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  • Why You Should Keep a Homesteading Journal

    Why You Should Keep a Homesteading Journal

    As you embark on your homesteading journey, whether that is buying several acres of land and starting a full-fledged farm, or simply growing herbs on your windowsill and trying a few simple home ferments, it is incredibly beneficial to keep a journal.  Heres a few tips on why and how to journal.

    Why? 

    Journals are, literally, records of events. So as you begin gardening, raising animals, trying home cultures, and generally doing more things simpler, greener, and for yourself, you’ll want to keep track of your efforts, method, and progress.

    First of all, it’s fun! You can look back in a few months and remember how far you’ve come.

    But more importantly, it can be extremely helpful. As you work with inexact sciences like gardening or fermenting, you’ll probably want to remember what worked, and what didn’t. If you battled a serious bout of pests, it might be very helpful next year to look back and pinpoint the precise timing so you can take precautionary measures this year, for example. Or if you are selling eggs, keeping track of your chicken production and income can help calculate the cost and whether or not is productive for you.

    How to journal?

    The great thing is, there’s no exact science for homestead journaling!  You can find tons of great, free resources on the internet for worksheets, charts, and recordkeeping for gardening and homesteading, if you like that sort of thing, or you can simply keep a diary and record your day-to-day events.  What works for some folks may not work for you and vice versa, this is about you and recording what was successful for you.

    Bullet journals are very popular these days, and the simple method for a sort of DIY journal might be ideal for tracking planting records, daily tasks, and achievements, etc. The sky is the limit!

    However you choose to record your journey, you’ll learn as you go what’s helpful to record and track. The important part is to do it! This is how homesteaders and farmers learned and grew back in the day, so it’s just as beneficial today as always.

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  • 5 Common Fertilization Mistakes

    5 Common Fertilization Mistakes

    How much do you know about plant fertilizer? While your level of knowledge depends on your gardening experience, as well as how much research you’ve done on the topic, this doesn’t mean that you don’t make mistakes when applying yours. It’s very easy to use the wrong type of fertilizer, not mix it correctly, or even apply too much (or too little) of it. Since fertilizer is an important part of the growing process, you need to know which mistakes your making so that you can avoid them in the future. Here are some of the most common ones.

    Using Too Much Fertilizer

    Too much of a good thing is definitely a problem. If you use too much fertilizer, you could actually be hurting your plants. As it turns out, over-fertilizing can cause certain compounds in the soil to build up, which will hurt your plants. For example, they need just enough nitrogen in order to survive and thrive, but too much can kill them. Never over fertilize. This is one of those things where the words “too much of a good thing” certainly come true. In fact, if you’ve just fertilized the soil and your plants look as if they need more fertilizer (look for droopy leaves, and so on) this might actually be a sign that you applied too much.

    Suggested Article: The Best All Natural Fertilizers for Your Garden

    Adding Too Much of One Nutrient

    It’s easy to add too much of one nutrient and not enough of the others. Many people focus on the trio of NPK, or Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium, while forgetting that their soil actually needs to be a perfect balance of these compounds and others. In order to balance things out properly, make sure to use more than one type of fertilizer. Look for ones that contain calcium, sulfur, or one of the other many micronutrients that your plants need.

    Related Article: 4 Simple Ways to Improve Your Garden Soil

    Your Fertilized Them at the Wrong Time

    This is where doing research on your plants comes in handy. There are numerous resources out there that tell you exactly when this type of tomato plant or that type of cucumber vine needs to be fertilized. You shouldn’t fertilize everything at once, or just “wing it.” Instead, look up your exact varietals and create a calendar or chart that shows when in their growth cycles that they need to be fertilized. Your plants will reward you growing plenty of vegetables if you do this correctly.

    Repeating the Same Patterns

    You need to remember that what worked great one year won’t necessarily provide the same results the next. It’s easy to fall into these habits and come up with a formula of sorts that spells out success. However, your plants might have different needs the next year, based on the air temperatures, amount of sunlight, soil conditions, and even how much water they’ve received. You need to plan everything to match – not just do the same thing over again because it worked that way in the past. Be open to change and everything will work out for the best.

    Suggested Article: Why You Should Keep a Homesteading Journal

    Not Testing Your Soil

    The soil that you plant your crops in needs to be tested every year because its condition can change. Since you want your soil to have that perfect balance of nutrients and micronutrients, it helps to know what it’s exactly chemical composition is. This way, you can add in the right type of fertilizer. Otherwise, you might be applying more phosphorus to soil that already has plenty of this nutrient. This isn’t good for the plants or your soil composition. The more that you know about your soil before you fertilize it, the better.

    Related Article: How to Test Soil Quality

  • The Best States for Homesteading

    The Best States for Homesteading

    If you’re interested in homesteading – and we assume you are or you wouldn’t be here – you might be wondering where to start your homestead.

