Be prepared year-round: Your season-by-season guide to planting and prepping

Soon, we will be welcoming a new year. Adjusting to changing seasons all year round can be difficult if you lack preparation. If you want to be more motivated and prepared for the upcoming year, read these preparedness tips for winter, spring, summer, and fall. (h/t to MyPatriotSupply.com)

1. Winter – Don’t let the cold weather freeze you. Start up your year by laying your plans for the rest of the seasons. Plan your budget, get your taxes in order, and pay your debts – if you have any. Managing your finances for the entire year is a key to being prepared. Moreover, plan for food independence. It may be too early to plant anything outdoors because of the cold weather, but it is not too early to start stocking seeds or germinating seed indoors. This season is ideal for planning for a greenhouse or indoor garden so that you can grow your own produce for the whole year. In this way, you can ensure food security when a disaster comes. Moreover, check the food you have in your food storage. Take note of their expiration date and how long they can sustain you. Check if they have damage or critters, so that you can get rid of them and replace them. Some of the food supply items that you will need in case of a disaster include ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits, vegetables, and a can opener, protein or fruit bars, dry cereal or granola, peanut butter, dried fruit, canned juices, non-perishable pasteurized milk, high energy foods, and food for infants.
2. Spring – This is the perfect season to start planting as the temperature slowly rises. Prepare your seeds, prepare the soil, add compost or whatever your crops need to grow properly. This is also the best time to add items to your food storage as the higher temperature enables you to find cool, dry places to store your food. It is also important to inspect if the winter season caused any damage to your home.
3. Summer – This season is the warmest season of the year. Do not forget to enjoy and make the most out of this season. Go out, have fun, and enjoy the sun (helps with your vitamin D intake too!) Moreover, enjoy picking out your fresh produce straight from your garden. Some crops mature before summer, while most crops will continue to produce if picked regularly. This is also the time to prune some plants for new growth and to take care of any crops that are struggling. Additionally, this is also the season to prepare for fall and winter. Start to winterize your home and emergency shelters and take inventory of your food storage – rotate, inspect, discard, and replace.
4. Fall – Fall is the season when you get to appreciate the bounty of harvest, yet it is also a time when crisis tend to strike. Pick, preserve, store, and save – these are the things you need to do to maximize your harvest. Plan what you will do with every produce you pick. You can eat them fresh, preserve them by pickling, canning, or drying, find a good place to store them, and save some seed by drying and storing them, so you will not need to buy new ones next season. Furthermore, make one final food storage inventory – check on your food, inspect for damage, discard anything that’s spoiled, expired or damaged, and resupply. Also, prepare your house for winter by cleaning the gutters, fixing any leaks or damages, and inspecting your roof. (Related: Power of nature – Adapt with the seasons and find balance.)

Read more tips for preparing for any survival situation all-year round at Preparedness.news.

Sources include:

MyPatriotSupply.com

Ready.gov