Page 2 of 3
1 2 3
herbs – Page 2 – Homesteader Depot

Homesteader Depot

Tag: herbs

  • Tips for Growing Herbs Indoors

    Tips for Growing Herbs Indoors

    Herbs can be a helpful addition for any homesteader. They can be used for flavoring food, and in some cases, the herbs will even have medicinal purposes. Depending on where you live, you will not be able to have a garden all year long, and this would normally mean an end to your herb production until things warm up again. However, if you still want to grow your herbs throughout the year, it is possible. You just need to grow them indoors.

    Types of Herbs to Grow

    When you are growing herbs, think about the best types for your needs. Consider the herbs that you will be using the most of and that you want fresh. What are you using in your food? What might you need for medicine? Some of the most popular options when it comes to indoor herbs include mint, thyme, oregano, parsley lavender, and sage. Once you know the herbs you would like to grow, spend some time learning more about them and what each one takes to grow.

    Prepare the Soil

    One of the big differences between growing outside and inside is that when you grow your herbs indoors, they will usually require more maintenance. You need to make sure you have a layer of small rocks on the bottom of the pot before you add the soil mixture. The mixture should be 20% perlite and 80% soil. Make sure that you know about each of the different herbs you are growing and anything special they might need to thrive.

    Misting the Plants

    When you are growing the herbs inside in the winter, there is a chance for the herbs to dry out. This is especially true when you have heating in the home, as you naturally will during the cold months. Instead, your best option is to use a spray bottle to mist the plants. You can add some water to the soil, but you should also mist the plants about once per week.

    Although you want to be sure the herbs do not dry out, they still need to have good drainage. If the water sits in the soil and has no way to drain, it can cause the roots of the herbs to rot. Add drainage holes to the pots.

    The Temperature and Light

    You will find that you do not have to change the temperatures too much to make the indoor herb garden happy. The plants will do well in the mid-60s to the mid-70s, which is typical for interior home temperatures in the winter. Overnight, the temperatures dip a bit, but the plants are fine with this as well. It closely mimics temperatures outdoors during the warmer parts of the year.

    The herbs should get at least four hours of sun each day. Placing the herbs in windows that are facing the south or the southwest should give you plenty of light.

    When you first start your indoor herb garden, you will have a period of trial and error as you start to grow different types of herbs and try to perfect your techniques. Overall, it is easy though, and you will get the hang of it quickly.

    If you liked this, you might also enjoy…

    Holistic Medicine Basics…

    Ever Considered Taking Yoga? Read this…

    The Ultimate Woodworking Course..

     

  • Herbs for Hens

    Herbs for Hens

    There are so many great medicinal herbs out there, and humans don’t have to be the only ones who benefit. Your hens can greatly benefit from herbs as well!

    One of the big reasons commercial eggs are so unappealing these days is that the chickens that produce them are usually pumped full of antibiotics, as they typically live in close quarters, to protect them from illness and disease. This of course means there are antibiotics in the eggs, and it’s far from healthy to consume antibiotics you don’t actually need. It messes with your immune system and gut flora, which is something you definitely don’t want to do.

    So, if you’re raising your own chickens, especially if they’re free-range and get to eat lots of healthy, natural foods like grass, bugs, and organic feed, they already have a much better chance against disease! But of course, even free range hens can get sick, and preventative measures are still prudent to take. Feeding your hens powerful, but safe antibiotic herbs is a great alternative to common poultry antibiotics, and won’t effect their eggs, which means it’s safer for you too!

    Here are some wonderful herbs that are great for hens:

    Oregano: 

    Oregano can be fed to your hens in bunches, and they’ll love it fresh! It is a great natural antibiotic, for hens and humans, and you can also incorporate into their feed, or into their bedding to ward off pathogens.

    Lavender: 

    Lavender can be incorporated into your hens’ bedding to keep them clean and smelling fresh. Lavender has wonderful antibacterial properties, so it’s great for hens to eat, as well as keep their nests fresh. It also has calming properties, which can help them relax and potentially produce more eggs.

    Sage:

    Hens will love to eat fresh sage as well, and it will also help ward off pathogens. Some research has been shown sage in particular can reduce salmonella in chickens’ guts.

    Comfrey

    Comefrey is a homestead wonder plant in so many ways, but one of them is as a powerful first aid salve, which you can use on chickens as well. Since chickens can have skin issues on their feet or gloves, it can help a lot with things like this.

     

    If you liked this, you might also enjoy…

    Want to Learn More About Herbal Remedies?

    Are the ‘End Times’ Real?

    Preparing for the Bubble to Burst 

  • Growing Turmeric

    Growing Turmeric

    Do you ever go inside after gardening with sore hands and stiff knees?  Instead of reaching for some Advil or other store bought anti-inflammatory medicine, why not grow your own?  Turmeric is a great medicinal plant because not only does it offer a wide array of health benefits, but it is one of the easiest plants to grow, and to harvest.  Just head to your local Asian grocery store and look for a piece of turmeric root that you can use to grow your own plants from.  Here’s how, and why you might want to.

