Indoor Gardening Started!

It's always a bit of work to get started each year.  Here is how it looked last week...

Well, things pile up over the Winter.  So I organized some supplies into piles, moved some stuff to the shelves in the garden shed, and threw out some junk.  That left me with this...

NOW, I have some working space and am ready to go.  The barrel (above) holds my personal premixed potting soil.  WAY cheaper than buying those small bags, and I know for sure what is in them (I try to stay organic).  The tubs below are the various components that are left over, plus some of them are used potting soil from last year.  Those are fine for established plants but not for new seeds. Kitty litter tubs make great containers (good size, good handles, good tops). 

The long narrow planters are for indoor lettuces, pak choi, and leafy celery.

The stacked trays below are filled with my sterile potting soul mix for the new seeds.  I poured an inch of hot water into each tray so the soil could soak.  Dry potting soil takes a day to get saturated.  It is not like regular dirt, LOL!

So, tomorrow, I will be able to plant seeds.  The first will be the heirloom tomatoes I hope to graft onto vigorous disease-resistant rootstock.  I've never succeeded in that in 3 years but I keep trying.  I learn a little bit each time.

The rest of the trays will go to perennial or self-sowing flowers I am trying to establish in old beds, some mass-annuals like marigolds and zinnias, and other veggies like bell peppers and melons.

I used up 1/2 of the barrel of the potting soil, but the trays are filled and saturated.  That means all I have to do is plant seeds according to schedule.

And I have a great schedule!  Years ago, I made index cards for each veggie, sorted by "weeks before and after last frost date".  Each card has the name of a veggie and the indoor or outdoor planting date, the kind of fertilizer it wants, and the spacing per square foot of garden space.  Example:
 
And I have 2 calendars marked with + or - weeks related to last frost to remind me which cards to look at for planting each week.

The growing season has STARTED!

Coronavirus Pandemic Preparations

I'm not a survivalist, an end-of-civilizationist, or someone who expects a political revolution.  I don't expect aliens, zombies, or the mole-people to attack.  I don't have the garage stocked with AK-47s and ammo.  I don't even have an outside generator.

To be honest, I have a couple of basic hunting weapons, and a few replica swords (I participated in re-enactments a couple of decades ago for fun) and those are functional enough if I wanted to sharpen them.  I have a hunting-quality crossbow, too (there are relatively tame deer in the swamp across the street).  But I'm not expecting any need for stuff like that.

What I AM considering though, is that the Coronavirus MIGHT spread enough (and mutate sufficiently) to sicken enough people to disrupt standard food and supplies distribution for a few weeks even in the US.  So I am taking some basic steps which will not waste money in the long term but might prove useful if I wanted to avoid going out more than necessary.

Here is what I am NOT doing:
1.  Buying cases of freeze-dried food and MRE-equivalents.
2.  Buying guns.
3.  Buying cans of gasoline.
4.  Buying a generator.

Here is what I AM doing:
1.  Buying an extra 6-pack of TP, hand soap, laundry detergent,.
2.  Buying a case or 2 of distilled water (my Venus-fly-traps need it anyway).
3.  Buying an extra case of cat food.
4.  Buying a dozen each of canned soups, stews, and chili.
5.  Buying a few large bags of mixed frozen vegetables.
6.  Buying a large Pork Butt to cook, cube, and freeze in portions (I do that anyway every few months).
7.  Buying a dozen chicken thighs for the same reason.
8.  Checking my non-prescription drugs and anti-infection ointments and bandage supplies.
9.  Pre-ordering refills of the cats' meds.
10. Filling my riding mower 5 gallon tank with gas, filling the portable 5 gallon can with gas, and topping off my car gas (I have gas stabilizer, so it won't go bad and will get used over Summer if otherwise not needed). 
11. Buying an N95 NOISH-approved particle respirator 10-20 pack (if I can find them).  That's for if I HAVE to go shopping or visit a doctor waiting room (but even then, I work with solvent and sawdust sometimes, and they work for those too so I'll use them eventually).
12.  Calling my doctor's office about getting a copy of my medical records (a good idea anyway).
13.  White gas (a generic term for camp stove and lantern fuel).  I have a single burner backpacker's cooktop.  "Just in case".


I've probably forgotten a few things. 

Things I already have that might be useful to consider for others to consider:
1.  Rechargable batteries and charger.
2.  Slow-burning emergency candles.
3.  Charcoal for the smoker.
4.  A crank-powered flashlight and a crank powered radio.
5.  Powdered milk, powdered Gatorade (electrolytes), bread flour, sugar, salt, spices.

I don't expect it will get all that bad.  I'm not the paranoid kind; I expect things won't get as bad as some fear.  But buying stuff that you can use eventually won't hurt and may keep you from going out among the sick could make things easier.

Just a thought...