Page 11 of 23
1 … 9 10 11 12 13 … 23
gardening – Page 11 – Homesteader Depot

Homesteader Depot

Tag: gardening

  • Kohlrabi

    Kohlrabi

    Kohlrabi is a cold hardy vegetable in the cabbage family.  There are both purple and green varieties, both produce edible leaves similar to collard greens that can be eaten raw or cooked and a bulb that can be eaten raw.  The bulb grows above the ground and has a skin that should be removed prior to eating.  It is a nice addition to salads, some compare its taste to an apple, though I have never grown any that taste as good as an apple myself.  Here are some tips on growing kohlrabi in your garden.

     

    • Plant kohlrabi in the fall to late fall depending on the variety that you are growing and the zone you are in and protection you have for your garden.
    • Since kohlrabi is in the cabbage family it will grow well with other crops like aromatic herbs, celery, and onions.
    • It should not be grown with pole beans or tomatoes.
    • If you notice that your kohlrabi is looking healthy, producing a lot of nice leaves, but not producing a bulb when it should, this is probably due to too much nitrogen in the soil. Use less fertilizer next time.
    • As the weather warms, kohlrabi will bolt. Harvest all but a few of your kohlrabi prior to bolt since the taste will be affected.
    • To harvest, cut the plant just above the soil surface. This will leave the bulb intact and not disturb the sounding plants the way uprooting it would.
    • The remaining plants can be allowed to go to seed so that you can have more kohlrabi for the next season.

    Kohlrabi is not difficult to grow or to harvest the seeds.  It is a unique crop that offers both a delicious bulb and nutritious leaves.  Everyone should try kohlrabi in their garden at least once.

    If you enjoyed this, you might also like….

    Home Defense in the End Times…

    Natural Healing Secrets You Need to Know…

    Eat Like Your Ancestors…

  • DIY Budget Grow Box

    DIY Budget Grow Box

    I am personally not a fan of trying to grow plants indoors on in any other artificial and costly setup, but having a grow box doesn’t have to be expensive.  You can have a grow box that allows you to get your seeds started safely inside 6 weeks prior to the last frost in your area.  This will give you a significant jumpstart and extension on your growing season.  And this can be done for about $50 if you have purchased all the material, but you probably have most if it around your house already.

     

    Materials

    • 18-gallon plastic bin (If you have one that is larger you can use that too) $30
    • 5-inch clamp light $10
    • Aluminum foil $6
    • Duct tape $5
    • 5,000 K compact fluorescent bulb $2

    Directions

    1. Remove the lid from the plastic bin and lay the bin on its side. Place aluminum foil on the side that is down and use duct tape to hold it in place.  Turn the bin to the next side and repeat this until the inside of the bin is covered in foil, including the bottom.   The purpose for this is to reflect light back on the seedlings.
    2. Cut a 2inch square in the center of the lid to accommodate the light. Then cut a “T” shaped slit coming off one side of the square to accommodate the camp on the light.
    3. Cover the inside of the lid with aluminum foil and tape it in place just like the inside of the bin.
    4. Put the light in place and clamp it to the lid. The light should be on the inside of the lid, the square hole is only for the back of the light so that it can sit more flush with the lid.

    Tips

    1. If possible use square starting containers for you seedlings to save space.
    2. Get an aluminum baking pan to place the starts in.
    3. When you water the seedlings remove them from the grow box and pour about ½ inch of water in the baking pan instead of on the starts.

    Upgrading to an indoor/outdoor growing system doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive.  You can get started for under $50 and in less than an hour with this simple DIY grow box design.

    Natural Healing Techniques Doctors Don’t Want You to Know…

    The Weight-Reducing Magic of Yoga…

    The Ultimate Woodworking Course..

     

  • Cold Frames; How and Why

    Cold Frames; How and Why

     

    Cold Frames are basically wooden boxes with no bottom and a glass top that you place on top of crops to keep them warm.  In this article, I’ll give a few tips on how to get cheap material, maximize the benefits through design, and explain why you should use cold frames if you live in a zone that has harsh winters.

