The Prepping Thread - A Newer Beginning ;)

-taff

I agree. It's shown me gaps in my prep but then, I didn't anticipate I would be making so much 'extra' food, bread, cakes etc.

Powdered milk, flour and yeast, tinned fruit/toms, good chocolate, tea bags, posh coffee, sugar will all be on my 'need a bit more of that' list. Not that I have run out of these things yet, but they wouldn't last a 12 week lockdown with no shopping [although I don't ave any of the first one, just UHT milk.

[Deleted User]

We've all been on a learning curve since this pandemic surfaced, we've seen how hard it can be to get something as everyday as a supermarket delivery slot and how much of our order isn't available when it finally makes it to your front door too! It would be worth starting a list of things that have been and still are hard to come by, things that are part of your 'individual everyday normal' so that when this IS finally under some sort of control and life goes back a little towards what we've been used to when we finally get open shops and the ability to go and buy what we need in person we'll know what to increase stocks of in our usual prepping. There will be gaps for all of us in what we stocked up with and probably not the things we thought we'd miss either although I suspect we're still vastly more comfy than people who usually shop day to day and don't run with a store cupboard.

Tink_04

I have started back in the garden, so far I have planted potatoes in bags and have some other seeds started on the windowsill.

I’m wondering as gardening is new to me if anyone can recommend any ‘starting to grow tour own blogs’ etc? Or places I can learn from?

I have a largish area at the top of the garden I’m busy weeding and clearing to grow in, hopefully I can eventually get a good bed in there. I don’t have much I’m able to use? I have a few tubs, compost, top soil and the few bits of seeds I have managed to accumulate. I’d love to have an organised area to plant but no idea how to use the space I have? 

Any idea welcome as I’m hoping to sustain us by growing more in the future!

Thanks

Tink

boultdj

Oh yes, I wish I had more plain flour in, wholemeal bread flour, condiments, and the list can go on, but yes, in a better starting place than a lot of people were.
I wonder how many will keep a store cupboard after this is over?

Siebrie

Tink_04, I recommend the BBC programme Beechgrove Garden on Friday nights, which also has a budget veg garden section. Maybe you can find more about that online/youtube.

Square foot gardening may be useful, too. It's all about how to get a proper crop from a small space, with minimal time involved, and minimal tools needed.

-taff

Tink , probably an idea to ask on the gardening forum. What I would say is grow what you will actually eat, not what you don't like. I start some of my seeds off in compost to cut down on the death rate when slugs etc decide to eat them but it's not necessary. You can sow direct into soil, especially potatoes, if you have soil, save your compost for something better.

When your area is cleared you only need to visually see where you're going to plant, it can be in rows, it can be in squares but whatever method you choose, make sure you have room to walk around the squares or walk down the rows.

What seeds have you actually got and what do you want to grow?

Tink_04

Thanks - I have started some off in pots as had some bits from last year in the shed. 

I’ve planted carrots and potatoes, lettuce and loads of beans outside and have courgettes and pumpkin seeds starting on the windowsill.

in don’t have anything for the beans to climb so trying to find something I can recycle. 

Oh and possibly herbs (not sure which) I will pot and start on the windowsill to see what grows! 

Maybe at the weekend I can start weeding the top patch and getting things planted up there, it’s a big job so might not get much this year.

if I can’t go out much I’m limited to what I can grow so just using up some seeds that I had in. 

Thank you I will check out those programs! 

daz378

You can only prepp so much  living in a flat....im buying quite few extra tins everyweek   building  on  what already was  a good stock....mainly eating from the freezer....to maintain cupboard stock....buying diet cokes   occasional treat  and filling full of water...and buying chippy   couple of times a week ...queues permitting......potential for globalisation  to reverse somewhat...supply  lines   to be tested as countries try to become more self sufficient.....the depression to follow may last a while.... it costs approx 3 billion a day to maintain this lockdown...stay safe

elaine241

Phew!! Just caught up! We have been lambing like mad and I had to stop and think what day it was as we are up at all times of the day and night!!
I braved the weekly shop today and it was not too bad although I went early. Not too many in the queue and I was wearing gloves, mask and had anti viral spray which I liberally applied. The shops seemed to have had a busy weekend but were not exactly bare, Lidl had everything including plain flour! I have been planting seeds like a mad woman as I too think that vegetables etc will either be short supply or very expensive. It seems a lot of country folk around here have got the same feeling and there are very many new and expanded vegetable gardens springing up in my neighbours gardens. As for spuds we used to grow them commercially. Seed spuds are the best as they are guaranteed disease free but if you can not find them shop ones chitted are a good alternative.I have salad potatoes, King Edward, Roosters and unknown variety that sprouted in the pantry! I am chitting a variety of shop bought ones to bolster my supply. The only thing with shop ones is that some are treated with a gas to prevent them from sprouting. I had a growing failure where none of my runner beans germinated, not sure how or why as I have never had this problem before. Got onto the local FB page for our village and a kind lady had some spare seeds and dropped them off by my gate. It seems this lock down has really brought out the community spirit locally with everyone looking out for everyone else. My OH really has taken on the idea that being prepared is a good idea although he still refers to me as the mad prepper woman!! He has seen that my store cupboard and preps have meant I have not had to panic buy anything including medicines /pasta etc. He is fully on board with the veg garden and has converted a huge area in a sheltered yard to a garden. Its a total suntrap and even today when cold I was boiling hot whilst preparing the soil. He turned up with a trailer full of rotted muck so I am all set to feed the village!
I hope this situation wont drag on for months but I have a feeling it will be with us for a long time. Partial lifting of lock down when things improve and tightening if, god forbid, things flare up in a second wave. I am building up my preps quietly to ensure we have plenty if we face lockdown in the autumn/winter. Being on a farm logs are never a problem as a tree is always falling over or dying somewhere! There's a huge oak that came down in a storm with my name on it for winter wood!! I am waiting for the lifting of lock down so that I can fill in any holes that have come to light during this time. I had what I thought was plenty of plain flour but it seems extra baking etc used up my stash quicker than anticipated. I am definitely going to make home made wine as I  ( and I know I am not alone here!!) have been drinking more possibly due to anxiety due to the pandemic and being home 24/7 with the OH and two teenage boys!
Stay safe everyone xx

euronorris

pineapple said:

MrsLurcherwalker said:

Question...do any of you feel this situation is going to carry on for quite some time to come? i.e possibly into next winter? and has the thought that even though we've prepped for now we might be sensible to consider starting to prepare for next winter and putting in a couple of extras now come into your heads? it's certainly just dashed through mine and I'm wondering if that's a sensible thing to have in the back of my mind or if it's overkill?

It's certainly going to last for people like me - unless they come up with a miracle vaccine. I'm stuck at home and getting into growing stuff again, but seed potatoes online are mostly sold out. They are now taking orders for next year!  Gardeners be warned.

I was lucky in that I had a local garden centre deliver some compost, wooden stakes and 2 bags of seed potatoes in first week of lockdown. Was more than I needed, but they didn't offer the option of just a few seed potatoes of each variety. So I dished the spares out to a couple of neighbours. Still had some left over, and someone on our local facebook reuse, recycle group was looking for some. So I offered mine, and left them on doorstep for her today. She has collected and is very grateful. Maybe other locals in similar positions, with extras to spare? X