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The Undeniable Benefits of Coffee Grounds in Your Garden

Coffee grounds and gardening are naturally a good fit. Whether you are composting with them or applying them directly to your garden and around your yard, you’ll discover that coffee can affect your plants in much the same way it does you. If you think your garden is in need of a pick-me-up, get ready to be amazed at the effects it will produce. Used Coffee Grounds Make Great Fertilizer When added directly to the garden soil, the grounds add to the organic material makeup of the soil itself. This addition aids in the retention of water, improves […]

5 Gardening Budget Hacks

For people who are homesteading, managing expenses is a challenge. You want to be self-sufficient and yet some of the things that you need to do don’t happen overnight. They require an investment of both time and money. These things are true of gardening. It’s natural to want your garden to yield enough food for you and your family. However, you must strike a balance between pushing toward self-reliance and not blowing through your gardening budget. That’s why we’ve put together this list of 5 cheap gardening tricks to help you achieve self-reliance. #1: Pre-sprout Your Seeds This first trick […]

3 Basics for Starting Your Homestead

In our modern society, many of us dream of finding a way to get back to simpler times. We yearn for the days when people grew and preserved their own food and relied more on themselves and less on technology. If that sounds familiar, then you might want to start a homestead. Whether you already own a substantial tract of land out in the country or you’re renting a city apartment, there are things you can do right now to get things underway. Starting Small Do you live in a city or the suburbs? If so, you might not […]

DIY Plant Propagating

Plant propagating is a common process among homesteaders where new plants are created using various sources. Seeds, bulbs, cuttings, and other plant parts are put together to regenerate a garden. This branch of horticulture deals with the production of new plants using what is referred to as “starter materials”. Some people look at it as a form of recycling while others place the seedlings in small containers for décor and display uses. How Does Plant Propagating Work? Plant Propagating uses totipotency, which allows the cells to regenerate all the missing parts which leads to creating an entire new organism. Totipotency […]

5 Creative Ways to Reuse Old Cans

When faced with a number of empty cans in the kitchen, most of us choose to toss them into the recycling bin and call it a day. Instead, why not turn this common resource into some interesting, fun and creative ways to organize and decorate your home and garden? Whether you use some leftover paint, glue, and fabric, go crazy with a tin punch or drill, or just leave them in their natural metallic finish, there are a number of ways these little cylinders can occupy your time and beautify your life. Option 1 – Indoor Herb Garden Standard vegetable […]

The 6 Easiest Superfoods to Grow

We talk a lot about health on this blog and a lot about gardening. Of course, there’s a huge area of overlap between the two subjects! Gardening is so beneficial for your health, as there is no better produce to eat than the kind you grow yourself, not just because you can control everything that goes into the soil, but because you can pick it fresh and enjoy it on your plate within hours of picking. This means you will be eating the optimum nutrition since the produce has so recently been alive. For this reason, pretty much anything you […]

Is Your Soil Good Quality?

If you are interested in homesteading, urban homesteading, or natural health, you probably care about what goes into your body. You try to buy organic and eat whole, healthy foods that are the best sources for the macronutrients, micronutrients, and minerals that our bodies need to thrive. But do you take so much care of the plants you grow? Plants need food as well, and not just bland, synthetic versions of the food they thrive on, but natural, pure, varied nutrients. The way plants get their “food” is through the soil. This is one reason it is so important to […]

Keeping Your Harvest Year-Round (Infographic)

Whether you’re gardening or carefully shopping local and in season, the healthiest way to consume what you reap is to preserve it well so you can make the most of it! Produce turns quickly, but you can prolong the benefits of a fresh harvest with some smart planning and thinking ahead. There are so many great ways to preserve food, and this amazing infographic from Fix.com shows you how. We write a lot about food preservation here on Homestead Depot, but this infographic is a great guide to the overall concept of food preservation, and it gave me some great ideas! […]

Gardening Tips From Seasoned Gardeners

When you just get started with gardening, it can be easy to feel very overwhelmed! As a beginner, there’s so much to learn, and so many ways things can go wrong. But never fear–you can learn from those who have gone before you. We’ve got some great tips for beginner gardeners to help you beat the stress and have a flourishing, healthy garden in no time. Let’s begin! Ask for help Don’t be shy! Usually, seasoned gardeners love to talk gardening, so reach out and ask for help! People at your local nursery, in local gardening FB groups, or even community […]

How to Make Compost the Easy Way (Video)