     

    • The windows are the part of the cold frame that can make construction costly. If you were to purchase them new the cost would likely outweigh the potential gains.  You can however, get lucky if you keep your eye out at stores like Home Depot for windows that have been damaged and are being sold cheap.  If you or someone you know is remodeling their home you can get windows for free there, if you drive past a house being remodeled you can stop and ask permission to check the dumpster.  If you have a habitat for humanity restore shop in your area you might find cheap windows there as well.
    • The frame should be made to fit the window so that the window can simply sit on top of it, hinged if possible so that you can easily open it to harvest and to check on your crops.
    • Since a cold frame works by magnifying the sun’s light with the glass to increase the heat inside the box, you want to maximize the amount of sunlight that gets inside. To do this want to have your glass tilt down on the side that will be toward the sun.  For this reason, you will want to have the back side a few inches higher.  If you use a 2×8” on the back and a 2×6” on the front this should be enough of a tilt, if you need more after you have constructed it you can always mound some earth up on the back side to raise it a little.
    • With a cold frame, you will not only be able to extend your growing season for your warm weather crops, but you can also grow perineal crops all through the winter in some cases, and you will be able to begin growing and harvesting much earlier in the spring.
    • Remember that cold frames are “solar powered” and will not work in areas that are shaded during the winter.

    Gardening doesn’t have to be a seasonal activity if you have the right equipment.  As you add layers of protection to your garden you add time to your growing season and volume to your harvests.

    If you liked this, you might also enjoy…

    Become A Master Healer With This Revolutionary Course…

    Traditional Hindu Yoga for Weight Loss…

    Improve Your Carpentry Skills Quickly and Easily…

  • Crops I Don’t Recommend and Why

    Crops I Don’t Recommend and Why

    I’m sure that I will get people who disagree, but that’s why the article is titled “crops I don’t recommend” instead of “crops you shouldn’t grow”.  Everyone has access to different resources and has different levels of experience and time they are willing and able to put into their garden.  If you have a lot of money, and a lot of time, and you don’t mind putting a lot of work into growing a certain crop because you enjoy the satisfaction of overcoming the inherent difficulties in doing so, then great, grow whatever crops you want to.  But for the rest of us, these are a few crops that I, personally, would recommend that you don’t waste your time with.

     

    Asparagus

    Don’t get me wrong, I love asparagus, and I know that it is difficult and expensive to get tasty young asparagus in the store.  But I personally take a utilitarian approach to gardening and if I can get similar nutrition from a crop that is easier to grow, then I will.  Asparagus takes years to produce, requires a lot of space once it does, and will eat more fertilizer than green I have ever grown.   If you aren’t going to be deterred by my warnings then at least do yourself a favor and buy asparagus roots and not seeds, you will never get anything from the seeds.

    Strawberries

    The low sprawling nature of strawberries make them difficult to mulch.  Any crop that is difficult to mulch is also going to be difficult to water and to keep weeded.  Add to these difficulties the fact that mice and rats love to beat me to my strawberries and I give up.  From my experience you need to grow strawberries in a raised bed with store bought top soil, water them on a timer, and cover them with wire to protect them from pests.  That is too much work for so little reward.

    Head Lettuce

    I have nothing against head lettuce varieties, but I have never experienced the same level of success that I have with leaf lettuces.  I always end up having some level of rot of pest damage in a head lettuce, and even if it is minimal, some of the lettuce ends up in the compost anyway because I didn’t eat it fast enough.  On the other hand, leaf lettuce is much less likely to rot or be bothered by pests, and I can harvest as much or as little as I need for each meal, so it is as fresh as ever each time I eat it.

     

    If you have had success with these crops, then continue growing them.  But if you haven’t tried them yet and are considering growing them this season, you have been warned.

     

    If you liked this, you might also enjoy…

    Holistic Medicine Basics…

    Ever Considered Taking Yoga? Read this…

    The Ultimate Woodworking Course..