     

    To Plant

    • Simply purchase a live turmeric root, usually only available at health food stores or Asian grocery stores.
    • When weather is warm outside, plant it in a container with good soil. It can be grown in the ground, but I like to get it started in a pot off the ground.
    • In about 120 to 150 days it should be ready to harvest.
    • If it is still in the pot you can simply pull it up and knock the dirt off the root, which is the part you are after. Remember to save some of the root to plant again so you don’t need to buy more.

    Why Grow Turmeric

    • Turmeric contains curcumin. This is the active ingredient for all of its health benefits.
    • It can be used as an anti-inflammatory.
    • It has powerful anti-oxidant properties and has been linked to reduced cancer rates.
    • It can be used to treat infections, cuts, burns, and sore throats.
    • It is very easy to grow, all it requires is some decent soil, warm weather, and water.

    I’m not a doctor so I don’t want to make any medical assertions about the potential for turmeric, but it has been used for thousands of years and there is no shortage of people who claim to have benefited greatly from this easy to grow plant.

     

    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…

     

  • When to Harvest Vegetables and Herbs

    When to Harvest Vegetables and Herbs

    Time is a key factor in determining when to harvest vegetables. You want to be sure to harvest them when they are on the verge of maturity. The time of day is also a factor in assuring that you harvest vegetables appropriately.
    It’s helpful to keep the seed packet or plant identification marker for each item you plant in your garden. This is where you will find information regarding the estimated time to maturity. If you keep a garden journal, you can write that information in your journal. There are also plenty of charts available on line that list the average time for specific plants to reach maturity. Even with that information available, soil conditions and weather conditions can affect the exact amount of days it takes your vegetables to reach the harvesting stage. Therefore, consistent attention to your garden is the best way to determine when a vegetable is ready to be harvested.

    It’s important that you harvest vegetables based on their individuality. For example, not all beans should be picked at the same length. Pole beans are ready for harvest when they are approximately five inches long. On the other hand, yard long beans or Asian beans should be at least 15 inches long before they are picked. You can’t base your harvesting time solely on appearance. Peppers are ready to be harvested when they are full size, even though they’re still green. If you leave them on the vine until they turn red, they will lose some of their crispness. Hot peppers left on the vine will continue to get hotter. It’s generally best to harvest vegetables when they are young and tender. It’s also essential that you handle these tender vegetables carefully to avoid bruising them. Don’t leave the vegetables you pick sitting outside in the hot sun. Take them indoors immediately after harvesting them.

    It’s best to harvest vegetables in the early morning hours, just after sunrise. This is when your vegetables will have the highest water content. If harvesting in the morning doesn’t fit into your schedule, your next best option is early evening. Once harvest time arrives, you should check your garden daily. You might be amazed at how fast tomatoes ripen and squash grow. If you’re pinched for time and are struggling to keep up with your rapidly maturing vegetables, you can delay harvesting the root vegetables you planted such as onions, potatoes and carrots.

    Herbs should be harvested after the morning dew dries and before the afternoon sun heats up the day. Herbs should be harvested before they flower. Herbs are less prolific after they bloom. You can begin harvesting herbs early in the season. You can harvest between 50% and 70% of the plant at one time. Typically, annual herbs can be harvested until frost.

    Once you’ve invested time and effort into growing a garden, you want to be diligent with your harvesting routine. Picking the vegetables at precisely the right time is the best way to enjoy their flavor and freshness.

    If you liked this, you might also enjoy…

    Naturopathic Medicine at Home…

    Always Wanted to Try Yoga? Read this…

    Easy Carpentry Courses for the Average Person...

  • Benefits of Aloe Vera

    Benefits of Aloe Vera

    The benefits of any plant should always be weighed against the difficulty of cultivating it.  In the case of aloe vera, there are no difficulties to weigh against the long list of benefits.  The list of both proven and supposed benefits is too long to include here, but these are a few of the known benefits of this wonder plant.

     

    Easy to Grow

    You don’t need a green thumb, or even garden space to grow aloe vera.  Aloe vera can be grown in a container, tolerates anything from partial shade to full sun, is perennial, propagates on its own, and can look quite nice with grown among succulents.

    Burn Treatment

    Aloe vera is among the best treatments for burns, including sun burn.  Growing it yourself allows you to get all the benefits without having to spend money on a product that includes alcohol which is terrible for burns.

    Boosts Immunity

    An ounce of prevention is always better than a pound of cure, and aloe vera contains antioxidants and antibacterial can help prevent illness.

    Natural Laxative

    The latex layer just beneath the skin of the aloe vera plant is a safe and natural laxative.  Despite the safety of periodic use of aloe latex as a laxative, it should not be used daily as a preventative measure.

    Dental Health

    Studies have shown that pure aloe vera juice can be just as effective in fighting plaque as conventional mouth wash.  Aloe vera gel can also help with the pain of cancer sores and speed their healing.

     

    With all these benefits and more, and not a single reason not to, get some aloe vera started in your garden or in pot now so you can start benefiting from one of the most useful medicinal plants that you could ever grow.

