Category: Victory Gardens - neoTerra

Victory Garden Update

4/5/2025

Spring has arrived and it's time for outdoor projects. I've stated a new palm garden and added a new arbor/trellis to the Victory Garden.

Last year, I had pretty good luck growing cucumbers in one of the rear containers. Unfortunately, my flimsy bamboo trellis blew over in a thunderstorm and I lost several weeks of cucumbers.

Clearly I need a far more substantial trellis so I decided to put an arched arbor between the two rear containers. I found an inexpensive arbor that is almost the exact height and width as the entry arbor at the front of the garden. Life is good :-)

I built a platform out of pressure treated 2x4's, got it level and screwed it into the adjacent containers. The new arbor is screwed into the platform and the yard box is now level, as well (YAY!)

I wrapped the front arbor with rabbit fence last year and got a surprising crop of green beans from such a small area. So, I wrapped the rear arbor the same way and hope to get a good crop of pickeling cucumbers this year.

Victory Garden Update

7/7/2024

The Victory Garden is doing much better this year. The new, expansion area doesn't have much in it ... only a couple of blueberry bushes and some strawberries that won't produce until next year.

The original section has tomatoes, green peppers, beets, green beans, cucumbers and sweet potatoes.

The tomato plants are about 5 feet tall and the cages aren't big enough! The green beans have covered the arbor and the cucumbers are about 7 feet and I'll need a stepladder to pick the ones near the top. Maybe I'll make another arbor next year so the cucumbers can grow over the top like the beans.

There are a lot of tomatoes, though they'll need a few more weeks. The cucumbers are doing great.

This morning I discovered some tobacco hornworms eating the tomato plants. They are HUGE.

The best way to get rid of them is to pluck them off the vine and squash them. I found and squashed eight of them today. Making them burst into a gob of slimy goo is satisfying, but it confirms my conviction that I shall never eat bugs instead of beef (Sorry Klaus).

I just read that they glow under UV light so it will be easy to hunt them down.
"Bugs! Kill them all!" - Johnny Rico

The Rational Prepper - Apocaloptimist

6/9/2024

Summer is almost here so it's a good time to talk about some Spring projects.

Victory Garden Expansion
The Victory Garden was a disappointment last year, but I decided to expand the garden anyway. Over the past several weeks I've added a 9x18 section to the east of last year's garden.

Since the ground slopes up to the east I decided to use 1' high containers rather than the 2' containers in the original garden. The back half of this section already has 18-24 inches of topsoil so no containers are needed.

Of course, the electric fence had to be extended to keep Bambi and Yogi out. The wildlife is so inconsiderate. The posts are set in concrete. Like last year, I ran three stands of electrified wire and then attached rabbit fencing. Installing the rabbit fencing is really tedious but it keeps the raccoons out and strengthens the fence.

This expansion more than doubles the size of our growing area. However, this is NOT a garden that could sustain us in an apocalypse. As I've mentioned in previous posts, I'm an apocaloptimist ... I'm prepping for continued inflation and the decline in quality of 'industrial' vegetables.

If I feel ambitious, I'll add a similar extension to the west (left) next year.

The Guardians of the Garden
We now have two whimsical guardians at neoTerra! We have a tactical garden gnome with a rocket launcher (He's small but deadly!) and a fierce Gargoyle (to ward off evil spirits and demons).

We've had the Gargoyle for many years but he was lost in the weeds. I decided to upscale an expended Starfleet photon-torpedo casing as a pedestal so he now has a place of honor.

Victory Garden Update

5/19/2023

The Victory Garden is complete but there are many small tasks and preparations for next year.

As an aside, I have been writing about bug-burgers and the fallacy of synthetic, fake food. I don't know if I will have the ambition to keep the Victory Garden going as I get older... but the idea of eating fresh, heirloom vegetables is very appealing.

Current Status
I've planted tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, potatoes and brussels sprouts. The broccoli doesn't seem to be doing well but everything else is better than I expected.

As a crazy experiment, Ms Terra suggested that I should plant the carrot tops left over from canning beef stew. I was skeptical... but here ya go! Generic Kroger Carrots!

I also planted two varieties of pole beans from seed. I'm amazed at how fast they sprouted! I'm so frugal (or perhaps rational) that I used left-over welded-wire mesh to wrap over the entry arbor so they'll have a trellis to climb on.

