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gardening – Page 15 – Homesteader Depot

Homesteader Depot

Tag: gardening

  • Growing Loofah Sponges  

    Growing Loofah Sponges  

     

    I always thought that loofah was the remains of some aquatic creature living on oceans reefs.  But then when I was searching an online seed catalog I saw it listed.  I had to click it to check it out, and then grow some for myself.  It turns out that loofah is in the same family as cucumber, it’s a gourd, and it can be eaten or left to dry on the vine and used as the sponge you see in stores.  Here’s how.

     

    • They do not handle frost well, so don’t plant them too early if you live in a cold zone.
    • Plant them in an area where they will have room to grow, which can be horizontal on a fence, or vertical on a trellis, and where they can get plenty of sun.
    • They produce a nice yellow flower that looks nice.
    • This will turn into a gourd that while young resembles a cucumber. It’s at this stage that it is edible.  If you want to eat them, harvest them when they are between 4 to 6inches long and still tender and green.   You will need to remove the skin, and cook them.  They can be steamed, stewed, or best of all, stir-fried.
    • If you want to get a sponge just keep waiting. The gourd should start to turn yellow or brown.  Shake the gourd regularly to check if it’s done.  If you can hear loose seeds rattling around inside it is done.  You want to keep checking and not leave it too long so that it doesn’t begin to rot.  If it does rot it will ruin a portion of the sponge that you can cut off, but it will also leave the rest of it brown instead of white or yellow.  After harvesting the dried gourd, remove the top and empty out the seeds so you can grow more next season.  Then soak the gourd until the skin softens and peel the skin off.  What remains is the loofah sponge.

    It’s not the most productive crop in the garden, but it does taste good when harvest young, and the novelty of growing your own sponge is pretty cool.  It’s also a nice non-perishable item that you can take to the local farmer’s market or sell online to make some income off of your garden and help fund your homestead.

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  • Growing An Edible Garden Landscape

    Growing An Edible Garden Landscape

    Gardening is a hobby that can be enjoyed by everyone. With the numerous types of accessible gardening methods available, physical limitations or mobility concerns should not prohibit you from growing a garden. An online search of photos of accessible gardens that creative individuals have designed will give you some ideas as to how you might want to design your garden. Keep in mind that accessible gardening is just like traditional gardening in that the design you choose and the plants you include can be tailored to your individual preference.

    Raised beds are a popular form of accessible garden. When you choose this method, you can construct the gardens so that they are a convenient height for you. The width of the garden can also be determined in accordance with the range of reach you have. If you have the space available, you can construct numerous raised beds in order to increase the variety and amount of vegetables you grow. Be sure the area between the beds is large enough for a wheelchair, walker or rolling cart if you depend on any of these items. A smooth surface area is essential for easy navigation through your raised beds.

    Garden tables are an ideal method of accessible gardening. They are ideal for anyone using a wheelchair or mobility scooter. Garden tables can be built to fit the space you have available. You can find some helpful information on how to construct a table garden from most cooperative extension offices. Table gardens should allow for at least a 6″ soil depth. Increasing the soil depth will expand the variety of vegetables you can grow in your table garden. A lightweight, organic potting mix is recommended for table gardens. This type of accessible garden will require more frequent watering than a traditional garden or a raised bed garden. When you plan the layout for individual plants, be sure you put plants such as beans, peas, squash, cucumbers and anything other type of vine along the edge of a raised bed or table garden. This will make harvesting the vegetables much easier and prevent them for becoming entwined with the other plants.

    Planter boxes and standing planters are an ideal way to create an accessible garden. You can create an individual garden design using boxes, planters and trellises by looking around the Internet and at local stores.  The shape of the boxes allow for easy reach and easy navigation around the planters. This type of garden is a great choice if your only available space is a patio or deck.

    An accessible garden is quite similar to the very popular container gardens that are increasingly trendy. To assure the greatest success with the plants you include in your garden, you can utilize the list of recommended vegetable varieties for container gardens found at http://www.highmowingseeds.com/Suggested-Varieties-For-organic-non-gmo-Vegetable-Container-Gardening.html. Don’t hesitate to try new vegetables in your garden. Gardening should not simply be a means of providing food for you and your family; it should also be an enjoyable and personally rewarding hobby.

