Self Reliance Archives - Homesteader DepotHomesteader Depot

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 […]

How to Avoid a Skunk Problem Before It Happens

You’ll smell your neighborhood skunk before you see it. No matter how hard they try not to, these critters give off a pungent odor. Although skunks do just want to be left alone, they can cause a number of issues around your home, particularly if you have pets that spend time outdoors. The last thing that you want is for your beloved dog or outdoor cat to get sprayed by a skunk. Plus, the closer that it gets to winter, the more likely a skunk is to look for a fairly warm place where they can hide out once the […]

What is a Homestead Dog?

Dogs are great companions. Homestead dogs are more than that. They serve many functions around the farm, from taking care of predators to herding your cows. A homestead dog really does do it all and then some. Once you have one, you’ll wonder why you didn’t get a homestead dog sooner. In fact, the only better than one homestead dog is two of them. The more help that you have around the farm, the better, right? Choose the Right Breed It all starts with picking the right breed. A homestead dog can be a rescue mutt. After all, it all […]

4 Ways to Solve Your Ant Problems

Ants are complicated. On the one hand, you want some of them in your garden, because they go after other insects. They protect their territory unless you’re an aphid. They’ll help aphids, which can be bad because those insects have the power to wipe out an entire garden. One of the other hand, you really don’t want them to harm your plants. Whole colonies will set up shop near the root systems of your plants, harming them in the process. Thankfully, you can get rid of ants in your garden using a number of different methods, none of which require […]

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. […]

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 […]

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 […]

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. […]

7 Practical Reasons Your Homestead Needs Goats

Let’s face it – goats are cute. It’s fun watching the kids (also known as baby goats) leaping and playing. The adults have interesting personalities as well. These are just a few of the reasons why many people have them on their homesteads. There are plenty of others. If you’re considering adding a few goats to your brood and need some help convincing your significant other, here are seven practical reasons to have those animals around. 1) They Are Fun to Watch We’ve already mentioned this, but goats are quite entertaining. Some of them will do things that make you […]

Cooling Your Home Off-Grid

Rather than rely on fossil fuels or nuclear energy to cool off your home this summer, why not go off-grid? These systems are just as effective, yet they use natural sources of power – not “standard” electricity in order to cool your home down. A geothermal system is just one example. You can also utilize green energy, like solar or wind power, in order to run the systems that will keep you cool all summer long. No matter what, you’ll save money and do your part to save the environment – while staying comfortable at the same time. There’s nothing […]

7 Incredible Benefits to Having Cats Around Your Homestead

Do you have cats in your barn? You should. Cats are cute and fuzzy. They get along with many other types of animals (except for the ones that they prey on, of course) and are extremely independent. If you haven’t considered adding a few rescue cats to your barn, then you definitely should. Here are seven benefits to having them around. 1) They Make Great Companions According to some historians, early cats domesticated themselves. Why? Because they figured out that humans would take care of them. They’ve been great companions ever since. Yes, cats don’t come when they’re called and […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]