I must admit, it isn't the most picturesque solution. BUT, it is functional, it actually stiffens the flimsy arbor and, best of all, it was FREE!.

Damn!... look at how lush the forest has become over the past few weeks.

Preps For Next Year
I ordered another 10 yards of top soil with the intent to triple the size of the garden next year. I moved the 5-yard pile on the left (west) on Wednesday. I definitely overdid it and I've been paying the price for the last two days. However, I did plant a few hostas yesterday and made that trellis today... so I don't feel like a total elderly wimp.

My theory is that it will be easier to have ambition in the future if I do most of the heavy-lifting in the present. Today is the youngest that you shall ever be. Don't Waste It.

The Rational Prepper - Victory Garden Complete!

4/21/2023

The neoTerra Victory Garden is complete! YAY!

In the last update, the containers were all in place and filled. All that remained was installation of an electric fence to keep Bambi and Yogi out of the garden.

I purchased 18 5-foot steel T-Posts from Tractor Supply and mounted those to the containers. (For the city folks out there... Tractor Supply doesn't actually sell tractors.. but they sell all sorts of awesome supplies for farm and garden).

The electric fencing must be insulated from the steel posts. I found these awesome insulators called Lock Jawz. They can snap onto the T-Posts at several different angles to make it easy to go around corners. Mounting two insulators back-to-back made it easy to tie off the fencing at the ends.

I used 2-inch x 4-inch welded wire mesh for the fence itself. This should be able to keep baby velociraptors out!

ALL DONE!!

The Rational Prepper - Victory Garden Update

4/3/2023

I have all four containers installed and filled. I used all 10 yards of top soil and I'm going to need a lot more :-(

The concrete piers for the northwest (final) container are really high. I use a solid concrete block for the base, a hollow block in the middle and another solid block on top to support the container. The blocks are glued together with Gorilla Ultimate Adhesive, which is actually better than conventional mortar.

I poured two concrete blocks to mount the entry gate. I was surprised that each block took about 40 lbs of concrete. The gate is screwed to the concrete pads with Tapcon anchors.

Some stepping stones and pea gravel complete the entry.

The next step is to order more dirt to back fill the sides where the piers are exposed. Then I can install the electric fence to keep Yogi and Bambi out. I'm in the home stretch!

The Rational Prepper - Victory Gardens

3/25/2023

Lost and Found
A couple of months ago I talked about putting in a vegetable garden. The coldest temps on record created problems with our well and killed a couple thousand dollars of shrubs. So I lost my motivation for planting.

Then I visited my friends G&J. They gave me a tour of their amazing garden and I found my enthusiasm again!

That said... I'm starting small with just four containers. If I can actually get anything to grow then I'll add four more next year.

Progress Report
The only sunny location at neoTerra is along the north side of the driveway. It's also the most level location on our property... but it's not that level.

The project started two weeks ago with delivery of 10 yards of topsoil. Since I'm obsessive, I bought a truckload of concrete blocks to level the containers.

Here are the two front containers with the entry gate.

View toward the south with three containers in place. I like the way the corrugated metal containers go with the metal siding on the house. Note that the concrete piers extend past the containers to the left... that will provide the foundation to extend the garden next year (if I'm ambitious).

A view from the east. Only one more container to install! BUT, I have to move a lot of dirt first... It takes about a cubic yard for each of the two front containers and more for the back containers which are 10-12 inches above grade.

I'd better get moving!!! It's almost time to plant!

The Rational Prepper - Victory Gardens

9/28/2022

There is a looming global food shortage created by bad (Green) energy policies and exacerbated by drought and the Ukraine War. I don't think people will be starving in America but we will be paying ever higher prices for food.

It's time to start a garden! (I know that many of you already do some gardening).

History
Of course rural folks have always had gardens. During WW2 the gov encouraged people everywhere to plant home or community gardens and they called them "Victory Gardens".

Back in the 1940's we were a patriotic nation united in a great battle of good vs evil. Today we are fighting fake catastrophes created by the elite Progressives at the WEF. (hmmm... perhaps it is still Good vs Evil... it is just that we are no longer united). The two following pictures illustrate Then Vs Now.

1940's

2022

Europe Is SO Screwed
Rationing was another aspect of the War era that may be coming back to America in 2023. Brandon has drained the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to buy votes in the midterms and the Administration has now exhausted every dishonest option at their disposal. Rationing of gasoline and diesel could happen in 2023.

