Discussions
Fiction book review: Blue Fire by John Gilstrap
4
16
Posted March 10, 2022
Reply to: Perpetual gear finds thread Posted October 13, 2020
Reply to: Gardening books – recommendations and reviews? Posted October 9, 2020

Gardening When It Counts by Steve Solomon – Recommended I came across this book on a list of ‘best gardening books’ on David the Good’s website. It is a fascinating read, brimming with practical advice. In many ways, Solomon’s gardening style is the exact opposite of Jeavons / How to Grow More Vegetables. HTGMV says double dig, you don’t need to fertilize (just use compost), plant densely, and mulch heavily. Solomon says don’t bother double digging, use organic fertilizer plus compost, spread your plants far apart, and don’t mulch. It could be confusing, but Solomon is very aware of the tension and explains clearly why he is giving such contrary opinions. In many ways, what Solomon is explaining is why old-school, pre-HTGMV gardens looked the way they did – long rows of widely space vegetables growing on bare dirt. He argues that this style of gardening gives plants more room to grow, less competition, and more access to water, and that the lack of mulch makes it easier to hoe out weeds. He claims that it yields bigger plants (e.g., bigger heads of cabbage or bigger beets) that take less time to harvest, clean, and preserve. Solomon is very credible (he used to run a seed company and is the author of multiple gardening books, one of which – Gardening West of the Cascades – is in its 7th edition) and while he is certainly opinionated, he is also writing from his experiences. I found many of his claims convincing because his predictions match with my experiences – namely that fertilizing my garden beds with just compost has led to declining yields over the years and that closely spaced plants are often relatively small when harvested. I’m trying wider spacing in my fall garden and I look forward to the results. The book is very systematic, and gives advice on preparing the soil, sourcing seeds, plantings seeds, weeding, and even selecting and maintaining tools. I found the advice on how properly sharpen and use a hoe especially useful. The section on individual plants is excellent. Solomon divides vegetables according to how difficult they are to grow (especially how fertile the soil needs to be), prioritizes them according to which are most important as food sources, and then gives tips on growing and harvesting each. This section only takes up one chapter of the book too, unlike some volumes where 1/3 or more of the book turns out to be an encyclopedia of plants instead of a discussion of gardening. I didn’t agree with everything in the book. I find that soil health is much better when I mulch heavily. I thought that Solomon makes composting unrealistically complicated; I much prefer David the Good’s book on this. But overall, I felt like a learned a lot. The book’s main limitation is that Solomon’s gardening style requires more space than many people have or are willing to use. Solomon estimates that his garden (which feeds two adults for a year) is 2,000 square feet of growing space (not counting paths between rows), plus another 2,000 square feet of fallow ground. (He shifts the garden between these two plots every 3-4 years.) Bottom line: Gardening When It Counts may be a great book to start with if you have a large yard or live in the country and are willing to devote a lot of space to your garden. For suburban gardeners starting with HTGMV or Square Foot Gardening, it may be useful to read Gardening When It Counts after you have a few years of experience – it will give you new techniques to experiment with and may provide answers to any frustrations you’ve developed.

Reply to: Getting started in gardening Posted October 9, 2020
Reply to: Getting started in gardening Posted October 2, 2020
Reply to: Looking for a heavy duty folder knife Posted October 1, 2020

To build on MA’s post, what are your preferences (if any) for: -Blade size -Locking/non-locking -Single blade or multi-tool -One handed opening or not A lot of it comes down to personal preference.  For most cutting chores, I prefer a single-blade, lockback knife with a medium-sized blade (3″-4″).  I strongly prefer one-handed opening, and I find thumb holes easier and more comfortable to use that studs.  I also prefer a synthetic handle that is textured or rubberized to give a good grip even when wet. I have an old Gerber that meets these criteria nicely.  Basically an earlier model of this knife: https://www.bladehq.com/item–Gerber-E-Z-Out-DPSF-Lockback-Knife–27051 It has seen more use than any other knife I own – lots of outdoor adventures and house repairs.  Quick to deploy, especially if your other hand is busy holding a flashlight or the thing you want to cut, etc.  Pocket clip to keep it handy.  Light enough that it doesn’t drag at your pants.  Not too expensive.  After 20 years, I’m still happy with it. Blade HQ has a nice website where you can plug in all of your criteria (size, locker, blade shape, etc.) to winnow down their massive catalog into a few dozen (or a few hundred) options and find something you like.  I don’t think you have to spend a massive amount of money either.  As long as you avoid things with bargain basement prices, I expect you’ll get a functional, fairly durable knife.

