After Nuked gardening

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poltiregist

poltiregist

poltiregist
Neighbor
Joined
Jun 24, 2018
Messages
1,540
Location
ozark mountains
Some of our members reside outside the Nuke target areas . After the Nukes stop a Global Winter is predicted . Which plants would be best for the survivors to grow . I would think plants that would grow under cloudy and cool conditions would be our survival garden plants . Would it be better considering the radioactivity levels to grow "above ground " or " under ground crops " ? Which plants are you considering for the " After Nuked Lifestyle " ?
 
poltiregist said:
Some of our members reside outside the Nuke target areas . After the Nukes stop a Global Winter is predicted . Which plants would be best for the survivors to grow . I would think plants that would grow under cloudy and cool conditions would be our survival garden plants . Would it be better considering the radioactivity levels to grow "above ground " or " under ground crops " ? Which plants are you considering for the " After Nuked Lifestyle " ?
Click to expand...

In theory, whether or not there is a nuclear winter (and how long lasting/severe) will depend largely on the types of detonations. An "air" detonation will push debris out more than up, where as a surface detonation, will suck debris high into the atmosphere where it will disperse there and float around for a long time.
 
Helen Back said:
I would think a tight greenhouse would be a decent option. Room, light, protection from falling particles. Getting to it may be the real challenge.
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I am working right now on designing my "earth sheltered green house" with a cold seep chamber. The only part above ground will be the skylights. The problem with it, at least from what I understand, is that while it will shelter from dust, it will not stop the penetration of certain radioisotopes through said skylights. ]

I am thinking might need temporary additional shielding of some sort, that can be removed once rads have returned to "acceptable" levels.
 
rainingcatzanddogs said:
I am working right now on designing my "earth sheltered green house" with a cold seep chamber. The only part above ground will be the skylights. The problem with it, at least from what I understand, is that while it will shelter from dust, it will not stop the penetration of certain radioisotopes through said skylights. ]

I am thinking might need temporary additional shielding of some sort, that can be removed once rads have returned to "acceptable" levels.
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Make your skylights have a bend with a mirror to redirect light. Most of the gamma rays will go right through the mirror and not make it around the corner.
 
I think one of the biggest challenges will be storing soil that contains the beneficial bacteria roots need to function. Bags of miracle grow potting soil sitting in a shelter for 3+ years will be completely dead. I suppose one could run outside and scoop some dirt up before the fallout reaches...
 
MNwr786 said:
Make your skylights have a bend with a mirror to redirect light. Most of the gamma rays will go right through the mirror and not make it around the corner.
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I was wondering about that. Being a cold war kid, I remember the home shelters always having a couple of 90 degree turns going in because "radiation can't go around corners"...was trying to find confirmation on that when I saw your post. TY!
 
poltiregist said:
Some of our members reside outside the Nuke target areas . After the Nukes stop a Global Winter is predicted . Which plants would be best for the survivors to grow . I would think plants that would grow under cloudy and cool conditions would be our survival garden plants . Would it be better considering the radioactivity levels to grow "above ground " or " under ground crops " ? Which plants are you considering for the " After Nuked Lifestyle " ?
Click to expand...
"If it were necessary to grow plants in the open during the first year, some plants are more resistant than others to ultraviolet radiation. The best are wheat, soybeans, rye, barley, alfalfa, and corn (all of which are excellent sources of nutrients). Though high levels of ultraviolet light may stunt these plants’ growth somewhat, they’d still produce food."

Getting Food After a Nuclear War - PrepperFortress

Don't know how valid the info is, will need to check it out but the article does raise a good point about between the chance of starving and possibly developing cancer in a couple of decades...
 
I didn't think corn had any nutritional value. It's just starch. I'd agree with the other plants though. It is not terribly difficult to store 2 or 3 years of rations and some seeds. The plants and animals around chernobyl are doing fine. I even remember a tv show where (i think it was the river monster guy) went fishing in the cooling ponds and the fish looked normal.

