Preparedness for when

nuatha

mummy2threeboys wrote: »

All very interesting on food dehydrators..I saw a used once one on ebay for £25 inc delivery but was a round one. May have to look at it more. Also that I can dehydrate in the slow cooker. I honestly don't think I would use it that much. Shame we do not have a share scheme around here.

You can dehydrate with a conventional oven, though the running costs will be a little higher, this is offset by the lack of initial outlay. If you have a gas oven with a pilot light, these can be used for dehydrating without any additional cost.

Herbs can be dried hanging on a rack in a reasonably warm room (a friend has two maidens in her kitchen for this) its also possible to build solar dehrydators.

[Deleted User]

I don't know if this is universal but we seem to be finding some new pests on our crops this year, I noticed that the strawberry flowers were being shredded a while ago and found we have 'WESTERN FLOWER THRIPS' new to me as a pest but we've sprayed and all seems OK at present, they also attack blackberries, loganberries, tayberries etc. so we've sprayed those too! This morning I've noticed some of the ripe strawberries have patches of paler very soft flesh so likely a mould/mildew I've removed those affected and disposed of them in the dustbin. Picking the asparagus I found brown and cream beetles which I've looked up and we have ASPARAGUS BEETLE which I'd heard of but never seen before again it's easily treated and controlled but given that some of us have had patchy germination too it might be a sparse year for home grown produce and would be very worth keeping a really close eye on anything you are likely to be able to harvest rather than let it be spoiled by some new pest we've not had before. I'm wondering if this might be an unwelcome result of global warming, that pests and diseases previously killed off by our normal winters will now thrive and run rampant? Jut flagging up that it might be worth taking any 'differences' in growth seriously just in case.

elona

Just wanted to wave Hello as my laptop met a tall glass of soft drink a few days ago and it did not go well!!!


I am having to use the library computer to type this and also to order a new chromebook. I even hd to change my password!!!


My kitchen is now a sink. two sockets and a microwave so I am having to be quite creative. The previous owner bodged the electrics so badly I need to spend an extra £1500 to make things safe! I went to choose paint and wood flooring this morning and am hoping the bleached oak floor will go well with pale grey paint on the walls and ivory gloss units.


Now look as if kitchen will not be done till next week and I am trying not to freak out at the chaos!!! It will be worth it in the end!! I hope!

greenbee

I'm still in recovery Elona... 10 weeks of chaos and a week to (mostly) clear up. Still snagging to do, but I need to make a list. Which I will when I have caught up on the work I got behind on while the builders were here.

elona

greenbee


I keep looking wistfully at those tv programmes that do half a house in a couple of days!!!


I know it will be worth it in the end but not feeling that chirpy just now. Maybe once they start painting the newly plastered walls and ceiling on Wednesday that will help. On the bright side the kitchen with breakfast bar and a wall of full size units at the other end for frige freezer, double oven and microwave will be really large. It looks massive as it is at the moment.


Fingers crossed for you.

mrs-moneypenny

Had home grown radish and lettuce in the salad for tea tonight. Even the boys eat without complaining and one is a typical teen who hates anything green or healthy.
Planted more radish as I've run out of them now.

Perplexed_Pineapple

In an idle moment I was watching the film "The Survivalist" from last year. In the early part of the film the main protagonist does something interesting with some bark that I hadn't seen before so I did some research (ok, put it into google) and found this that I thought you might find interesting:
http://www.primitiveways.com/birch_bark_tar.html

NewShadow

If you have an interest in bushcraft/'primitive' crafting, some of these how-to's might be of interest:

http://www.jonsbushcraft.com/Articles%20and%20tutorials.htm

I followed the basket weaving one fairly successfully last summer.

GreyQueen

Thanks for that linkie, NewShadow, I have book-marked that for happy reading. And reminded myself that midsummer is optimal time for making nettle cordage, plus my lottie neighbours have allowed a lot of nettles to grow on the backs of their plots (and hence onto mine) so's I have plentiful raw materials.

About time I refreshed my nettle cordage making skill and I can see a few other things on there I'm game for having a go at, I loves me a basket, I really do. So useful around both home and allotment.

Cappella

That's an interesting link NewShadow. Thank you

Originally posted by MrsLurcherWalker:
I'm wondering if this might be an unwelcome result of global warming, that pests and diseases previously killed off by our normal winters will now thrive and run rampant

Apparently slug and snail numbers are increasing because the winter was so mild they didn't 'hibernate' at all, and continued to breed throughout the winter months. I've certainly noticed an aphid explosion this year. No asparagus beetles touch wood; but lily beetles are a real pest and I've got so fed up with them I've dug out my lilies and composted them. It's a worry though if food crops are going to be hit by a combination of stronger native pests and new pests imported from abroad. I'm still seething about the prospect of our ash trees following our elm trees into extinction because our border controls are so lax when it comes to us importing goods and produce from abroad. I think we should follow Australia's example a heck of a lot more rigourously.

Our germination on the allotment has been good this year, but we've planted much later than usual as the soil was wet and heavy well into April. I'm wondering what the impact on our crop yields will be as a result, and if we need to think about that as a country in the long term. Global warming means wetter, rather than warmer which has implications for fungal infestations of cereal crops (I think)?

I visited Todmorden yesterday to walk the food trail, and to look at their efforts to increase food production in an urban environment.
http://www.incredible-edible-todmorden.co.uk
It was interesting, though I wasn't wholly convinced by some aspects of the scheme, but it may be a way forward for us all in the very long term as it certainly demonstrated inventive uses of waste space.