Europe is totally screwed and the puppet-masters at the WEF will be calling on Brandon to bail Europe out at our expense.

People in Europe are already facing a "Heating vs Eating" crisis and I firmly believe Joe will bring that crisis home to America. Ironically, it currently looks like the northern 'blue' states will be punished the most... so perhaps there is a bit of Karma at work.

A neoTerra Victory Garden
I never considered gardening because neoTerra is so shaded by large trees (and I'm lazy).

However, to get Starlink working, I had to have several trees north of the house topped. (and I'll have to top more). There is now a partially sunny area north of the driveway. I also got about 2 face cords of firewood for 2023 and a BIG pile of mulch.

I'm thinking about putting in a small (20x16) garden, kind-of like this, before Spring. It will need to have an electrified fence to keep Bambi and Yogi out.

With the trees cleared, the next step is to bring in a couple truckloads of topsoil so I can level the area. Then, I can install the fence so it will be ready for Spring.

Sustaining Liberty - Gardening Will Kill Ya Edition

8/11/2022

Get The Lead Out
With an impending global food crisis a lot of people are starting or expanding home gardens so they can have more control over their food supply. For example, the price of eggs has jumped 47% in a single year. finance.yahoo.com/news/eggs-prices-us-jump-47-001717350.html

Progressives hate the thought of anyone having any independence so they've invented a brand new boogeyman to keep you under control. LEAD POISONING from home gardens.

A recent study has shown that backyard chickens (and their eggs) contained 30X as much lead as store-bought eggs. VERY SCARY.

However, as a matter of full disclosure, the study was done in Australia and focused on properties that were contaminated with lead from proximity to lead mines or that had lead paint or lead pipes (does anyone still have lead pipes?).

It seems that science has proven that testing areas known to be contaminated with lead discovers those areas are contaminated with lead.

The advice from the Rational Prepper says Don't buy property next to a toxic mining operation, or a toxic waste dump or an Australian city. You're Welcome! Enjoy your veggies and eggs!

Clown World

5/30/2022

The weekly segment where I mock the absurdity engulfing our nation and the world.

I'm not sure about making older women SO very happy... but I admire Ben so I'm gonna cut him some slack on this one.

Pee On Your Plants
I suppose this is better than 'poop in you pants'... Remember when I wrote about the fertilizer shortage in North Korea (NorK). Three months ago the failing socialist dictatorship enacted a requirement that the peasantry should produce 300 lbs of human-poop-fertilizer per person. neoterra.us/blog/self-inflicted-scarcity-fertilizer

This week, USA Today is advising Americans to pee on their plants as a form of 'sustainable fertilizer'. We are now officially joining the ranks of failing socialist dictatorships. YAY! www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/05/21/human-urine-fertilizer-sustainable/9824078002/?gnt-cfr=1

There is no doubt that urine can be used as a fertilizer and fresh urine is almost sterile so it's fairly safe..... But it's yukky. I suppose I'm OK with peeing on petunias... but please don't pee on my potatoes.

There is a whole organization devoted to peeing on your plants. I really hope all the Progressive Urban Socialists (PUS) take this heart and start peeing on their indoor house plants. All urban environments should smell like urinals! Click the pic for more.

Climate Clownery
This is a real story... honest. A climate activist in France, disguised as a woman in a wheelchair (two intersectional points right there) hurled a cake at the Mona Lisa while screaming something about 'saving the Earth'. I can only hope it was genuine French pastry. Click the Pic.

No More Chiefs
The term 'chief' is widely used in corporate America to designate the top position. Typical examples: Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Chief Technology Officer (CTO) or Chief Compliance Office (CCO).

Well things are so awesome in San Francisco that the school board has nothing better to do than change the titles of all their 'chief' executives.

Spokesperson Gentle Blythe (awesome name) indicates that the term 'chief' will no longer be used. "our leadership team agreed that, given that Native American members of our community have expressed concerns over the use of the title, we are no longer going to use it,”

The kids can't read or write but at least they won't be offended. (click the pic)

BTW, the word 'chief' comes from old French and has the same origin as 'chef'. So I suppose we will have to get rid of chefs next.

Meanwhile In New York
Subway posters from the NYC Health Dept on how to use Fentanyl. You can't make this shit up!

Avoid using alone and take turns
Start with a small dose and go slowly