Reply to: Basic Medical Guide Posted September 29, 2020
Reply to: List of training centers near you Posted September 28, 2020
Reply to: Online survival/prepping courses? Posted September 28, 2020
Reply to: Basic Medical Guide Posted September 25, 2020

I think that a lot of guides provide good information, the key is probably finding the level of detail you are looking for. A few options to consider: 1) The Prepper’s Medical Handbook. I have a copy that I haven’t gone through in depth yet (it was sent to me by a colleague), but I’m very impressed with what I’ve seen so far. Very comprehensive. However, it sometimes assumes you have access to medicines (e.g., antibiotics) the average person won’t have. It has some illustrations (e.g., on how to suture), but they are kind of sporadic; there aren’t illustrations for most things. 2) The Survival Doctor’s Complete Handbook. Very readable and approachable. I think that it could be a good ‘beginner’ pick. I don’t own a copy, but just ordered one.  From the sample and reviews I think it is well-illustrated. 3) EMS Field Guide – BLS version. This is a pocket-sized, spiral-bound pad designed for EMTs. You flip to the injury or problem and there is a one-page checklist of what you should do. It won’t explain why you are doing it or exactly how to do it and you need to have enough training to understand the abbreviations used, but if does provide a concise answer to ‘What to I do?!?’ 4) Medicine for Mountaineering. I have the 5th edition and I can’t vouch for the 6th (current) version, but I find that it has a nice balance of explaining what is going on and providing concise directions for treatment. Like the Prepper’s Medical Handbook, it is light on illustrations, so you need to have some basic knowledge to use it well. As for courses, you might consider a Wilderness First Responder (WFR) course.  It’s an 80 hour training, and will be much more in-depth than a Red Cross first-aid course.  You can do it in about 10 days, which can be manageable depending on your work situation.  Here’s a link to a school I’m familiar with: https://www.landmarklearning.org/course/nols-wilderness-first-responder/ It is also possible to do EMT training in a compressed format (look for ‘EMT Intensive’ programs).  I did this a few years ago.  The plus side is that you learn a lot in just 3 weeks or so.  The downsides are that (a) it is expensive and (b) if you can’t find a place to volunteer or do part-time work as an EMT afterwards, a lot of that knowledge that you crammed into your head starts to trickle out and get lost. Lastly, if you do a CERT program (https://theprepared.com/community/guides/cert-training-community-emergency-response-team/) you’ll get some first-aid training.

Reply to: Building raised garden beds Posted September 5, 2020
Reply to: Building raised garden beds Posted August 25, 2020
Reply to: Looking for advice: galvanized stock tanks for raised garden beds? Posted August 23, 2020
Reply to: Building raised garden beds Posted August 20, 2020
Reply to: Building raised garden beds Posted August 20, 2020

