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...]
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...]
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 … [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...]
25 Things You Can Use As Seed Starting Containers
It’s that time of year again. Now is your chance to get a jump on spring gardening by starting your seeds indoors. Once you have your seeds, your soil, and your lighting squared away, you'll need to find some containers. Frugal homesteaders repurpose just about everything, and seed starting containers should be no exception. Look for flexible … [Read more...]
6 Proven Strategies to Boost Garden Harvests
Some people grow food year after year and, no matter how hard they work in their gardens, never have as big of a harvest as they hoped for. If you've ever been in that situation, maybe it's time to change your strategy. In this video, GrowVeg shares six strategies that are guaranteed to give you a huge harvest. Here they are: 1. Choose … [Read more...]
19 Things to Do Before You Plant Your Spring Garden
At this point in the winter, outdoor gardening can seem like a distant memory. However, there are many tasks you can and should start doing right now to gear up for a great spring garden. Here’s our checklist of 19 things to do before you plant your spring garden. 1. Order Seeds - Check your favorite seed catalogs or garden stores for the … [Read more...]
5 Container Gardening Tips and Tricks
I've met many people who like container gardening more than traditional gardening, and they have several reasons. You can put a container garden almost anywhere, you don't have to pull any weeds, there are fewer pests to deal with, you can grow food throughout the year, and you can try plants on a small scale before planting more. These … [Read more...]
15 Best Crops to Grow for Food Storage
Having a pantry or cellar full of stockpiled food and supplies gives a person a feeling of security. It is comforting knowing that no matter what comes to pass in the world outside, your family will be well fed. The fact that you grew and preserved these nutritious foods yourself provides an even bigger sense of accomplishment. One of the keys … [Read more...]
