What have done towards your prep?

[Straight Shooter]

The reclaimed ground has finally been dug over , removed loads of stone and sieved it all , it was hard won , but it’s ready to grow ….a lot of effort for a not so big a patch , I will enjoy eating what that patch produces ! .

The seeds sown are now popping their heads up in the small test bed aquaponics poly tunnel , they will go out next week along with the other seedlings the sil had sown ….not before time ! But I will protect them with clotches and play it safe .

Ordered more heirloom seeds , stock for next year just in case , we don’t know what will happen so I am buying now ! And to be honest anything else I am going to need , replacement shafts and tools …..in fact everything and anything I can think of for producing food and preserving it ! .

As for food preps in general I am still buying dried stuff and storing in Mylar bags with oxi absorbers , when I tell you I’m out of room …..I just find some ? ……it’s coming up for a can inspection (again) ….that will sap up some time ….but from experience a big MUST DO for any of us .

With current world events unfolding Daley it’s easy to loose sight and perspective especially given the distractions put out by the paid for main media ! And the stuff of importance not reported on at all ! .
Prepping is just as urgent as it always has been …..now is not the time to to loose faith , it’s a time to double down on you preps , what’s coming none of us will not have seen the like ever before ! But it’s just my opinion

As costs are rising weekly along with inflation , do not be put off buying food preps ……I have news ….nothing is coming down anytime soon , bite the bullet and buy now ! While you still can , there will be times coming where you will not only be able to afford it …..it will not be available .

[Straight Shooter]

I did not take the risk of planting out last week after all , after looking at the forecast ! I will have a look after this coming Thursday 6th April , I have also put all the covers over the raised beds to play it safe .

I have transplanted some lettuce and tomatoes into the aquaponics ( the heater has been on for weeks and is still on ) some stuff has not germinated ! And yet most of it has and looks healthy ? And I don’t really know why ? .

I bought some CUCAMELON seeds today and have sown 15 of them ….they are sitting on the kitchen window cill the instruction said they need 20 to 25 degrees c to germinate , so that’s no problem in here ! …these are new to me so I’m looking forward to eating the buggers .

The can inspection took second place this week , cleaned the caravan instead in and out ! ….tested the central heating and hot water …all good except the shower waste was blocked , freed that up with a suction pump easy then noticed the drip from the mixer tap ….took that apart to find the ceramic part of the guts was broken in three , so I have ordered the new part ….should get it by Tuesday ! ……I will go through the rest of the check list tomorrow , should be ready to roll next week ! I have booked two trips so far , wild child needs a break ( cabin fever ) along with putting up with me ! .

Going cold again today , in-line with the forecast ! , should finish the can inspection this week , I have added more tarps and rope this week and topped off all the freezers .

[Straight Shooter]

The final tally on the caned food found to be suspect 23 tins of these tomato’s were top , fruit , and the rest veg ….all things considered i an happy ! The dried stuff is holding up well in the Mylar bags ! And tight as a drum . Some dehydrated stuff needs to be used up within the next few months …that’s normal ! .

Called up to johns farm this morning and recovered his poly tunnel , spiked it all down ( through a 6x1 treated timber all around the floor skirt , 20 mm steel pipe with a hook welded to them ) it’s not going anywhere ! ) plus we put a net over the cover this was hung on a 6 mtr 20 mm steel tube both sides then tied off the the ground using some timber stakes sledged into the ground for good measure …. I made pasties Friday night we enjoyed them with a nice cup of tea when we took a break ! …..freed up the zippers with some WD40 he’s happy as a chocolate frog ! He made some raised beds so they were moved into the poly tunnel ready to fill .

I took up some sweet corn in tubs and some french beans,lettuce,leeks , and some cherry tomato’s he has not put his first early potatoes in yet …..so I think that’s a job for this coming Monday ( for his future sil ) I did drop the hint when I was leaving ….and he turned up …..” no problem ! Loud n clear ! “ and I know he will get it done ! One of the things I have noticed lately is how family members think you will go on forever working hard because you always have …..NO that’s not what really happens especially with preppers ….we are stubborn bastards who will not submit to to age catching up and sneaking up on us ……..until the time we have to that is and the realisation we have become a right miserable grumpy old fart ! .

[Straight Shooter]

Sown seeds in five raised beds , spring onions , carrots , beetroot , peas , leeks . In the small poly tunnel I have sown some pak Choi and some courgettes , my brother is bringing up some tomato’s and cucumbers in a few days ….they are ready for the tubs ! .

