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If you intend on saving seeds, now is the time to start planning it.
Saving seeds is very satisfying because it’s like getting free food. After the harvest for bought seeds, you have used the monetary value. When you save seeds further on, it’s all free.
Make sure you are saving seeds from open pollinated plants, not hybrids. If you can get hybrids to germinate, the resulting plant may not resemble what you expected to get. This is especially true for things like squash. So, be aware of this when purchasing seeds for future seed saving.
You can try saving any seed but my favourite seeds to save are the following:
Peas- there are always pea pods that got missed in the harvest and I pull the plants, hang them in a dry spot and when the lingering pods have dried, shell them, leave them to dry further on a baking sheet then jar and label.
Scarlett Runner beans- these are easy to let a few get too big to eat and they are well able to be germinated the following year. Be sure to pick the seed pods before a hard frost so as to not damage the seeds. The best seeds are the huge purple mottled ones that release without hesitation from the pod when the pod is split open. Be careful to not accidentally slice the seed with your fingernail when opening the pod. Dry the seeds on a sheet then store in a jar. Use the same the method for other bean varieties such as black turtle beans.
Dill, fennel and onion- these all will go flying off the plant when they are fully ripe so JUST before that, I pick them and put them into paper bags, then you can catch the seeds as they fully ripen and fall from the plant. Otherwise, they just reseed all over the ground which is fine but you have to move them to where you want the plants in the spring.
Garlic- the key to saving garlic for seeds is in the harvest. Garlic is picky to harvest so that it lasts in the pantry until the following year. I pick the scapes when they have done 2 full circles but not yet begun to uncurl again. Then, stop watering the garlic 2 weeks before harvest, so the paper covering has a chance to develop. Hang them in loose bunches out of the sun in a breezy spot outside until they are very dry and the green tops are all brown. Then, trim the roots, and store inside in a cool, dry breezy spot. Choose the heads with the largest cloves to plant later that year a couple of weeks before the ground freezes just so they can develop roots but not grow up out of the soil.
Marigold, Nasturtium, Coreopsis, Morning Glory-(NOT wild bindweed)- these flower seeds are all easy to save, just don’t deadhead the tops you want to save for seeds and wait until they are very dry, gently pull the seed heads into your palm and carefully rub the seeds from their casings. Make sure they are fully dry, then jar and label.
Carrot, Beets, Parsnips- the seeds from these plants don’t develop until the second year so you have to leave your desired plants in the ground and let the plant grow again in the spring. Then, let the plant go to flower and save the seeds from that. You usually will need to save many more seeds than you think you will need because the germination rates are a little lower for these plants.
Potatoes- You can just let a few missed ones grow the following year but this does not allow for crop rotation and often the missed potatoes are small and don’t make good plants the following year. Save some perfect undamaged large potatoes until the following spring. Chit them, that is let the seed potatoes sprout a tiny bit in the light before planting them. Most storage potatoes will have started to sprout in the spring anyway. I have found that planing the whole potato and not cutting it into separate eye/sprouting sections results in a bigger and more robust plant. Keep in mind that buying and planting certified seed potatoes does help prevent potato diseases from persisting year to year.
Sunflower- make sure you let them fully ripen on the flower head so the seeds come off with only a gentle coaxing.
Walking or multiplier onions- these are great, they do their own thing but have to be re-situated as they will end up where they want.
Plants to be wary of: mustard, common oregano and mints, will all end up taking over your yard with no help from you. Be aware of this if you want to grow these plants.
Replied in thread
@QueerSatanic yep, during the Vietnam era, a lot of idealistic folks thought they’d build fences, raise livestock, grow all their food… and failed. It’s better to keep your job and sign up for Master Gardener classes or ask a friendly neighbor for advice. Learn other skills, too, like sewing and carpentry, and start taking more responsibility for preparing your meals from scratch. Then if you still want to move, you’ll be more prepared. #gardening #prepping
"#Prepping hat einen schlechten Ruf. Dabei kann für Notsituationen vorzusorgen im Krisenfall Leben retten."
