Many years ago I read an article (and subsequent YouTube videos) by a man who claimed he re-energized his spent and nearly sterile soil by using wood chips as compost. Wood chips were like a religion to him and he’d have tree trimming companies bring him chips by the 18 …
It was a long, hot summer, but the homestead is finally getting a break from the heat. Every year we try to do one thing that improves or makes our lives easier on the homestead. This year was the year I finished putting up weed barriers on the walkways between …
Although I start many of my plants from seed, if I’m late getting plants started or want to try something new at the nursery, I sometimes buy seedlings already in pots. I always look for the strongest plants first, but my next priority is to see if there are any …
One of my goals this year was to start more plants from seed. Under normal circumstances my existing cache of seed starters would suffice, but I have a long range plan to redo my entire front yard so starting new plants would be a massive undertaking. This is the first …
Here’s a wonderful cheat sheet for gardeners of every caliber. Although the planting times on the graphic are tuned to English weather, you can find your own climate and country by using Good To Be Home ‘s excellent little cheat sheet app customized to your area. The app is directly …
Time for another State of the Homestead report. We’re in the dog days of summer where everything struggles to keep from wilting–including me! The weather has been weird. Our winter was so mild I could’ve started the garden in February if I wanted. We’ve also had more rain than usual–a …
If you live in the South, you should already have planted your garden. Northerners can wait until June for more cold sensitive plants. The Plan • This is the fun part. Think about what you like to eat or flowers you like to see on your table. What fruits and …
It’s been a busy Spring but I got most of my outdoor jobs (or as I like to call them, my exercises in futility) done. 🙂 In the past month, I relocated hundreds of irises, started a dozen pots of new herbs, and landscaped the front of Greg’s shop. All …
I kid you not. I was a TERRIBLE gardener. What did I know? I was a city kid who lived in a four-story walk-up. When we bought our first house with an actual back yard, I was in Nirvana, but I was a curse from the start. Greg …
It’s that time of year again. Time to bruise shins, fraggle fingers, and blister hands. The knees aren’t doing too good either. Ah, Spring, you destroyer of ligaments and punisher of muscles. You lure us with promises of fresh strawberries and plump snap peas, but we always forget the price …
I’m taking a breather this week, still recovering from my birthday bash. Greg took me shopping. He said I could buy whatever I wanted. I’m sure he expected me to ask for jewelry–or maybe even a new dog. Nope. Well…the dog was close, but Nana said she was the only …
This is a year of transition. We’re simplifying and streamlining. We should’ve had a few more weeks of ‘winter’, but it looks like that one day in January was it. We’ve started turning over my raised beds and fixing or adding drip irrigation. For the last two weeks, I’ve been …
You wouldn’t think I’d have much to report being November, but we’ve had a very mild fall. Winter for us is usually January and February. December is cold, but it’s the kind of cold that makes Northerners laugh at us. Garden: After numerous deer attacks on my garden, I’ve …
Every week, I’ll target a different interest. Today, let’s do gardeners. Whether they live in the city or country, if you know someone who loves to putter in the dirt, you can’t go wrong with any of these gifts. Anyone who’s been gardening for a while will have a …
We’re in the middle of a deer population explosion. Worse yet, they’re so used to seeing people, they don’t even have the decency to run when they see humans. They know we can’t catch them. They’ve decimated my garden. I tried netting and that thwarted them for a couple …
We cleared the woods and put you up. From rotting leaves you gave us good earth. But now your sides are gray and worn. And chickens scratch the dirt. We put our compost bins up in 2009. We cleared a big swath of land near the garden. Today you …
Despite the heat, the homestead goes on. The garden is nearly spent except for the hardiest of vegetables–the ones not tasty to deer, rabbits and raccoons. Here’s the rundown. Garden: Every year it gets better. More compost in the beds, better weed barriers around the plants, and more permanent walkways. …
We thump the watermelon first, but looking for the buttery yellow underside is a better indicator for ripeness. There’s a prevailing old wives’ tale that finding ‘bee stings’ will insure a sweet melon. Bee stings are the long thin rows of brown spots. It look like something stung the watermelon …
A quick tutorial on recycling empty cardboard rolls. • Take your empty and cut 1 inch slits across one side. • Fold the slits down until it forms a flat surface. • Pack a little potting soil inside each tube. • Plant your seed. • Stand them up in …
I’ve used this trick for decades so I know it works. One extra tip: After you’ve pinched off the lower leaves, gently scrape the sides of the stem with a fingernail. It will help to form roots more quickly. If you use rooting powder it’s even better. Once the tomato …
