What did you do to prep today??

NoFlyZone

Well-known member
Brass Subscriber
Finished my barrel planter today, and got strawberries planted.

Here's all the little planting cupolas done, and the lower barrel catchment tank. You can see the spigot, and the central pipe with holes in it that I use to water.

View attachment 32992

I am trying to keep the soil in place, so I put some water-permeable weed barrier on the bottom before I put the soil in:

View attachment 32993

Then, because I want a happy(er) wife, I threw a coat of brown paint on the outside. Not bad. Kinda looks like terra cotta to me:

View attachment 32994

All filled with soil and with bare root strawberries planted. Here's hoping!

View attachment 32995


The point of this is to have nearly weed-free, easily havested strawberries that I can move into the garage over winter to protect from the sub-zero temps that kill a lot of our strawberries.
I love this concept and I do have a couple of extra barrels, so...
 

Inazone

Self-Determination or Death
Brass Subscriber
We had a big pine tree branch break off (well, 95% off, still hanging on by the bark) during our last major snowfall, so I was raking up debris so I can put down grass seed tonight. Filled in a couple of holes and hare spots where the kids had decided to practice their digging skills, prior to me designating an area for such endeavors. It's supposed to hit 80F this afternoon, which is not what I want to see yet, considering I have a hiking trip coming up in a couple weeks and want cool weather. Not ready for things like having to mow the lawn, run their air conditioning, etc.

The wife bought more russet potatoes than we ever had a chance to use before they starting to become self-aware, so I'm going to cut them up for planting. Never tried them before, only Yukon Gold and various types of reds. Maybe I better only use them for half the potato patch, as this is the year I'm going entirely "lasagna gardening" method with last fall's dry leaves as my growing medium. (Last year was a mostly successful experiment, but I didn't have a base layer of cardboard down, so the weeds still ended up being pretty significant.)

Lumber prices might put our deck restoration/rebuild on hold. Meh.
 

LostViking

Well-known member
Brass Subscriber
Going to look at a Camp Chef Stryker 200 stove kit today.

I really don't need another stove, but I like the idea a a dual fuel gas stove.
It runs on butane or propane.
https://www.campchef.com/stryker-multi-fuel.html

I may actually grab a Camp Chef Burner bottom and add a flat top grill, and possibly an oven this summer.
https://www.campchef.com/flat-top-grills-new/16-versatop-grill-accessories.html

Being able to bake while mobile interests me a great deal. Or even just outside when it's hot.
So we don't heat up the whole house.
https://www.campchef.com/camp-cooking-systems-ovens/outdoor-ovens.html
 
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O:gweh

Domari Nolo
Forum Merchant
@AGreyMan I plan on making one of these this year and transplanting my strawberries out of the raised bed to the drum.

I read about putting worms and compost in the center water tube. Are you doing this? Do you know anything about it?

What soil did you fill it with?

Attaching the bottom drum. Is there a reason you used the specific height you did? Are you happy with it? With no weight at the bottom, is the drum top heavy / awkward ?
 

AGreyMan

I'm gravely disappointed.
Brass Subscriber
@AGreyMan I plan on making one of these this year and transplanting my strawberries out of the raised bed to the drum.

I read about putting worms and compost in the center water tube. Are you doing this? Do you know anything about it?

What soil did you fill it with?

Attaching the bottom drum. Is there a reason you used the specific height you did? Are you happy with it? With no weight at the bottom, is the drum top heavy / awkward ?
@O:gweh

This is an experiment for me, I am no expert!

I am not doing the composting/vermicomposting, due to the design of my tower. I would need to install a cleanout of some kind at the bottom of the center tube, so when the compost is composted, you can get it out. Since I have the “tank” at the bottom, I didn’t want to mess with trying to waterproofing cleanout going through my tank.

There are a few YouTube videos about folks who have built these and went the compost/vermicompost route. I just wanted to try to see about both conserving water and whatever nutrients get leached out from watering.

No real reason the tank is the height it is, other than it “looked right” and that’s where the reinforcing band was molded into the drum, making it an easy line to follow when I cut! I am using soil from out garden mixed with a bag of Miracle Grow potting mix and a bag of Miracle Grow garden soil. My guess is there’s 8 cubic feet of soil in the barrel.

It is a little top heavy , but it seems to be OK as long as I am careful. I have only wheeled it 30’ or so, on a blacktop driveway, so maybe if I had to wheel it farther it would be more of a PITA.

