The Prepping Thread - A Newer Beginning ;)

-taff

If you're going to feed them once a week then I wouldn't use a sack each, just cut one sack in half and put one in each half. Compost bags have little holes in them anyway so don't cut any till you've found out where yours are. And, as above, slit up a hole above the base to ensure the compost stays moist.

You'll need a bamboo cane to grow them up, tie them not too tightly the stem will get thicker. I would tie a tight knot around the pole, then tie the stem in to ensure no slippage when tey get a bit heavier. If they are cordon tomatoes, you could pinch out the sideshoots to encourage more fruit, but if they are a tomato like millions of cherries or something small/cherry sized, I would leave them to do their thing.

Suffolksue

You can buy special grow  bags But your solution will work .stake them, old bamboo canes ideal ,you will need to tie them up .they grow a lot quickly ,!they need a lot of water .
people a lot more knowledgeable than  me will tell you about removing side shoots ,I can do it but not explain in words .
good luck there’s nothing nicer Than homegrown tomatoes ,

DigForVictory

Thank you all! I shall prod the bags carefully & find lengths of tree trimmingS to tether the growing plants to. I look forward to reporting how they do (as last we tried this, it rained in a way that would have Noah reaching for his hammer again.. !)  

Si_Clist

Meanwhile ... everybody up to speed with their prepping and ready to face whatever happens next?

This on the BBC News site at 7.15 this evening ...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-53227219?intlink_from_url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/coronavirus&link_location=live-reporting-story

with the WHO's Big Cheese quoted as saying "We all want this to be over. We all want to get on with our lives. But the hard reality is this is not even close to being over."

missychrissy

I don’t think we can possibly be over it yet. 

I watched a programme a couple of years ago about what would happen if we had a repeat of the 1918 flu epidemic. Worldwide over 20 million people died. The programme was scary about how society would fall apart especially as we are now much more dependent on modern technology. 

So far, with COVID 19, just over £500,000 worldwide have died. We cannot afford to let this escalate.

Thriftygifty

I'm having such a wobble mentally at the moment and fallen way off track with prepping, DH is still furloughed, I am trying not to worry although it is hard not to.  I don't think what I have in the cupboard is quite right it's all a bit random, I think I need to do a stock take and massively increase numbers but with limited funds.  The veggie plot has decided to fight me and not grow as I wished, my tomato plants have flowers however they are only about 2/3ft tall, the cucumbers look ok for now, my broccoli apparently has butterfly eggs on it although i'm not sure on that one and my runner beans seem to be yellow with very little flowers, i've written this years growing off, I will continue with whats there however I am going to plan and research next years growing and get the seeds sooner rather than later, also I am going to look at putting our name down for an allotment, the waiting list is very long but we will see.  Our garden badgers whom I thought randomly appeared seem to be locals, the noises that we have been hearing for weeks is actually badgers (not mass gathering of rats as I thought, phew!)  they seem to have a set path through the garden, I looked out of our window and there was one with a cub and the following night there were 2 adults, they have left the veggies alone for the time being which is a relief.  My first Christmas purchase arrived today for our new baby, Christmas will be very limited this year, i'm making a list tomorrow of what to buy/make to make it special for the children and get it sooner inc food ie hot chocolate and Christmas cake ingredients. 
I ventured onto BBC news website "Flu virus with pandemic potential found in china" Oh great just what we need.  I am seriously considering becoming vegetarian. 

jamanda

My tomatoes are about the same as yours.  Don't worry, I think that is how they should be.  Put some gloves on and rub off the butterfly eggs asap or they will eat your broccoli - check under the leaves every day (I know!) and rub them off.  I've got some old kitchen pincers which I keep in the garden for removing caterpillers for those you miss.  Have the runner beans got enough water?  They like lots.
I haven't fallen off the prepping wagon, but can't seem to think clearly what we will need.  I've probably got loads of stuff of one sort and not enough of other stuff.  It is stashed in a crowded loft, so isn't easy (read nightmare) to work it out.  Also worrying about daughter with 3 teenagers and her preps.  I keep passing bags of what I think they might need with strict instructions not to use.  I reckon they do though.

elaine241

Thriftygifty said:

I'm having such a wobble mentally at the moment and fallen way off track with prepping, DH is still furloughed, I am trying not to worry although it is hard not to.  I don't think what I have in the cupboard is quite right it's all a bit random, I think I need to do a stock take and massively increase numbers but with limited funds.  The veggie plot has decided to fight me and not grow as I wished, my tomato plants have flowers however they are only about 2/3ft tall, the cucumbers look ok for now, my broccoli apparently has butterfly eggs on it although i'm not sure on that one and my runner beans seem to be yellow with very little flowers, i've written this years growing off, I will continue with whats there however I am going to plan and research next years growing and get the seeds sooner rather than later, also I am going to look at putting our name down for an allotment, the waiting list is very long but we will see.  Our garden badgers whom I thought randomly appeared seem to be locals, the noises that we have been hearing for weeks is actually badgers (not mass gathering of rats as I thought, phew!)  they seem to have a set path through the garden, I looked out of our window and there was one with a cub and the following night there were 2 adults, they have left the veggies alone for the time being which is a relief.  My first Christmas purchase arrived today for our new baby, Christmas will be very limited this year, i'm making a list tomorrow of what to buy/make to make it special for the children and get it sooner inc food ie hot chocolate and Christmas cake ingredients. 
I ventured onto BBC news website "Flu virus with pandemic potential found in china" Oh great just what we need.  I am seriously considering becoming vegetarian. 

You are not alone on the mental wobble!! All of us have had a wobble or three over the last few months. I had a major wobble this morning as I took my younger son into school for the first time since before lock down. I took them out before the schools shut down. He seemed fully relaxed about going in for the 2 1/2 hours a week they have deemed necessary. I on the other hand held it together driving there and had a tearful meltdown driving home, composing myself before going into the house as OH would just say I was being over reactive!. 
As for toms they could quite well have flowers on when little, that doesn't mean they wont grow. Give them a feed and make sure if they are in pots that they are big enough. As for your beans again put some sort of feed on them or compost, beans are pretty tough and will suddenly take off.
As for inventory again you are not the only one who is a little mixed up!! I found a bag of bread flour hiding down the back of a cupboard from 2009!! OK its useless for bread but prob OK for plain flour as it was sealed in a zip plastic bag, looks fine! On another thread they mentioned an app called No Waste that you can add all your ingredients in your store cupboard and their use by or best before dates. It would probably take ages initially but once you've done it keeping up to date shouldn't take that long. Plus you can choose what you want to keep track of if you don't want to do it all.
As for flu virus via pigs in China, don't go vegetarian just buy British higher welfare meat that you know has been reared to strict health and welfare rules. Chin up you've got this!!

baggins11

I am joining you on that wobble also Thriftygifty.  I have been doing ok but struggling of late.  I think finances are a big worry and I thought by September I would be up and running fully again but it looks at the moment like that won't happen if we do get a second wave.  My prepping has also been eaten away as we have been trying to reduce our outgoings so I keep dipping in on what we have in already. 

I have also had a really bad year crops wise and I don't know why as this year I have had more time than ever to tend to them.  The one thing that has done really well is cucumbers and they are delicious - so its cucumber sandwiches for us!

I have started taking my dd into school for 2 hours a week also Elaine.  To be honest it is a relief as I can tell it is really doing her good mentally as she was starting to go a bit stir crazy.  We have already had the virus though so it's probably a lot easier for us to take that step.  I don't know how I would feel about it if we hadn't already had it.

DigForVictory

I was ticking over when Middleson got a call-up to return to a work site for a week (he thinks)  before he's likely to go back into class (apprentice). So Saturday & Sunday we drove to & from the site, him regaining confidence driving & learning which lane to be in roughly when. Then Monday we both got up at 6 to drive in, both as his shift starts at 7.30 and so he could enjoy quieter roads. 
They weren't, much. Road traffic, while lower, was Up Considerably. The drive back, he actually had a bit of stop start traffic & his chat dried up to free up processing. Leaving me sat beside him, watching and trying not to say anything that wasn't supportive. That he's been taught to road position from the left hand kerb & I learned to occupy the middle of the lane (as being a bit short I can't always see kerbs unless I've messed with seat height or am in a lease 4 by 4) - we both got out relieved it was done.
He went in solo this morning & sent me a text reassuring me he was fine. It may be ridiculous to be relieved, but his brother's memorial lime tree will be delivered tomorrow afternoon. One of the few things we're planting that doesn't have a hoped for food payload.
Wobble? I'm about the shape of a weeble Anyway. Aye well, a stocktake & a careful stagger around with the liquid fertiliser will both help.