Would there really be an issue with UV light (I honestly don't know). I thought the ozone layer and oxygen stopped most of that (even a few inches of air stop the bad stuff). How could a nuke affect that?
 
MNwr786 said:
Would there really be an issue with UV light (I honestly don't know). I thought the ozone layer and oxygen stopped most of that (even a few inches of air stop the bad stuff). How could a nuke affect that?
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Corn is calorie dense at least so, would be good for that.
In the article they talked about some effect that the nuke blast has on the ozone layer, making a temporary hole that would repair itself within a short period of time.

6.9 g of protein

Micronutrients
% Daily Value*
Magnesium
·
93 mg
23%
Vitamin B-6
·
0.4 mg
20%
Iron
·
2.4 mg
13%
Potassium
·
315 mg
9%
Vitamin B-12
·
0 g
0%
Vitamin D
·
0 µg
0%
Calcium
·
7 mg
0%
Vitamin C
·
0 mg
0%
Vitamin A
·
11 µg
0%
Sodium
·
5 mg
0%
Cholesterol
·
0 mg
0%


*Bar represents Percent Daily Values and based on a 2,000 calorie diet with a max representaion of 100%. Your daily values may vary depending on your calorie needs.
 
protection.pdf (ki4u.com)

Protection of Food and agriculture against Nuclear attack. USDA 1962

I liked it because it explains a lot of details I didn't know.
 
an air burst will be an EMP, more likely to fry electrics and electronics than destroy buildings, more people could survive that but whether they could survive afterwards without power and fuel and no deliveries of food is something else.
 
poltiregist said:
Some of our members reside outside the Nuke target areas . After the Nukes stop a Global Winter is predicted . Which plants would be best for the survivors to grow . I would think plants that would grow under cloudy and cool conditions would be our survival garden plants . Would it be better considering the radioactivity levels to grow "above ground " or " under ground crops " ? Which plants are you considering for the " After Nuked Lifestyle " ?
Click to expand...
I think you may well be able to grow about anything you like . At least with what I have seen of the reels of footage with the Chinese atomic bomb tests. The people’s were out and about within a few days maybe sooner like a army of ants checking out their experimental gardens and whatever else to see how everything fared. And happily feasting upon the gardens in time for afternoon lunch.
 
bigpaul said:
an air burst will be an EMP, more likely to fry electrics and electronics than destroy buildings, more people could survive that but whether they could survive afterwards without power and fuel and no deliveries of food is something else.
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Bigpaul, I think you are confusing an air blast nuclear bomb with a high altitude nuclear EMP (HEMP). The EMP from an air blast nuclear weapon has a very limited range compared to a HEMP, which is detonated something like 250 miles up (it's in space...there is no air, so it can't be called an "air burst" or "air blast").
 
DrHenley said:
Bigpaul, I think you are confusing an air blast nuclear bomb with a high altitude nuclear EMP (HEMP). The EMP from an air blast nuclear weapon has a very limited range compared to a HEMP, which is detonated something like 250 miles up (it's in space...there is no air, so it can't be called an "air burst" or "air blast").
Click to expand...
sorry, I thought they were one and the same.
 
MNwr786 said:
Would there really be an issue with UV light (I honestly don't know). I thought the ozone layer and oxygen stopped most of that (even a few inches of air stop the bad stuff). How could a nuke affect that?
Click to expand...

Found this in MIT press

"The upper atmosphere includes a layer enhanced in ozone gas, an unusual form of oxygen that vigorously absorbs the Sun’s ultraviolet radiation. In the absence of this ozone layer, more ultraviolet radiation would reach Earth’s surface, with a variety of harmful effects. A nuclear war would produce huge quantities of ozone-consuming chemicals, and studies suggest that even a modest nuclear exchange would result in unprecedented increases in ultraviolet exposure. Marine life might be damaged by the increased ultraviolet radiation, and humans could receive blistering sunburns. More UV radiation would also lead to a greater incidence of fatal skin cancers and to general weakening of the human immune system."

