Gardening Supplies to Stock?

[Lowdown3]

I guess, my way of thinking is that if you can learn how to make it, you probably should, because storage doesn't last forever, and if you learn how to make it, there is no reason to store it. I am not saying that your list is not fine for you, you store what you think you will need, my only point is that eventually the stuff will run out and if you don't have the knowledge to make it yourself or do without it, when stuff does run out you will be right back where you started. I guess, if you only need it for a few years it would be great but I tend to think of survival on a longer basis because I think if anything ever does happen, it will be quite a lasting event. Anyway, just my thoughts, I don't believe everyone should agree with me, we all would never learn anything if we all agreed, lol.

Yes of course you should know how to make everything you can. One of the reasons we started blacksmithing a few years ago was we were going through a really tight time on money, and tools needed to be repaired.

Just because I know how to make soap does not mean I shouldn't STORE SOAP.

I think people forget how much time is involved doing things like that. Now factor all the stress of a TSHTF situation, plus security duties, etc.

For a small group or family, just keeping a 24/7 security watch is going to eat up a LOT of time. Now factor doing laundry without power, cooking from storage (scratch) as well as the normal homestead chores.

For me, to add making cord to that when I can spend $50. on a 1,000 feet of 550 (parachute) cord is not good planning.

I've made knives, screwdrivers and rudimentary tools blacksmithing, they were ugly but worked. But I never thought "well I don't need to ever buy another shovel now." Their is very little good material for even making quality cord in our area that I know about.

Is it good to be able to really make these things? Sure it is, it's necessary. But to say "well I won't stock soap cause I know how to make soap" isn't good planning IMO. Can I make soap, sure have on a couple ocassions. But do I stock soap? You bet.

It's just like with growing food- we need to have food in storage as well as being able to replenish our stocks. In this way we own the warehouse (storage) as well as the FACTORY (production). With the factory we can resupply the warehouse. But if the factory FAILS the warehouse will supply our needs until we can rebuild the factory.

Does that make sense?

[Kat]

One thing we find useful in planning our garden is books. We have a lot of good ones. There are some that we use more than others. One that I use a lot for referencing companion planting is The Big Book of Gardening Skills by Garden Way Publishing. Maybe some others can chime in on the ones they use.
Also, I was thinking about what I said about gas powered tillers and I forgot to add that you can add a fuel preservative like PRI to the fuel you are storing to greatly lengthen it's storage time.

[Bearman202]

Out of curiosity, if you cut a tomato in half or quarters and plant each piece, will you get a decent tomato plant out of each? I know the fruit of the plant contains the seeds, but I'm just wondering if this will work of if you have to do some kind of prep on the seeds before you plant them. Anybody know?

[1Admin]

In theory should work fine. We have had many a "volunteer" tomato plant come up after a junk tomato fell to the ground. Tomatoes take a while from seed- that's why the little cups of transplants are so popular- no one wants to wait for the seedlings! So what I'm saying is that by the time the seed from the current plant goes from sprouting to seedling to producing, it will likely be cool weather and most tomatoes hate cool weather. Although we have gotten tomatoes as late as November down here.No reason you couldn't dig up the seedling before your first frost and put it in a pot and keep in the house though.

[crossbow]

In theory should work fine. We have had many a "volunteer" tomato plant come up after a junk tomato fell to the ground. Tomatoes take a while from seed- that's why the little cups of transplants are so popular- no one wants to wait for the seedlings! So what I'm saying is that by the time the seed from the current plant goes from sprouting to seedling to producing, it will likely be cool weather and most tomatoes hate cool weather. Although we have gotten tomatoes as late as November down here.No reason you couldn't dig up the seedling before your first frost and put it in a pot and keep in the house though.

we do this every fall as tomatoes are actually perennial in warmer climates, you can tell that they're green house tomatoes, but they taste better than a snow ball. for tools, a good spade fork and shovel can't be beat, just keep a couple extra handles if you try to muscle too much sod like I do. spade forks were the tiller before the motor was invented

[chancemft]

Kat, blacksmith my self here, and one of the things I've always heard is that the local blacksmith was the one person a comunity could not live without. But that was back in the old days. In a SHTF time of need, who knows. Any way, tool handles. and oil and us smiths can cure the world! Figured propane and coal for the forge might get difficult to get so I've learnd to use charcoal instead.