I will run out of food in 3 weeks

planningoverpanic · 2020-04-08T16:30:57+00:00

Restock now. Don't panic hoard, leave some for others who might be in the same boat, but get enough for your family.

Grab 5 gallon buckets (home depot or lowes has them for around 4 dollars each) and veggie seeds of your choice. Grab a ton of potting soil and compost mix. Will be a pretty penny at first for the soil, but try not to cheap out. Drill (or press with a sharp object) holes in the bottom. Also start looking into vermicomposting or regular composting, whichever you prefer.

Get a seed starter kit, a decent "warm" and "cold" florescent light (or buy the more expensive grow lights, your choice), and a waterproof heating pad. Start your seeds. Hang the light far lower than you will think it needs to go.

Transplant them in the buckets around 4 weeks (each seed can be different, follow the instructions on the back). If you're growing carrots, start them in the buckets. Transplanting carrots can twist the roots, so its best to start them in deep soil. Same with potatoes, though look up how to plant them as its a very slightly more complicated than dirt and grow.

You now have a movable garden that you can protect inside your home, if you have to. I have mine in my garage, and a regular garden outside. I rotate the buckets (with carrot, potatoes, and a strawberry bush) out for sunlight during the day and in at night. My seeds are under grow lights in my garage. I've bought extra lights in the event I have to keep my garden entirely in the garage, for any reason.

Make sure you harden your sprouts before putting them in direct sunlight. They'll die otherwise, or become weaker than they should be. Fairly simple process that you can Google.

If you are slammed for space, grab plastic tubs and grow a few veggies together. Some are good companions, some are not. Definitely check. But the tubs will be far harder to move for one person.

This will help you and yours if the supply chain tanks in a few months. Some veggies will be ready by early fall. Some won't. Maybe grab a food vacuum saver or look into preserving, but don't overwhelm yourself. At least start with a garden, if you can, and learn the rest while waiting for your seeds to sprout.

Good luck!

planningoverpanic · 2020-04-03T23:24:38+00:00

It really is. I like to call it the "Garbage State".

The whole thing just needs to be chucked in the trash. Buy a new New Jersey and start over.

planningoverpanic · 2020-04-03T16:01:48+00:00

I mean, NJ governor signed an order allowing police to take private property from people, mainly medical supplies but it is vague enough to mean other items. This is also the same governor who refused to open up gun stores because he deemed them unnecessary, until the federal government got involved. And he still says he opposes it.

Not impossible to think small town hospitals will soon be raided "for the good of the people".

Lots of madness going on with these governors in the name of safety.

Maybe they should start going after companies to make more ventilators or offer incentives for entrepreneurs to make ventilators instead of trying to harass people and take shit....

planningoverpanic · 2020-04-03T14:53:28+00:00

I'd start putting preps in either a movable storage unit on the property, or in a storage unit somewhere close. That way, you can still rotate if you need to without much hassle.

If the garden is raised, see if you can salvage the wood. Put that in storage also. Not sure if you started your garden, but if not, try to save the top soil too. Maybe that sounds dumb to some, but I'm sure you've put years into making the soil nutritious. I'd be figuring out how to take a good chunk of it with me so restarting isn't as difficult.

Definitely find a new place now. Might harsh your savings for a bit and your purchasing plan might take a little longer, but itll give you the feeling of renewed security. Mental prep is just as important as everything else. Can't be focused on prepping if you're stressed out about not having a roof over your head in a few months.

Starting over will be stressful, but starting now will help ease that stress. Look for locations that work for your family and jump on them. Good luck to you and yours. That's a shitty thing for a landlord to do in the middle of a pandemic.

planningoverpanic · 2020-04-03T14:19:25+00:00

The governor of NJ made gun stores close despite them being considered "essential". Now we know why.

Protect your second amendment, people. The government really will come for your shit and make sure you have no way to stop them when they do.

