Bulb or tuber

It is used to prevent blood clots and cerebral aging. It aids digestion and prevents flatulence. It is also used as a mosquito repellent. When eaten raw, it releases antiseptic properties.

Plant or herb

Basil is commonly consumed for stomach problems such as spasms, loss of appetite, intestinal gas, diarrhea, and constipation. It is also used in teas, infusions, baths, and botanical massage oils.

Plant

Watercress boasts many important vitamins and minerals, including over 100% of the recommended daily intake (RDI) for vitamin K. Watercress is extremely high in antioxidants which may help prevent chronic diseases, such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease. Add to salads and green juices/smoothies.

Tree [bark]

Has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. Cinnamon lowers blood glucose levels in patients with type 2 diabetes. Use in teas, add to jarabes or homemade cough syrups made with honey and lemon, suck on a single clove raw, and include it in botanical oils for the skin.

Bulb or tuber

The possible health benefits of consuming onions include mood improvement, and healthy skin and hair. Use in food preparation. Add to jarabes or homemade cough syrups made with honey and lemon.

Fruit shrub or tree

These fruits work as antidepressants (mood lifters). They have antiseptic properties; they can be used to clean and as stain removers. Add to teas, infusions, botanical massage oils, aromatherapy, alcoholates or alcoholados. Drinking their juice and eating these fruits releases some beneficial properties.

Flowering plant

Supports new tissue growth during wound healing process and decreases swelling in the mouth and throat. Use this flower for your tea, make it into an infusion, and use in baths.

Flowering Plant

Clove oil contains a chemical called eugenol that may help decrease pain and fight infections, but more research is needed. Use it to make tea, add it to jarabes or cough syrups made with honey and lemon, suck on a single clove raw, and use it in botanical oils for the skin, alcoholates or alcoholados

Tree

Might be able to break up mucus in people with asthma. Eucalyptus oil contains chemicals that might help pain and inflammation. Use these leaves for teas, infusions, green juices/smoothies, baths, botanical massage oils and ungüentos or medicinal ointments.

Root

May help relieve or prevent nausea and vomiting. Some studies show that ginger may help nausea caused by chemotherapy. Use in teas, infusions, green juices/smoothies, baths, botanical massage oils and ungüentos or medicinal ointments, compresses, condiments, alcoholates or alcoholados.

Plant/Herb

Lemongrass is an insect repellent, it helps to treat anxiety, gastrointestinal problems, and induces sleep. Use for teas, juices and green smoothies, baths, and essential oils for your skin.

Woodsy Shrub/tree

These leaves help treat muscle pain and work as a natural insect repellent. Use in baths, botanical massage oils and ungüentos or medicinal ointments, compresses, and alcoholates or alcoholados.

Plant/Herb

Marjoram is commonly used to relieve symptoms such as runny nose or cough, as well as to treat colds, infections, and various digestive problems. However, there is no clear scientific evidence to support these or any other uses. Use in teas, infusions, green juices/smoothies, baths, botanical massage oils and ungüentos or medicinal ointments, alcoholates or alcoholados, and compresses. It is also included in condiments, in vinaigrettes, and is added raw in salads.

Plant or herb

Lemon balm is used for digestive problems, including upset stomach, bloating, flatulence, vomiting, and colic. Many people believe lemon balm is calming, so they take it to treat anxiety, sleep problems, and restlessness. It is used in infusions, green juices/smoothies, baths, botanical massage oils, ungüentos or medicinal ointments, and compresses. It is also used in condiments, vinaigrettes, and added raw in salads. Lemon balm is proven to treat herpes simplex virus 1 and 2.

Plant or herb

Mint oil is used topically for tension headaches. Mint is also used in tea blends, infusions, green juices/smoothies, baths, botanical massage oils, ungüentos or medicinal ointments, compresses, condiments, and even in home cleaning products.

Tree

Used in traditional medicine for skin conditions and for stomach ailments. It is also used as a disinfectant against pests and parasites. The oil is used to get rid of pests in agriculture. Neem leaves are used in capsules. Additionally, oil is extracted from its seeds and is used as a curative massage oil.

Plant or herb

Oregano is taken orally for respiratory tract disorders such as cough, asthma, allergies, croup, and bronchitis; it is also taken orally to treat stomach disorders such as heartburn, bloating, and parasites. Oregano oil is used for skin conditions including acne, athlete's foot, dandruff, canker sores, warts, wounds, ringworm, rosacea, and psoriasis; it is also used to treat insect and spider bites, gum disease, toothaches, muscle and joint pain, and varicose veins. Oregano oil is also applied to the skin as an insect repellent. It is included in tea blends, broths, condiments, baths, botanical massage oils, ungüentos or medicinal ointments, compresses, jarabes or homemade cough syrups, alcoholates or alcoholados, and even in home cleaning products.

Flowering Vine

Black pepper might help fight germs (microbes) and increases the flow of digestive juices. Black pepper is applied as a natural topical pain reliever. It is also used as a condiment, is chewed raw or included in tea blends. It can be included in baths, botanical massage oils, ungüentos or medicinal ointments, and alcoholates or alcoholados.

