Grow Food

Colder weather may be on its way, but that doesn’t mean you need to say goodbye to your garden!  The use of cold frames allow you to extend the gardening season into the winter, which means more fresh, wholesome veggies for your family.  What is a cold frame? A cold frame is an enclosed garden space used to extend the growing season in the early spring and late fall. The enclosure protects seedlings and crops from frost, cold, and snow while still letting in sunlight. Cold … [Read more...] about How To Make a DIY Cold Frame From a Dollar Store Bin

As fall proceeds and leaves begin to flurry down, you may be wondering what to do with all the wind blown foliage. Many gardeners seem to view fallen leaves as a problem – something to be tidied up. But successful organic gardeners soon begin to see these dead leaves as a boon rather than as a bane to their existence. On our property, we try to make the most of this abundant natural resource. In this article, we will discuss how to make leaf mold. This is one great way to make the … [Read more...] about How To Make Leaf Mold: Turn Fallen Leaves Into Gardener’s Gold

When you happen upon a cucumber, yellowing and past its prime, take it as a learning opportunity. There are seeds inside, ready to be saved. If you only knew how! It would be nice if it was as simple as scooping them out, washing and drying them off. Turns out, it is a bit more complicated than that, luckily not by much. Reasons to save your own seeds Every gardener and homesteader knows, or will quickly find out, that cost tops the list of reasons to save their own garden … [Read more...] about How To Save Cucumber Seeds (With Photos!)

Saving seeds from most fruits and vegetables is pretty straight forward. You wait until the crop has reached harvest time, harvest it, pull out the seeds, let them dry, and store them. Saving seeds from tomatoes is a little bit different.  Tomato seeds germinate best if they’ve been fermented before they’re stored. You can, of course, save tomato seeds without the step of fermentation, but this simple step greatly increases the number of successful seeds you’ll have come … [Read more...] about The Secret To Successfully Saving Tomato Seeds For Next Year

If you've ever tried to grow squash in your home garden and ended up with huge rambling plants but no fruit, this tutorial is for you! How exactly do you know when it’s time to turn to hand pollination in your garden? Well, it’s pretty clear that the birds and bees aren’t visiting your squash plants when they easily produce tons of blossoms but you’re getting zero squash! Luckily, the solution is so simple and easy, absolutely anyone can do it, even all those of you with brown thumbs … [Read more...] about How to Hand Pollinate Squash in 30 Seconds (With Photos!)

If you are looking for something a little different to grow in your garden, elephant garlic is for you. Unlike regular garlic, elephant garlic is a perennial plant that can remain in your growing areas year after year. It can be a great addition to wildlife gardens, perennial beds or polycultures, and can be grown in a wide range of different climates and conditions.  Related Reading: How To Plant Garlic In The Fall What Is Elephant Garlic? Elephant garlic (Allium … [Read more...] about Elephant Garlic: How To Grow & Use It