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Ethan Archer – Page 11 – Homesteader Depot

Homesteader Depot

Author: Ethan Archer

  • Tips for Successfully Transplanting Seedlings

    Tips for Successfully Transplanting Seedlings

    We’ve posted a few helpful articles this spring on how to start your seeds indoors. But what happens after that?

    Here is a simple guide for how to successfully transplant seedlings in the garden.

    Think Ahead 

    First of all, you’ll want to make sure before you even start your seeds that what you are planting is transplant-friendly. Not everything does well when transplanted, so direct seed sow whenever recommended.

    Also, for the seedlings you do plan on transplanting, designate room in the garden for them beforehand, taking into account the expected size of both the seedling and the adult plant.

    Timing is Everything

    There are two key factors to finding the right time to transplant. First of all, you need to take advantage of the window in which your seedlings are healthy and established enough to transplant because they can get very unhealthy and even die completely if you wait too long. Again, this will take some planning ahead.

    Secondly, make sure to do it at the right time of day. When seedlings are transplanted, it can be hard on them, so transplanting in the middle of the day will add unnecessary stress on them as they sit in the hot sun. Opt for early morning or, even better, early evening, so that have all night to recover and retain moisture.

    Water, water, water

    The most important aspect of transplanting is to give your fresh transplants enough water, and frequently as well. Again, they’ll be taxed after being taken out of their cozy little pots, and they’ll need lots of water to absorb the nutrients in the soil and strengthen their roots to properly establish themselves in their new home.

    Water well right after transplanting, and keep the soil around them damp constantly for the next few days at least. You’ll notice the difference if they don’t; while they might naturally appear a little wilted at first either way, they’ll perk up within 12-24 hours if they’re taking well to the garden bed. If they still appear wilted, they might not be getting enough water. Of course, use your own judgment here, because you won’t want to overwater either.

     

    There’s nothing as rewarding as filling a new garden bed full of healthy, fresh seedlings! Follow these basic tips to make your transplants healthy and happy.

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  • Why You Should Know About Leeks

    Why You Should Know About Leeks

    Many Americans have no idea what a leek is, but they should! Many other cultures know the depth of their health benefits, as well as delicious, savory flavor.

    Known scientifically as Allium porrum, leeks are closely related to other aromatic vegetables such as garlic, onions, shallots, and scallions. Like these relatives, they grow from bulbs, and have dark, green, tightly wrapped leaves. They resemble very large scallions, and usually grow about 12″ tall and a few inches in diameter.

    Leeks can be grown year-round, but are most commonly available fall through early spring.

    Their flavor is similar to that of onions and shallots, but more subtle and sweet, and make a delicious, delicately savory addition to many dishes.

    They also happen to be incredibly nutritious!

    Allicin

    Like other members of the allum family, leeks contain a certain sulfur-containing compound called “allicin”.

    Allicin is anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal, as well as neutralizes free radicals incredibly well, better than any other compound.

    Kaempferol

    Leeks also contain a natural flavonol called “kaempferol”, the same flavonol that is found in healthy crucifers such as broccoli, cabbage, and kale. ‘

    Kaempferol has been linked to reduced cancer rates, as well as prevention of chronic diseases, reduced rates of diabetes. It also contains many antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer, cardioprotective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic, anti-osteoporotic, estrogenic/antiestrogenic, anxiolytic, analgesic, and antiallergic properties.

    Vitamins and other nutrients 

    Along with these powerful properties, leeks also contain many other vitamins and nutrients. Here are some examples:

    • Vitamin A
    • Vitamin K
    • Folic Acid
    • Niacin
    • Riboflavin
    • Magnesium
    • Thiamin

    Consumption 

    While leeks might be new to you, don’t be deterred by their novelty. They’re very easy to prep, clean, cook, and eat! Their delicious, delicate flavor adapts very well to a broad variety of dishes, as well as being quite tasty on their own.

