What did you do Today to Prepare?

[a1fabweld]

I ordered a Giraud case trimmer to ease the pain of case prepping/realoding for my stash. I'm trying to make my way through a couple of 5 gallon buckets of 223 & 308 brass.

[Dave L.]

IMO, it's also a good idea to keep a gallon of bleach in your home stash & maybe some small bottles in your go-bags to kill bacteria in your stored water.

Bleach is not the best idea. Heavy, bulky and only a 6-12 month shelf life max.
Watch this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fsKU...eature=related

[Logicalpath]

Vegetable garden completed last night at 2am.

[NC_DAVE]

Vegetable garden completed last night at 2am.

good luck with the garden. This the third year have had one. Gardens are a lot more work than most people think they are. All three years I have had problems either bugs, deer&rabits, or just shitty soil. The first year I had a 50ft x 15ft. I am really trying to get a self sufficant garden( one that will grow and produce with out fertilizer and pesticides). This has been really hard. Aslo are you using GMO seed, or NON GMO so you can seed save.

[Logicalpath]

good luck with the garden. This the third year have had one. Gardens are a lot more work than most people think they are. All three years I have had problems either bugs, deer&rabits, or just shitty soil. The first year I had a 50ft x 15ft. I am really trying to get a self sufficant garden( one that will grow and produce with out fertilizer and pesticides). This has been really hard. Aslo are you using GMO seed, or NON GMO so you can seed save.

I actually built the garden and applied the soil(BCuzz HydroMix) & BCuzz Coco. I created a natural aquifer below it as well to avoid any potential contamination. The next step is the seeds or seedlings. As I told my wife this morning, "the easy part is done", to put things in perspective the building of the raised garden was not so easy...lol.

There is one more planter in the yard which I intend to utilize but I'm going to wait until I get the first one producing. I figure I'll learn from the mistakes I don't know I've made yet and then apply it to the second larger planter. If you have any suggestions from a seed perspective I am definitely interested in hearing about it. We live in Florida which makes a difference but regardless, I'm always interested in learning more.

[Ga Shooter]

I actually built the garden and applied the soil(BCuzz HydroMix) & BCuzz Coco. I created a natural aquifer below it as well to avoid any potential contamination. The next step is the seeds or seedlings. As I told my wife this morning, "the easy part is done", to put things in perspective the building of the raised garden was not so easy...lol.

There is one more planter in the yard which I intend to utilize but I'm going to wait until I get the first one producing. I figure I'll learn from the mistakes I don't know I've made yet and then apply it to the second larger planter. If you have any suggestions from a seed perspective I am definitely interested in hearing about it. We live in Florida which makes a difference but regardless, I'm always interested in learning more.

This is what people do not think about when they buy a can of Victory Seeds!!! That is great for your first crop but make sure you have plenty of stored food until the garden starts producing. I have done a garden for the last several years and getting viable seeds for the next year I find to be the hardest part. Things I have learned:

1. Things that tase better when picked smaller or green (peppers,Zucchinni, Squash, Cantelope, etc.) some should be left on the vine until big or over ripe in order to produce hearty viable seeds.

2. After you harvest the seeds dry them on a paper towel in indirect sunlight for 2 weeks to dry them.

3. Store in freezer if possible so they will go dormant

4. Harvest about 4 times as may as you think you will need.

5.Okra seeds should be soaked for several days before planting

6. If starting seeds before the last frost putting you seed bed on a hot pad raises soil temp to about 80deg F increases success rate.

YMMV

[PA PATRIOT]

good luck with the garden. This the third year have had one. Gardens are a lot more work than most people think they are. All three years I have had problems either bugs, deer&rabits, or just shitty soil. The first year I had a 50ft x 15ft. I am really trying to get a self sufficant garden( one that will grow and produce with out fertilizer and pesticides). This has been really hard. Aslo are you using GMO seed, or NON GMO so you can seed save.

I would suggest using your grass clippings during the summer as fertilizer in your garden, its free and it has worked for me over the years. Just put a good layer around your plant bases and thats it, in the late fall I mix in collected leafs with the ground soil and let it break down over the winter. Natures natural and free fertilizer!

I also had problems with the bunnies and deer making raiding runs for mid-night snacks on my garden so I invested in a wire deer fence which was not all that expensive and lasts for many years.

[MarshallDodge]

My wife and younger son weeded the garden yesterday. We keep a thick layer of mulch over the soil which keeps the weeds down really well.

I keep an ammo can full of ammo to grab in case we need to get out fast. My wife and I went through it yesterday...shotgun ammo, check...22 ammo, check...pistol ammo, check...it was at that point that I realized that there wasn't any 223 ammo!

[NC_DAVE]

As GA shooter stated start with seeds. Try and pick a variety that of plant that does well as other locals or just try on your own. Never buy GMO, if you wish to save your seed for future gardens. GMO stands for Geneitcally Modified Organism, while they make for a first great crop their seed will not grow if saved and replanted.

I would also highly advise composting, healthy soil allows good micro organism to grow. Good micro organism help keep bad bugs at bay.


Also I would suggest a good reference book. I think Tomatotos love carrots is kick ass. Is is a little old but is good for intercropping which helped my squash out this year(planted radishs with squash kept the apids out this year). The book also tells you how to make nature pesticides with plants you may already have in your garden.
I am by no means an expert, but I have learned from a few mistakes, and read a hell of a lot. If you have any questions PM me.

[Logicalpath]

As GA shooter stated start with seeds. Try and pick a variety that of plant that does well as other locals or just try on your own. Never buy GMO, if you wish to save your seed for future gardens. GMO stands for Geneitcally Modified Organism, while they make for a first great crop their seed will not grow if saved and replanted.

I would also highly advise composting, healthy soil allows good micro organism to grow. Good micro organism help keep bad bugs at bay.


Also I would suggest a good reference book. I think Tomatotos love carrots is kick ass. Is is a little old but is good for intercropping which helped my squash out this year(planted radishs with squash kept the apids out this year). The book also tells you how to make nature pesticides with plants you may already have in your garden.
I am by no means an expert, but I have learned from a few mistakes, and read a hell of a lot. If you have any questions PM me.

Thanks, I was actually going to ask if either of you had a good reference book or site. I expect to make plenty of mistakes, I've told a few people that this is going to be trial by fire. That said if you have any other useful resources that I could learn from it's appreciated.