13 Useful Ways to Reuse Eggshells

13 Useful Ways to Reuse Eggshells

If you raise chickens or simply eat a lot of eggs, you probably produce a lot of egg shells! And simply throwing them in the trash is a huge waste. Egg shells are loaded with beneficial nutrients and properties, and there are lots of ways to reuse them and make the most out of your chickens or grocery budget! First off, you need to make sure you store them properly. You might be able to get away with tossing them all in a 5-gallon bucket on your back porch, or, if that attracts pests or mold, you might want to […]

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How to Harvest Sunflower Seeds (Video)

How to Harvest Sunflower Seeds (Video)

As you’re considering what to plant in your garden this year, you might have thought about sunflowers. Sunflowers are a wonderful and fun plant to grow; they are gorgeous in the garden, easy to plant and propagate, and their seeds are also an amazing source of fat, protein and nutrients. Growing the same amount of calories and nutrients from other sources isn’t always so simple, so sunflowers are a great option for the beginner food garden. If you’re trying to get your kids more involved in gardening, sunflower is a really fun way to do that. They can easily plant and tend […]

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How to Make Your Own Seed Tape

How to Make Your Own Seed Tape

Continuing in the theme of spring from our last few posts, let’s talk about seed tape today, and how easy it is to make your own! Seed tape is a great way to easily plant your first spring crops, because you can guarantee proper placement and spreading of the seeds, as well as greatly reduce your time spent planting. Not to mention, the tape itself helps germination, by keeping the seeds protected and moist. Here is a very simple tutorial for how to make your own seed tape, that will certainly save you time and money. It only takes a […]

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Soaking and Sprouting Times for Seeds (Infographic)

Soaking and Sprouting Times for Seeds (Infographic)

I shared an article last week on sprouting alfalfa, and I did mention that you can use many other kinds of seeds and beans as well, using this method. It is definitely true that the basic principle of soaking, draining, and sprouting applies to many seeds and beans, they vary, sometimes quite drastically, in ideal soaking time and the amount of days it takes for them to sprout. Here is a great resource from nourishsystem.com for any aspiring sprouters out there. This is a chart that lists many of the popular sprouting seeds, grains, nuts, and beans, and all the information […]

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Tips and Tricks for Starting Seeds

Tips and Tricks for Starting Seeds

Winter is on its last legs and it’s time to get ready for this year’s garden! If you’re in a zone with a shorter growing season or just want to stagger your crops for a richer harvest, check out these easy seed starting tricks. We already mentioned the first two in a post on frugal ways to start seeds, so check that post out for a more detailed description of how to do them: Cut and fold paper tubes to use as a biodegradable seedling planter. Use the tubes from toilet paper, paper towels, or wrapping paper. Start your seeds […]

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Tips for Saving Money When Purchasing Seeds

Tips for Saving Money When Purchasing Seeds

Seeds are an unavoidable cost of starting a garden.  But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t show some care when going about getting your seeds.  Purchasing seeds for your garden without using some discretion can cost you.  Here are a few tips on how to save money when purchasing seeds so that you have more money to invest elsewhere in your garden.   Don’t Buy Package “Deals” If you are looking at a seed catalog you are likely to find package “deals” advertised.  Sometimes these are salad greens, medicinal herbs, culinary herbs, or starter packages for new gardeners.  The premise […]

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