    Leek soup is a very popular and tasty way to enjoy the health benefits of leeks, either by simply boiling them in water and sipping the broth throughout your day for a light detox, or using in soups along with potatoes and other vegetables.

    They can also be incorporated into stir-fries, quiches, savory tartes and galettes, or simply sauteed or roasted and served as a side dish.

     

    If you’ve never had leeks, why not give them a try?

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  • Urban Chickens (Infographic)

    Urban Chickens (Infographic)

    More and more, urban dwellers are looking into what it takes to raise chickens in their own backyard.

    Chickens are a great way to homestead wherever you are; they’re small, don’t require a whole lot of space, are cheap to feed, and the best part: you get lots and lots of eggs!

    If you’re considering starting chickens in your own backyard this year, check out this infographic from Homesteading.com to see what it takes. Enjoy!

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  • Making An Income From a 1-Acre Farm (Video)

    Making An Income From a 1-Acre Farm (Video)

    Urban homesteading is growing in popularity recently, and it’s always really inspiring to see what people manage to cultivate and raise in an urban setting.

    Even better is when people are actually able to earn an income from an urban homestead, as in the case of YouTubers and urban homesteaders Weed ‘Em and Reap. They share how they moved from a tiny suburban house to a 1-acre farm and began growing their own food, raising animals, and living much healthier and happier. Not to mention–earning an income and getting out of debt!

    Enjoy!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mM_74X9p5y0

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  • 5 Warnings for the New Homesteader

    5 Warnings for the New Homesteader

    It might seem contradictory, but starting on the path to a “simpler” life can actually come with a lot of complications. In pursuit of all our hopes and visions for our homestead, we can become overwhelmed pretty quickly, or simply fail to anticipate common problems. Let me share with you a few key lessons I’ve learned over the years that will help to take the growing pains out of your homesteading journey!

    1. Realize that this lifestyle is “simple”, but it’s not easy.
      The best things in life come about as a result of plenty of hard work. If you’ve been overly ambitious in planning your homestead, you may pile on too much work and burn out quickly, especially if you’re transitioning from a less active lifestyle. Avoid exhaustion by starting small and slowly building up your endurance. Taking care of property, livestock, a garden, and a home all in one day is definitely doable, but you would be wise to work up to that goal rather than diving right into it!
    2. Don’t go it alone.
      Even if the nearest living soul is miles away, get to know that person. They are your lifeline when the cow wanders off or the goats jump the fence. You don’t need to be best friends, but you do need to be able to rely on each other. This is how homesteading used to be! In addition to your actual neighbors, there are plenty of online groups for nearly every topic. Find the right one and you will have an endless supply of advice, support, and inspiration.
    3. Don’t forget the fence!
      Nothing will tick off a neighbor faster than repeat offenses of livestock escaping and damaging property. Just the thing to cause pitfalls in a homesteading life. As the saying goes, your fence should be horse high, pig tight, and bull strong. If you raise animals, consider it a given that they will try to escape from time to time. Save yourself worlds of trouble and build the right fence the first time!
    4. Dress for the job.
      Here’s another area in which transitioning from one lifestyle to another might be a bother. Dress in breathable layers to keep your comfort level up whether you’re swinging an axe or writing up a garden plan. Choosing the wrong shoes or boots is a great invitation for a nail to go right through your foot or a heavy tool to land on your unprotected toe. Don’t worry about how you look–the plants and animals don’t care!
    5. Know what to save and what to toss.
      I’ve built or repaired plenty of things around the homestead using salvaged materials and roadside finds. Saving and repurposing what would normally be thrown out can be a lifesaver. Whether it’s coffee cans for feed buckets, pallets for lumber, or even last year’s seeds, you can do so much with repurposed items. Still, you can quickly fall into the pitfall of hoarding on the homestead. Accumulating junk “just in case” gives quarter to rodents and other safety hazards. Keep it under control, and never stop evaluating your inventory.

    This path is the one less travelled for a reason. Homesteading isn’t easy, but it’s worth every ounce of sweat you pour into it. You may learn some lessons the hard way, but that’s a good thing as long as you keep learning. In time, you’ll be the one new homesteaders turn to for this advice!

