Finding natural sources of nitrogen for your garden is an easy thing to do. After years of failed gardening attempts, I sent a soil test to my closest testing lab. It turned out that I was in need of nitrogen! Since I wanted to keep my gardens organic, I found 10 ways to add a natural source…
Harvesting my luffa sponges was a bit of a confusing endeavor. I read so many “How-To” articles and felt they were pretty misleading in ways. The truth is these little cucurbits and their gourd family is bewildering! I’m going to explain to you what I’ve learned about harvesting luffa sponges. I’ll also let you know how I did…
All these fast growing vegetables and fruits are ready to harvest in around 75 days or less. Some of them will be better suited for the early spring, and others for the late summer. Many of them are great choices for early fall when the cooler weather starts arriving, such as leafy greens. And all of them are great to add to a cold frame,…
So, you want to start growing luffa sponges? You’re in the right place! This is a step-by-step guide on how to grow these natural luffa sponges. Luffa sponge (also spelled luffah or loofah) is a cucurbit vegetable in the gourd family. They actually can grow right in your backyard! I always thought they were…
I’ve been learning how to preserve homegrown lettuce from the garden and have found the best way to make it stay crisp and fresh longer. Outside of utilizing the crisper drawer to store lettuce, I’ve learned a few tips and tricks over the years. Learn how to keep your lettuce crisp and fresh longer so you can grow your garden and eat…
Composting is one of the most beneficial activities for the homestead. Plants grow better and provide a more substantial harvest with home compost. It also cuts down on food scraps waste and yard waste, etc. I’m going to make it easy for you to understand hot to compost. How to make compost easy while understanding…
I live in Florida so growing heat tolerant vegetables is really the only option when planning for crops. We have a long growing season, with just a small amount of cool weather. As a generally hot climate state, Florida brings hot weather even in the Fall and Spring season some years. I’ve set out to…
If you’re on a mission to grow your best edible victory garden, these are definitely the best vegetables to grow in raised beds. I’ve grown all these vegetables in my raised beds over the years with ease. In fact, most of these crops are ones I now grow every year. And you can, too! 10…
When I started homesteading I always wondered what my duties on the homestead should be. I knew there were daily, weekly, and monthly chores to do, But I still wondered what they were exactly. What did other homesteaders do every day? I had a feeling that I was forgetting something and the result would be…
Plenty of folks have asked me what are loquats, and it’s a fair question really. We have two loquat trees in our yard and I didn’t know what they were. Just as there are easy vegetables to plant in a garden, there are easy fruit trees to grow in the backyard. Loquat trees are one…
Planting cut and come again crops means you will reap a consistent, bountiful harvest all season. Many of these giving crops will also act as companion plants in your garden and provide your friends and family with season-long nutrients. Pin this for later! 24 vegetables and herbs that are cut and come again crops, providing…
Setting up realistic short-term and long-term goals on the homestead is one of the most important steps you’ll take in all your years. When Emerson and I bought our homestead, we failed to set up realistic goals. I’ll go over gardening, animal husbandry, fruit trees and more in this guide. Are you ready to set…
If you have a homesteader to buy for on your Christmas list this year, these are great gift ideas for homesteading individuals of all levels. I’ve gifted some of these to myself I love them so much! Over 15 gift ideas for the homesteader and hobby farmer in your life. There are new homesteaders every…
Are you shopping for gifts for the gardener in your life? Well I’m glad you’re here because I have the perfect gifts for you! All of these gifts are sure to grow your special someone’s affection for you in no time, or just simply put a smile on their face. Gift ideas for the gardeners…
Florida has some hardcore weeds in addition to the sandy soil so weed cloth is a must-have. We’ve tried many things on our homestead to suppress these weeds. I’m here to tell you what we’ve tried, what I’ve liked the most and how to use weed cloth. 3 types of weed cloth that are cheap (or…
Disclosure: I received a copy of The Beginner’s Guide to Backyard Homesteading for free in exchange for my honest review of its contents. Receiving this book free of charge has not influenced my ability to provide my honest opinion on the contents of this book. Additionally, this post contains affiliate links. By utilizing these links,…
A low maintenance garden is an appealing thing. I work a full-time job and run a blog, on top of gardening and keeping a household tidy (most the time at least). We all wouldn’t mind saving a little time in the garden, busy schedules, or not. Here are a few tips for creating and keeping…
These vegetables can be planted directly in zones 3-10, as long as the soil is warm enough and you’re not expecting any out-of-the-ordinary cool snacks or hard freezes. 10 vegetables you can plant in June in zones 3-10. Although most crops should be in the ground by now, some of us are a little late…
Let’s face it, things happen in the garden and we all need a first aid kit, for both the gardener and the garden. Here’s what you should plan to have in your kit for any situation. 14 tools you need in your gardener’s first aid kit for the best and worst moments. Between pests, weeds,…
