CRAZY PREPARED

[Reginald Ret]

edited to prevent thread derailment.


When watering plants try to avoid getting water on top of the leaves, most plants dont really like getting lenses on their leaves.

[Richter]

 

[East Coast Hustle]

edited to prevent thread derailment.


When watering plants try to avoid getting water on top of the leaves, most plants dont really like getting lenses on their leaves.

this problem can be avoided, of course, by watering at night.

[Nast]

Or in the morning so that the water has a chance to evaporate before it encourages the growth of mold and mildews.

[Triple Zero]

i suppose there must be another reason for why having water drops on your leaves is bad, because even if the drops are spherical, the focal point lies well below the leaf surface.

at least that's what i read in a really old "popular math magazine" (yeah) of my dad's.

[Nast]

Water on the leaves is bad because it provides a nice moist environment for mold, mildew, and plant disease to grow. Normally the moisture that gets on your plants leaves evaporates on its own, but if you live in a humid climate, you're better off aiming at the base of the plant, or watering in the morning.

[Reginald Ret]

People tan/burn faster when they are wet.
Sounds like a similar process.

I have found some sites talk about the salt content burning the leaves.

I am not sure what happens when and i am certain it is very dependent on the specifics of the situation.
This sounds like a perfect situation in wich to TFY,S.

[Elder Iptuous]

even if the focal point is beyond the surface of the leaf, the light will be more concentrated than would be otherwise.  doesn't necessarily prove anything, just saying is all....

[Richter]

Sounds right to me.  Going a bit farther, water, over the surface of skin, leaves or anything, is making a small increase to the overall surface area exposed to the sun.  IF, in that expanded surface area, even a bit extra light is refracted into the skin / leaf, then there would be a corresposding increase in the effect of said sunlight.  The only question is how small / large of an effect.   

For plants, though, in general, I've heard only apply water the soil / roots.  (in hydroponics, you do'nt water the leaves)  The leaves should only be moistened by a spray bottle set to mist, if at all. 

[the last yatto]

Whether the swine flu is a real concern, or an attempt by the pharmaceutical companies to make more money on vaccines, this might be helpful information. Forward this or post where-ever you like
Sources: Farmacy Herbs, Karlo Berger, American Red Cross.

Step One Prevention: If the flu hits your area the best practice is prevention
Tea: Sage, Skullcap, Oregano, Thyme, Elder Flower, Holy Basil, Nettle. 2-3 cups daily
Tincture: Echinacea 2x daily; 2 dropperful (One week on, one week off) Astragulus Tea (3 cups) or Tincture( 2 dropperful 3x daily)

Food; Miso, raw garlic, veggie broths, Cayenne pepper, Turmeric, organic veggies, meats and grains. Stay away from processed foods, food coloring and sugar and alcohol (sugars in the body feed bacteria and viruses) and coffee (coffee dehydrates the body and depletes you of vitamins and minerals that will help fight off pathogens).

Anti-Viral/ Anti-biotic Hand Wash: 10 drops grapefruit seed extract/ 10 drops tea tree essential oil extract in 1 gallon water
Antiseptic Spray for surfaces: Vodka, Water, Tea Tree Oil, Lavender Essential oil. Disinfect door knobs switches , handles, toys and other surfaces that are commonly touched.
Air Sanitizer: Simmer water on low heat in a pot with 5 drops Eucalyptus Essential Oil or 5 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil or Lavender Essential Oil

If you do come down with the flu, then focus on immunity!
If your fever is high, use lukewarm water, if your fever is not high, hot baths are okay. (Remember fevers are our bodies way of heating up to kill pathogens. Very high fevers are dangerous, but a low fever is actually good) Drink veggie and chicken broths with miso and raw garlic (tons of it!) and a pinch of Cayenne Pepper. If you have an appetite eat only organic brown rice and greens/ steamed veggies ( the simpler the better with food, if you put food that is hard to digest in your body, your energy goes to digesting, rather than fighting pathogens)

Air sanitizer: Water steam with Eucalyptus Essential Oil or Tea Tree Essential Oil or Lavender Oil (do this in the room every 5 hours)

Continue tea: Sage, Skullcap, Oregano, Thyme, Elder Flower, Holy Basil, Nettle. (1 quart daily.) add these tinctures 2 droperfull 3x daily Meadowsweet, Japanese Knotweed, Turmeric (keep up the echinacea and the astragulus)
Colloidal Silver: 2 squirts three times daily Vitamin C 20000 mg daily Grapefruit seed Extract: 1/4 teaspoon once daily.
Sleep Aids/ Pain Relief: Valerian, Chammomile, White Willow Bark, Lemon Balm, St. Johns Wort Take 1-2 squirts of tincture as needed or 1-2 cups of tea as needed Stay home and avoid sharing items with household members (pens, papers, computers, remote control. sheets, towels eating utensils, food.)