I took delivery of butterfly netting ….enough to do everything ! …..down the big poly tunnel the aquaponics setup is slowly filling up with seedlings along with the self watering tubs ( float system ) how ever I spotted a leak in one of the grow bed tanks on the hydroponics set up …..we have removed all the clay balls …..I will reline the tank then reset it and bring it back online this week .

I am going to setup the self watering system in the next few weeks , I have all the gear at hand , it’s all fully automatic so I will not have to worry whist we are away.

I have dug out a trench 12 ft x two ft x a foot deep I am going to fill this with chicken manure and straw and let it break down for a year or two , it will become the new bed for my runner beans . Not started the bottom ground reclaim yet , it’s just to wet but I will revisit that this summer ….but there’s plenty of jobs to get done to keep me out the way of the traffic .

[Mortblanc]

I rebuilt the utility trailer this weekend. Not having a truck makes a trailer a necessity for me. I have been putting off several projects due to not have a way to transport supplies.

I had always kept a standard box body on it with walls 1/2 meter high and a rear gate. Walls and floor were plywood and every 5-10 years it would rot out and need replacing.

This time, since I have downsized my vehicle, I built a simple flat bed to cut weight. 1"x6" pressure treated rough sawed boards.

Our towing weight limits over here are different from yours. You guys pull caravans with rigs we will not allow to pull a garden cart.

[Straight Shooter]

I have been looking at all my manual gardening tools …..the condition of them and more important replacement parts and new complete tools for spares . I have always kept spare shafts for my folks, spades , axe , picks , sledge hammer and brooms , although I could make my own to a fashion , keeping purpose made shafts make sense for the shorter term , one thing I avoid is the metal or resin based shafts …..one thing I look for at car boot sales is old gardening tools ,they tend to be well made and built to last and have good quality metal , the only thing that really go,s is the shafts , so I have adopted the idea of all gardening tools I have must have the ability to change the shafts with timber ones , taking care of all gardening tools was drummed into me when I was a kid by my grand father ! Never leave your tools out or stuck in the ground ! …always clean after use and clean down with a oil rag and a light rub over the shaft with a linseed rag and hang them up in the shed where they live “ take care of your tools and you will always have food to eat “ keep your tools sharpe and clean always ! Plucking a hair from my head passing it on the the blade of his jack knife where the two pieces fell to the floor , as he removed the pipe from his mouth and puffing out a cloud of smoke ….just like that see boyo !

Wheel barrows , always have a good puncture outfit , spare wheel and tube and another spare complete spare wheel , always leave your barrow upright ….never flat ! Always clean after use and use the oil rag in the bowl in and out ! …..oil the wheel …… ever wait for the squeak !

So in short , growing your own food has now become more important than ever imo , get your tools ready …buy good ones and look after them ……start growing now ! If you don’t know how to ….buy some books and learn how to ……and fast ! From planting to eating takes some time but the effort pays back big ! Start today ! .

[bigpaul]

we are still getting frost here.
scaffolding going up on Thursday for some minor roof work- starlings have made a hole in the fascia and have set up home, we have been telling HA about this for 3 years, they have finally got their fingers out and are doing something about it, if it was ours it would have been done long ago but repairs have to go through the HA. lazy sods.

[Straight Shooter]

BP ……if they allow kids and babies to live in damp fungi filled homes and a death happens as a direct account …..your starlings are way way down the list ! Which is fine , nothing these days is treated as it once was BP as you well know ….there was a time when you could report a fault and get some action within days, maybe weeks
Those days are long gone and will not return anytime soon ! My big beef is the state of all road surfaces ….pot holes everywhere ! ……there’s no need for sleeping policemen with all the pot holes doing the job already …..why are we paying road tax ? It’s not being used for repairs that’s for sure ….the money is being diverted to fund other things ? I wonder how much the gov actually collect by the road fund licence tax ? .

[bigpaul]

if you want to see potholes come to rural Devon my friend. Devon is the pothole capital.
I have to have my tracking checked every 3 or 4 months due to the state of the roads.

[Straight Shooter]

Looks like last weekends frost took out some of the first potatoes l planted …only a short run ! All others are fine ! So I got away light .

The test bed aquaponics is producing lettuce , cucumbers, tomatoes ….they are all doing great !

The peas have popped their heads up ! All other seeds have not germinated yet but I am sure they will come along shortly .

I have sown my kidney beans yesterday 70 off John the farm will have some …( scarlet emperor ) .

Ordered more spare shafts some arrived today the rest are on the way and will all be here by Friday .

Crack on men ! .