One thing I will change/do differently on the next one: I will put bigger wheels on the platform, both for easier rolling and because it’s hard to get any kind of container under the spigot.
 

O:gweh

Domari Nolo
Forum Merchant
@O:gweh

This is an experiment for me, I am no expert!

I am not doing the composting/vermicomposting, due to the design of my tower. I would need to install a cleanout of some kind at the bottom of the center tube, so when the compost is composted, you can get it out. Since I have the “tank” at the bottom, I didn’t want to mess with trying to waterproofing cleanout going through my tank.

There are a few YouTube videos about folks who have built these and went the compost/vermicompost route. I just wanted to try to see about both conserving water and whatever nutrients get leached out from watering.

No real reason the tank is the height it is, other than it “looked right” and that’s where the reinforcing band was molded into the drum, making it an easy line to follow when I cut! I am using soil from out garden mixed with a bag of Miracle Grow potting mix and a bag of Miracle Grow garden soil. My guess is there’s 8 cubic feet of soil in the barrel.

It is a little top heavy , but it seems to be OK as long as I am careful. I have only wheeled it 30’ or so, on a blacktop driveway, so maybe if I had to wheel it farther it would be more of a PITA.

One thing I will change/do differently on the next one: I will put bigger wheels on the platform, both for easier rolling and because it’s hard to get any kind of container under the spigot.
Thanks for the info. Im going to try and afix mine to a pallet and move it with tractor forks for winter so Im not sure if I want to put a water catch on the bottom.

Maybe valve the main drum and fill the bottom with BIG rocks. Cover with wire and landscape fabric before i fill with dirt :unsure:
 

O:gweh

Domari Nolo
Forum Merchant
Not so much today, but so far this year:

Apple trees pruned.
Blueberries HEAVY pruned
Planted 6 Encore Raspberry plants. (these get big. plant 10ft apart !!! almost no prickers )
New growing cones and fertilizer for the Filbert bushes/trees

AND ( I think you all will be proud of me but maybe not ) My therapist told me I need to let go.

I sold 2 old Farmall A tractors ( 1 ran and one for parts ) plus I totally cleaned up the junk pile out behind the barn.

I took out to the road for town clean up day:

An old swing set
2 worn out old wood stoves
2 homemade plows for the Farmall tractors. Neighbors are already fighting over these.
many pieces of scrap metal and pipe
some old fence wire
chicken tractor I made. Still works good.
much more

I could not bring myself to get rid of:

2- blue 55gal drums ( I plan of making strawberry containers.....some day )
6 pieces of 10-12" PVC pipe 4-6ft long ( I can use them for food/weapon catch......some day )
40ft of chain link fence w/all the parts including gate ( I can build a dog run ( or something )......some day )
Several other pieces of scrap sheep fencing ( I can raise some sort of animal......some day )
Several pieces of scrap fiberglass corrugated roofing ( can can make some sort of make shift animal shelter....some day )
Several pieces of galvanized pipe 18ft long or so ( might be able to use them for HAM radio antenna......some day )
Lots of cement blocks ( some broken) and cement landscaping stones ( all sorts of uses now and ...some day )
There is more but you get the point.


To hell with a therapist !!!! What do they know about prepping and survival ??!!

At least it is presentable by the sugar shak' now.
 

GOBLIN X

PUKUTSI
Brass Subscriber
Going to look at a Camp Chef Stryker 200 stove kit today.

I really don't need another stove, but I like the idea a a dual fuel gas stove.
It runs on butane or propane.
https://www.campchef.com/stryker-multi-fuel.html

I may actually grab a Camp Chef Burner bottom and add a flat top grill, and possibly an oven this summer.
https://www.campchef.com/flat-top-grills-new/16-versatop-grill-accessories.html

Being able to bake while mobile interests me a great deal. Or even just outside when it's hot.
So we don't heat up the whole house.
https://www.campchef.com/camp-cooking-systems-ovens/outdoor-ovens.html
ive had to take a break from stoves. ive got rockets, 1 burners,2 burners, 3 and 4 burners,propane ,charcoal ,white gas, 1 solar cooker,
every time they have a hurricane come close or roll thru everyone buys a camp stove. a year later, they all get sold at yard sales and fleamarkets.all makes brands models and sizes. and i cant turn down a coleman classic 4 burner, or a coleman single rocket, for under 20$ I just cant. last count i had about 23 assorted stoves.all shapes sizes and colors.............its a sickness.......