Flowering Plant

This plant is a mint but its ingestion can prove toxic for the liver. It is used in teas, infusions, green juices/smoothies, baths, botanical massage oils, ungüentos or ointments, compresses, and alcoholates or alcoholados.

Plant, can grow to become a bush.

Rosemary is used for digestive problems, including heartburn, flatulence, and loss of appetite. Rosemary is also applied to the skin for preventing and treating baldness. It treats circulation problems as well. It serves as a condiment, tea, aromatherapy essential oil, massage oils, and ungüentos or ointment.

Bush, can grow to become a tree

Reduces cold and flu symptoms. While berries are rich in nutrients, raw elderberries are inedible and must be properly cooked before they can be ingested. Use elderberries to make teas, jarabes or cough syrups, green juices and smoothies, baths, and alcoholates or alcoholados.

Thick-leafed plant

Helpful for minor burns, aloe vera gel should not be confused with aloe juice or aloe latex, both of which contain potent laxative substances. You can harvest its “crystal”, the slimy and transparent flesh interior, by carefully skinning each leaf with a knife. Use in infusions, green juices/smoothies, jarabes or homemade cough syrups, compresses, and other applications.

Plants, particularly vines, can be placed vertically and trellised along a wall. Growing plants vertically maximizes space use, making it an ideal alternative for growing edible plants indoors (herbs, microgreens, lettuces).

• Indoors
• Outdoors (ground, walls, roofs)

PROS

• Grows in indoor and outdoor conditions.
• Works in a variety of configurations.
• Can run with an automatic drop water system.
• Grows a limited range of native species.will limit a plant’s growth particularly trees
• Grows a limited range of native species due to limited root growth in containers.

CONS

• Grows a limited range of native species.

This method provides the most versatility in terms of plants that can be grown. Root vegetables and tubers, for example, may do better directly in the soil. Additionally, growing foods directly from the soil supports shading of property and improves the soil’s structural stability (decreases the risk of runoff during flooding).

• Outdoors

PROS

• Grows outdoor.
• Works in a variety of configurations.
• Can run with an automatic drip water system.
• Benefits from intra- species soil biodiversity.

CONS

• If soil is contaminated, ground growth is impossible.

• Buy seeds at a store or at a seed sharing community. Store in a dry and dark place.
• You can begin your garden by sprouting seeds or by getting plant seedlings or cuttings, from a local nursery or neighbor, that have already grown to 6 inches or more.

• Track the date the seeds were planted.
• Purchase heirloom seeds: these are passed down from generation to generation and are not genetically modified. A good place to buy them is Seed Savers Exchange. For more information, visit www. seedsavers.org/
• Prepare the soil, especially if its sandy or loamy: Sandy loam leaks organic material and improves with organic mulch and compost that can be prepared on site.

• Plant seeds in a shallow, perforated planter, also known as a seed starter.

• Do not plant your seeds in too deep! A good rule of thumb is to place them less deep than their own width.
• An egg carton can double as a seed starter planter.

• Choose your planting location according to plant requirements. Pay attention to the:
• Type of soil
• Available sunlight or shade
• Identify closest source of water

• You will need about 6 to 9 inches deep of good quality soil for best results.
• Although you are often limited in terms of available plots for gardening, design your layout in such a way that you maximize south-facing exposure so that your plants benefit from maximum sunshine in the mornings.
• Elements that could limit sunshine exposure include large trees, walls, and surrounding buildings.
• The parts of your plot that are exposed to shadows are great for seedlings and shade plants.
• Lay out the garden toward the sun for maximum light. Avoid laying out the garden in depressions where water may accumulate, hillsides subject to a lot of water runoff, and where trees, shrubs and buildings would shade site.
• Site your garden in flat land if possible. If not flat, then lay it out in terrace land to create flat surfacing.

• Know your soil and prepare it:
• Remove all weeds
• Till to oxygenate the soil.

• Plant directly into your soil if it is dark and has good drainage.
• You will need to determine type of soil in which you will be planting to determine drainage capacity of soil. If your plot has high amounts of clay, you may benefit from relocating your plot along a slight slope to facilitate draining.
• Create a narrow (1” W by 10” L) ditch on the highest point of your garden to control the speed of the water that runs down your plot.
• Although less relevant in urban settings, check if there is a barrier between your garden plot and any large animals such as dogs, cats, rats, or chickens. These can physically alter your garden and/ or introduce unwanted pathogens.

• Prepare your soil with nutrients
• Add organic nutrients if necessary.

• If soil is too loamy, water and nutrients will wash out of the soil. Keep soil healthy for nutrient retention.
• If it the soil is too dry, you may need to add nutrients to it by mixing it with potting mix and peat moss.

• Once they reach a height of 6-8 inches, transplant your seedlings from the seed starter to the site.

• Move roots carefully and protect them from sun or damage with a cloth.
• Place gently in a dug-out hole, and pat and water with care so as not to overwater.

• Water plants according to its species’ needs.