Ihr seht, Prepping gibt's in 3 Geschmacksrichtungen:
- faschistisch
- standard
- solidarisch
Und zuletzt gibt's die Blöden, die nix vorbereiten.
https://www.zeit.de/gesellschaft/2025-03/prepping-vorbereitung-survival-tipps-faq
ZEIT ONLINEPrepping: Wie man sich auf den Ernstfall vorbereitetPrepping hat einen schlechten Ruf. Dabei empfehlen mehrere offizielle Stellen, für Notsituationen vorzusorgen. Im Krisenfall kann das Leben retten.
If there were a permanent outage of all #google services starting now, how effected would you be? #planning #prepping #cloud #saas #opensource #cybersecurity #selfhosted
Crimethinc publishes near-future hypothetical: survival-a story about anarchistys enduring mass raids
https://crimethinc.com/2025/03/21/survival-a-story-about-anarchists-enduring-mass-raids
LOTS of details in this about escape and evasion, survival, and the expected takedowns of communications infrastructure and the workarounds to bypass the takedowns.
A lot can be learned from this one! Seriouly folks, if you don't have a go-bag ready, stop reading and start preparing one RIGHT NOW
CrimethInc.SurvivalA work of speculative fiction about anarchists enduring mass raids and the technological innovations via which they survive.
How would I survive the apocalypse? By stocking up on the key item most preppers forget.
Russia is once again a threat to Europe and the US can’t be relied upon to save us. In the French government booklet there will, reportedly, be emergency numbers, radio channels and encouragement, should the need arise, to get involved in civil defence-type efforts including volunteer firefighting.
This assumes that some semblance of order survives. My nearest London tube station is one of the city’s deepest, but I’ve seen enough apocalypse shows to know that hiding underground is not the answer; you have either to head north, to a national park where you can outrun the cannibals and hunt game, or barricade yourself in your apartment for three months until the initial anarchy has burned itself out and you can go on a scavenging run to the shops.
And, of course, you must be prepared. After the blackout, I bought a torch so powerful it could double as Mace if you could get an aggressor to look straight into it, and I’m definitely thinking about finding the cable to charge it. I’m also starting to stock up, although it strikes me that the French have left out one important piece of advice from their booklet. A lot of people in New York have generational trauma from relatives who did, indeed, flee Europe decades ago, and the ones I know would point out that missing from the French guidelines is alcohol.
This isn’t a joke. The shrewd prepper understands that if things collapse and money becomes useless, the value of alcohol – for anaesthetic, sterilisation, sedation – rises to the very top of the new currency system. You can pack your tiny bottles of water and buy your tins, but my advice to you, if prepping, is to stop off at the off-licence and grab three bottles of premium whisky and a bottle of Tanqueray – which you are absolutely not allowed to touch until the bombs start falling.
The Guardian · How would I survive the apocalypse? By stocking up on the key item most preppers forget
Continued thread
Hell, even #prepping in this context - complete with it’s bunkers, blunderbusses and baked beans - is the very soul of pollyannish ignorance of reality.
Yes, I know that my retreat to tend this little patch of forest, which will fail, is precisely that - a retreat. At least I’m no longer a positive #denialist .
I live in the last scene of the movie Brazil, but we all do, some of us are merely more aware of our life of fantasy.
I have posted about this before but it's worth restating after reading a harrowing account of someone fleeing a huge wildfires recently in Oklahoma.
In my mountainous region in southern BC, we usually only have a bad fire situation once every couple of years. So, we do up our preps when a big one is nearby then, when the next year is rainy, we don't think about it. Before you know it, several years have gone by and we assume things are ready to go.
Prepping for disaster is not one and done. I have absolutely let some of these things go and I am now going to do a thorough re-check of all the preps this spring.
Are your fire extinguishers up to date and not expired, especially the vehicle and trailer ones?
Are your towing vehicles serviced and up to date, as well as tires for your trailer if you use one? Think bearings, etc.
