Fall Gardening Primer for 2022 – Epi-3145

The Survival Podcast Posted on by  

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:30:05 — 20.6MB)

Today it will be over 100 in much of the nation.  This is our toughest time of year in central Texas.  Grass is turning brown and the other thing that really thrives are snake, lizards, grasshoppers and things that eat grasshoppers.   Shade is the number one commodity if you are out side.

Even as a boy in Pennsylvania my Grandfather referred to this time of year as “the dog days”.  What he meant was leave any outside dog alone, they might bite as they are so miserable in the heat.  So it may seem like an odd time to discuss fall gardening.

Well let me put you in touch with reality.  Even for me where it is so how that two Hobbits threw a ring into my back yard to destroy it yesterday the first frost date right now is only, 90 days away.  If you live say in central Pennsylvania you are looking at 65 days or less.

You want me to really freak you out?  As of today we are only 102 days from Thanksgiving and 133 days until Christmas.  In short despite the heat and long summer days, Fall is coming and coming fast, in fact we are right now only 38 days from September 22, the Fall Equinox and official beginning to fall.

Join Me Today as We Discuss…

  • Bed maintenance for beds you won’t be planting with “crops”
    • Biochar, manure, green sand, other amendments
    • Mulch
    • Cover Crops
    • Heavy Harvest of the Summer Crops
  • New Bed Establishment
    • Site selection
    • Why this is a good time to establish new beds
  • Getting ready for the fall crops
    • Protection or not?
    • Killing Weeds
    • Starting seeds (sometimes indoors)
      • It’s like spring but backwards
        • Count back from avg. first frost
        • Do plants need to be harvested or simply mature
        • When does the hard freeze come, how will that effect things (back to protection)
    • Selecting plants from a nursery
  • 10 Crops for the fall garden
    • Spinach
    • Chard
    • Beets
    • Garlic (planting for next fall)
    • Onions and Leeks
    • Broccoli
    • Cabbage
    • Kale
    • Carrots – Frankly most root crops
    • Lettuce
  • Getting the Edge on Cool Weather
    • Windbreaks
    • Southern Exposure
    • Row Covers
    • Micro Green Houses

 

Resources for today’s show

 

Gardening Resources

 

Sponsor of the Day…

 

Video Version of Today’s Show

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon.

Join the MSB Today

Join the MSB Today

Want Every Episode of TSP Ever Produced?

Remember in addition to discounts to over 40 vendors who supply stuff you are likely buying anyway, tons of free ebooks and video content, MSB Members also get every edition of The Survival Podcast ever produced in convenient zip files in blocks of 24. More info on the MSB can be found here.

Barrina LED Grow Light 6 Packs – Item of the Day

The Survival Podcast Posted on by 22

Every day I bring you an item on Amazon that I personally use or has been purchased by many members of the audience and I have researched enough to recommend.

Given the supply shortages that keep pulsing though our system, especially on imported goods you may want to get these now.  I am not advocating “buy anything you can get your hands on” like some.  I am saying though if you can get a deal right now on something you plan to use in the next 3-12 months, you really may want to take it while it is here.

Today’s TSP Amazon Item of the day is Barrina LED Grow Light 6 Packs. I have been recommending the Kingbo Grow Lights for a few years now. I recommended them for starting seeds not growing out plants. They are great for that, thousands of them have been purchased for that purpose, I have not had any complaints.

They do have their limits though. Chiefly they need to be VERY close to the plants, if you do that they can even do a decent job growing plants to a decent size. Again though they are limited, as I have always said. I have been looking for a new light to start recommending for the same purpose (seed starting) yet with more power so you can fully grow with them as well.