Update: I bought a set of the Oldcastle blocks from Lowe’s.  The blocks are basically cubes with slots in them for 2x6s.  Here is a link: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Oldcastle-Planter-Wall-Tan-Retaining-Wall-Block-Common-6-in-x-8-in-Actual-5050-in-x-7-75-in/1001156396 I installed them to make frames around several existing 3×10 beds.  Here are my key notes: 1) Cost.  The blocks are cheap, but you really need to buy a 1.5′ rebar piece to drive through the center hole to hold each in place.  Otherwise they are not heavy enough to stay put well.  You also need to have an extra block at the midpoint on a long run.  So basically you are paying for all of the same lumber, plus about $20-$30 in blocks and rebar per bed. 2) Flexibility.  The blocks hold 2×6 lumber (so 5.5″ actual height for the bed), unless you stack them double (which is an option, with longer rebar).  These beds are set level on a slope (so like little terraces), and even though the slope is fairly shallow, the uphill blocks were almost fully buried by the time I made the sides level.  If I had been building a lumber-only bed, I would have gone with 2×8 or 2×10. 3) Ease of installation.  You not only have to get the blocks level to one another (so the sides of your bed are level); you also have to level each block (so that each block is straight up and down, not leaning in any direction). 4) Overall appearance.  Not as great as I’d hoped.  The blocks allow a fair bit of play – between the rebar and the block, and between the board and the block.  So the end product doesn’t look quite as crisp and neat as a well-made wood-framed bed does. Bottom line: Building and installing a wood bed is probably less work and definitely less money.  These blocks may still be suitable though if you have a yard that is already level and/or if you don’t care that much about the end appearance.  Then you could put your blocks down, hammer in your rebar, drop in your wood and call it done. All that being said, I’m still interested in seeing how these work for actual gardening.  I’m going to try growing burdock in one of these beds, and the roots are fragile and need to be harvested from the side (or so I’ve read).  Being able to remove the sides of the bed should facilitate that.  Plus I may decide it is all worth it in a few years when the untreated lumber I’m using rots out and I can replace it with just a few minutes of work.

Reply to: Looking for advice: galvanized stock tanks for raised garden beds? Posted August 19, 2020

I’ve never tried growing in tanks, but the ones you have picked out look nice.  I’m sure it will make a pretty garden. Depending on what you are growing, you might consider removing the bottoms of the tanks completely or drilling quite large (e.g., 1″) holes.  The root systems of many root vegetables go deeper than the 2′ height of your tanks, so you may want to give them access to deeper soil. I assume that you are planning to fill the tanks with some sort of growing mix, Square Foot Gardening style.  If so, I don’t think that it will make much difference between doing it now or in the spring.  You could fork over or turn over the ground under the tanks now (loosening the soil and working in some organic matter in the form of the grass you turn in may help drainage somewhat) and get them situated if you want to get a head start, but adding the fill in the spring will help you avoid having any stray weed seeds blow in. If you haven’t already, I would check out some resources on container gardening, especially if you are leaving the bottoms of your tanks more-or-less intact.

Reply to: Car supplies Posted August 19, 2020
Reply to: What media sources do you consult? Posted August 18, 2020
Reply to: What media sources do you consult? Posted August 17, 2020
Reply to: Gardening books – recommendations and reviews? Posted August 12, 2020
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Fiction book review: Blue Fire by John Gilstrap
4
16
Posted March 10, 2022
Gardening books – recommendations and reviews?
14
19
Posted August 11, 2020
Building raised garden beds
13
21
Posted July 15, 2020
Getting started in gardening
32
23
Posted July 9, 2020
Reply to: Perpetual gear finds thread Posted October 13, 2020
Reply to: Gardening books – recommendations and reviews? Posted October 9, 2020