  • 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 to these “deals” is that it is cheaper to buy them as a package instead of purchasing all the seeds separately.  This is true, but, it’s likely that you don’t want all of the seeds in the first place, that’s why they are included along with the seeds that you do want in order to get them off of their shelves.

    Avoid Novelty Crops

    Don’t buy seeds that are not likely to easily produce useful food or medicine.  Exotic crops are often exotic because they are highly demanding to grow.

    Perennials

    Perennial greens or long lasting fruiting vegetables like eggplant will provide you with much more food per seed or cutting than annuals.  This will cut costs and increase production.

    Avoid Spring Time “Deals”

    Seed companies often promote their products in the early spring.  These seeds are from last season, but they are sold for a premium price.  Buying them earlier and saving them yourself will save you money.  Likewise waiting until later in the year to purchase late season crops will usually save you money.

    Save Your Own

    You should always save seeds from your own crops.  If you have friends that garden as well, ask them what seeds they have and what seeds that would like to get, trade them extra seeds instead of both of you purchasing far more than you need of the same seeds.

     

    Saving money on seeds will mean that you will have more money to spend elsewhere in your garden, or elsewhere in your life.  Gardens should save you money in long run, but if you aren’t being frugal, then gardening can quickly become expensive.

     

    If you liked this, you might also enjoy…

    Become A Master Healer With This Revolutionary Course…

    Traditional Hindu Yoga for Weight Loss…

    Improve Your Carpentry Skills Quickly and Easily…

  • Easy Mistakes to Avoid in the Garden

    Easy Mistakes to Avoid in the Garden

     

    When you have a failure in your garden chances are it is not unique to you.  You probably made a mistake that plenty of other gardeners have made, a mistake that was easy to make, and probably easy to avoid as well if you know how.  Here are a few of the more common easily avoidable mistakes that gardeners make.

     

    Bad Stock

    If you start off with something bad, you can’t really expect to get good results.  For this reason you want to buy your seeds or cutting from a good source and not try collecting seeds from store bought tomatoes (which are probably hybridized and don’t produce true seeds) or ordering cheap seeds online from less reputable sources.

    Bad Soil

    Even if you start off with the best seeds, you won’t get too far if you soil is devoid of nutrients.  This usually happens when gardeners start with good enough soil and then fail to properly fertilize during growing and properly amend the soil between crops.  Mulching with wood chips throughout growing and amending with rich compost will usually prevent this, but soil test should be done if these are not enough.

    Growing Out of Season

    Just because you see a crop in the store during the summer doesn’t mean that you will be able to produce that same crop in your zone that time of year.  A lot of time and resources can be wasted if you try to grow out of season.

    Improper Harvest Time

    Even if you have good seeds, soil, and grow the right time of year, if you harvest too soon or too late you will not get good results.  Two examples of common crops harvested at the wrong time are okra and corn.  People often let their okra get too large so that they have a lot of okra in one harvest, then are disappointed that it doesn’t taste good because it is too old.  Corn is often harvested too young because gardeners get impatient.  Test each crop with a single harvest if you are unsure.

     

    You work hard in your garden, so do it right so you can enjoy all the fruits of your labor.

    If you liked this, you might also enjoy…

    Become A Master Healer With This Revolutionary Course…

    Traditional Hindu Yoga for Weight Loss…

    Improve Your Carpentry Skills Quickly and Easily…

     

  • Tips For Watering Your Garden

    Tips For Watering Your Garden

    Although it may seem that watering your garden should be as simple as turning on a hose or pouring water from a watering can, there are various factors to consider in order to prevent water-related problems in your garden. The type of soil you have will play a large role in determining your watering routine. The amount of rainfall nature provides and the intensity of the summer sun will also affect how frequently you’ll need to water your garden.
    As a general guideline, the top three inches of soil in the garden should be dry before you water. This guideline applies to a garden that has established plants in it. Plants need enough water to supply their roots with moisture. You should soak the soil to a depth of approximately five inches. You can use a sprinkler to water your garden, but many gardeners prefer using a soaker hose. A soaker hose allows the moisture to slowly seep into the soil. You don’t waste water as a result of water runoff and the water reaches each plant. When you use a standard type hose or sprinkler to water a garden filled with plants, some of the larger plants may prevent water from reaching smaller plants. If you’re watering seeds, you must keep in mind that the surface soil must be kept moist in order for the seeds to germinate. Seeds need gentle watering so that they do not get pushed too deeply into the soil or washed away by forceful watering.