  • How to Get Your Kids Outside With a Natural, DIY Playhouse

    How to Get Your Kids Outside With a Natural, DIY Playhouse

    When I was a kid, to play out in nature for hours on end wasn’t just a privilege–it was my natural inclination! Over just a few short decades, we’ve domesticated our kids and planted them firmly in front of glowing screens and in school desks, and we wonder why so many problems crop up. For the cooped-up kid, a day outside is the best medicine. Here’s a great little project to turn a small patch of land into a seasonal, living, and edible playhouse, and it’s even easy enough for your children to help you build it!

     

    The Runner Bean Teepee

    What You Need:

    1) 8 – 10 long bamboo canes (6 to 7 feet minimum, all the same length).

    2) Gardening twine or zip ties.

    3) A packet or two of runner bean seeds.

    4) A large spool of gardening twine or a roll of chicken wire (optional).

     

    How to Build It:

    1) Choose a spare area of garden, either on a border, or on the lawn. Choose a spot where you’ll be okay with the kids playing.

    2) To create the circular frame of your teepee, push the bamboo canes into the ground, starting with four equidistant canes and filling in the spaces between. Leave a large gap between two of the canes for an entrance. Secure the tops of the canes together using the twine or zip ties. At this point, it should look like the frame to a teepee.

    3) For best results, reinforce the teepee frame with either chicken wire, or a network of gardening string.

    4) Dig one square foot (12″ by 12″ and 12″ deep) around the base of each bamboo cane.

    5) Add compost, aged manure, or seed-starting soil.

    5) Sow two runner bean seeds approximately 1 to 2″ deep at the base of each cane.

    6) As you sow each seed, fill the hole with water. Once the water has drained, gently cover the hole with soil and water once more. Depending on your climate, you may also start your runner beans early in 3″ pots and transplant when they reach about 6″ tall.

    7) The bean plants should find and cling to the bamboo naturally. If they don’t, you can carefully wrap the main shoots around the first part of the bamboo canes or chicken wire until they start to climb on their own.

    8) Keep weeds down and moisture in using grass clippings or bark chips around the young runner bean plants. Water frequently. You may start to see slugs preying on your seedlings–no matter! Remove the slugs every evening until the bean plants are about 6″ tall. Once the plants start producing, harvest the beans regularly to encourage growth!

     

    Now you and your children can watch as the beans quickly grow and cover the frame to create a living playhouse! Your kids will love the “job” of harvesting their own beans, and the satisfaction of having built something so fun! Start growing early in spring, and this playhouse will last ‘til the end of summer.

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  • 4 Reasons to Keep Weeds

    4 Reasons to Keep Weeds

     

    Any serious gardener puts one thing at the top of their list when it comes to gardening headaches: weeds! What if I told you that it doesn’t have to be this way? The first step in conquering your weed problem is to change your mindset! Here are four compelling reasons to rethink the role of weeds in your homestead:

     

    Reason #1, They’re The Easiest “Superfood” You Can Grow!

    Have you ever heard of a variety of “super spinach” that didn’t bolt at the first sign of heat, had 4% of your recommended protein requirements and blew the calcium content of chard and regular spinach out of the water? Gotcha! I’m talking about lambsquarters, an incredibly common and hardy “weed”. What about another salad green that is bursting with omega 3 fatty acids and even more beta carotene than those carrots you lovingly tend to? It’s purslane, and you’ve probably been ripping it out of your garden for years! Both of these common weeds can be used fresh or in myriad delicious recipes, so leave them be!