It simply stands to reason that after five years time now tech should have gotten better and we should be able to get something better for about the same price. It looks like we can get something a LOT better for a LOT less which is frankly awesome.  I have been trialing these new lights for a few weeks now and I am blown away.  The bang for the buck is amazing.  I used them to build an indoor seed starting system based on Kratky Style Hydroponics (as seen in the videos below)  For that I used 2 six packs of the 2 foot lights.  These lights come in two options for length, they are…

 

Compare that to the old Kingbo’s which are a single 45 watt light for 27.99 or (62 cents a watt), but it gets better. First the Kingbo’s are square, at about 1 foot square it takes 2 to light a 2 foot shelf and 4 to light a four foot shelf. The Barina’s are shaped like a T8 fixture, so you can use two of them to light a shelf of the same length. Meaning the 6 pack of either would fully light three shelves of equivalent length. (At two per shelf, keep in mind I am using three to a shelf in my system.) Next up they Barnia’s daisy chain link so you can have all 6 of them running on one timed outlet with out a bazillion cords to manage.  This is the timer I recommend for that.

While the Kingbo’s are a fine light for what they are I can’t recommend them as a new purchase any longer.  I also do not believe Kingbo’s actually put out 45 watts of light.  Even running three lights to a shelf the way I am, the Barina’s cost 30-40 dollars per two foot shelf, vs. 56 for the Kingbo lights.  The growth I am getting with three to a shelf is amazing.  Some of my starts are damn well big enough to just eat at this point.

I coupled them with this great little mini greenhouse indoor shelf system and whether you want to do hydro or conventional starting for 30 bucks it is hard to beat the price on it.  But any shelf system will do.  I have a large 4 foot shelf in my outbuilding and I am thinking about getting a set of 4 foot lights and setting it up as well.  I will say if you get the mini green house and run 3 lights to a shelf like I am, you likely won’t want to close it up, it gets pretty warm in there running a total of 12 lights.

One hack on my system I want to do when the current run of starts is over is to get a big concrete mixing tray like this one here.  The shelf in my system fits perfectly into one, that way any leaks or condensation drip is caught and stays off the rug.

Here is my view on what these lights represent.  For the past 5 years LED lights have been getting better and better, especially high end commercial ones used for things like vertical farming.  That market is now globally a multi billion dollar market.  While these lights are not as good as those used in commercial operations, I feel like they are just about one tier below them, and likely as good as the best thing you could buy 2-3 years ago, for a fraction of the cost.  My seed starting system could be improved or modified to be a food production system, tune in to today (10-29-20) and I will discuss some ideas about that in the TspAz segment at the end of the show.

Anyway if you have Kingbo’s don’t get rid of them, use them for what they are good for, but if you are looking to expand, grow indoors, start seeds, etc. I say give the Barrina Lights a chance, they will save a ton of money and my results so far are exceptional.

Remember you can always find all of our reviews at TspAz.com

P.S. – Some have asked about the white light versions.  I have not used them but several members of the audience I trust have and noticed no real difference in growth.   Barrina currently has them marked down quite a bit as well but they do cost a bit more per watt.
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There is a good reason to consider them though.  If you have nosy neighbors they tend to attract less attention when being run in the early morning or late evening.  Again while I have not used them several members told me they ran them and the pink ones side by side with no real difference in growth.  Due to the smaller quantity they will cost a small bit more per watt but they are in stock and on sale, find them here.

Here are the two playlists showing to of my set ups, check the growth in these systems…

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Check Out the Live Free Academy Budget Homesteading Workshop

The Survival Podcast Posted on by 2

Would you like to know how to grow pounds of organic food… buy loads of groceries at cheap prices… stockpile enough food to survive any emergency… and slash your debt to “stretch your dollar”…

And I mean even if you have no land, live in a small home, make little money, and have never done it before?

Join John Bush and Rebecca Powers for the Exit and Build Homesteading on a Budget Workshop!

More Info andTickets Here

Throughout the workshop, you’ll discover proven methods for:

  • Growing pounds of fresh, organic food to eat year-round whether you live in a 0.1-acre suburban home or cramped apartment
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  • Buying high-quality food your family loves at bargain prices at select stores online and offline (where to shop, what to buy, tricks to use, and much more)
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  • Strategically stocking and prepping enough food to feed you and your family during a blackout, riot, storm, or total economic disaster
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  • Eliminating debt, slashing expenses, and cutting costs to have more money and freedom for the lifestyle you want even with little income and a low-paying job (these strategies work no matter how much money you make or how much debt you have)

This virtual workshop goes LIVE on September 3rd at 10AM CDT

To Get your Tickets Before the Friday Deadline Visit the Exit and Build Website Now.

