you know how annoying garden pests can be to your plants.
Vinegar will repel various garden pests and is safe enough to use in the soil surrounding your garden to rid yourself of everything from snails and slugs to aphids and ants.
Destroy Dandelions
https://www.askaprepper.com/wp-conte...Vinegar-15.pngDandelions can quickly take over your yard and leave you swimming in a sea of yellow.
Luckily, vinegar is a safe and effective way to kill this invasive weed and keep your lawn looking perfect.
Horticultural vinegar is best for ridding your yard of dandelions.
Horticultural vinegar contains 20% acetic acidic compared to the 5% in regular vinegar. While permanent removal with vinegar is around a 50-50 chance, it will remove many of them from sight.
Related: Harvesting and Using Dandelion Roots – The Natural Detoxifier
Vinegar and Dandelions:
- Add one gallon of vinegar to a bucket.
- Mix in 2 tbsp of dish soap or 10ml per gallon.
- Spray the mixture onto weeds on a sunny day when it is warm outside. Ensure that you soak all exposed parts of the plant, avoiding the grass as much as possible.
- Repeat daily until the weeds die or as needed.
Say Goodbye To That Ant Colony
As stated above, vinegar can help you combat an ant problem. Mix white vinegar with water and spray it on areas that are infested. You can also spray the mixture directly on the anthill to quickly eliminate this pest.
Make Paint Stick To Cement
If you have ever tried to paint cement, you know the struggle. The paint will not adhere to the surface and always winds up peeling rather quickly. If you wash the area with vinegar before painting it, it will stick better and last longer.
Improve the Lifespan of a Wick
Oil lanterns are a must-have in case of an emergency. However, oil lanterns often flicker and fade. You can prevent this by soaking the wicks of lanterns in vinegar to help preserve them and make them more absorbent of the oil.
50 Survival Uses For Vinegar - Ask a Prepper
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