Tuesday, February 3, 2015

February The Busy Season Begins





So many things February brings with it. The first part is usually still dealing with ice, snow and freezing temperatures. Shuffling firewood, more splitting and mud. The second weekend is traditionally when I start the first of my Tomato and Pepper seeds and it's time to take inventory of all the bee keeping gear to get a  grip on what I need to build new, replace and guess at how much expansion I plan for the coming year.

There never seems to be enough time in February and if we get a long dry spell then it's more fence fixing and brush clearing although I am seeing an end of the line in brush/old junk clearing to be honest. I guess I will start substituting in old barn and building maintenance when the brush is all under control.

This year of course I get to add in pumping water out of the basement. I finally got the incoming water culprit narrowed down to all rain water and am 100% sure the problem is simply a clogged drain pipe from the basement. I was a bit worried it was something more expensive up until this week and the last rain we had. Now as soon as the hard, long freeze danger is over I plan on renting a drain auger and seeing if I can open the thing back up.

So anyway like I said I been running hard trying to keep up the last couple days. Gotta get back to work now but hopefully more to come this evening.

Keep Prepping Everyone!!!


16 comments:

  1. I need to start thinking about planting things as well. I love the planning but knowing I've got constant work and chores until autumn can be daunting. At leadt I know I've got enough firewood to last me out this year anyway.

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    1. Kev - The only part I dread about the garden work is the 70+ wheel barrow loads of barn waste I will remove and put on the garden. That always brings me up short lol.

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  2. It will be probably April before I plant anything as it just stays cold here in our low hollow that I get a real late start. I will be starting those tobacco seeds that you sent, I have a couple spots that I am going to try the plants, they will be near tomatoes to draw off the worms from them or that is the plan. We are missing most of the bad weather that you got.

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    1. Sf - I only start about 50 or so little tomatoes and peppers this time of year. I grow them inside under my grow light or in the South facing window. I have found they are about perfect height come May for transplanting if I start them int he last half of February.

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  3. Do you just start them in a window sill Preppy or do you have a green house of sorts?

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    1. TB - No I have a grow area counter top that I put a wire mesh panel over to keept he cats off the seedlings and another in a South facing window.

      Been talking about building a green house and I have a perfect spot for one but just haven't done it yet.

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    2. We are little short on south facing window space or even window space in general, although maybe there is a place I can squeeze some in. Tomatoes and peppers for sure - if I can grow these, I am hardly a failure.

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    3. We are little short on south facing window space or even window space in general, although maybe there is a place I can squeeze some in. Tomatoes and peppers for sure - if I can grow these, I am hardly a failure.

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  4. I too am thinking about a garden, my wife even agrees with me. Still undecided on what to plant. I think tomatoes will be #1.

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    1. Rob - OH ya you can't go wrong with Tomatoes ;)

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    2. Rob, I have had terrible luck with tomatoes but great luck with peppers - which is kind of a shame, since my wife loves tomatoes. Garlic is pretty forgiving as well.

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  5. Good luck bro seems we are on the same program I'm trying to do the same thing.Stay warm!

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    1. Bubba - I just do tomatoes and peppers at first. Peppers especially take a long time to get started event hough the grow well afterwards.

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  6. PP,

    I'm looking forward to next week with all the seed planting in my greenhouse. Spring brings with it all kinds of work for many. I hope you're able to get your basement water culprit fixed. Yesterday I was outside picking up all kinds of old branches and putting together bundles to get rid of (burn). Today, the temperatures are planning on dropping to 17 with the potential of snow.

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    1. Sandy - Once the hard freeze threat is mostly gone I will open up the outside basement door once again and rent an auger. Try as I might I cannot get that basement door fixed properly so I staple plastic over it and insulate it well but that means getting in and out is a real pain and then I have to rebuild it all each time. So I am waiting until at least March.

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  7. I too plan on starting some seeds soon. Actually should have already gotten them started as they will be ready to go in the ground in early March. Oh well, not enough hours in the day or days in the week.

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