How to Bring an Old Bathtub Back to Life

How to Bring an Old Bathtub Back to Life

Do you have an old porcelain bathtub in your bathroom that’s in need of some TLC? Rather than replace it with a modern tub, which is more than likely made of cheaper materials and smaller to boot, you can refinish that old tub. The process does require some elbow work, and you may need to use another bathroom (or another tub, at least) while the restoration job is in process, but it is entirely possible to do this yourself. Think of how much less work this entails when compared to a full bathroom remodel. You won’t even damage the tile […]

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Preventing Tomato Worms

Preventing Tomato Worms

Is your garden plagued with hornworms or tobacco worms? Also known as tomato worms, these pests can destroy your plants, as they’ll eat the leaves, stems, and even the fruit, leaving pretty much nothing behind. If you enjoy fresh tomatoes – as well as the pleasant experience of growing them – this is a problem. You need to take care of these pests as soon as possible. Till Your Soil Well Since tomato worms are the progeny of moths (and they turn into moths over the course of a few months), they appear at the same time every single year. […]

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8 Ways Chickens Can Benefit Your Homestead

8 Ways Chickens Can Benefit Your Homestead

Do you have chickens on your homestead? Whether you’re wondering if you should get some, are already an experienced chicken owner, or are just wondering exactly why you chose to raise chickens in the first place, this is for you. Chickens provide several important benefits to your homestead. While their feed and coops may be a bit costly and their care sometimes intricate, what matters is that these feathered friends serve more than one purpose. They really do “earn their keep” as the saying goes. Here’s how: 1) They Eat Insects You never have to worry about insects invading your […]

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How to Grow the Perfect Cucumbers

How to Grow the Perfect Cucumbers

Cucumbers are the perfect vegetable even though scientifically, they’re considered to be a fruit. No matter what you classify them as what matters is that they are extremely tasty and rather versatile. They taste great on salad, can be eaten alone, and are used in dozens of recipes. In addition, there’s nothing quite like a cucumber that you grew yourself, in your backyard garden. Although the kind grown outdoors tend to have spines and bumps on them, making them not-so-pretty to look at, they taste good. In order to produce a garden full of tasty cucumbers, you need to know […]

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How to Correct Nitrogen Deficiency in Your Soil

How to Correct Nitrogen Deficiency in Your Soil

Did you know that your plants need nitrogen? Obviously, they need four other things as well: soil, air, sunlight, and water, but they also need plenty of nitrogen. This element is found in the air, as well as the soil. The nitrogen in the air doesn’t really help plants at all. In order for them to absorb it, the element must be in their soil. It occurs there naturally, but over time, especially if you use containers or grow bags for your plants, the nitrogen will begin to get used up. The end results are plants that don’t really thrive. […]

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How to be More Environmentally Friendly

How to be More Environmentally Friendly

Do you want to live a more environmentally friendly life? Making a few small changes is the best way to do so. You don’t have to drastically overhaul how you do everything in order to be kinder to Mother Earth. Instead, just follow the suggestions described here and pick a few that sound the best. It’s easier to make these changes a little at a time, so once your first few choices have become ingrained habits, it’s time to pick a few more. Before you know it, your lifestyle will be very environmentally friendly. Stop Wasting Water and Using Disposable […]

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Why are my Vegetables not Growing?

Why are my Vegetables not Growing?

You’ve planted your vegetables, and have tended to them properly (you think, anyway), but they still aren’t growing. Instead, you have tomato plants without flowers, tiny zucchinis that wither on the plant, and cucumbers that just won’t grow. Something went wrong, and it’s time to find out what. There are a number of issues that can cause your vegetable plant plans to go awry. Here are some of the most common problems. Everything Is Planted too Close Together This happens to the best-intentioned gardeners. You start off with tiny seedlings that are transplanted into the ground or a series of […]

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4 More Simple Ways to Improve Soil Quality

4 More Simple Ways to Improve Soil Quality

Growing your own fruits and vegetables is much easier when you have great soil. If yours is filled with too much clay, is infiltrated by tree and shrub roots, or has nutritional deficiencies, then you won’t be able to produce as many of them as you’d like. Or, you could end up with great quantities of fruits and vegetables, but they won’t be very large. Either way, your plants will struggle. The best thing that you can do in order to reverse this is by improving the overall quality of your soil. There are several useful (and fairly simple) methods […]

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8 Items to NOT Include in Your Compost

8 Items to NOT Include in Your Compost

Creating a compost pile is always a good idea. You’ll get to reuse food scraps that would otherwise end up in the trash, and then eventually in a landfill. On top of this, compost piles create new, fresh soil that contains plenty of nutrients. Your plants will love it. However, before it gets to that point, you need to understand the basics of composting, which involve knowing what you shouldn’t put into a compost bin. Many of these items are downright harmful to your compost and will cause a number of problems. Avoid adding them to the pile at all […]

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11 Simple Ways to Practice Sustainable Gardening

11 Simple Ways to Practice Sustainable Gardening

How much do you know about sustainable gardening? These useful tips might just fill in any gaps in your knowledge! The more you know about these practices the better. Do you think that you’ll use some of these in your garden this year? 1) If you own cats or dogs, brush them and then sprinkle some of their hair around the edges of your garden. Sure, it might look weird, but it will keep any critters away. They’ll smell your predators and steer clear of your vegetables. 2) Place a laundry sink in your yard, near where your vegetable garden […]

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11 Simple Natural Allergy Remedies

11 Simple Natural Allergy Remedies

Are you haunted by your seasonal allergies? Even if your “seasonal” allergies pop up all year ‘round, there are plenty of remedies that you can use. Some of them, like number 11, go beyond the chemical-filled pills and tablets and into the all-natural realm. Yes, you can help keep your allergies at bay without subjecting yourself to chemicals. Here’s how. 1) Drink Tea There are certain types of teas that can alleviate your allergies. They include those that contain a mix of peppermint (which can clear up the sinuses), ginger (likewise), and nettle. However, if your outdoor allergies extend to […]

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How Can CBD Help You and Should it be Legal?