    It’s a good question. After all, some states are better suited to homesteading than others. You might already live in a state with a lot of homesteaders – or perhaps you live in a city and you want some advice about where to shop for a homesteading property.

    We’re here to help. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, but we’ll run down our top picks and explain why we like them.

    Oregon

    Our first pick is Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest. We chose it because it’s one of the most naturally abundant places in the country.

    Oregon and its neighbor, Washington, offer an embarrassment of riches for homesteaders. Berries and other natural edibles grow wild. The oceans and rivers are teeming with fish.

    For hunters and fishers, Oregon offers deer, bear, rabbits, salmon, and a host of other wildlife. People who want to live off the land would do well to consider this area for their homesteads.

    Virginia

    If you dream of owning a farm, you need to choose a place with rich, nutrient-dense soil, a temperate climate, and plenty of precipitation. Our next pick fits all those requirements. We’re talking about the state of Virginia.

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    Virginia is considered a Southern state but it’s not as hot as states further to the South. The generous annual rainfall ensures that you won’t have to worry much about irrigation. The soil is rich and capable of sustaining a wide variety of plants.

    One thing we love about Virginia is that you don’t need a ton of space to have a sustainable homestead. If you choose the right plants and use your land wisely, you can grow all the food you need even if you can’t afford a massive spread.

    Arizona and New Mexico

    You might not think that the desert is a good place to have a homestead, but don’t rule it out. One of the benefits of homesteading in the Southwest is that land there is both inexpensive and abundant.

    While the prices are unbeatable here, it is essential to keep in mind that growing plants and raising livestock in the desert is a challenge. You’ll need to work with the land and not against it if you want to be successful.

    Of course, the desert is a surprisingly bountiful place when you know what to look for. Desert-dwelling natives hunted native animals and found ways to prepare and preserve the foreboding-looking plants that grew in the desert.

    Montana

    Some people who are interested in homesteading find the idea appealing because they can change their view from city skyscrapers and suburban strip malls to views of mountains, prairies, and trees.

    There’s a reason they call Montana “Big Sky Country.” The wide-open landscapes are ideal for raising livestock and farming. The views are incomparable.

    Quick Tip:  “Why You Should Keep a Homesteading Journal”

    The weather in Montana can be harsh in the winter, but if you’re looking for a location that’s rural and has the breathtaking views you desire, you might want to consider it. And if Montana doesn’t appeal to you, Colorado is another option that fits the same criteria.

    Alaska

    When it comes to homesteading in the United States, Alaska seems like the final frontier. It’s certainly the most remote location on our list, and one of the most beautiful.

    Homesteading in Alaska has its challenges. The state is far to the North and has a cool climate. It doesn’t get much sun during the winter months and that can make solar power an unreliable source of energy.

    However, for homesteaders who don’t mind a challenge, Alaska has a lot to offer. It’s an especially good choice if you want to get away from the burdens of civilization.

    Are you homesteading in a state that didn’t make our list? Sing its praises in the comments!

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  • Mushroom Foraging for Beginners

    Mushroom Foraging for Beginners

    Have you ever been tempted to try a wild mushroom but were too afraid? Everyone has an urban legend to share about a well-meaning hiker who ate a benign-looking wild mushroom and paid dearly for it. Undoubtedly, mushroom foraging is something of a science and deserves as much research before trying as gardening or raising livestock. Thankfully, there are a few foolproof (and tasty) species for beginners to sharpen their identification skills.

    There are thousands of species of mushrooms in North America alone, ranging from delicious or medicinal to nontoxic to poisonous. Here are a few starter tips to consider when starting your mycology journey:

    • Get to know what grows in your region. Just like wild edibles or garden vegetables, certain fungi thrive in different regions and climates.
    • Keep samples to test before consuming. You can’t identify a mushroom just from one look. Carry a paper or mesh bag on hikes for each specimen you take home to examine. At home, you can take photos and examine its features to compare to an identification key 
    • Keep a hiking journal. Use this to note when and where you find certain fungi and to record your test results.
    • Know the basic types of fungi:

     Gilled mushrooms most closely resemble the button mushrooms you’d buy at the grocery store. They have thin, blade-like gills under their soft caps, and a defined stem. Polypore mushrooms grow in a stemless, shelf-like shape and have many tiny pores on their underside. Boletes are stemmed with large caps, but have an underside similar to polypores with many tiny holes. Puffballs look exactly how you’d imagine; like a puffball! They sometimes resemble misshapen marshmallows.

    There are several gourmet species that are easy to find and identify, such as the Chanterelle varieties, Chicken-of-the-Woods, or Morels. Turkey tail polypores have incredible medicinal value and are fairly easy to spot, but have a nontoxic lookalike. Many puffballs are safe and delicious, but some underdeveloped poisonous mushrooms resemble puffballs. There are no one-step hard-and-fast rules to determine edibility or safety of a mushroom, such as “all bright-colored mushrooms are poisonous” or “all gilled mushrooms are edible.” Before determining a mushroom’s species, and therefore its usefulness, you will need to test it or ask help from a seasoned mushroom forager. The best way to get started is to get outside in your environment and start exploring! Soon enough, you’ll become your region’s mycology expert!