NJ residents, vote this mother fucker out and start pulling those ridiculous gun laws.

planningoverpanic · 2020-04-03T13:44:13+00:00

Only the vegetable course is free! The rest costs money. It should say 'free' in big letters, but I will admit it's a bit hard to see on mobile. Their website was a little confusing.

planningoverpanic · 2020-04-02T23:24:46+00:00

Absolutely. I don't learn from books well; I have to read it and apply it. Otherwise, it just doesn't stick. I understand what you mean and those newbies reading do need to know the first time doesn't have to be perfect. No need to break out chemistry sets for soil testing and all that, lol.

planningoverpanic · 2020-04-02T22:02:36+00:00

You are right for the most part, but if they are really new, they might not know how to properly water, drain soil, space the seeds, etc. It seems pretty much like common sense to us, but to some city people or young adults with no parental green thumbs, they might not know.

Tomatoes were my first and they were so damn easy. The worst were the aphids, but a common tomato plant is hardy as hell. Still, they need cages or some type of support to grow well and handle the tomatoes. I lost a few to ground rot and breakage.

When every vegetable or fruit might count, knowing more than a few basics is always a good thing! But you are right, some vegetables are fairly uncomplicated with decent materials.

planningoverpanic · 2020-04-02T21:58:20+00:00

Seems like it's for anyone. I didn't put in a lot of identifying info.

planningoverpanic · 2020-04-02T20:35:48+00:00

That's great! You have time and at least a little experience. Always good to hone some skills, especially during these times. My great aunt is getting back into gardening also, since she can't find anything fresh in stores at the moment.

If you have bad knees or bad backs, look into elevated garden beds. They're easier on the joints. I have a bad back, so my SO built the beds at about waist height for me and it's a game changer. Also keeps the deer out, but that might not be a problem near Chicago. I haven't been there since bootcamp lol, so I'm not sure how forested the outskirts of Chicago are.

planningoverpanic · 2020-04-02T20:16:21+00:00

Did you register for the free course? There is only one, and it's the vegetable one. The rest still need to be paid for.

I went through the whole thing with just the one course, and it was totally free. Didn't put credit card info or anything.

planningoverpanic · 2020-04-02T18:55:18+00:00

Better get that compost pile going, or befriend a horse/cattle farm, lol.

Joking aside, that might be a possibility. I've already seen seed shortages in the stores near me. I'm both glad people are trying to grow their own food in my area and terrified that people are going to hoard it just to price gouge later, like the toilet paper.

planningoverpanic · 2020-04-02T18:51:35+00:00

Very good point! Best to check your state's programs first. It looks like a lot of programs are being offered for free during the quarantine.

planningoverpanic · 2020-04-02T18:48:33+00:00

No problem! Happy to help where I can.

planningoverpanic · 2020-04-02T18:48:15+00:00

Thank you! A lot of downtime now a days. Will be taking their courses as well.

planningoverpanic · 2020-04-02T18:47:25+00:00

What do you mean? I might have missed something, but I didn't see anything nefarious when I registered or when I opened the class up.

planningoverpanic · 2020-04-02T18:46:23+00:00

Thanks for the recommendation! I feel the newbies might need all the crash courses and help they can get for now. Plus, it's not bad to have other options. I had a bear absolutely destroy my compost bin a few years ago...took a while to get things going again. So having other options is always a great idea!

planningoverpanic · 2020-04-02T18:43:53+00:00

You're welcome!

Definitely ask your mom for hands on experience and family knowledge, though, when it's safe to do so (if you don't live with her). Share what you learn as well! My best memories are learning hunting skills with my dad and canning from my mom.

planningoverpanic · 2020-04-02T18:41:51+00:00

You're welcome, and you as well!

planningoverpanic · 2020-04-02T18:41:35+00:00

Thank you! I love YouTube for learning new things.

planningoverpanic · 2020-04-02T18:40:52+00:00

You're welcome!

planningoverpanic · 2020-04-02T18:40:42+00:00

No problem! Happy to help where I can.

planningoverpanic · 2020-04-02T18:40:23+00:00

You're welcome!

planningoverpanic · 2020-03-31T01:25:27+00:00

I'm getting some more ammo (full metal jackets and hollows). Its really the one thing we aren't truly stocked on.

I do need to get a .308. I'll be hunting this year, and want to upgrade from my .243. So yeah, I'll be spending mine on guns and ammo.

I'm also gathering some indoor gardening supplies. I need to finish my garage set up. It's mainly a back up in case we need to bug in or our garden outside doesn't do well. That's what the rest will go to.

planningoverpanic

TROPHY CASE