Out Back with Jack – Epi-3144 – The Survival Podcast

The Survival Podcast Posted on by  

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:41:52 — 23.3MB)

Today we have another episode of  “Outback with Jack”.  These podcasts will be generated though live steam sessions done early early in the morning.  These will have an approximate start time of 0830 -11:30 CST.

These podcasts will are a lot like old school TSPC episodes on a variety of topics, many quite topical from the news and from social media.  Each show will covers a bullet point list of 5-12 topics that I will handle rather rapid fire.

From there we will talk about what ever the live audience comes up with.  These livestreams will then be converted to MP3s and put out in the standard TSPC Podcast feeds under the new series title of “Outback with Jack”

Today we are going to discuss inflation drains your life force, corporate stupidity, snakes, woke anthropologists, meat rabbit mythology, chickens in runs vs. free range, permaculture and more.

Todays Subjects Include…

  1. How companies forecast revenue and why it is often wrong and honestly stupid
  2. Would snakes be useful to control rodents naturally in a green house, well, may be, it depends
  3. Now anthropologists want us to not gender ancient remains – link
  4. Is it okay to harvest meat rabbits in warm months, what about the only months that end in R rule for hunting them
  5. How to design a property with permaculture from a blank slate and what makes it so hard
  6. Can you “cage chickens” and still get “free range benefits”, if so how
  7. Understanding inflation as draining your life’s energy over time

 

Resources for today’s show

 

Sponsor of the Day…

 

Video Version of Today’s Show

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon.

Join the MSB Today

Join the MSB Today

Want Every Episode of TSP Ever Produced?

Remember in addition to discounts to over 40 vendors who supply stuff you are likely buying anyway, tons of free ebooks and video content, MSB Members also get every edition of The Survival Podcast ever produced in convenient zip files in blocks of 24. More info on the MSB can be found here.

Permaculture Design Course and Appropriate Technology Course – From Paul Wheaton

The Survival Podcast Posted on by 1

Paul has a crazy deal going on right now for his Permaculture Design Course and Appropriate Technology Course videos. I want to share it with you guys, because it’s gonna save you a lot of coin in developing your property and self-sufficient life.

And you can Find it all Here

Most permaculture design courses are thousands of dollars and require you to take time away from your life to attend.  If you don’t want to throw thousands of dollars and weeks of time at a PDC, the Permies.com PDC + ATC videos are the perfect opportunity for you.

Not only do you get expert instruction from Permaculture power houses like Tim Barker, Paul Wheaton, and Helen Atthowe, you can also do this course at your own pace.  You also have access to the resourceful community of Permies.com.  This group is extremely responsive and helpful with any questions you might have regarding the coursework, permaculture design, appropriate technology, and so many other topics.

Whether you have decades of homesteading experience or are a total noob, this course will get you thinking like a designer.

Buying both the Permaculture Design Course and Appropriate Technology Course together at this price is unbeatable. Attending these courses in person would set you back $3300, but here you can get both entire courses worth of content for only $65.

That is more than a 95% savings.  So if you’ve always wanted access to the content of a full PDC check this one out now.

JB Weld WaterWeld Underwater Epoxy Putty – Item of the Day

The Survival Podcast Posted on by 6

Every day I bring you an item on Amazon that I personally use or has been purchased by many members of the audience and I have researched enough to recommend.

Today’s TSP Amazon Item of the day is the JB Weld WaterWeld Underwater Epoxy Putty.  I personally think this is an item that everyone should have a few tubes of at all times.  Let’s start out with why to choose underwater epoxy paste?

Simple really, WaterWeld will work on wet surfaces, IF USED PROPERLY and it will also work on dry surfaces.  I am a person that likes to standardize, it makes everything easier.  So instead of go grab me a tube of X epoxy putty, it is just epoxy putty that does all jobs such a putty can do wet or dry.

