sustainable living, homesteading, sustainable homemaking
What the heck is “manure tea”?? Sounds completely disgusting! Experienced gardeners know the benefits of consistent fertilizing, it’s the secret of becoming a “green thumb”! Manure tea is… * Easy to make * Super cheap * Completely effective * Absorbs quickly * Regenerates lagging plants and promotes new growth! How to Make Manure [...]
It’s grape season! I’ve been pleasantly surprised to see decent-sized clusters of grapes on our 3 year old vines this year! Not only that, a friend called me and asked if I wanted to come over and pick the rest of her grapes. I never turn down an opportunity to pick anything! Time for grape [...]
It’s time to fertilize your garden for the best possible harvest. Compost tea to the rescue! Compost tea provides excellent nutrients and microorganisms to your garden. Compost tea benefits include: * Increases nutrients to your plants and helps to reduce diseases! * Provides essential organisms that enhance plant growth! * Enhances the soil for future [...]
What’s up with keeping a garden journal? Is it worth your time and effort? Absolutely! Photo credit Keeping a garden journal from year to year will prove to be an indispensable tool in your self-sustaining efforts. Despite my best efforts, I can’t remember how my garden performed each summer. Making decisions regarding rotation, placement, purchasing and introduction [...]
Who says the growing season has to end with summer? Extending the growing season is simple! Photo credit With Summer Solstice behind us, the darkness of night coming a new minutes earlier each evening. The peak of Summer 2012 has passed and we are on the downward slope to fall, which is my favorite season. Like many of [...]
Disastrous summer garden? No worries, you get another chance with your fall garden! Garden redemption is here with fall planting! If you’ve never had a fall garden, you don’t know what you’re missing! I really enjoy fall gardening, with less heat and bugs, it is extremely enjoyable. There are simply some crops that fair better [...]
After participating in a workshop put on by the extension office and THE Ohio State University last night, I want to bring you a re-cap of what I learned. The topic was “Dealing With Damaged Suburban Soils“, this is the entire handout that I received by Joe Boggs. Photo credit 1. Many times when a [...]
A potager is a french term that means “kitchen garden“. Today, that can translate into what Americans know as urban gardening! The fact of the matter is this….while many would like to live out in the country and grow food on acres of land, most folks live in urban or suburban areas and will likely [...]
One of my favorite parts of raising my kids on the farm is the way they learn where food comes from and how it’s grown! Garlic should be part of your fall planting plan and here’s how it’s done. Don’t hesitate to let your kiddos get a little dirt under their fingernails and “Grow [...]
With nationwide heat-related issues this summer, how do you save the investment you’ve worked so hard for? Just a few short months ago, you were pouring over seed catalogs, trying to decide what best to grow for your family this year. Weeks later, you were up to your shins in soil, working diligently to get [...]
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