Monthly Archives: July 2018

Filling in the preparedness plan gaps

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I’m sort of done with the big picture planning, and now I’m going back to see what sort of gaps exist in my 1 year plan. I did this by creating a master Excel sheet with every plan item listed, with the quantity/storage location/justification for the amount. Once I did that, it was apparent which things were either missing or short. For instance, I had toiletries and hygiene items but had missed on the amounts and type.  Toothpaste and floss was short, and the wrong type (need powder for long term storage). Toilet paper was another. Once you get it all on paper, you can mentally run through everything you use regularly and see the issues. Calculating your usage is a must, and can be done within the sheet which is handy. One thing that tripped me up is my kid’s needs, when I first started they were preschool/elementary age but now are teenagers. That add two adults to the list, with different needs.

I am getting close to finishing up the 1 year prep plan, most things are in place and it’s a good feeling.  There is the question of how long to plan for, there’s nothing magic about a year but LDS uses it and it is a reasonable time frame.  Anything longer than that would either have to be dealt with by going full homesteader or going nuts on the amount of stored items. I just can’t see a reasonable scenario where I’d need 3 or 5 years with no outside supply or ability to grow food.

As a note, it’s time again to purge and check stock on my 2005 and 2013 items. I had socked away some things long ago that weren’t really meant to last, but they seemed to hold up OK externally. I’ll be sampling things and reporting back, stay tuned for that….

 

 

Potato growing year-round

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I’ve been growing potatoes on and/off for 5 years, and have finally gotten the process refined to the point of sustainability. The goal was to have a small quantity of spuds in the ground or stored at all times, such that they could be quickly planted and boosted to a staple crop.  Here’s the major findings:

  • Start with the smaller red potatoes in the grocery store as your root stock. I tried all kinds of white and heirlooms, plus seed and had no luck. The store red spuds always sprouted, and were hardy to heat and cold.  If you live in Maine or the NW US the others may be fine, but I’m bullish on the reds.
  • It will take a few seasons for your stock to adjust to the weather. Mine definitely got MUCH hardier after one full season, especially in the heat. I was shocked how well they adapted, kinda surprising. I’ve had them pop up in June and July after sitting in pots or the garden, after I missed them during harvest.
  • Leave unused potatoes in the ground. I tried to store them in a 65 degree cellar, with 65% RH and no light but they all sprouted and decayed. They seem to weather fine in dry soil, fairly deep.  I put a few in the fridge, they did last but I lost some to rot.
  • You should be able to get two or three good crops per year. Mine start in late February in a cold frame, done in late May/early June. Then another starts, with harvest in August/early September. Then the last starts, and will store in the ground until May without sprouting.
  • Potato towers and pots seem like a waste of time. I couldn’t get ANY tuber growth by piling up soil, just longer stems. My best results were had in small plots, with some hilling. Here’s just part of the haul from a 3×4 ft patch:IMG_2360

Not too shabby, and was not at the limit of what it could produce. I could have probably doubled this by using lots of humus, and careful hilling.

I really enjoy being able to dig a few potatoes whenever I want, definitely a fringe benefit of preparing….

 

More sorghum, and corn

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I have been trying all the available sorghum varieties, to see which ones yield the best and make decent syrup. This year it’s “Dale”, versus Sugar Drip and Mennonite from past crops. It is really fast growing, and has big seed heads:

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I originally planted Cherokee White Eagle corn in the center, then decided to add a row of sorghum on the outside to deter 2-legged varmints.  It worked, you can’t see the corn on the inside and the grain is rocking. I planted it the first week of June and it’s almost ready.  I tried planting sunflowers in that area, but only three seeds made it out of a hundred I sowed. Must be the soil, the same seeds did just fine in a planter of potting soil. I will run the syrup in August, maybe it will be sweeter than the Mennonite. BTW I used last season’s syrup to make molasses cookies, they were pretty good but still had a tang to them.

I think I need to start the sunflowers in trays, or augment the soil. It’s too clayey and dry I guess.  I tried a young ear of corn, it’s edible but not sweet. This is more of a dent corn, so it will need to finish and be dried for flour (which was the point).