     

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  • Watering Wisely to Conserve Water, Time, and Energy

    Watering Wisely to Conserve Water, Time, and Energy

    Whether you get the water for your garden from rain collection or from the tap, you are going to want to conserve this precious resource as much as possible.  You don’t want to run out, and you don’t want to add unnecessary cost to your garden.  You also don’t want to have to take the time and energy to water your garden inefficiently since you have enough to do already.  Here are a few tips on how to get the most of your water by watering wisely.

     

    Check First

    Check the soil to see if watering is necessary before you water.  Just because the soil on the surface looks dry doesn’t mean that your plants don’t have access to water underneath.  Poke your pointer finger into the soil, if you can’t feel moisture at this depth then it’s time to soak your soil.

    Soak Don’t Spray

    When you are watering your plants don’t spray them with a blast of water that could disturb soil, damage leaves, and even kill seedlings.  Soak the soil around the plants thoroughly with a gentle mist from a hose, or use a watering can that allows for a slow fine flow instead of a flood.

    Add Organic Material

    Organic material improves soil structure, aids in water retention, and adds food for beneficial organisms.  When your beds or rows are inactive, dig in material like horse manure.  This will feed worms and act like a sponge when watered.  You don’t want to add manure under the soil surface in an active bed.

    Mulch

    Mulching will provide a layer of insulation against evaporation while also adding organic material to the soil surface that worms will feed on and then carry into the soil naturally.  A heavy layer of good mulch like straw or wood chips will greatly increase the amount of time between necessary watering.

    Timing

    Don’t water during the day, especially in the early afternoon.  Evaporation rates are highest during this time.  Watering in the early evening when the air has cooled and the sun is going down will allow the water the greatest amount of time to soak in.

     

    I hope these tips help you save resources and time in your garden.

     

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  • Mistakes to Avoid When Planning Your Garden

    Mistakes to Avoid When Planning Your Garden

    To assure that the plants in your garden thrive, there are several mistakes you should avoid when setting up your garden. Getting things right from the start can save you time and money and eliminate a lot of stress and frustration.

    Determine the size

    Ambition is a wonderful thing, but being overly ambitious and planting a garden that is too large for you to manage is a mistake you want to avoid. Deciding how much time and energy you have to devote to maintaining a garden should be the basis for determining its size.

    Choosing a location

    Most vegetables require a considerable amount of sunlight to thrive. Therefore, you need to observe the area you have available for setting up a garden and select a sunny location for it. You also need to consider how well water drains from the area. If you’re choosing your garden spot during the winter or early spring, keep in mind that any trees nearby will shade the garden once their leaves reappear.

    Planning the layout

    To have the most success with your gardening endeavor, you should plan the layout before you begin buying seeds or plants. You need to know what plants need to be staked, which ones need a trellis or fence to climb on and which plants can be used as companion plants or as a source of shade for other plants.

    Soil

    It’s a mistake to plant anything before you properly prepare the soil. Loosen the soil and add compost and fertilizer as soon as the weather in your area permits. You can get kits to test your soil to see if you need to add specific before you begin planting.

    Planting

    If you simply buy some seeds and put them in the ground without reading the planting information on the container, you could make several mistakes. The packet will tell you when to plant the seeds. It also provides information on planting depth and tells you the amount of sunlight the plant needs. It’s also important that you read the planting and care instructions for whatever plants you purchase for your garden. Buying anything other than healthy looking plants is a mistake. You want to set your garden up so it has the best opportunity to produce the highest yield possible.

    Wildlife

    It is definitely a mistake to set your garden up assuming that you won’t have any problems with wildlife. You should go ahead and plan to add the proper type of fencing to keep deer, rabbits and other animals out of your garden. If you prefer not to add a fence around your garden, you’ll need to explore some alternative methods such as planting a border around your garden using plants, such as marigolds, which deter animals from eating your vegetable plants. Scarecrows are not just decorative objects in a garden. They can provide protection, but most likely, when setting up your garden, you’ll need to take additional measures to win the battle against furry and feathered invaders.

