Prepping for Spring

war-pointingI just finished a lunch meeting with Jayce discussing upcoming posts, some potential new authors, work (real job kinda work) and several other things.  One of the topics we discussed is that most of us (your authors) have posted few to no posts in the last month or two.  I told him I would write a quick post explaining that :)

We’re busy prepping!  Actually we really are.  During winter it’s a lot easier to spend your “free time” writing good posts.  In spring however, many of us are spending all our free time trying to get all the spring prepping and work done so that fall can be a productive harvest!  For the last 2 months or so I have spent all my free time moving to a new house (50 acres in Payson) and getting things arranged there.

I’ve got several posts lined up in my head and on my camera but haven’t had time to sit down and write.  I’m really hoping that during this week I’ll have time to do some quality writing, more than likely though it won’t be for another week or two.

In the mean time, I thought I would post some teaser pics of what I’ve been working on and what I’ll be writing on soon.

garden-raw

Here is our new place.  You can see the freshly plowed 200×50 garden just below the fence line.

chicsWe’ve got a batch of chics that we’re building a chicken tractor for.

war-and-peaceWe’ve got two new pups that we’ll be training as guard dogs to protect the kids and the house.  Their names are War and Peace.

650-startsAnd I’ve got over 650 starts planted and are much further along than this 2 week old picture.

I’m planning on writing extensive posts about all these and several other things that I’ve been working on the last couple months.  Sorry for not writing lately but we’re still prepping and hopefully you are too!

12 Replies to “Prepping for Spring”

  1. Thanks for the post, Phil. Yes, we indeed have been busy. I’ve been tilling for neighbors, nursing my Spring garden, and watching my second batch of starts. My broccoli, cauliflower, onions, and peas are doing well but I can’t get carrots to take. Does anyone have any advice for starting carrots? I slowly hardened this second batch over an entire week and they still don’t look like they’re going to make it.

  2. Thanks for the post, Phil. Yes, we indeed have been busy. I’ve been tilling for neighbors, nursing my Spring garden, and watching my second batch of starts. My broccoli, cauliflower, onions, and peas are doing well but I can’t get carrots to take. Does anyone have any advice for starting carrots? I slowly hardened this second batch over an entire week and they still don’t look like they’re going to make it.

  3. Wow, except for the green and the location we are busy on the same lines! My pups are Gus and Shawn, we have three garden plots that are equal to your one big one, and we have chicks in the school room:)in addition to many plants.

    We preppers understand that time is the key so posting and prepping although equally important to the cyber world, are not equal IRL as one needs to take care of ones personal needs first!

    By the way, is Peace the calm one? LOL

    Nice to know of someone so like minded~

  4. Wow, except for the green and the location we are busy on the same lines! My pups are Gus and Shawn, we have three garden plots that are equal to your one big one, and we have chicks in the school room:)in addition to many plants.

    We preppers understand that time is the key so posting and prepping although equally important to the cyber world, are not equal IRL as one needs to take care of ones personal needs first!

    By the way, is Peace the calm one? LOL

    Nice to know of someone so like minded~

  5. Carrots? Just plant directly and cover for a week. ITs best if you can sow shallowly under fine soil. If your soil is clayey, it makes it difficult for the sprouts to push their way through, especially if it gets wet and then dries out. I think that clear plastic could make it too hot as they sprout. I use clear plastic sometimes to kill pernicious weeds in the orchard. Leave it on for a day or so in the sun, and it kills just about everything underneath it. For carrots, I’ve had success covering with a nice loose layer of old straw (but make sure they have enough moisture first, as the straw can hold out rain/sprinklers fairly well). Then uncover a spot about a week later to see if they’re coming up. Once they start coming up, gently uncover most of the straw (enough to no longer impede their growth). Works well for other root crops as well. By the way, if you start something indoors, keep the light closer (within 2″ of the seedlings, not way up above as shown in the photo). Otherwise you’re seedlings will get leggy (elongated) and won’t have the vitality to grow well once transplanted (if they make it that far at all).

  6. Carrots? Just plant directly and cover for a week. ITs best if you can sow shallowly under fine soil. If your soil is clayey, it makes it difficult for the sprouts to push their way through, especially if it gets wet and then dries out. I think that clear plastic could make it too hot as they sprout. I use clear plastic sometimes to kill pernicious weeds in the orchard. Leave it on for a day or so in the sun, and it kills just about everything underneath it. For carrots, I’ve had success covering with a nice loose layer of old straw (but make sure they have enough moisture first, as the straw can hold out rain/sprinklers fairly well). Then uncover a spot about a week later to see if they’re coming up. Once they start coming up, gently uncover most of the straw (enough to no longer impede their growth). Works well for other root crops as well. By the way, if you start something indoors, keep the light closer (within 2″ of the seedlings, not way up above as shown in the photo). Otherwise you’re seedlings will get leggy (elongated) and won’t have the vitality to grow well once transplanted (if they make it that far at all).

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