What Preps are you doing this week? Part 10

[jansman]

Just like Yorkshire Andy,the garden will be attended. Beans,squashes and cucumber plants for the tunnel. Firewood to sort,plumbing to do and cr* p to the tip!

[jennyjj01]

I'm trying direct sewing this year since I've not got anything started in pots .... We will see. After all it's all farmers do.. bung the seed in and let nature do the rest.....

Same here.

The main difference that I see is that something like carrots, sown direct to the soil will be germinating alongside and the same speed as weeds, whereas you might be putting something 2 inches ahead in growth. having those 2 inch seedlings helps us know which 'weedlings' to pull out or hoe and which to nurture.

[jennyjj01]

Had another hour dedicated to pulling out B*****d mares-tail shoots. This is going to be a lifetime running battle: ...
Objective: About an hour a week, NEVER to let any shoots reach 100mm above ground and pull out at least 100mm of root, each time.

And again, and again. and again!!!

I've observed that the mare can develop healthy a big crop of 3 inch shoots in as many days. So an hour a week is not going to cut the mustard.

Done more weeding and sowing

My wonderful Mora knife arrived and has been christened as a marestail digger outer weapon, teasing out a nice 3" of root. Not what it was designed for, but less intrusive than a trowel or fork. I think I love this tool and it's bright yellow sheath.

[jansman]

Bit of gardening myself this week. May is the month that happens here. We are cropping too. That’s good. Stacking firewood like a squirrel on speed too. My time now I no longer work is being spent sorting DIY. The kitchen will be completed in the next ten days or so. Once I’ve done the plumbing,it’ll be all downhill to the finish line. Getting stuff sorted to save my wife hassle and expense when God gives me a call . Then it’s fishing of course. As much as I can,as it’s my passion - apart from my wife,of course.
Expanding perennials too. Means that garden will be productive with little work for my wife. Should’ve done it 25 years ago!
LED approach lighting is being put in. USB/ battery in case of powercut. In fact we had a 60 second one again this afternoon- all over the valley it appears. I’m moving buckets of spare battery/ emergency lights too,in order that it suits my wife.
Informed my younger daughter about the Precious Metals too. She knows how to price/ sell it. Be a good profit that.
Also ,my wife and I have to pay a visit to my boss to sort out my payoff. He’s already told me he’s missed me,and he’ll be as generous as possible. I’m not short.

This is definitely a good reason for prepping folks.

[Yorkshire Andy]

Depending on the quantity Jenny try the targeted weedkiller approach

I spent a few hours on my hands and knees with a syringe and some ahem neat weedkiller.....

I cut them off leaving about an inch above ground ..

Then using a big darning needle stabbed downward into the stem about half an inch then used a syringe and inkjet refill needle to introduce some concentrated killer into the hole

That fettled it didn't see any last year.. had my first shoot yesterday it'll be getting done this weekend once the stems thickened up a bit to withstand being stabbed

[jennyjj01]

Depending on the quantity Jenny try the targeted weedkiller approach

I spent a few hours on my hands and knees with a syringe and some ahem neat weedkiller.....

I cut them off leaving about an inch above ground ..

Then using a big darning needle stabbed downward into the stem about half an inch then used a syringe and inkjet refill needle to introduce some concentrated killer into the hole

That fettled it didn't see any last year.. had my first shoot yesterday it'll be getting done this weekend once the stems thickened up a bit to withstand being stabbed

I had considered hand painting them in 'stuff' with an artists paint brush. That's how I do dandelions and lawn weeds.

Actually injecting them sounds superbly extreme! I understand that's how Japanese knotweed is treated.

At what length 'plant' are you doing this? I could see it working well on an area where they've been alllowed to mature beyond say 6 inches. Mine are all new shoots popping up daily.

Why the darning needle and not just a medical hypo? Because your inkjet bottle has a sort of big hypo needle and medical ones not available?

I mischievously wonder if theres any local 'drop in centre' where I can get free 'safe clean syringes and needles'?
Hmmmmm You CAN, https://www.wearewithyou.org.uk/what-we ... -exchange/

[Yorkshire Andy]

I've used both ink jet and medical more to do with I found a few been binned at work

Biggest issue I had was the stem of the plant has a pulp which blocked the needle so jabbing it first gave me a open hole to fill with liquid death


If painting it on lightly blast the beggers with a blowlamp to distroy the way costings. You'll find most killers don't penetrate the wax coating

Getting it I to the stem it goes deep in to the roots without getting glyphosphate everywhere
.I'll use it but I try to use it only where essential

[Nurseandy]

You can buy needles off ebay. If you search for livestock instead of human ones they're a much more practical size for injecting plants.

On a separate note i contracted covid, dodged the bullet for 3 years, despite being redeployed to a covid palliative ward during lockdown and having nursed a number of patients at home who had covid. The whole family went down with it, most likely picked up by son who gets the bus into Aberdeen every day.

And on another separate note, we had an impromptu smoke alarm test last night. They are linked alarms and something (probably the warm moist night) triggered them. Glad to say everyone got up and assembled at the prearranged muster points while I (covid ridden) balanced on chairs to silence them.

[jennyjj01]

You can buy needles off ebay. If you search for livestock instead of human ones they're a much more practical size for injecting plants.

On a separate note i contracted covid, dodged the bullet for 3 years, despite being redeployed to a covid palliative ward during lockdown and having nursed a number of patients at home who had covid. The whole family went down with it, most likely picked up by son who gets the bus into Aberdeen every day.

And on another separate note, we had an impromptu smoke alarm test last night. They are linked alarms and something (probably the warm moist night) triggered them. Glad to say everyone got up and assembled at the prearranged muster points while I (covid ridden) balanced on chairs to silence them.

Thanks for the tip. A quick search of ebay indicated that these are a restricted product.

Good luck to you all with covid. I know we are supposed to be 'living with it' but I still try to avoid it, occasionally wearing a mask and getting looked at like I'm a freak.

[Nurseandy]

Hi Jenny, I'll try and find a link to some that aren't restricted.