• Healthy plants are more resilient to pests. Check that the soil is healthy, that its fertility is maintained, and that soil temperature is kept relatively stable with mulch. Preserve organic matter in the soil to hold soil moisture and diminish water stress in plants.
• Watch out for any plagues or pests. Increase your plants immunity by maintaining healthy balance of water, liight and well aerated soil which supports the variety of bacteria, protozoa, fungi and algae that supports the root zone around your plant and your plants immunity to disease.

• Continue to add nutrients to soil as needed.

• You can add a natural fertilizer, like homemade compost, up to once a month.
• Keep track of the rain so you do not saturate the plants with water.

• Till between crop cycles to oxygenate soil

• Keep track of the rain so you do not saturate the plants with water.

A solution with nutrients is recirculated through channels where the plants grow. The roots are not completely submerged in water.

It works as a combination of raising both fish and vege-tables or aquaculture and hydroponics.

Nutrients and water are led to the plant by capillary action from a container with the mixture.

• Identify your budget for equipment as well as greenhouse assembly.

• Consider cutting costs by fabricating your own containers and channels for the growing systems.

• Identify site location and whether you will be growing indoors or outdoors.

• Consider a site with the following resources:
• Access to electricity for lighting, fans or pumps.
• Access to full sunlight (and if there is not enough sunlight, lighting must be supplemented)
• Access to full ventilation for stem and plant growth.
• Access to potable water, which can come from a well or domestic plumbing.
• Access to drainage when discharging tanks. This can be a slope or site design that can utilize and manage water.
• When growing indoors, you will need to supplement natural light with artificial light.
• If you are building a greenhouse, consider air circulation and the greenhouse site to take advantage of full sun availability and remove the need to provide lighting.
• Verify that the greenhouse can withstand strong winds, fires and flooding just like you would with any other structure.

• Identify plants (and if you also want to support aquaponics system with fish)

• Consider vine crops, like tomatoes, that can be vertically grown in areas of smaller size.
• Consider fast growing or “bolting” herbs that can be quickly cycled through the system as well as highly valuable herbs for bartering, taking to market or that are well- preserved.

• Choose growing substrate

• Always allow the substrate to drain in between watering times since this invites new and oxygen- rich air inside. Confirm that whichever hydroponic substrate you choose does not contain too much salt or elements that are harmful to plants and/or people.
• Rockwool (spun wool substrate)
• Lava rock
• Clay pebbles
• Coco coir (made from coconut husks)
• Peat moss

• Types of Nutrients

• Growers can buy a 'pre-mixed' nutrient solution which simply needs to be diluted (for liquid concentrates) or dissolved in water before use. There are problems that can, and often do, arise with deficiencies of one or more of the nutrient elements. Common problems in-clude: (1) low nutrient strength, resulting in insufficient nutrients for the plants in general; and (2) The nutrient formula you are using may not be completely bal-anced, and one (or more of the elements) may be defi-cient. If growing fish, you will need to ensure they have enough food available, in addition to plant roots.

• Water and pH level maintenance

• Ensure that there is a source of potable water on site.
• Ensuring correct pH levels in the water of the plants keeps them healthy in a hydroponic gar-den because it affects how plants “uptake nu-trients”. The pH level is a measure of the acid / alkaline balance of the water in your hydropon-ic system, also known as the nutrient solution. An incorrect pH level will reduce or completely lock out the amount of nutrients a plant can ab-sorb and eventually destroy it. A pH of 7 is neu-tral and most plants prefer a neutral pH, alt-hough some plants do better within a certain pH range.

• As you add nutrients to your garden, you may notice an increase or decrease in the pH level of the soil or water in your garden.
• * If you are growing fish, their waste product will in-crease pH level. Therefore, monitor the pH level to en-sure fish survival.

• Utilize integrated pest management (IPM) for all crops. This is a method used to manage pests without pesticides or harmful chemicals (See Strategy 14 Manage Pests).
• Purchase nutrients from organic sources.

Jarabe or “Cough Syrup”

• Crystal from two aloe vera stalks/leaves
• 1/2 raw yellow/white onion
• 2/3 Cup of lemon juice
• Honey [choose unfiltered for maximum benefit]

Blend all of these ingredients together and let mixture rest until foam that forms on the surface is gone. Drink before meals and before bed. Yields enough for 1 adult, 4 doses [1 day].

Hand Sanitizer

• ½ part “alcoholado” infused with “Malagueta”
• to do this, take 1 bottle of “alcoholado”, empty ¼ part and fill up with malagueta to the brim. Leave to infuse at a cool, dry place and use whenever needed.
• ½ part water

Put in a spray bottle and use as a sanitizer for your body and around the house.

Juices/Teas to alleviate chikungunya, dengue and zika virus symptoms [anti-inflammatory properties]

• Blend 1 papaya tree leaf [without central vein] with 4 to 6 ounces of water. Drink 2 ounces at a time, at least 4 times a day until symptoms recede.
• Freshly pressed orange juice fortified with aloe vera and honey. Drink liberally.
• Green mango tea made by boiling peel and flesh together with cinnamon bark and West indian bay tree seeds. Drink at least 4 times a day until symptoms recede.