    It’s best to group plants that have similar moisture requirements together in your garden design. Another factor to consider when designing your garden is the lay of the land. If your garden space slopes, the plants that require moist growing conditions should be planted at the base of the slope and the plants who need less moisture should be planted at the upper portion of the garden.

    The popularity of container gardening continues to increase. This type of gardening requires that you carefully monitor the moisture level of the soil. Before adding plants to a container, you should be sure the container has good drainage. Using appropriate soil mixtures can help you manage the moisture level of plants in a container. There are lots of gadgets you can use to monitor the moisture in a container, but all you really need to do is put your finger in the dirt and see how wet or dry the soil is. Spray wands or watering cans with a long spout are ideal for watering a container garden.

    Regardless of whether you are watering an expansive garden spot or a container garden on your patio, the ideal time to water your garden is early in the morning. If you aren’t able to water in the morning, late afternoon and early evening is also an acceptable time. You should avoid watering your garden at night because doing so can lead to the development of fungal disease and the destruction of your plants.

    If you liked this, you might also enjoy…

    Become A Master Healer With This Revolutionary Course…

    Traditional Hindu Yoga for Weight Loss…

    Improve Your Carpentry Skills Quickly and Easily..

  • Tips to Save Money in the Garden

    Tips to Save Money in the Garden

    One of the big benefits of growing a garden is that your grocery expenses are less when you grow your own vegetables, berries and herbs. There are numerous tips you can implement to save money in the garden. By becoming a frugal gardener, you will increase the financial benefits your garden offers.

    Some of the money saving tips related to gardening involves the plants themselves. Starting plants from seeds enables you to get more plants for less money than if you bought individual plants. However, if you don’t have the proper setup for starting with seeds, go ahead and buy the plants. When you purchase plants, the cost is often determined by the size of the plant. You can save money by purchasing small plants and exercising a little patience as you wait for them to grow.

    If you start plants from seeds or buy packs of small plants, you may have more of one variety than you actually need. This gives you a good excuse to participate in a plant swap with neighbors, friends or family who also grow a garden. Swapping plants is a good way to acquire some different varieties of plants without spending money. Plant cuttings or plants from the division of perennials is a good way to acquire free plants. You could also participate in a seed swap as a way to expand the diversity of your garden with no out-of-pocket cost.

    Although waiting may be difficult, it’s best not to purchase plants as soon as they begin to appear at the local garden center in early spring. Prices will be lower if you wait until those who are over-eager have time to buy the first few shipments of plants. In many areas, springtime weather is unpredictable. An unexpected cold snap could kill your new plants and you would end up having to spend money to buy replacement plants. Once you’re finished with your spring planting, keep an eye on what’s left at the garden centers. Most likely, as summer progresses the remaining plants will be reduced as much as 50% or more. You can inexpensively plant a late summer garden that will give you the opportunity to enjoy fresh vegetables until cold weather arrives.

    Garden tools typically go on sale at the end of summer. This is a good time to replace your worn out garden tools or to add to your collection. Due to the increased interest in gardening, you are likely to see garden tool sets, garden accessories and various other garden related products featured in gift sets during the holidays. You could add gardening items to your holiday wish list or shop for bargains at post-holiday sales.
    If you enjoyed this, you might also like….

    Eat Like Your Ancestors Did…

    Home Defense in the End Times…

    Natural Healing Secrets You Need to Know…