And it usually ends up being that when something needs fixing it ends up being wet!  Even if it is something that isn’t usually wet.  Translation stuff tends to break when it rains and snows!  So by choosing an underwater product it always works, every time.

Let’s talk a bit about proper use, if you read the reviews you will see a lot of very happy people, they used it right and you will see a lot of “doesn’t work at all, doesn’t stick to anything, does not work in water” etc.  Those people used it wrong.

First this stuff comes in a tube, it is two parts and if you look at the end you will see it has a light color and a dark color with one on the outside and one on the inside.  You cut as much off the tube as you need and mix it.  And you have to mix it fully, it should all be one color when done and it should smell like stale pee.  Yep, stale urine smell is a good thing here, I am serious.

Next if fully cures in about 20-30 minutes but it begins to set in about 7-10.  So if you are fixing an active leak or applying it under water, you have to hold it in place with pressure for about 10 minutes until it starts to cure.  Then it will hold and fully cure.  If you just stick it on something wet and leave it alone it will likely fail, may be even fall off.

Also the surface needs to be cleaned, no oil, no grease.  And if it is a smooth surface, a bit of roughing up isn’t always needed but it is always helpful.  In the end though this stuff can save your bacon in so many ways.  One of the most labor saving uses of this stuff I have ever had was a conversion to one of my aquatic systems.  My top tank was plumbed to my bottom tank with 3/4 inch pipe, it was a constant point of failure for many reasons but mostly because the return pipe at 3/4th of an inch was too small.

The solution was to install a 2 inch bulkhead in to the tank and plumb in a 2 inch return line.  Problem was this left a 3/4 inch line that could end up draining the tank and over flowing the lower one.  To fix that both tanks would need to be dug up as the factory bulkheads were on the bottom, the pipe fittings removed and then plugs installed.  This meant a lot of work and draining the tanks, not good.

Solution was simple, I mixed up some WaterWeld, formed a plug and plugged the hole with it in the top tank.  I then made a flat disc with the rest of the putty and capped it on top of the plug that was pushed into the pipe.  I held this in place for about 10 minutes, done.  Problem solved and the new system is running.  So about 5 dollars in epoxy saved me about 6 hours of work and draining tanks that were full of fish!  Just one example of how great this stuff is.

There are a few options when buying it on Amazon, first you can get a single tube or you can choose various muti packs as you see fit.  I think this is a good prep so having a few tubes around is not a bad idea.  I keep one in each vehicle kit and some around the house and shop at all times.

It will last damn near forever if you don’t mix it and keep it sealed up.   So you can stock up a bit on this stuff and always have it on hand.

Remember you can always find all of our reviews at TspAz.com

P.S. – I wanted to let you guys know about the latest use I had for this item.  This was a big problem and took two full tubes to do.  I have some large tanks made of fiberglass that I use for various aquatic projects.  In a recent install one had a crack about 8 inches long along the side and wrapping to the bottom. When leak tested the water seeped rapidly along the entire crack and the pressure (about 250 gallons, 2,000 lbs) made it visibly weak at the spot when near full.

It was the last one I had so I tried a Hail Mary pass.  I took two tubes and fully mixed both.  Made a snake out of them and one on the inside and one on the outside pressed them over the crack.  I then thinned out the epoxy like working bondo on a car.  Going about 2 inches on all sides of the crack.  I set the tank against the fence and gave it a day to cure.

It is now in one of my systems and has held perfectly for 5 months now.  It isn’t magic, it won’t do everything but for 6 bucks a tube it can seem like magic at times.  One tip if you are going to mix up more than a pinch I would consider wearing some sort of toss away gloves.  I ended up having to clean my hands with gasoline after making this repair.

Expert Council Q&A for 8-11-22 – Epi-3143

The Survival Podcast Posted on by 3

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:36:56 — 22.2MB)

Today on The Survival Podcast the expert council answers your questions on China & Russia, inflation, the FBI raids, handy man tips, pasture management, permaculture, business, personal sovereignty and more.

Make sure if you submit content for an expert council show you do the following….

