Garden

If you’re low on space, don’t have land of your own, or just want flexibility when taking care of your plants, container gardening is where it’s at. You can move things around to reorganize, protect your plantings from harsh weather, and even garden in your own home or greenhouse through the winter. But growing some … Read more

If you care for your own garden, you already know that giving your plants what they need to thrive is mostly a matter of adding the right stuff to the soil. Fertilizers, soil amendments, and more will increase available nutrients, improve soil texture, and keep harmful pests away from your plants. The downside is that … Read more

If you are a gardener, compost will quickly become your best friend. It can help fertilize your plants, dramatically improve soil structure, and generally just make your garden thrive. It’s also one of the most economical ways to get your plants the nutrients they need if you stay on top of adding to it on … Read more

We’ve talked about it a lot here on New Life on a Homestead: compost is one of the very best things you can possibly use in your garden, your raised beds, your containers, and anywhere else you happen to be planting. All-natural and packed with nutrients that plants need, it’s easy and cheap to make … Read more

For so many gardeners, the planting season is synonymous with warmer weather. Springtime is when you put in all the work, and later on, toward the middle or end of summer, is when you harvest. After that, it’s all about getting prepared for next year. Right? Not exactly! There’re actually lots of vegetables out there … Read more

Whether you have a bountiful garden, productive raised beds, or beautiful landscaping, you’re going to have to weed them. No matter how hard you try, weeds are just a fact of life and an annoying chore. But what is a weed? It just means an unwanted plant, right? Yes, that’s what it means, but that’s … Read more

A big part of homesteading is properly managing our land. Most of us have a garden, and some of us grow large fields of crops. And for those of us who don’t, taking care of our land helps to balance the ecosystem, attract beneficial insects and animals, and generally just make things nicer and prettier. … Read more

Every gardener out there, no matter what they are growing, has a singular enemy in common. You know what I’m talking about: weeds! Whether you’re cultivating gorgeous flowers or just trying to bring in a bountiful crop of tomatoes, weeds will always be there to get in the way, spoil the aesthetics, and rob both … Read more

Whether or not you prefer to maintain a traditional garden, container gardening is a great way to increase your available space, maximize versatility, and adapt to changing conditions. You can grow veggies, fruit, herbs, or ornamentals based on your preference, and keep them indoors or out. It’s the perfect way to experiment with new plants … Read more

Lots of homesteaders turn to growing crops not just to feed themselves and their families, but to make or supplement a living. This starts off well enough, but as soon as you realize that an entire acre of corn or wheat will sell for about $1,000 bucks or even less, it will quickly douse your … Read more

If you’ve been gardening for any length of time, you’re probably familiar with the concept of companion planting. These are plants that can help each other, even directly support each other, in a mutually beneficial way. Usually, one plant will require lots of one type of nutrient that the other doesn’t, or it can improve … Read more

One of the most exciting times in any gardener’s endeavors is that first sign of new green poking up through the soil. When a seed germinates and starts to grow, it is full of promise and anticipation of what’s to come. Yes, it’s also the beginning of a lot of hard work, but it’s always … Read more

As a homesteader, you’re always thinking of methods to increase the yields. And one of the best ways to do that is by using cover crops. Cover crops can help improve soil health, suppress weeds, and provide food for livestock. One of the most popular cover crops is crimson clover. In this post, we will … Read more

One of the best things you can do to enhance your own self-sufficiency is grow your own food. After all, people have been doing it basically forever! It’s a great way to get closer to the things you eat, and it also helps to prevent waste in the kitchen since you are far more likely … Read more

No matter what your preferences are when it comes to heat, there’s bound to be a pepper variety for you. From the crisp, green sweetness of bell peppers to the ferocious wallop of the classic cayenne, there is something for every taste. The good news is that most pepper varieties are basically the same, and … Read more