     

    Reason #2, Attracting Beneficial Insects

    A bee doesn’t care if a flower was intentionally planted or wild. Other beneficial insects such as ladybugs, tachnid flies, hoverflies, parasitic wasps and lacewings use wild plants for food and shelter. Weeds also act as “bait” for prey insects such as aphids. This may not sound great, but wouldn’t you rather have aphids munching on weeds than your tomatoes? Plus, they won’t be munching for long before the ladybugs come around! A garden without a thriving ecosystem of insects is not healthy. If plants are healthy and vigorously growing, a little nibble here and there won’t be a problem. Here are just a few plants that attract beneficial insects:

     

    Alfalfa

    Butter and Eggs

    Clover

    Dandelion

    Goldenrod

    Tansy

    Yarrow

    Reason #3, They’re A Natural “Green Manure”

    Research shows weeds to be “dynamic nutrient accumulators”. This means that these plants shoot roots deep into the ground and pull up nutrients that they accumulate in their leaves. When they lose their foliage in the fall, the nutrients build up in the topsoil, making an instant fertilizer. So, if you see the following weeds in your garden, leave them alone and let them do their job:

     

    Borage

    Chickweed

    Chicory

    Clovers

    Dandelion

    German Chamomile

    Lambsquarters

    Lemon Balm

    Common Mullein

    Mustards

    Nettles

    Peppermint

    Red Root Pigweed

    Plantains

    Purslane

    Shepherd’s Purse

    Thistle

    Yarrow

     

    Reason #4, Wild Plants Can Be Potent Medicines

    Stung by a bee? Chew a plantain leaf and apply it like a band-aid. Wild plants can be used for anything from seasonal allergies to an upset stomach. Many of the plants we consider to be “weeds” were carefully introduced to this land by earlier settlers to be used as food and medicine because there was no drugstore or doctor’s office. Back then, you had to and knew how to, harvest wild plants for medicine. Those were the days!

    The next time you’re in the garden, start thinking about weeds as “resources” or “volunteers” instead of pests. To keep their population under control, you can nip in the bud or harvest regularly. Pick them before they go to seed to keep them from dominating your garden. Just like in life, it’s all about striking a balance!

    Does THIS Common Weed Grow in Your Backyard?  Find Out Here>>>

  • How to Use Calendula Oil

    How to Use Calendula Oil

    Calendula is a wonderful herb, that you can usually find in the natural medicine section of any health food store in the form of creams, but it’s actually much easier and cheaper to make your own calendula infused oil to use at home.

    Calendula is ideal for skin conditions like rashes, eczema, dry skin, burns, scrapes, sunburn, and bug bites. It is incredibly soothing and conditioning, and perfectly safe to use as well.

    It’s a great addition to any medicinal herb garden, but you can usually find the dried flowers very easily at health food stores or online.

    Making calendula-infused oil is very simple and easy to do at home. I’ve described the process of making herb-infused oils several times on this blog, but I don’t mind repeating myself!

    Ingredients

    • dried calendula flowers
    • neutral oil (almond or olive are ideal)

    Directions

    1. Stuff your calendula flowers into a jar.
    2. Cover with oil.
    3. Cover with the jar lid, and leave on a sunny windowsill for three weeks. Shake every day or so.
    4. After three weeks, strain the flowers, and store your oil in a jar or bottle.

    Now, you have your all-purpose calendula oil! You can use directly on rashes, burns, bruises, or anything else you need calendula for, or you can use as a base in many different kinds of remedies, such as:

    Lotion or Cream

    You don’t have to spring for expensive pre-made calendula creams, you can make your own right at home! Just use the calendula oil as the oil base for any lotion or cream recipe, and it will add the healing benefit of the herb to any recipe.

    Soap

    You can make a soothing, beneficial calendula soap by using the oil as a base for any homemade, oil-based soap recipe as well.

    Diaper cream

    Calendula is also wonderful when added to diaper creams and salves. You can again use as the base in any homemade diaper cream or salve recipe, or mix a little in with store-bought creams to add the benefit of calendula.

    Salad dressing

    Calendula is also edible too, and it’s a great addition to any salad dressing, in place of the oil! It’s both delicious and healthy.

     

    Calendula oil is a wonderful addition to any natural medicine cabinet, and a great item to keep on hand. And it couldn’t be easier to make and use!

     

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