Gardening When It Counts by Steve Solomon – Recommended I came across this book on a list of ‘best gardening books’ on David the Good’s website. It is a fascinating read, brimming with practical advice. In many ways, Solomon’s gardening style is the exact opposite of Jeavons / How to Grow More Vegetables. HTGMV says double dig, you don’t need to fertilize (just use compost), plant densely, and mulch heavily. Solomon says don’t bother double digging, use organic fertilizer plus compost, spread your plants far apart, and don’t mulch. It could be confusing, but Solomon is very aware of the tension and explains clearly why he is giving such contrary opinions. In many ways, what Solomon is explaining is why old-school, pre-HTGMV gardens looked the way they did – long rows of widely space vegetables growing on bare dirt. He argues that this style of gardening gives plants more room to grow, less competition, and more access to water, and that the lack of mulch makes it easier to hoe out weeds. He claims that it yields bigger plants (e.g., bigger heads of cabbage or bigger beets) that take less time to harvest, clean, and preserve. Solomon is very credible (he used to run a seed company and is the author of multiple gardening books, one of which – Gardening West of the Cascades – is in its 7th edition) and while he is certainly opinionated, he is also writing from his experiences. I found many of his claims convincing because his predictions match with my experiences – namely that fertilizing my garden beds with just compost has led to declining yields over the years and that closely spaced plants are often relatively small when harvested. I’m trying wider spacing in my fall garden and I look forward to the results. The book is very systematic, and gives advice on preparing the soil, sourcing seeds, plantings seeds, weeding, and even selecting and maintaining tools. I found the advice on how properly sharpen and use a hoe especially useful. The section on individual plants is excellent. Solomon divides vegetables according to how difficult they are to grow (especially how fertile the soil needs to be), prioritizes them according to which are most important as food sources, and then gives tips on growing and harvesting each. This section only takes up one chapter of the book too, unlike some volumes where 1/3 or more of the book turns out to be an encyclopedia of plants instead of a discussion of gardening. I didn’t agree with everything in the book. I find that soil health is much better when I mulch heavily. I thought that Solomon makes composting unrealistically complicated; I much prefer David the Good’s book on this. But overall, I felt like a learned a lot. The book’s main limitation is that Solomon’s gardening style requires more space than many people have or are willing to use. Solomon estimates that his garden (which feeds two adults for a year) is 2,000 square feet of growing space (not counting paths between rows), plus another 2,000 square feet of fallow ground. (He shifts the garden between these two plots every 3-4 years.) Bottom line: Gardening When It Counts may be a great book to start with if you have a large yard or live in the country and are willing to devote a lot of space to your garden. For suburban gardeners starting with HTGMV or Square Foot Gardening, it may be useful to read Gardening When It Counts after you have a few years of experience – it will give you new techniques to experiment with and may provide answers to any frustrations you’ve developed.

Reply to: Getting started in gardening Posted October 9, 2020
Reply to: Getting started in gardening Posted October 2, 2020
Reply to: Looking for a heavy duty folder knife Posted October 1, 2020

To build on MA’s post, what are your preferences (if any) for: -Blade size -Locking/non-locking -Single blade or multi-tool -One handed opening or not A lot of it comes down to personal preference.  For most cutting chores, I prefer a single-blade, lockback knife with a medium-sized blade (3″-4″).  I strongly prefer one-handed opening, and I find thumb holes easier and more comfortable to use that studs.  I also prefer a synthetic handle that is textured or rubberized to give a good grip even when wet. I have an old Gerber that meets these criteria nicely.  Basically an earlier model of this knife: https://www.bladehq.com/item–Gerber-E-Z-Out-DPSF-Lockback-Knife–27051 It has seen more use than any other knife I own – lots of outdoor adventures and house repairs.  Quick to deploy, especially if your other hand is busy holding a flashlight or the thing you want to cut, etc.  Pocket clip to keep it handy.  Light enough that it doesn’t drag at your pants.  Not too expensive.  After 20 years, I’m still happy with it. Blade HQ has a nice website where you can plug in all of your criteria (size, locker, blade shape, etc.) to winnow down their massive catalog into a few dozen (or a few hundred) options and find something you like.  I don’t think you have to spend a massive amount of money either.  As long as you avoid things with bargain basement prices, I expect you’ll get a functional, fairly durable knife.

Reply to: Basic Medical Guide Posted September 29, 2020
Reply to: List of training centers near you Posted September 28, 2020
Reply to: Online survival/prepping courses? Posted September 28, 2020
Reply to: Basic Medical Guide Posted September 25, 2020