Do you have disaster-specific preps for your area such as fire blankets in fire prone areas? Have you considered what you will do if the road out suddenly becomes blocked by fallen trees or power lines? (saws and axes could save you)
Are your pet preps altogether and practised for use such as getting harnesses and leashes on cats and getting them into carriers? Check pet foods, dishes, water, meds.
Have you practised with new equipment such as solar panels, inverters, generators, radio equipment, anything that you will need if you suddenly find yourself off-grid and self-reliant for an extended period?
Do you have particulate (smoke) face masks not just medical ones?
Do you have a list of important phone numbers and have you checked that those numbers are up to date? If your phone breaks or you forget a charger and the battery runs down, how many of you have important phone numbers memorized? Not me, that's for sure. I recently checked my list and found that 2 of my 3 kid's numbers had changed.
Are your medical kits up to date?
I recently smashed my foot rather badly and was using extremely past dated bactine to wash the blood off. It was fine but you can be sure I now have all up to date supplies for the house. Also, if you disable one hand, are your medical supplies accessible with the other hand, while possible bleeding and in pain? You never think of this until it happens to you.
The best thing to do is to think through all the scenarios, practice, and check your stuff all the time. You don't need it until you need it then it's too late.
Seriously folks: things are getting bad fast. In mid-March Trump bulldozed over two major red lines: detention without trial and open defiance of the courts. There is now talk of the Insurrection Act and martial law. All the open protests may or may not be able to deter this.
This is in some ways like a hurricane: some must evacuate, some cannot evacuate. On the other hand, you can't fight a hurricane and push it away, but you can fight fascism.
Run, hide, fight: whatever your plan is, know what it is, make important decisions now. Rehearse any specifics: you fight like you train and you also run like you train. Get your gear (especially vehicles) as reliable as you can make it. Assume any gear you can't trust with your life may have to be left behind. Know what you intend to do if food or medicine becomes unavailable.
I was a seamstress and costumer for decades but fibre arts was never something I got into. Now, most of my handmade crafts involve jewelry, clay, woodworking, painting, pyrography, ink making, incense and herbs, etc.
My daughter is the spinning and weaving person in the family and she teaches classes in the artisan shop she owns. Today I took one of her classes on weaving. This is my very first try. This photo is before it is washed, trimmed, blocked and the fringe tied. It took me 6 and a 1/2 hours from warping the loom to cutting it off. The yarn is acrylic because I didn't want to use expensive wool to learn. The next thing I will make is a thicker shawl and if I can find some alpaca wool, that would be my first choice. I will need to borrow one of her larger looms.
Replied in thread
@N0ty3p I think the #prepping community tend to refer to bug-out bags as something you can take to live outdoors for a while. If I understand correctly it's a contingency for a major event where you'll have to fend for yourself in the wild.
I think a bug-in bag would be to sustain you in your own home and maybe also to defend it.
I'm happy to be corrected on these definitions.
UK advice (and Red Cross advice) in a European context is to assume that very basic government / local authority support services will be in place - so the grab bag is more to supplement the basics of food & shelter.
For info the UK government advice page including the basics of a home emergency kit is at https://prepare.campaign.gov.uk/get-prepared-for-emergencies/
PrepareGet prepared for emergencies - PrepareHow to get informed and put a plan in place to prepare if an emergency comes to you in your area.
something I've been doing over the last few days has been to review the contents of our household emergency grab bag.
Unfortunately it seems to be morphing into a grab suitcase!
I'm not someone with #prepping tendencies, but I've learned (mainly when I was working) that it's important to be prepared for the eventuality of having to leave your home at short notice for an indeterminate time.
None of us know when disaster is going to strike our home or neighborhood (let alone other events), so a bit of foresight can be worthwhile insurance.
If someone gave you a spinning wheel, a loom and a sheep, you COULD make your own clothes. But it would probably take you years to teach yourself how and you would be freezing and in rags before you figured it out. However, if you were also friends with someone who knew how to look after the sheep, shear it's wool, clean, card and spin that wool, weave the threads on the loom and then show you how to cut and sew a garment, it would go much faster.
