The blackout of the winter of 22/23 has already given a comprehensive answer to the question of how to prepare for winter in the conditions of war. From the fall of 2022 to the spring of 2023, people had to sit every night by candlelight, catch the Internet in the middle of the night to check their e-mails and read the latest news. Although the valiant Ukrainian energy workers managed to restore the electricity supply quite quickly, on the threshold of the winter of 23/24, the probability of a repeat of the situation cannot be neglected. An insidious enemy is quite capable, violating the rules of warfare, to start a massive attack on the energy infrastructure again, as a result of which we will be without electricity for a long time. It is better now, taking into account the experience of surviving a blackout, to think of a plan on how to prepare for winter as best as possible.
Preparation for winter in Ukraine: backup power supply
Three devices – a generator, a charging station and an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) help to compensate for losses during power outages. As long as there is no sensational demand, the generator can be bought at an affordable price. Be sure to consider this possibility. Your own generator will come in handy not only in the event of a power outage due to the aggressor’s fault, but also during natural disasters – hurricanes, icing of power lines with subsequent disconnection. Do not forget that the depletion of functional elements of the Ukrainian energy system reaches 90%. Even without a missile attack, a major breakdown could occur at an important distribution node, leaving the house without power for several days.
Having your own generator in a private house allows you to get rid of the fear of power outages. With a sufficient supply of fuel, you can use all electrical appliances in normal mode. You will have a refrigerator, a washing machine, a dishwasher, a TV, a personal computer, an electronic unit for a heating boiler, and lighting devices. You will be able to charge mobile gadgets without resorting to the services of “unbreakable points”.
An excellent device is a charging station that charges in advance from the power supply network, and during a power outage you use it: computer, lighting, phone charging, TV, gas boiler automation – everything will work for several hours.
On the eve of the dangerous winter, you should also think about purchasing an uninterruptible power supply – an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) of the appropriate class. This device will eliminate the fear of sudden power outages. PC owners will appreciate the advantages of this inexpensive device, because in case of an unexpected power outage, the computer may fail due to incorrect parking of the hard disk head, unsaved data may be lost, and you may even have to resort to the recovery procedure.
The UPS allows to soften the impact as much as possible. After a sudden power outage, the uninterruptible power supply continues to power connected devices from the rechargeable battery for 10-40 minutes, depending on the model. This time is enough to calmly save the data and finish the computer session in normal mode. If the UPS is connected to the TV, the audience will not notice the outage, because the electric generator will have time to start and take over the load.
How to prepare for winter during the war: a list of the necessary items
A well-known rule: hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. The option, when the house may remain without electricity and water for a long period of time, is not excluded during the war. Therefore, you should be safe by buying things from the following list in advance:
- Fast food, canned meat, fish and vegetables.
- Large supply of drinking water.
- Tourist coercion.
- Compact solar panel for charging mobile gadgets.
- Power banks.
- Battery powered radio receiver.
- Flashlights and travel lamps, candles, matches, lighters, oil lamps.
- All necessary medicines and medical accessories with a large supply.
Preparing the garden for winter
The owners of private houses also have to take care of their land before winter. Preparing the garden, hedge and green lawn for winter includes several important stages that allow you to provide plants and grass with good conditions for survival during severe cold and maintain their health:
- Preparing trees for winter: remove all dead plants, fallen leaves and rotting fruit on the ground. This will help prevent the spread of diseases and pests.
- Cover the basal zone of the plants with mulch (such as straw or compost) to retain moisture and insulate the roots.
- Preparing thuja for winter: cover young or weak plants with special materials (for example, agrofibre) to protect against low temperatures.
- Trim the hedge, removing all dry and diseased branches.
- If your hedge consists of young or recently planted plants, it may be worth covering them with special nets or materials to protect them from wind and snow.
- Preparing the lawn for winter: remove all fallen leaves from the grass so that they do not create favorable conditions for the development of fungal diseases.
- Before the onset of cold weather, apply autumn fertilizer. This will help the grass to get the necessary nutrients for the winter and recover faster in the spring.
Careful preparation of fruit trees for winter, high-quality treatment of hedges and lawns in autumn will help preserve the health of plants and create favorable conditions for their spring awakening.
Preparation of roses for winter
Roses are the most popular and at the same time the most vulnerable flowers in homesteads, flower beds, and public squares in cities and towns. Preparing roses for winter is important so as not to lose beautiful plants due to severe cold. Here are some steps you can take:
- Remove all leaves that may be infected with diseases or have already begun to wither. This will help prevent the spread of diseases in the next season.
- Cut the roses to a height of about 30-45 cm from the ground. This will reduce branching and make the plant less susceptible to wind damage in winter. Also remove all weak and thin branches.
- Sprinkle the base of the rose with earth or compost to a height of about 15-20 cm. It is also recommended to cover the basal area. To do this, use dry leaves, straw or special materials for sheltering plants. Create a shelter layer about 20-30 cm thick. This will help protect the roots from frost.
- So that the bushes are not damaged by strong cold winds, create wind protection using nets or special screens.
- Feed your roses with a fertilizer rich in potassium and phosphorus to help plants get stronger before winter.
- Regularly check the condition of the shelter of roses during the winter. If the shelter is damaged, restore it so that the bushes remain protected.
Following these recommendations for preparing roses for winter, you will help the bushes survive the winter and please you with beautiful blooms in the next season.
Preparation for winter in the cottage town of Zoloche
Owners of cottages in Zoloche should prepare well for winter in their housing and homesteads only. Use our tips.
You don’t have to worry about the state of the cottage town territory: a service company is engaged in preparing green spaces in parks and squares for winter, cleaning roads and sidewalks from snow. It will make sure that, in the event of power outages, normal life in Zoloche is restored as soon as possible.