      1. Email it to me at jack @ thesurvivalpodcast.com
      2. Put TSPC Expert in the subject line
      3. Ask you question and state the expert you have the question for in one coherent sentence
      4. Hit the return key a few times and then give all the details you think are necessary

 

Following that procedure makes it about 100X more likely your question will get though screening and sent on to one of our experts.  All expert council members can be found on the Meet the Expert Council Page.

Join Me Today As I Respond to Your Calls and Discuss…

  • In the Ron Paul Liberty Highlights
    • The FBI Raid will backfire – Ron Paul & Dan McAdams
    • 87,000 IRS Agents to “Target the Rich” is BS – Ron Paul & Dan McAdams
    • War with Russia and/or China would not be a TV style war – Chris Rossini
  • A lighting list of 20 handy man tips – Tim “Tool Man” Cook
  • Planting to improve pasture for poultry – Darby Simpson
  • When is it time to throw in the towel on a business – Nicole Sauce
  • Determine spacing of swales and trees – Nick Ferguson
  • Thoughts on the “inflation reduction act” – John Pugliano
  • No one is coming to save you, the only change will be the one you make – Jack

 

Resources for today’s show…

 

Websites of the Expert Council Members

 

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon.

Join the MSB Today

Join the MSB Today

Want Every Episode of TSP Ever Produced?

Remember in addition to discounts to over 40 vendors who supply stuff you are likely buying anyway, tons of free ebooks and video content, MSB Members also get every edition of The Survival Podcast ever produced in convenient zip files in blocks of 24. More info on the MSB can be found here.

General Hydroponics Combo Fertilizer Kit- Item of the Day

The Survival Podcast Posted on by 1

PRICING AERT – Bringing this around today because the gallon size is marked down to 88 dollars for a kit of all three and that will grow a literal ton of hydroponics greens.  And yea I mean a damn actual ton.  The cost on the gallon set of three spent pretty much most of 2022 so far over 110 dollars.  Mid 80s is the absolute bottom for this product so if you need it get it now.

Every day I bring you an item on Amazon that I personally use or has been purchased by many members of the audience and I have researched enough to recommend.

Today’s TSP Amazon Item of the day is the General Hydroponics Combo Fertilizer Kit, this stuff is easy to mix, complete and it works, I mean it really works.  But before I go on, I actually prefer Masterblend for most hydro needs.  As long as you use air tight storage Masterblend Stores infinitely, costs less and ships easier since it is dry.

So why this product at all.  Well I found it when both Masterblend and Texas Tomato Food were impossible to get last spring when everyone and their mother jumped into growing food. And it worked really good and it does have some advantages.

First is as long as you follow the instructions (order of adding to your system) since it is liquid it mixes really easily.   Next if you are growing out plants that fruit it is really easy to fine tune as your plant progresses from growth, to bloom to fruiting.  Last even though I am linking to the combo kit, if all you are doing is starting plants to transplant size, you can get just the Flora Grow and it will do all you need at the lowest recommended level of use.

So it does have a lot going for it and for some with small indoor kratky or seed starting systems they may not mind the cost increase per gallon of actual hydroponics fluid.

Next yes this is “synthetic” fertilizer as most hydroponic fertilizer is, if you want something different you need to be in the world of aquaponicis or wormponics or something like that.  That said I have tons of worms living in my hydro systems, so at the proper levels of use these fertilizers (all of them Texas Tomato, MasterBlend, General Hydroponics, etc) do not create “sterile environments”.  That is a myth and one that needs to die.  If it were so legumes would not set nitrogen nodules in them for one thing.

That said after many experiments with hydro I am now only really using it to grow some herbs in winter and start seeds for my gardens and aquaponic systems etc.  I will say more about that this week on the air.   In the end though hydro works and for some with very little space it is one of the best options you have.  This fertilizer is a great option for specific needs or smaller systems.

If however you are doing larger systems with hydro I think  you own it to yourself purely based on economics to go with MasterBlend.

On the General Hydroponics Combo you can get that either in

 

The combo kits are composed of three parts which is good becuase if you do standardize on this you will run out of Flora Gro before the other two, the three parts are…

  • Flora Gro – a General purpose fertilizer, sufficient for fast growing greens and plant starts as a stand alone.
  • Flora Micro – Provides the micro nutrients plants need for full growth and healthy fruiting.
  • Flora Bloom – Gives a good kick of P and K to encourage blooming.