Caregivers should wear disposable gloves and wearing a mask when giving care. Clean sheets, bedding and clothes every day. Take baths with 10 drops of lavender essential oil and 10 drops rosemary essential oil and sea salt.

-- farmacyherbs.com

[Requia ☣]

Urg, alternative medicine.  And badly reasoned alternative medicine.

Lesse, the bits I know about...

Echinacea has been shown not to actually aid in curing illnesses, but it does provide mild relief of symtoms in at least some cases (this may be placebo effect, the study was only meant for determining of it cures it).  No idea about prevention, but so much about it is BS.

Organic isn't usually healthier unless you have specific health problems, sometimes its worse.  Sugar won't feed a virus either.

Cayenne is a coagulant, or an anti coagulant, I forget, I have no fricking clue how either would react to a flu infection, I'd talk to a doctor before loading yourself full of something your body isn't used to.  Spicy foods can help with mild respitory symptoms in my experience (loosens mucus), god only knows what it would do with a severe case.

I don't know about garlic preventing the flu, but it sure as hell makes me feel better, and reduced symptoms might be the difference between life and death (or just killing yourself to make it stop), eat it raw.

I love that it wants you to use expensive eucalyptus oil, instead of just using the plant.


Vitamin C: Critical to the immune system, its better to get it from food (oranges especially) than a vitamin supplement (lots of companies use cheaper versions of vitamins that the body doesn't absorb as easily).

White Willow Bark: You mean fuckign aspirin?  Except not even aspirin, the less effective more dangerous to use retarded cousin of aspirin.


I really need to find a reliable guide to what works and what doesn't in alternative medicine, instead of going through the few studies I can find by hand and learning by experience.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Where did you get your information on alternative medicine? It's terribly flawed, as well as being incomplete.

Some studies show that Echinacea does indeed act as an immunostimulator and, in 3-gram doses of the root, cut both chances of infection and the duration of a cold. Other studies that showed it does not, either used much smaller doses, or aerial parts of the plant.

Organic may or may not be healthier to consume, depending on what it is. The higher on the food chain, the more unwanted/potentially harmful constituents can be avoided by eating organic.

Capsicum is a coagulant. Use to prevent flu is questionable, but it does thin mucous and increase circulation, so it may provide some relief of symptoms.

Garlic actually helps kill viruses, as well as being an immunostimulant and an antibacterial. Eating a lot of garlic makes your body less hospitable to viruses.

From http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/willow-bark-000281.htm

Willow bark is used to ease pain and reduce inflammation. There is good evidence that it does just that. Researchers believe that the chemical salicin, found in willow bark, is responsible for these effects. However, studies have identified several other components of willow bark that have antioxidant, fever-reducing, antiseptic, and immune-boosting properties. Some studies have shown willow is as effective as aspirin for reducing pain and inflammation (but not fever), and at a much lower dose. Researchers think that may be due to the other compounds in the herb. More research is needed.

Eucalyptus oil isn't that expensive, and how are you supposed to use the whole plant in a vaporizer? Besides that, the damn stuff doesn't even GROW in most places.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Also, I would suggest ditching the term "alternative medicine" which includes rampant quackery, and instead focus on "herbal medicine", most of which actually does have a well-established scientific basis because the chemical constituents of thousands of medicinally important plants are known, and effects of many have been documented over hundreds of years. It might help narrow your quest.

A few books I can recommend:

The Herb Book by John Lust. Simple, but cheap, easy to read and a good starting point. Mostly useful as a quick reference.
The Scientific Validation of Herbal Medicine by Michael Lowrey. Comprehensive, excellently researched.
Weiss's Herbal Medicine. Expensive, but scholarly and very scientific.
Indian Herbology of North America by Alma R. Hutchens (if you live in North America).
Some sort of field guide to plants wherever you live. Several field guides is better, for cross-reference.

I've forgotten a lot of what I knew, but herbal medicine was my first love. Modern medicine has shifted to near-total dependence on synthetic pharmaceuticals, but let's not forget where pharmaceuticals came from.

[Reginald Ret]

Thanks for the herbal medicine booktips nigel.

[Novatore]

Listen i dont know if anyone covered this but having a strong cohesive network of friends is one of your best survival traits.

Become proactive now not just waiting for an inevitable (which is anything but). For instance consider the vast network of intentional communities, If you can provide something which will be mutally helpful for both them and yourself you will find yourself creating a much stronger infrastructure for yourself.

Explore carvans, biodiesal from algae and aquaponic systems.
Get yourself familiar with wild edible plants
Plantains which are seen on damn near every sidewalk in the world are very hardy and resilient plants whose roots break down concrete and are highly nutritious.

GEt to know your neighbors, in the even of collapse your ability to help out your immediate community will provide you the greatest edge in survival. Despite our individualist tendancy in the west we are social creatures and by becoming co-dependent on one another we can bring out the best in one another and foster greater prosperity even in the face of adversity.