The Devastating Effects of Nuclear Weapons | The MIT Press Reader
 
poltiregist said:
Some of our members reside outside the Nuke target areas . After the Nukes stop a Global Winter is predicted . Which plants would be best for the survivors to grow . I would think plants that would grow under cloudy and cool conditions would be our survival garden plants .
Click to expand...

Regarding the effects of a Nuclear Winter
This is some of the latest data of the expected effects.

" Recent studies with modern climate models show that an all-out nuclear war between the United States and Russia, even with today’s reduced arsenals, could put over 150 million tons of smoke and soot into the upper atmosphere. That’s roughly the equivalent of all the garbage the U.S. produces in a year!

The result would be a drop in global temperature of some 8°C (more than the difference between today’s temperature and the depths of the last ice age), and even after a decade the temperature would have recovered only 4°C.

In the world’s “breadbasket” agricultural regions, the temperature could remain below freezing for a year or more, and precipitation would drop by 90 percent. The effect on the world’s food supply would be devastating."

The Devastating Effects of Nuclear Weapons | The MIT Press Reader
 
bigpaul said:
sorry, I thought they were one and the same.
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Found this with a nice explanation.

1647274945074.png


High Altitude Burst : Detonation above 100,000 feet. Destructive forces do no significantly affect the ground (used to affect EMP/HEMP).

Air Burst: The fireball does not touch the ground. Detonation is below 100,000 feet and results in the greatest radius of structural devastation but, less fall out.

Surface Burst: Detonation occurs at or slightly above the actual surface of the earth. One of the greatest results of the type of burst is the amount of radioactive debris and fallout, and the force of the blast wave.

Sub-surface Burst: Detonation occurs under ground or under water. Depth determines destructive forces on the surface.


The Energy from a Nuclear Weapon (atomicarchive.com)
 
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I think there is an obvious solution to the effect fallout would have on soil and your ability to produce food.

Assuming you have time to prepare some land before the event , you would do so by rolling some black plastic film out to cover your best garden soil , cover it with an inch of soil or sand so it wont blow away , wait 3 - 6 weeks after the event for fallout to cease , put on your mask and booties and push the plastic back to allow use of the protected soil underneath for growing your food.

You still need a source of clean water , hopefully you have an underground spring you can pump from until the rivers are clean.
 
Amish Heart said:
I would do that and continue using grow lights in the basement for plants
Click to expand...

I think the first thing to do when you get down in your safe place / wine cellar / mushroom grow room is to take the seed pack marked "week 1" , pop them in some seedling soil mix and add water.

Assuming you might be in that room for at least a couple of weeks , then have the seed pack ready that is marked "week 3" so you hopefully dont have gaps in your production.

I am not sure how long i would have lights turned on for as the air filtration unit would have battery priority , i wouldnt rely on grid electricity but would use grid to keep battery charge as long as its there then switch to solar panels , being mindful that solar panels might be typically installed at 15 degrees but for our purposes would need to be steeper at 50 - 60 degrees to self clean of dust.

An alternative to putting plastic film over your soil is to make plastic covered igloos / hothouses as used by farmers all over the world as the dust will fall off / wash off except at the peak of the dome which could become heavy and collapse , if you can create a spray system to wash them down and deal with the weight then they could also be effective and grow your food uninterrupted during the event.

** note you would need to create drains each side of the igloo so the dust can be washed further away from your garden / habitation area , PVC half drains might be an option if your igloo is on higher ground
 
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bill harrell said:
I have a lot of nutsedge in one of my gardens, I've been trying to get it out for years. I have now come to the conclusion that it is gonna take some kind of nuclear event to get rid of it. Thank goodness.
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That nutsedge has edible nodes (nuts) in the roots. The leaves can grow straight through a tomato. It's as a big pita as is wild chrysanthemums. You have to bake the ground to around 140 F. Degrees for a few days
 
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