 

So if you prefer a liquid nutrient consider trying the General Hydroponics Combo Fertilizer Kit in either a quart or gallon size depending on your needs. Oh and right now most of the options are on sale.

Last I want to make sure I am 100% understood here.  If you are going to grow nothing but salad greens, you absolutely can use the Flora Gro only.  I would personally buy it AND the Flora Micro but you don’t have to.  What I would personally do if I wanted to use this for indoor hydro is, buy one gallon of Flora Gro and one quart of Flora Micro.  I would then add 1/4th the amount of micro and both would run out at the same time.  That would cost right at 50 bucks today, so it doesn’t save much over the Gallon sized combo kit, but it will easily do a full season of indoor growing and you can spend the other 30 bucks on lights, net cups or say rapid rooter plugs.

Remember you can always find all of our reviews at TspAz.com

 

Building a House on Raw Land – Episode-3142

The Survival Podcast Posted on by  

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:24:02 — 19.2MB)

Chris Johnson joins us today to discuss his journey of building a house on raw land.  Chris was born and raised in Oklahoma and grew up in the suburbs of Tulsa. After high school, he went to a local university to study Computer Science and met his wife, Ashley.

They got married after college and started building the quintessential middle-class life in the suburbs. Following a winding path of 14 years and 4 kids later, Chris learned who Dave Ramsey was, dealt with a house break-in, bought a gun (and then a few more), listened to a bunch of podcasts (including some crazy dude named Jack), HODL’d, and started to make a point of learning everything he could, about everything.

After many years of planning and saving, Chris and Ashley were finally able to start their homestead journey by selling their suburban home, moving in with the in-laws, and closing on 10 acres…1 month before COVID.

The next two years of building a house during COVID were a rollercoaster of struggles and joys. Chris has documented their journey on YouTube and continues to provide his take on building a homestead from the ground up.

Resources for today’s show…

 

Chris’ Links

 

Sponsor of the Day

 

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon.

Join the MSB Today

Join the MSB Today

Want Every Episode of TSP Ever Produced?

Remember in addition to discounts to over 40 vendors who supply stuff you are likely buying anyway, tons of free ebooks and video content, MSB Members also get every edition of The Survival Podcast ever produced in convenient zip files in blocks of 24. More info on the MSB can be found here.

The Ringer Cast Iron Scrubber – Item of the Day

The Survival Podcast Posted on by 6

Every day I bring you an item on Amazon that I personally use or has been purchased by many members of the audience and I have researched enough to recommend.

Today’s TSP Amazon Item of the day is The Ringer Cast Iron Scrubber.  As a long time user of carbon steel and cast iron I was pretty interested when I first heard about this little gadget.  I picked one up figuring I would try it out and likely it would be like many gadgets, sure it sort of works but big honking deal and it would end up in the junk drawer.

Um, WRONG!  This thing is awesome, and it is one I am frankly late to the party on.  I have had a lot of folks over the house and if I used my pans to cook for them, I always show them the ringer, most are like, yep got one of those.  Why?  Because it fricken works and it makes your cast iron better over time.

Here is what I do, I generally heat up my pan with what ever crud is in it to medium hot, I then dump in a cup of water or two, it deglazes the crud.  I take the hot pan over to the sink and dump out the water, add a bit more and give it a scrubbing with the ringer.  This with a well seasoned pan is all you really need, just heat dry and oil and you are good.

What I do a lot of times though, especially if there is a small amount of crud left is put in a big pinch of kosher salt, it acts like scouring powder and give it a bit more scrubbing with the ringer.  This not only cleans it perfectly but it is doing micro sanding of the iron and patina at the same time.

So if you cook with carbon steel or cast iron, consider getting The Ringer Cast Iron Scrubber into your kitchen today.  At only 15 bucks it is a great deal, I have had mine about 2 years now and it is still as good as new.

Remember you can always find all of our reviews at TspAz.com