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  • The Productive Homesteader’s Secret Weapon

    The Productive Homesteader’s Secret Weapon

    Does your to-do list start off on the fridge on Monday and end up buried in mail and seed catalogs on the kitchen table by Friday? You have the best intentions to manage your work and goals, but at some point, they just snowball and when Sunday night comes to an end, you’ve met only a few, if any, of that week’s goals. Or maybe you have a system for getting livestock fed and crops watered but are looking for a way to do it more efficiently and make more time for other things. If any of these sound like you, you need the secret weapon in every productive homesteader’s cache: a day planner.

    Rather than hiring an extra hand around the homestead, using a day planner helps you to budget your time and spread out your workload. For some, the planner serves as an “external brain” because plotting out your day on paper and sticking to it makes for a more efficient system than just winging it. Here are a few simple tips to help you use your planner:

     

    • Time is money, so budget it! Estimate how long each chore and task takes you to complete and fit it into your day accordingly.
    • Prioritize! When prioritizing all your responsibilities, organize them by urgency and importance. Tasks that are both urgent and important get done first.
    • Reflect! Your planner can also serve as a kind of journal. As you check off completed tasks, you can look back over the weeks and see where you met your goals and where you need improvement. You don’t get that from a to-do list!

     

     

    There are many styles of planners out there; a quick evaluation of your needs and goals for your self-sufficient lifestyle will help you determine which has the features you want.

    Once you have a good planner in your toolkit, stick with it! Your planner is an asset. Just like you wouldn’t neglect your equipment or your animals, don’t neglect your planner. Getting the most out of your planner helps you to get the most out of your homestead.

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  • When to Harvest Vegetables and Herbs

    When to Harvest Vegetables and Herbs

    Time is a key factor in determining when to harvest vegetables. You want to be sure to harvest them when they are on the verge of maturity. The time of day is also a factor in assuring that you harvest vegetables appropriately.
    It’s helpful to keep the seed packet or plant identification marker for each item you plant in your garden. This is where you will find information regarding the estimated time to maturity. If you keep a garden journal, you can write that information in your journal. There are also plenty of charts available on line that list the average time for specific plants to reach maturity. Even with that information available, soil conditions and weather conditions can affect the exact amount of days it takes your vegetables to reach the harvesting stage. Therefore, consistent attention to your garden is the best way to determine when a vegetable is ready to be harvested.

    It’s important that you harvest vegetables based on their individuality. For example, not all beans should be picked at the same length. Pole beans are ready for harvest when they are approximately five inches long. On the other hand, yard long beans or Asian beans should be at least 15 inches long before they are picked. You can’t base your harvesting time solely on appearance. Peppers are ready to be harvested when they are full size, even though they’re still green. If you leave them on the vine until they turn red, they will lose some of their crispness. Hot peppers left on the vine will continue to get hotter. It’s generally best to harvest vegetables when they are young and tender. It’s also essential that you handle these tender vegetables carefully to avoid bruising them. Don’t leave the vegetables you pick sitting outside in the hot sun. Take them indoors immediately after harvesting them.

    It’s best to harvest vegetables in the early morning hours, just after sunrise. This is when your vegetables will have the highest water content. If harvesting in the morning doesn’t fit into your schedule, your next best option is early evening. Once harvest time arrives, you should check your garden daily. You might be amazed at how fast tomatoes ripen and squash grow. If you’re pinched for time and are struggling to keep up with your rapidly maturing vegetables, you can delay harvesting the root vegetables you planted such as onions, potatoes and carrots.

    Herbs should be harvested after the morning dew dries and before the afternoon sun heats up the day. Herbs should be harvested before they flower. Herbs are less prolific after they bloom. You can begin harvesting herbs early in the season. You can harvest between 50% and 70% of the plant at one time. Typically, annual herbs can be harvested until frost.

    Once you’ve invested time and effort into growing a garden, you want to be diligent with your harvesting routine. Picking the vegetables at precisely the right time is the best way to enjoy their flavor and freshness.

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  • Garden Calendar (Infographic)

    I came across this great infographic on Pinterest today for what needs to be done in the garden during each month. Given we have Fall and Winter well on the way I thought it was perfect for this time of  year. Not only for what to do in the garden as the seasons are changing but also because winter is a great time to start planning next year’s garden.

    As the weather gets cool and you harvest your summer crops, it’s the perfect time to think about next year’s garden. Garden journals are great for this: you can write down everything you want to repeat or change next year. But whether you want to start a garden journal or simply start thinking about next year’s garden, this infographic, from Spalding Plant and Bulb Co., is very handy.

    Happy gardening!

    garden-calendar

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