I think that a lot of guides provide good information, the key is probably finding the level of detail you are looking for. A few options to consider: 1) The Prepper’s Medical Handbook. I have a copy that I haven’t gone through in depth yet (it was sent to me by a colleague), but I’m very impressed with what I’ve seen so far. Very comprehensive. However, it sometimes assumes you have access to medicines (e.g., antibiotics) the average person won’t have. It has some illustrations (e.g., on how to suture), but they are kind of sporadic; there aren’t illustrations for most things. 2) The Survival Doctor’s Complete Handbook. Very readable and approachable. I think that it could be a good ‘beginner’ pick. I don’t own a copy, but just ordered one.  From the sample and reviews I think it is well-illustrated. 3) EMS Field Guide – BLS version. This is a pocket-sized, spiral-bound pad designed for EMTs. You flip to the injury or problem and there is a one-page checklist of what you should do. It won’t explain why you are doing it or exactly how to do it and you need to have enough training to understand the abbreviations used, but if does provide a concise answer to ‘What to I do?!?’ 4) Medicine for Mountaineering. I have the 5th edition and I can’t vouch for the 6th (current) version, but I find that it has a nice balance of explaining what is going on and providing concise directions for treatment. Like the Prepper’s Medical Handbook, it is light on illustrations, so you need to have some basic knowledge to use it well. As for courses, you might consider a Wilderness First Responder (WFR) course.  It’s an 80 hour training, and will be much more in-depth than a Red Cross first-aid course.  You can do it in about 10 days, which can be manageable depending on your work situation.  Here’s a link to a school I’m familiar with: https://www.landmarklearning.org/course/nols-wilderness-first-responder/ It is also possible to do EMT training in a compressed format (look for ‘EMT Intensive’ programs).  I did this a few years ago.  The plus side is that you learn a lot in just 3 weeks or so.  The downsides are that (a) it is expensive and (b) if you can’t find a place to volunteer or do part-time work as an EMT afterwards, a lot of that knowledge that you crammed into your head starts to trickle out and get lost. Lastly, if you do a CERT program (https://theprepared.com/community/guides/cert-training-community-emergency-response-team/) you’ll get some first-aid training.

Reply to: Building raised garden beds Posted September 5, 2020
Reply to: Building raised garden beds Posted August 25, 2020
Reply to: Looking for advice: galvanized stock tanks for raised garden beds? Posted August 23, 2020
Reply to: Building raised garden beds Posted August 20, 2020
Reply to: Building raised garden beds Posted August 20, 2020

Update: I bought a set of the Oldcastle blocks from Lowe’s.  The blocks are basically cubes with slots in them for 2x6s.  Here is a link: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Oldcastle-Planter-Wall-Tan-Retaining-Wall-Block-Common-6-in-x-8-in-Actual-5050-in-x-7-75-in/1001156396 I installed them to make frames around several existing 3×10 beds.  Here are my key notes: 1) Cost.  The blocks are cheap, but you really need to buy a 1.5′ rebar piece to drive through the center hole to hold each in place.  Otherwise they are not heavy enough to stay put well.  You also need to have an extra block at the midpoint on a long run.  So basically you are paying for all of the same lumber, plus about $20-$30 in blocks and rebar per bed. 2) Flexibility.  The blocks hold 2×6 lumber (so 5.5″ actual height for the bed), unless you stack them double (which is an option, with longer rebar).  These beds are set level on a slope (so like little terraces), and even though the slope is fairly shallow, the uphill blocks were almost fully buried by the time I made the sides level.  If I had been building a lumber-only bed, I would have gone with 2×8 or 2×10. 3) Ease of installation.  You not only have to get the blocks level to one another (so the sides of your bed are level); you also have to level each block (so that each block is straight up and down, not leaning in any direction). 4) Overall appearance.  Not as great as I’d hoped.  The blocks allow a fair bit of play – between the rebar and the block, and between the board and the block.  So the end product doesn’t look quite as crisp and neat as a well-made wood-framed bed does. Bottom line: Building and installing a wood bed is probably less work and definitely less money.  These blocks may still be suitable though if you have a yard that is already level and/or if you don’t care that much about the end appearance.  Then you could put your blocks down, hammer in your rebar, drop in your wood and call it done. All that being said, I’m still interested in seeing how these work for actual gardening.  I’m going to try growing burdock in one of these beds, and the roots are fragile and need to be harvested from the side (or so I’ve read).  Being able to remove the sides of the bed should facilitate that.  Plus I may decide it is all worth it in a few years when the untreated lumber I’m using rots out and I can replace it with just a few minutes of work.