    If you avoid these common mistakes, you will enjoy your garden more, all without worrying about every little issue that may arise.

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  • Vertical Gardening

    Vertical Gardening

    You don’t need a lot of space to grow an abundant variety of vegetables, herbs and flowers. Vertical gardens have become a popular patio, deck or small lawn project for everyone wanting to enjoy the benefits of having fresh vegetables right outside their door. Vertical gardens can be a family project or a solitary hobby that functions as a form of stress relief while supplying you with delicious food for your table.
    There are numerous benefits to growing a vertical garden. One of the main benefits is the small amount of space that it requires. Another benefit is that vertical gardens are easy to care for. You can easily and quickly see if you have a pest problem. Addressing these situations promptly is imperative if you plan to enjoy a bountiful harvest. In a traditional garden, some vegetables end up falling to ground and rotting because you can’t see them through all of the vines and leaves. In a vertical garden, it’s easy to see vegetables as they ripen or reach maturity so no food is wasted. Harvesting from a vertical garden is much easier than bending and picking from a traditional style garden. Their ease of accessibility is one of the reasons a vertical garden is an ideal option for anyone with a physical disability, arthritis or other mobility problems. A vertical garden can also function as a living privacy wall for your patio.

    Vertical gardening systems that range from budget-friendly to budget-breaking are readily available. There are also an extensive number of DIY vertical gardening projects and ideas available that range from beginner level to the most experienced DIY level. You can grow a fantastic and bountiful garden on something as simple as a few trellises on a patio, a graduated planter system, containers attached to a wall or in containers placed at the base of a sturdy fence. It’s simply a matter of personal preference as to what type of vertical garden system you purchase or construct.

    To be the most successful with your vertical garden, you need to select plants that can thrive in the area where you are located. Be sure you choose plants that are compatible with the amount of sunlight your garden space receives. For the greatest success, you need to use a good quality potting soil. Proper drainage is essential. As with container gardening, you will need to be attentive to the moisture conditions. You may need to water your vertical garden often during hot, dry summer months. You can incorporate flowers and herbs such as marigolds, zinnias, basil, dill, sage and summer savory into your garden both for beauty and as natural insect repellants.

    Vertical gardening is an easy, efficient way to grow a bountiful supply of vegetables in a compact space. Stepping out of your door and picking fresh vegetables gives you a sense of pride and accomplishment. Currently, there’s a lot of focus on healthy eating habits. Growing your own vegetables is an affordable way to obtain fresh, pesticide-free vegetables.

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  • Horizontal Pumpkin Trellis

    Horizontal Pumpkin Trellis

    Pumpkins are not the first crop most people think of when they think of trellising, and horizontal is not the orientation most think of when they think of trellising. But having a successful garden on the cheap requires thinking outside the box. Using a trellis to grow crops like pumpkins that would sprawl and crawl all over if left to themselves will save tons of space. Likewise, orientating your trellis horizontally can also save space. That might seem counterintuitive, but if your trellis is vertical it will shade out the area behind it. Depending on your space and garden design that could make a big difference. With this design you can grow a pumpkin vine in an area as small as 4”x4”.