     

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

    The Weight-Reducing Magic of Yoga…

    The Ultimate Woodworking Course..

  • All About Lemon Balm

    All About Lemon Balm

    Lemon balm is a perennial herb in the mint family.  It gets its name from the strong “lemony” smell of the leaves, which also have a tangy taste to them.  If you aren’t currently growing some, here are a few reasons why you should start.

     

    1. Ease: Lemon balm is easy to start from seed and once established it needs little care.  It can be grown in full sun in areas with mild weather, or in partial shade in hotter climates.
    2. Anti-viral: Lemon balm can help fight off viral infections.
    3. Sleep aid: Lemon balm has shown in tests to provide a natural and healthy deeper sleep.
    4. Antioxidant: Lemon balm contains eugenol, rosmarinic, ferulic, caffeic acids, and quercetin.  All of which can help protect your cells against damage by free radicals.
    5. Brain health: Lemon balm has been linked to improved memory and in animal studies compounds in lemon balm have shown promise in protecting the brain from damage after a stroke.
    6. Child safe: Don’t go crazy with a child safe sleep aid, but lemon balm has not been shown to be dangerous for children or pregnant women.  Though of course if you were to buy a product made from lemon balm it would tell you to consult a doctor so I’ll say the same so I don’t get sued.
    7. Attracts bees: Bees aren’t doing so good these day.  Lemon balm is a favorite food for bees.  By planting it in your garden you are not only attracting pollinators that will help your fruiting plants, but you will be helping to strengthen a vital species that is in danger.

     

    So, from detoxifying your system, putting your kids to bed when they don’t feel good, and helping to save the world’s bees, lemon balm can do it all.  It’s not a plant that you want to go without in your garden or your medicine cabinet.  Start growing some, you won’t regret it.

  • All About Feverfew

    All About Feverfew

    Feverfew is a great resource to have on your homestead.  With so much work to get done, you can’t just take a sick day every time you don’t feel good.  You need to have a medicine on hand to get you back on your feet.  Feverfew can help with that.

     

    Uses

    Feverfew can be used to treat headaches, reduce fever, and help with inflammation.  It works by opening up your vascular system and allowing the blood to flow smoothly as it should.  Feverfew is said to be safe for pregnant women and children.

    Cultivation

    Feverfew is grown from seed.  Once established it is a hardy herb, tolerating low to full sun, drought resistant, and frost resistant.  You may even need to weed out seedlings in the spring to prevent it from spreading.

    Harvest

    All above-ground portions of the plant can be used medicinally.  When harvesting plants that you want to continue to grow, find the stems that green and bendable, avoiding the hard woody stems towards the bottom.

    Methods

    Most people who treat migraines with Feverfew eat the leaves daily, as little as 1 leaf a day can be effective, some eat as much as 3 leaves a day.  Others make tea from fresh or dried leaves.  Because of the bitter taste, you may want to add some honey, or just hold your nose and hurry up and swallow it.  Alcohol tinctures are a great option since they make the medicinal components more bioavailable, and can be used in the winter when your plants have stopped producing leaves.

     

    Growing medicinal herbs will allow you to stay healthy and working to your best potential on your homestead, while also reducing your need to spend your hard earned money on store bought remedies or pharmaceutical drugs.

    If you liked this, you might also enjoy…

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

    The Weight-Reducing Magic of Yoga…

    The Ultimate Woodworking Course..

  • What to Plant to Attract Bees

    What to Plant to Attract Bees

    Bees are essential for our survival, and they’re dying in record numbers. We need them to pollinate our plants, so as they are dying in record numbers worldwide, it is devastating to think of the effects this might have on life on earth.

    There’s only so much a single homesteader can do, but as bees are just as vital to our small operations as they are to global food production, we can definitely still try to do our part to attract, nourish and sustain bees on our humble homesteads.

    Of course, beekeeping is a great way to do this, and if you can, it will definitely benefit you as well as the global production of bees. Not only will you have lots of happy pollinators buzzing around your garden, you’ll also get honey and honeycomb!

    But not everyone is ready to take that leap into beekeeping, you’re either homesteading in a city and don’t have the capacity to keep bees, or you’ve decided for one reason or another that keeping hives is just not the right option for your homestead, which is totally understandable. So what can you do to help the bees?

    Plant for them! There are a number of fragrant herbs and flowers that bees love, and most of them are pretty easy to grow!

    Here’s what to plant for the bees:

    • lavender
    • sunflower
    • catnip
    • poppy
    • borage
    • sage
    • cilantro
    • thyme
    • fennel
    • geranium
    • heliotrope
    • zinnia
    • crocus
    • buttercup
    • aster
    • anemone
    • calendula

    These lovely herbs and flowers are favorites of bees, and there sure to be constant visitors to your garden if you plant them!

    If you liked that, you might also like:

    Learn How To SUPERCHARGE your garden or farm…

    Click Here To Get The Best Survival Medical Course…

    Check Out These Mind Blowing Survival Skills…