Reply to: Looking for advice: galvanized stock tanks for raised garden beds? Posted August 19, 2020

I’ve never tried growing in tanks, but the ones you have picked out look nice.  I’m sure it will make a pretty garden. Depending on what you are growing, you might consider removing the bottoms of the tanks completely or drilling quite large (e.g., 1″) holes.  The root systems of many root vegetables go deeper than the 2′ height of your tanks, so you may want to give them access to deeper soil. I assume that you are planning to fill the tanks with some sort of growing mix, Square Foot Gardening style.  If so, I don’t think that it will make much difference between doing it now or in the spring.  You could fork over or turn over the ground under the tanks now (loosening the soil and working in some organic matter in the form of the grass you turn in may help drainage somewhat) and get them situated if you want to get a head start, but adding the fill in the spring will help you avoid having any stray weed seeds blow in. If you haven’t already, I would check out some resources on container gardening, especially if you are leaving the bottoms of your tanks more-or-less intact.

Reply to: Car supplies Posted August 19, 2020
Reply to: What media sources do you consult? Posted August 18, 2020
Reply to: What media sources do you consult? Posted August 17, 2020
Reply to: Gardening books – recommendations and reviews? Posted August 12, 2020
Reply to: Gardening books – recommendations and reviews? Posted August 12, 2020

Compost Everything by David the Good – Recommended I think that every prepper-gardener should read this book… but it’s not the shelf-reference I was hoping for.   Good’s main mission in this short text is to expand the reader’s vision for what can be composted and how composting can be done.  He succeeds in that goal admirably.  In short, punchy chapters like ‘Anarchist Composting’ and ‘Redneck Vermiculture’ he lays out composting techniques that some of us have never heard of or have just assumed were too complicated or inefficient to be worthwhile.   With every topic he explores, he insists that composting can be much easier and simpler than it is made out to be and provides simple, basic steps for the reader to follow.  His personal stories are memorable, entertaining, and humble.  There is no pretense here.  The stories of trial and error encourage the reader to experiment with new things themselves. Reading the book, I was convinced to try vermiculture to compost our junk mail and Amazon boxes, and to try out Melon Pit composting, in which high-nitrogen items like meat and bones are mixed with wood chunks and buried 2-3 feet deep and then planted atop of.  Reading his instructions, I regretted that I had thrown out all of the bones and fatty refuse from a recent adventure in making head cheese.  I could have used them to give a massive boost to a new tree or bush. However, the book has a couple of weaknesses.  First, in his quest to make composting easy and unthreatening, Good skips explaining most of the science.  This makes the text simple and accessible, but it also leaves the reader wanting more explanation.  For instance, in the second chapter, Good suggests that excessive concern for carbon-to-nitrogen ratios (aka brown-to-green ratios) is one of the things that needlessly turns people off on composting.  But then a few chapters later, discussing sheet composting, he encourages the reader to pay attention to having a brown-green mix.  Similarly, he extolls the virtues of piles of tree trimmings for improving the soil, but then in another chapter he warns the reader to bury wood chunks, not wood chips, to avoid binding up nitrogen in the soil.  These tensions create the feeling that something isn’t being fully explained.  A better approach would be to explain how carbon and nitrogen work in composting, and then note for each technique whether or how maintaining a good C-N ratio applies. Second, the book skips some important details.  In the chapter on vermiculture, he gives great advice, but seems to leave out a crucial step: how to empty your vermiculture composter and extract the compost without losing your worms.  However, he does refer the reader to another, more authoritative text (Worms Eat my Garbage by Mary Appelhof).  The chapter on humanure (composting human feces) is intriguing, but Good strongly exhorts the reader to get the expert advice of The Humanure Handbook by Joseph Jenkins.  I can understand and respect Good’s desire to not overstate his own expertise or to steal other authors’ intellectual capital.  But the result is that some of the techniques in the book can’t really be used well without buying another one. The bottom line is that this is a great book to expose you to new things and many of the techniques in the book (like anarchist composting, melon pits, and using fish guts) can be used with just the guidance contained in this book – plus probably a bit of trial and error from the reader.  However, I wouldn’t buy it as a shelf reference expecting that it will be all you need to guide you through making your own fertilizer during hard times.  It might be enough, but you would be better served by complementing this text with the detailed composting discussion found in How to Grow More Vegetables by Jeavons or some of the specialists texts referenced by Good.

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