    • First, determine which side of your garden the sun is primarily on. For most of us in the northern hemisphere this will be on the southern side.
    • Next, determine which bed you will plant your pumpkins in. If all of your beds are uniform in dimension this won’t be a big deal.
    • Make a wooden frame that is just large enough to be placed over the bed easily.
    • Attach vertical posts to the frame at the corners. Make the two posts that are on the sunny side shorter than the posts that are on the other side. The shorter post should be about 12” above the level of the bed, and the taller post can be about 12” taller than the short posts. This doesn’t need to be exact. It can be adjusted to accommodate your available material, and if shading out is an issue you can make the taller posts even longer, but the longer they get the closer to vertical the trellis will get and the more shade it will cast.
    • Reinforce the posts with angled braces or attach them to the bed if they are close enough to add strength.
    • Connect the top of the posts with a frame as well.
    • Lay hog wire across the top frame and attach it to the frame with zip ties, or nails driven half way and then bent over. Don’t use wire that has small openings.
    • Attach hemp or cotton lines to the short side, about 6” apart and long enough to touch the soil.
    • Plant the pumpkin seeds or starts where they can climb the lines. Keep only the strongest vine. You may need to use garden tape to keep the vine on the line since pumpkins don’t climb as well as other vines.
    • When it reaches the top, train it back and forth starting at the lowest portion and going up one section at a time only after the lowest section is full.
    • Hang fruit beneath the wire, suspended from the wire with an old t-shirt. If the fruit is large the section of wire it is on may need to be vertically reinforced with a stick or two.
    This design is meant to act like a solar panel. It should maximize the amount of sun available, while taking up the least amount of space. It also helps reduce pests and rot on the fruit by keeping it off the ground.

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  • How to Find Deals on Gardening Supplies

    How to Find Deals on Gardening Supplies

    Whether you garden on a large-scale or simply have a patio garden, you’re probably always looking for good deals on gardening tools and supplies. The following suggestions will provide you with some of the best places to find those money-saving deals.

    Garage sales and estate sales

    As soon as the weather begins to get warm, people tend to get a case of spring fever and begin cleaning out their basement, garage, and storage building. They typically have a garage sale in hopes of making a little money on items they no longer want.  Garden tools and equipment often end up at these sales. You can usually get a good deal on whatever they have to sell. Don’t think that you have to pay the price that’s on the item. Most likely, whoever is having the sale will reduce the price of an item because they don’t want anything left at the end of the day.

    Estates sales are sometimes even better than garage sales for finding a good deal on gardening supplies. Many times, when someone passes away, the family is left with an overwhelming assortment of stuff to dispose of. Generally, whoever is having an estate sale will easily negotiate prices. This type of situation is advantageous to you.

    Craigslist

    Spending some time browsing Craigslist can be an excellent way to find garden-related items at a good price. Chances are, you are more likely to find the best bargains in the spring and early fall. However, you never know what amazing deals you’ll find on any given day, so it pays to check often.

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    Online shopping

    You can find deals on gardening supplies at various online sites.  These sites typically put items on sale at the end of the season. However, even during peak gardening season, you may be able to find a good deal using promo codes and gift cards that are offered online.

    End of season bargains

    Garden centers and any store that carries garden tools and supplies begin marking down prices before summer ends. The price reductions continue until early or mid-autumn. By implementing some frugal shopping skills and a little patience, you can replace your worn-out garden tools, gloves, knee pads or other gardening items without spending much money.  This is also a good time to get larger pieces of garden equipment, garden carts, wheelbarrows, and other items at a greatly reduced price.

    Holiday shopping

    Sometimes it pays to think out of the box when looking for deals on gardening items. Because gardening has become such a popular hobby, many stores offer gift sets during the holidays that include garden tools, gardening accessories, bulbs, seeds, and various other garden-related items. Not all those sets will sell during the holidays. That means you will have a chance to buy them at 50% or more off of the original price at post-holiday sales. That’s usually a deal that’s too good to pass up.

    It’s been said that gardeners are always looking ahead. When it comes to purchasing gardening supplies, forward thinking can result in money-saving deals.

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  • DIY Flow Through Worm Bin

    DIY Flow Through Worm Bin

     

    Worm castings are a great natural fertilizer that not only add plant-available nutrients, but also increase long-term soil structure and health.  But at over $20 a cubic foot, worm castings can be expensive to add to your garden.  So don’t buy them, make your own flow through worm bin and easily harvest your own worm castings.  This video shows the materials and tools necessary and gives simple-to-follow instructions on how to go about building your own flow through worm bin.  It even shows some examples of bins of different sizes made from different materials to give you an idea of what else you can do to better suit your needs and use what you have available to you to cut cost while still getting great results from your garden.

     

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