If you’re planning to grow a victory garden, or gardens in general, one of the first steps is to decide on a method. With a handful of gardening methods to choose from, I’ve curated a list of the methods, including ones I’ve tried and found to work. 13 different gardening methods to choose from when…
Victory Gardens (war gardens) are gardens promoted in 1941 shortly after the US entered WWII due to a food shortage. Food was prioritized to be sent to the military and allies so civilians were encouraged to grow-their-own. Folks grew everything from vegetables to fruit and herbs! Victory gardens and why you need them. I’ve always…
When you have so much going on, you just have to do whatever works. I’m going to explain to you how to stay organized even when you have so much going on! 4 different ways I use planners to organize my everyday life for optimum efficiency. I work a job 32 hours a week, run…
I’ve had a few people ask me over this last year to write about mental health and homesteading. I’ve been interested in writing on this subject but never did. I don’t have any proper medical training so it honestly would’ve all been guesswork and research. I try my best to write about things I’ve experienced…
I’m constantly trying to think of ways to get closer to self-sustainability through our homesteading lifestyle. The next step is to actually do those things! If you’re homesteading and need guidance towards self-sustainability, here are 19 ways to achieve your goal. I’ve done a lot of the things on the list below. Some others are…
Have you ever started a compost pile with the intentions of hot composting and just not had enough materials? We have mainly pine trees in our yard supplying us with a lifetime of pine needles, which don’t break down so quickly. I’m constantly thinking of ways I could acquire more materials and grow compost pile…
If you’re new to vegetable gardening there are a few things you probably need to know. First thing, it can be difficult. If someone tells you that gardening is easy-breezy then they’re lying or just naturally have the talent, like my husband…not like me. I’ve had to work at knowing how to garden. Tips from…
Before moving onto the homestead, I had some gardening experience planting a vegetable garden and made some mistakes. Hindsight is 20-20 so I’m here to tell you how to get started on the right foot, right away. From soil testing to seeds, a full run-down on how to plant the best vegetable garden for homesteading…
Do you know how many uses there are for a luffa sponge? When I started harvesting my sponges, I had no idea what to use them for. Here are a few uses for luffa sponges. How to use your luffa sponges after growing harvesting them. Luffas are versatile vegetables to grow with many uses. You…
All homesteaders have to prepare for the spring season. From gardens to picking up debris, it all has to be done in a timely manner in order to get through the spring season and transition into the summer. Here are the things to do to prepare for the spring season on your homestead. How to…
Michael Pollan said, “If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don’t.” I’m the co-owner of an acre and a quarter of land on the search for simplicity and farming for freedom. Born and raised in Florida, I was fortunate as a young girl to have a mother…
Using hoop frames on our gardens is the only way we can grow crops in the summer. I live in West Central Florida so it gets pretty darn hot here. I’ve made my life a little bit easier by installing hoop garden frames for my raised beds! Why we use garden hoop tunnel frames on…
The best garden planner you’ll ever find and why I love it (and use it every year!) I’m here today to tell you about how I plan my gardens year round and why I love my garden planner! Do you have to have a garden planning program? No, you don’t need it. I’m still relatively…
I do understand that a lot of people know many things when they beginning homesteading, and that’s so great. If you’re buying a homestead and know nothing like I did, here are the first five things I think you should learn first. Before you start homesteading, you should know these things. Me? I knew nothing…
When I first started homesteading I always wondered what everyone else’s daily chores were. Who did they feed first? How much feed did they give to their animals? Were there any night chores I needed to take on? I figured since it was something I always wondered, you might be too. Here is what my…
Here are 5 super easy vegetables you can grow almost fool-proof. How do I know I can grow these almost fool-proof? Because I did when I first started gardening and I still grow them. The 5 easiest vegetables to grow as a beginning garden without fail. I’ll be the first one to tell you that…
Although we’re halfway into our third year now, I want to tell you all a little bit about what happened here on on our homestead in 2017. What I experienced the second year on our homestead can what our goals are moving forward. Our failures, our achievements, our goals, etc. I hope, if you’re beginning,…
These books are perfect for every homesteader. The very first “house warming gift” we got was a book. Although I was hoping for a goat or a zebu, the book proved equally as useful. Four books every homesteader should have and read. There are so many books to read, right?! Not to mention all the…
Two words, Y’all: Facebook Groups. If you’re already using Facebook groups for help on the homestead, good on ya! If you aren’t, here are great reasons why you need to be! Ways you can use Facebook groups to get ahead when homesteading. This is the golden age of technology; we’re all in Facebook groups. Well,…
Tropical Storms and First Years on a Homestead The first year on a homestead has been kind of wild. We’re officially experiencing our first storm, Tropical Storm Colin, as homeowners and homestead owners! What we accomplished the first year on our homestead and our future goals. Although we’re calmly watching countless episodes of Netflix we’re…