Now if you ALREADY had those skills when you had the leisure time, money and people/resources to learn, you would not only be way ahead of the game but you could sell or barter your product and your knowledge as the needs arise.
Think about all the things you have and use that you have no idea how they were produced or where they came from. Think about all the people in your community with different skills and talents that you could learn from or trade and barter from.
The point is, learn some primitive skills now. Find out what you have inherent talent in. Experiment. Look for local resources. Find your people. Learn all kinds of different ways to look after yourself and your family when things collapse. Our high tech world is fragile and not sustainable. People are going to be shocked at how fast things fall apart and break when the means to continually consume, replace or repair are interrupted.
Live frugally and resourcefully. Here are a few tips:
-replace zippers in coats, it’s easy, take your time, save a ton of money. Even if you have to hire someone to do it, it is way cheaper than buying a new coat.
-don’t buy packaged or over-packaged food, learn how to cook, bake bread, make things from scratch
-educate yourself on quality, buy beat up used furniture and refinish, you can end up with a great piece of furniture with only a little bit of work for next to nothing
-repair your computers and devices or find someone local to do it.
-if you MUST replace appliances, buy basic hardworking non-computerized, metal component items either new or used. In future, you will be able to repair yourself and chances are they will last much longer. Unless you are a tech pro, you won’t be able to fix computerized parts in appliances. I replaced a computerized sewing machine that cost as much as a used car when IT was used with a basic non-computer new one. It will last until I’m long dead and cost a fraction of the price.
-find better ways of doing things such as using a metal or wooden soil blockers for starting seedlings in stead of plastic sectioned trays that only last a season or 2 then end up in the landfill.
-in the ethnic sections of grocery stores you can buy bulk packages of single spices and herbs way cheaper than little bottles to make your own blends such as curry powder, taco seasoning, meat rubs, etc. Use mason jars to store everything in. If you have a bulk barn nearby you can even reuse your own bags to buy in.
-put your leftover meals in the freezer in portions right after dinner. You avoid forgetting to use them and having to throw out food. End of the week, you have healthy ready-made food and spreading out the meals so that you don't have to eat the same thing multiple days in a row.
-you can get a lot more wear out of old runners by only replacing the insole
-I just rebuilt my home first aid station. I have quality bought kits for the vehicles but for at home, the ready-made kits have lots of unnecessary fillers. I bought various sized gauze pads, tape, rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide, cotton balls, bactine spray, polysporin, big packs of bandaids, etc. as these are the things we use at home. I keep ice packs in the freezer and a heat pad for muscle stuff. Consider the usual type of injuries with regards to your lifestyle and stock accordingly.
-learn how to replace handles on axes, shovels, garden tools etc. And when buying these tools, make sure they have replaceable handles as some new plastic or hastily welded ones are not replaceable.
-I NEVER throw out a scrap of wood, ever. I have used every single little piece in some place, somewhere on my property.
𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗪𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝗮𝗴𝗲
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I think a lot of "anti-prepping" people got their information from that terrible reality tv show. Prepping and survivalism is so far from that.
"When it comes to survivalism, Que said, it’s not necessarily just about the physical tools but also the mental flexibility of being able to shift one’s thinking to leave a place where you’re secure and find safety elsewhere."
#prepping #GetPrepared #homesteading
https://capitalbnews.org/black-women-survivalists-preppers-homesteading/
Capital B News · Meet the Black Women Who Say Survivalism Is a Necessity, Not a Trend
My reading list for holocaust pt 2 orange boogaloo
#resist #read #prepping #bookstodon #books #research #reading #learning #fascism #dystopia #preparedness #history #psychology #fucknazis
Buy and practice using paper maps. Having directional awareness can save you in many un-anticipated circumstances. Do not rely on GPS. Not only because it is often wrong, it does not take into account road or bridge construction, or other obstructions, but because it is controlled by people that might not have your best interests in mind. Paper maps, old ones and newer ones show where roads are or have been, the connections, directions and landmarks. Learn them, use them. Skill building. It's a good thing.