What Preps are you doing this week? Part 8.

How are you preparing
Yorkshire Andy
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Re: What Preps are you doing this week? Part 8.

Post by Yorkshire Andy »

Jerseyspud wrote: Thu Feb 25, 2021 9:26 pm Current seeds are sprouting. Hoping that greenhouse arrives soon so I can get it up and pegged in
Don't rush looking like some more cold weather on the way unless your budgeting for a heater

Been there done that :lol: a frost is one thing but sub zero nights can wipe your new plants out in a few hours....

Last April in my wood frame glass glazed bubble wrap lined 8x6 greenhouse I came within about 0.4 of a degree above freezing. Even with a twin wick paraffin heater on high and a few 8 hour tea lights lit a very lucky escape
If your roughing it, Your doing it wrong ;)

Lack of planning on your part doesn't make it an emergency on mine
Jerseyspud
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Re: What Preps are you doing this week? Part 8.

Post by Jerseyspud »

Yorkshire Andy wrote: Thu Feb 25, 2021 10:29 pm
Jerseyspud wrote: Thu Feb 25, 2021 9:26 pm Current seeds are sprouting. Hoping that greenhouse arrives soon so I can get it up and pegged in
Don't rush looking like some more cold weather on the way unless your budgeting for a heater

Been there done that :lol: a frost is one thing but sub zero nights can wipe your new plants out in a few hours....

Last April in my wood frame glass glazed bubble wrap lined 8x6 greenhouse I came within about 0.4 of a degree above freezing. Even with a twin wick paraffin heater on high and a few 8 hour tea lights lit a very lucky escape
Definitely not budgeting for a heater! I'll keep an eye on the weather. Thankfully sub zero over night here isn't a major thing but will be good to have it up to harden them off during the day and get back in at night
when it comes to catastrophic events, we never know when the day before is the day before. So we prepare for tomorrow

Prepping on a small island
jansman
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Re: What Preps are you doing this week? Part 8.

Post by jansman »

I’ll second Yorkshire Andy’s advice. The second half of March onwards is soon enough to sow seeds. Saying that though,I do have tomatoes and chilli plants in advanced state in the tunnel.A combination of heat mats,cloches,fleece and a paraffin heater are keeping them alive! :lol: I like to try and get the drop on Mother Nature if I can! Still time if I lose them though.

I have paraffin heating for both the tunnel and the outside loo. In a grid down situation, it is a low- tech solution. I have always kept paraffin greenhouse heating,and a supply of paraffin,as if we were really SHTF,growing food as I do,would be imperative.
In three words I can sum up everything I have learned about life: It goes on.

Robert Frost.

Covid 19: After that level of weirdness ,any situation is certainly possible.

Me.
Yorkshire Andy
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Re: What Preps are you doing this week? Part 8.

Post by Yorkshire Andy »

jansman wrote: Sat Feb 27, 2021 5:17 pm I’ll second Yorkshire Andy’s advice. The second half of March onwards is soon enough to sow seeds. Saying that though,I do have tomatoes and chilli plants in advanced state in the tunnel.A combination of heat mats,cloches,fleece and a paraffin heater are keeping them alive! :lol: I like to try and get the drop on Mother Nature if I can! Still time if I lose them though.

I have paraffin heating for both the tunnel and the outside loo. In a grid down situation, it is a low- tech solution. I have always kept paraffin greenhouse heating,and a supply of paraffin,as if we were really SHTF,growing food as I do,would be imperative.

That's my job tomorrow to venture into the cupboard of doom (cupboard under the stairs) and get my
propagator out for my chillies
If your roughing it, Your doing it wrong ;)

Lack of planning on your part doesn't make it an emergency on mine
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Medusa
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Re: What Preps are you doing this week? Part 8.

Post by Medusa »

I also have tomatoes, chillies and bell peppers which I have just transplanted in our spare room. They are doing really well, but Im just not looking forward to the hardening off process when I have to spend ages taking trays of seedlings out to the greenhouse and bringing them back again every night. Oh well no pain no gain I guess, Im thinking that I need some kind of trolley on wheels which would make things easier. Had a poke around in the rhubarb tubs and found some shoots and also some maggots, which we also had in the raspberries when we split them. Guessing vine weevil grubs so have ordered nematodes. Horrid things.
Growing old disgracefully!
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peejay
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Re: What Preps are you doing this week? Part 8.

Post by peejay »

I spent today clearing down the greenhouse & veg beds getting them ready for the season (should have done it end of last year but was lazy!). Will be sowing some peppers/chillis tomorrow to start off in the house - I tried them last year but after procrastinating over them they ended up very leggy which didn't help their start - this year I shall just be getting on with it & doing less thinking!

In general I've had a real boost of mood these last few glorious days, got LOADS done as well!
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peejay
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Re: What Preps are you doing this week? Part 8.

Post by peejay »

They've been replacing gas mains in our village for a couple of months & reached us last week so today our gas is switched off all day whilst they connect our street to the main. Log burner is ticking over nicely :)
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Re: What Preps are you doing this week? Part 8.

Post by pseudonym »

Ability to carry 25 litres, with 3 means of resupplying camelbaks at a time.
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jansman
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Re: What Preps are you doing this week? Part 8.

Post by jansman »

Currently protecting tomatoes,cucumbers and chillies. They are doing great! Radishes,lettuce and forced carrots are doing well also.This weekend I shall start peashoots and various microgreens.Oh yes,I have Rocket new spuds in the tunnel too. The gardening year is moving on. I’ll be happy when I can start my Cosmos and Marigolds,’cos then it is warming up properly. :D

Also stocking up on bagged bituminous coal. My merchant has stopped delivery of 50kg open sacks,as he finds more profit in tipped loads of logs and bags of smokeless coal.Also at 60+ he doesn’t want to lift it..can’t fault him. I can get 20 kg of bituminous for £6.50, smokeless for £8.80. Big difference. I have enough for next Winter ( legal to burn), so we shall heat next year at this year’s price.The Eco- guilt- trippers may baulk at that,but the way I approach it is that wind turbines,solar panels and electric cars need fossil fuels to be produced and maintained ( and battery technology also relies on FINITE minerals). The very existence of mankind itself - just breathing and farting- creates greenhouse gas,but that is a convenient oversight.But I digress.

Started a drop of home brew this afternoon,and making sure that we have enough vinegar in for pickling later in the gardening year,as gherkins are my weakness! One thing I took from the first lockdown last year, is that you never assume that goods will be on the shelf all the time.
In three words I can sum up everything I have learned about life: It goes on.

Robert Frost.

Covid 19: After that level of weirdness ,any situation is certainly possible.

Me.
Bosworth
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Re: What Preps are you doing this week? Part 8.

Post by Bosworth »

jansman wrote: Thu Mar 04, 2021 6:55 pm Also stocking up on bagged bituminous coal. My merchant has stopped delivery of 50kg open sacks,as he finds more profit in tipped loads of logs and bags of smokeless coal.Also at 60+ he doesn’t want to lift it..can’t fault him. I can get 20 kg of bituminous for £6.50, smokeless for £8.80. Big difference. I have enough for next Winter ( legal to burn), so we shall heat next year at this year’s price.The Eco- guilt- trippers may baulk at that,but the way I approach it is that wind turbines,solar panels and electric cars need fossil fuels to be produced and maintained ( and battery technology also relies on FINITE minerals). The very existence of mankind itself - just breathing and farting- creates greenhouse gas,but that is a convenient oversight.But I digress.
I live in London and unashamedly raid skips for scrap wood. All heat is good heat!