How Can CBD Help You and Should it be Legal?

Legalized cannabinoids have been in the news quite a bit lately, more than likely because of the fact that many U.S. states have started legalizing marijuana for medical reasons. Even though marijuana is still considered to be an illegal drug in the eyes of the federal government, several states have legalized it outright for recreational purposes. Of course, all of this overshadows the fact that CBD oil and other cannabinoids, which are derived from the hemp plant and have no (or very little) THC in them, seem to skirt these laws. Some states have regulated them to the point of […]

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5 Great Uses for Cheesecloth in Your Garden

5 Great Uses for Cheesecloth in Your Garden

Cheesecloth is a very useful material. While it has its obvious uses in the kitchen, including cheese making and filtering various products, this fabric can also be used in your garden. One of the reasons why you can use it outdoors is the fact that it’s such a natural material that it can be composted. On top of this, you can use it more than once, turning your small investment into something that will stick around for a while. Here are some additional uses for cheesecloth – and all of them take place outdoors in your garden. Protect Your Plans […]

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7 More High Tech Tools and Tricks for Modern Homesteading

7 More High Tech Tools and Tricks for Modern Homesteading

Modern homesteaders can take advantage of a number of different high tech tricks and tools in order to make their lives easier. Technology has changed quite a bit since the original homesteaders claimed parcels of land back in the 1800s. Just because you’re trying to recreate that lifestyle, doesn’t mean that you need to utilize their old technology, like pot-bellied coal stoves and outdoor bathrooms. Instead, use these seven tools in order to make your modern homestead run much more smoothly. You’ll be glad that you did! 1) 3D Printers When something breaks, it can be hard to run out […]

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6 Natural Ways to Rid Bugs from Your Kitchen

6 Natural Ways to Rid Bugs from Your Kitchen

BUGS…No matter how hard you try, you’ll probably find a few of them in your kitchen. They sneak in through tiny cracks in your walls, foundation, and may even hitch a ride in on someone’s shoes. Thankfully, once they’re in, you have several methods of getting rid of them that don’t require the use of pesticides. After all, you don’t want those harmful chemicals in your kitchen. 1) Put a Basil Plant on Your Kitchen Counter Basil smells great. Many people find that its aroma adds a little something to air quality in their homes. It’s also a great additive […]

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7 Viable Solutions for off Grid Water Systems

7 Viable Solutions for off Grid Water Systems

Off-grid water systems tend to come with a few headaches. Yes, you have the option of not needing to pay for (or pay as much for, depending on your location) for city water. You also have more control over what the water contains. This last point is important to people who are concerned about added chemicals in their water. However, in order for your off-grid system to be successful, you need to find a few solutions. Seven good ones are listed here. 1) Reclaim Your Rain Rain barrels are a very popular option. You just need the barrels, a good […]

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Why Do You Need a Greenhouse and Things to Look for

Why Do You Need a Greenhouse and Things to Look for

Many avid gardeners have considered putting a greenhouse in their yards. There’s just something about having the ability to grow tropical and warm-weather loving plants year-round that really appeals to them. If you’re one of these people, then you need to read this primer about greenhouses. It contains just about everything that you need to know about them. What Is A Greenhouse? Let’s start by defining exactly what a greenhouse is. These are structures of various sizes that have clear walls and roofs. Some of the fancier greenhouses have glass walls, although you can use clear, plastic polycarbonate sheeting as […]

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Protecting Your Plants from Frost and Freeze

Protecting Your Plants from Frost and Freeze

Cold temperatures are not good for the plants in your garden. Many of them need air temperatures that are above 32 degrees Fahrenheit in order to survive unprotected. While others, such as pine trees and evergreen bushes, might be fine, you’ll have to take some steps to ensure that everything else in your garden (except for your annuals, of course) will survive the winter. Types of Plants The first step involves determining which types of plants that you have. This way, you’ll know whether you need to protect them or just let them go. For example, if you have annuals, […]

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7 Clever Uses for Cheesecloth

7 Clever Uses for Cheesecloth

How much do you know about cheesecloth? This porous cloth was initially designed to help cheesemakers squeeze the liquid out of cheese curds, hence its name. However, it has a number of other uses as well – many of which you probably never considered. Here are seven of these incredibly clever uses for cheesecloth. You’ll want to keep some in your home after reading them.   1) Polishing Your Silver All that you need in order to make your silver shine is a little silver polish, some water, and a piece of cheesecloth. The steps are very easy. Start by […]

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5 Simple (Yet Crucial) Guidelines of Winter Survival

5 Simple (Yet Crucial) Guidelines of Winter Survival

Spending some time in the woods in the wintertime, either voluntarily or because you wound up getting stuck out there, is no joke. You need to be able to take care of yourself, which means meeting all of your basic needs, lest you end up starving or freezing to death. Before the cold weather sets in for good, take the time to review these five guidelines of winter survival. Are you prepared? 1) Stay in One Place If you’re waiting for a rescue after being stranded out in the cold for days, then you need to stay in one place. […]

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