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What to plant this May by USDA zone — peppers, beans, squash, melons. A working-homestead planting calendar for zones 3 through 9.
Read More →As the days grow shorter and the temperatures get either downright pleasant, or just a little less unbearable depending on what part of the country you’re in, you’re likely wondering what steps you can take in your garden. Its an odd time of year, as the harvest of ripe produce lines coincides with the approach…
Whether you want to keep the deer from eating all your garden vegetables and flowers or whether you’re interested in ways to help wildlife during a hot, dry summer, here are a few things you should know. Any limited availability of food and water can lead to a reduced number of newborn fawns and fewer…
As homesteaders, self-sufficiency seems almost folded into our DNA. While the lifestyle has many appeals, one thing in particular that binds us is a deep appreciation for the land, and a desire for a connection to the food that nourishes us. These sorts of virtues have fallen in and out of mainstream appeal over the…
Christmas trees have a lot of uses once all the festivities are ended. Personally, I used to feed them to my sheep but now I just burn mine in a big New Year’s Eve bonfire. Whatever you decide to do just be sure to remember RULE NUMBER ONE – Make sure the tree is free…
I know, I know, your feed plot should already be well underway. But if you’re like me, summer chores got the best of you, and you’re a little late putting it in the ground. The good news is, you’re not too late, particularly if you’re south of the Mason-Dixon like myself. Brassicas and tender cereal grains…
Now midway through July, lets take a look at how that summer heat is affecting the contents of our gardens. Here are a few tips on what to harvest, plant, and more in this most patriotic–but also hottest–of the summer months. Asparagus Asparagus takes a long time to mature–think about three years. Thus its going…
Today marks the first of June, and while I realize I’ve strayed from the garden a bit over the last weeks, I cannot resist this opportunity to detail some of the plantings you should be sowing into the ground for this month. Read on, for some ideas on what to dirty your hands with in…
Howdy ya’ll! With a couple weeks left in April, I think it’s time for our second installment of proper plantings for the month. So if you’ve already got your beets buried, your carrots coming in, and your cucumbers cared for, here are a couple more to keep you going till month’s end. Tomatoes Planting tomatoes…
Good Tuesday ya’ll, and happy Spring! April is one of my favorite times to be a homesteader. The days get longer, nights get warmer, birds start singing and the cicadas begin to hum from the depths of the woods. It’s a great time to be outside, and what better excuse to get on out there…
If y’all couldn’t tell by my incessant postings about hunting and pumpkins, fall has arrived, and that means it’s time to batten down the hatches in preparation for winter. Once you’re done winterizing the camper, stacking those last bits of wood and trimming your figs however, there is still one last garden chore left to…
The weather has turned crisp, the leaves have begun their annual metamorphosis into fiery colors of red and orange, and your neighbor, Del, has the most stunning patch of pumpkins you’ve ever seen, yet again. Your kids envy this section of his garden, and eagerly wait for his go-ahead to select the year’s jack-o-lanterns. Even…
Convinced you don’t have a green thumb? Tired of having to choose between constant weeding or seeing your plants choked out? Raised garden beds may be the key to your problems, and they’re rather easy to craft. Read on for the why and how of this time- and back-saving garden addition. Benefits While obviously too…
