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Where to keep potatoes through winter, place by place: the temperature, humidity and keeping time for a root cellar, basement, garage, pantry or fridge, plus how to cure them first.
Read More →Growing food where you live. Frost dates and planting windows, soil and compost, raised beds, watering through drought, and keeping the deer and rabbits out of it.
Watermelons are a delicious and refreshing fruit that can be grown in your own backyard with the right knowledge and care. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or a beginner looking to try your hand at growing watermelons, this guide will provide you with valuable information on the best practices for growing watermelons, the best time…
Compost, often referred to as “black gold” by gardeners, is a nutrient-rich soil conditioner that is invaluable for maintaining healthy plants and a thriving garden. It is essentially decomposed organic matter that enriches soil, promotes beneficial microorganisms, and helps retain moisture. Understanding composting, creating your own compost, and utilizing it effectively can significantly enhance the…
Last time, we mentioned the importance of planting cover crops in the off season. Thing is, there are quite a few different types of cover crops, and while all are helpful, each has its own particular specialty. Read on for the various uses of cover crops, and the particular benefits of several popular variants. Erosion…
If you’ve got a fall garden going, you’ve still plenty of plants in the ground, so bookmark this for when you’re done for the year. If, however, like many gardeners, your growing season is over for the year, its time to begin thinking about prepping your ground for spring. Read on for some ways you…
Harlequin bugs. You can’t live with ’em, and it would certainly be more pleasant to live without them! Unlike their carnival-esque name, these mid-sized little garden pests are no laughing matter. Feasting primarily upon cabbage, broccoli and brussels sprouts–or basically any brassica they can find–these bugs tend to show up in clusters, leaving a path…
It’s been a wet year on the homestead. Between seemingly endless rain, and humidity that often sees 90-percent, I can’t remember the last time I actually had to go out and water the garden. While it’s hard to complain about rain when we often see so little of it, there can always be too much…
Looking to cut down on the amount of bugs in your garden, the natural way? Consider ringing it with a few of the insect-repelling plants below, and watch the bugs fly away. Lemongrass First up is lemongrass, as its an obvious choice for this list. Lemongrass naturally secretes citronella oil, the primary ingredient found in…
Its about that time of year. The garden is starting to blossom, and among the sea of green and brown, you’re starting to see little shoots of color popping up everywhere. If you’ve planted summer squash, large orange/yellow flowers will be among this sea of growth. But how best should you care for your growing…
If you started reading this hoping for a definitive answer to the question above, I’m sorry to disappoint. I’ve been reading about Zeolitef for a while and–given the nature of the soil in my garden–decided to give it a go this year, working about 3 pounds into roughly 300 square feet of garden space as…
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control estimates that 7,000 to 8,000 people are bitten by venomous snakes annually. (Note: snakes can be venomous, not poisonous—there’s a difference.) Few deaths are attributed to the venomous bites, but the aftermath can be miserable, even life changing. Rattlesnake venom is largely composed of hemotoxins. So, beyond the initial…
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife recently auctioned off $51,542 of ginseng and yellow root that was forfeited from illegal possession cases. That total came from 59.7 pounds of ginseng and 3.1 pounds of yellow root from evidence collected following cleared Ohio court processes. The money raised in the auction was…
Obviously the easiest way to keep critters out of your garden is to put up a good fence. The higher and tighter the better, while burying the bottom will go a long way toward keeping critters from digging beneath. What if you don’t have the time or materials to get a fence up, however? Read…
