As you may already know, gardening can be very frustrating. You prepare the soil, plant the seeds, water them every day, pull the weeds, and protect your seedlings as much as possible, but sometimes things go wrong. The plant gets diseased, or eaten by pests, or simply won't produce any vegetables. Sometimes it seems like you can do everything … [Read more...]
12 Seeds for Your Fall Garden
Summer is coming to an end (thank God!). So if you plan on growing food this fall, you better start making plans. As explained by The Rootsy Network, there are three types of crops you need to consider: 1) Crops you plant in mid to late summer and harvest before the first frost, 2) Crops you plant in late summer or early fall and harvest in … [Read more...]
5 Time-Saving Gardening Tips
If you're retired or work part-time, gardening is one of the best things you can do in your spare time. You'll save money on food, you'll avoid unnatural chemicals and pesticides, and you'll improve your overall health just from being outside and interacting with nature. However, if you work full-time and/or you have family members to take care … [Read more...]
12 Ways to Attract Bees to Your Garden
The bee population in the U.S. is in peril. According to the Pollinator Partnership, the U.S. has lost more than half of its managed honeybee colonies over the past decade. Although the reasons for this sharp decline are not fully understood, scientists believe contributing factors include increased exposure to pesticides, parasites, diseases, … [Read more...]
12 Simple Ways to Lengthen Your Garden’s Growing Season
Many gardeners wait diligently for late spring so that they can begin their gardens, and then they reluctantly call it quits in the fall. Depending on where you live, that can be a short-lived growing season of only four months or so. However, there are some simple ways to extend your garden’s growing season. With a longer growing season, you … [Read more...]
How to Grow Trees from Twigs
When most people plant trees, they just buy a baby tree from the store and transfer it to the ground. But there's another method that is cheaper and more satisfying: Take a twig from the kind of tree you want to plant and nurture it into a whole new tree. Doing this isn't as complicated as you might think. In this article by Anna Ikona on … [Read more...]
10 Edible (and Healthy) Plants from Your Own Backyard – Summer Edition
As the summer sun begins to shine, you may notice new plant life popping up in your yard. Many homeowners overlook these plants, either assuming they’re pesky weeds or not even noticing them at all...but wait a second! Many of these wild and organic plants are packed with nutrients and are super delicious. Better yet, they’re free! Foraging can … [Read more...]
8 Things To Do With All Those Dandelions
I fondly remember the toddler days when my children would pick small bouquets of dandelions and lovingly present them to me. I would thank them and then place the “pretty flowers” in a small vase on the kitchen windowsill. Other than those delightful moments, however, I harbored dark thoughts about those bright yellow blooms. How dare they crop up … [Read more...]
7 Perennial Herbs to Plant for Culinary and Medicinal Use
Credible clinical studies verify that many herbs have significant medicinal benefits… and oh yeah, they taste good, too. Planting and growing herbs is surprisingly simple, and you don’t need an herb garden to do it. Many people make herbs a part of their regular garden, planting in between the flowers and the groundcover. Herbs also grow well in … [Read more...]
Aloe Vera: How to Grow It and How to Use It
You’ve probably heard about the healing powers of the aloe vera plant for sunburn, but did you know it can also be used as a hair conditioner, as a liquid tonic, and to treat other skin conditions? What’s even better is that aloe vera is easy to grow and would be a great addition to your homestead’s indoor and, possibly, your outdoor garden. A … [Read more...]
Converting Lawns Into Gardens
In America, the lawn care industry is worth about $4 billion a year. That's right, billions and billions of dollars just for land that usually sits there untouched, being green. Don't get me wrong, I love walking barefoot on a nice lawn, playing games with my kids. But imagine how much food could be grown if people started converting their lawns … [Read more...]
15 Easy Ways to Grow Potatoes
If you could grow only one crop on your homestead, potatoes would be a good choice. Potatoes are perhaps the ultimate survival food. They are rich in carbohydrates, vitamins, protein, and nucleic acid. They can be prepared in many ways, from potato chips to potato casserole. And best of all, there are many ways to grow potatoes. What makes … [Read more...]
11 Natural Ways to Get Rid of Garden Weeds
Weeds are a constant thorn in the side of gardeners everywhere, sometimes literally as well as figuratively. Unfortunately, the most common ways for gardeners to deal with these weeds are not the most healthy or beneficial. Weed killers that are powerful enough to kill weeds on contact are also toxic enough to harm the people using them. This is … [Read more...]
Companion Planting With Herbs to Improve Yields
When people plant their gardens, usually each vegetable gets a plot of land all to itself--potatoes over here, cucumbers over there, and so forth. But many gardeners also plant herbs alongside their vegetables. This is called "companion planting" and it has many benefits. For example, companion planting can enrich your garden soil and make soil … [Read more...]
10 Trees Every Homesteader Should Plant (And Why)
Most homesteads are surrounded by an abundance of trees growing in the wild. This is great for firewood and shade, but selectively planting certain trees can offer other benefits. These include fruit trees and certain trees that provide natural, medicinal benefits. The win/win is when a tree can satisfy all needs: firewood, shade, nutrition, and … [Read more...]
11 Common Garden Pests and How to Deal with Them Naturally
Picture this. It’s a beautiful late spring or early summer morning, and you head out to check your garden. The previous day everything looked healthy and strong, but today, you notice signs of an apparent infestation. Seemingly overnight, leaves are withering and/or new growth looks as if it has been eaten away. It's any gardener’s nightmare, … [Read more...]
9 Ways to Make Your Garden Soil More Fertile
Growing a bountiful harvest begins with one simple yet extremely important step, regardless of where you live or what you're planting: soil quality. There are many ways to enhance the dirt you'll be planting your seeds in, none of which cost much money or time. Soil is a mixture of air, water, mineral particles, and dead organic material. The … [Read more...]