Everyone should be composting, especially if you’re gardening! It is so beneficial for your soil, environmentally responsible, and also an efficient way to cut down on waste in your home and garden. However, if you’ve tried and failed to build your own compost bins or piles, you might need a few shortcuts. John from GrowYourGreens.com and Learn Organic Gardening on YouTube was in that boat, and shares how he ended up settling on the easier way to compost. Check it out! If you enjoyed this, you might also like…. Long-Term Survival for Homesteaders… Natural Healing Secrets You Need to Know… […]

10 Powerful Plants That Repel Mosquitoes

While I’m thrilled for warm weather to finally return, I’m not as excited about the flying pests that come with it. As spring marches on and the land is replenished with rainfall, potential hotspots for mosquitoes are developing. In addition to checking your property for areas where water is allowed to pool (your mosquitoes will use these as their own personal birthing centers), you can take safe steps to prevent infestation with these naturally-repellent plants! Citronella Grass/Lemongrass is the source of citronella oil that is used in many commercial insect repellent products like citronella candles and tiki torches. It can […]

5 Steps to Growing Watermelon (Video)

I know it’s only April, but I’m already thinking about summer! And what better way than to prep for summer now than to plant some watermelon? It’s finally getting warm enough to plant these heat-loving, delicious melons, and this great, five step video will help you figure out if you can manage it in your garden. Enjoy, and happy gardening! If you enjoyed this, you might also like…. Long-Term Survival for Homesteaders… Natural Healing Secrets You Need to Know… Effective Primal Diet Hacks…

Why You Should Keep a Homesteading Journal

As you embark on your homesteading journey, whether that is buying several acres of land and starting a full-fledged farm, or simply growing herbs on your windowsill and trying a few simple home ferments, it is incredibly beneficial to keep a journal. Heres a few tips on why and how to journal. Why? Journals are, literally, records of events. So as you begin gardening, raising animals, trying home cultures, and generally doing more things simpler, greener, and for yourself, you’ll want to keep track of your efforts, method, and progress. First of all, it’s fun! You can look back in […]

Companion Planting Visual Guide (Infographic)

Companion planting is a gardening practice that involves strategically planting certain vegetables next to one another for their mutual benefit. It can lend itself to great success in the garden, but it can be a bit confusing and overwhelming to plan out. This infographic from MomWithAPrep.com is a fantastic cheat sheet for figuring out the best “companions” for each garden vegetable. It also includes potentially bad companions, so you can rule those out too. Why not give companion planting a try this spring? Grab this infographic and refer to it as you plan out your garden this year. Enjoy! […]

How to Use Up Extra Tomatoes

Too many tomatoes is a great problem to have! Whether you’ve found a killer deal at the grocery store or farmer’s market, or your garden is overflowing with juicy, ripe, tomatoes just begging to be used up, having too many tomatoes on your hand is awesome, but also poses a big challenge. How on earth can you use up all those delicious tomatoes? Well, we’ve got you covered. All it takes is a little creativity! Here are some great suggestions for how to make the most of a big bounty of tomatoes. Canning This is the classic way to preserve […]

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. […]

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 […]

Best Clothing for Gardening

If you spend a lot of time out in the garden, you’ll know how important good quality, functional clothing is. You don’t need just any old pair of jeans and t-shirt that you don’t mind getting dirty, although that might be your outfit of choice. Your gardening clothes will need to not only be able to withstand dirt stains, sun, sweat, and rain. Here are some pointers for choosing functional, comfortable, and sturdy gardening clothes. Covering Most seasoned gardeners opt for long sleeves and pants when spending time in the garden. This provides a nice barrier against the sun, as […]

How to Choose What to Plant This Year

It’s spring time, and if you’re an experienced gardener, you’ve probably been planning out your spring garden and what to plant for months now. But if you’re just getting started, either on your very first garden or second or third, you might be overwhelmed with the amount of choices for what to grow in your food garden this year. Here are a few tips for how to narrow down your options and choose what to plant: History Obviously, if you’ve gardened already, you’ll want to think about what you’ve successfully grown in the past, and go with what worked. But […]

Simple and Natural Homemade Pest Control Tips

Most homesteaders have gardens. In fact, they have large gardens and they rely on the food they grow to feed their family throughout the year. If that sounds like you, then you know just how problematic it can be when you have pests that try to take hold and destroy your crops. Fortunately, there are some natural methods you can use to combat those pests. Here are some of the ways to get control of your garden once more so you do not have to worry about bugs and slugs ruining your harvest. Slugs can be a real pain, and […]