Homesteader Depot

Tag: homestead mistakes

  • Top 7 Mistakes to Avoid When Harvesting Rainwater (Video)

    Top 7 Mistakes to Avoid When Harvesting Rainwater (Video)

    Harvesting rainwater is one of the best things you can do on your homestead, particularly if you are trying to be prepared for emergencies or establish self-reliance. Not to mention, it’s simply a very convenient way to water your garden and animals without impacting your water bill!

    However, as many people who have set up their own water harvesting systems will tell you, there’s a lot  that can go wrong. Rain is unpredictable and water is heavy, and if you don’t have a secure, reliable set-up, there are many ways your system can fail.

    Fortunately, you can learn from those brave water collectors who have gone before you! I think this video is a fantastic idea, because I know from experience how much trial and error water collection can involve, so this guy can help you avoid a ton of mistakes and failures. This is a must-see if you’re considering collecting and storing rainwater! Enjoy:

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  • 3 Beginner Compost Mistakes to Avoid

    3 Beginner Compost Mistakes to Avoid

    Getting a good compost pile going is an awesome way to build your soil and contribute valuable nutrients to your organic garden.

    There are lots of methods for getting started, and lots of options as far as bioavailable, organic material you can use to build it.

    However, you can also make mistakes, and before you build your own compost pile, try to avoid these simple “don’ts” to ensure you have a successful compost pile and save yourself a lot of trouble.

    Cover your pile

    Compost piles left out in the open are not only stinky and unsightly, but they also attract flies and even wasps, which will make it no fun to turn the pile. While there are many creepy crawlers you’ll happily welcome into your pile, that help decompose and contribute nutrients to compost, flies in particular you do not want. They are unsanitary to have around, can spread harmful bacteria, and are also super annoying.

    Covering up your compost pile also helps it to decompose faster. By wrapping it in a tarp, for example, you’ll trap in warmth and moisture, speeding up the composting process and getting you the end result quicker.

    Water your compost pile

    You don’t have to water your compost pile everyday, but keep it consistently moist enough that it never dries out. Compost piles are essentially their own little ecosystems, full of life that work to decompose the soil, so they need moisture to thrive. Every week or so, stick your hose in the compost pile and let it run for an hour or so, soaking the whole pile thoroughly.

    Avoid weed seeds

    Be careful about the manure or foliage you add to your pile; anything that might have weed seeds in it will not only sprout in your pile, they could easily survive the whole composting process and sprout in the garden you add your compost to. And that’s not something you want to do!

     

    When you invest your time and effort into starting a compost pile,  make sure you’re doing it right!

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  • Common Mistakes When Going Off-Grid

    Common Mistakes When Going Off-Grid

    Getting off-grid and energy independent is really appealing, but can also be pretty intimidating. It’s hard to know where to start when you’ve lived your whole life reliant upon a municipal grid, and as I wrote recently about homesteading in general, it’s OK to make mistakes.

    But, you can always learn from the mistakes of others! There are common mistakes a lot of people make when first getting off the grid, and here are some of those mistakes and how to avoid them.

    1. Aiming too high

    Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s great to have goals and aim for the sky. However, when you’re thinking about going off the grid, don’t expect to have satellite TV, a dishwasher, run a crock pot, a video game console, curling iron, etc. all at once. When you get off-grid, you will have to scale down your life…drastically.

    2. Wasting energy

    This is obviously a broad category of mistakes, and there are many ways in which you can waste energy. Running a gas generator to watch a movie might be a good example, or using solar power to use a light during the day when natural light would work fine. You’ll need to conserve and constantly think about the most efficient way to use your resources.

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    3. Buying gimmicky products

    There are a ton of products out there to generate electricity off-grid, and some are really great, while others are probably a waste of your money. A lot of small solar products to charge small devices, for example, just straight don’t work unless there is direct sunlight on them for several hours at a time, so they could fail frequently. Do your research, read reviews, and again…

    4. Failure to Prioritize

    As mentioned in #1, you will need to take a cold, hard look at what you really need electricity for. We are accustomed to so many gadgets and gizmos these days, we don’t even think about how much we require electricity for the simplest of tasks. You will have to seriously reassess how much you really need an electric coffee maker or if you can make it in a percolator, if you really need a food processor or if you can mix things by hand, if you really need lights in every room or if you can use a lantern, etc.

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