Gardening - 4/11 - Archive -

Post Archives from the ‘Gardening’ Category

Using Manure in the Garden

Posted on: October 1st, 2011 by Rachel

Chickens turning grass clippings into compost and manure

Before industrial agriculture became the norm with the use of petrochemical fertilizers, most farms were diverse, keeping animals and crops.

One of the benefits of having livestock here is soil … Continue reading the story "Using Manure in the Garden"

Peppers

Posted on: September 30th, 2011 by Rachel

One of the biggest mistakes I did this year was not keep the pepper tags with the peppers. I have over a dozen varieties planted out there and most of them I have no idea what they are.

I've looked online and attempted … Continue reading the story "Peppers"

Things We Learned Last Week

Posted on: September 24th, 2011 by Rachel

My mom's vegetable garden

Last week we were in Ohio visiting my mom. We got a chance to visit a lot of farms. As an added bonus my mom's next door neighbors are organic vegetable farmers. While there we learned … Continue reading the story "Things We Learned Last Week"

Reader Questions: Goats, Gophers and Bunnies

Posted on: September 22nd, 2011 by Rachel

We got some great questions to go over today!

The first is from the Metropolitan Homestead:
I'd like to ask how you got started with milking goats and how much daily work they really need.

… Continue reading the story "Reader Questions: Goats, Gophers and Bunnies"

Soil Testing

Posted on: September 10th, 2011 by Rachel

We moved into our place in late December, 2008. In January we raced to get in vegetable beds. I used one of those home soil test kits to determine what we needed to do to the soil. According to the tests our soils were slightly … Continue reading the story "Soil Testing"

Weekend Garden Chores

Posted on: September 3rd, 2011 by Rachel

You can definitely tell Fall is coming around here. The beds are slowly starting to get cleared out. Squash plants are dying back. The tomatillos are harvested and pulled out. Kale and lettuce are done. That opens up one entire bed for fall planting. The … Continue reading the story "Weekend Garden Chores"

Things I’ve Learned This Year – Part 1

Posted on: August 27th, 2011 by Rachel

Every year I find it helpful to write about the things I've learned in the garden so that I can make sure I avoid the same mistakes next year. Plus it helps teach all of you the obstacles I've faced so that you can learn what to avoid. So here's what I've learned this year so far.

1. Late rains cause all sorts of … Continue reading the story "Things I’ve Learned This Year – Part 1"

Weeds

Posted on: August 13th, 2011 by Rachel

Every gardener has a weed that they curse at. For me it used to be Bermuda grass. I hated it. Our last house had a backyard covered with the stuff. If you don't pull it all up, any little bit would grow and spread like wildfire. But we were able … Continue reading the story "Weeds"

Household Items You Can Use in the Garden

Posted on: July 30th, 2011 by Rachel

I've decided to build upon my tips for frugal gardeners. This however has more to do with using items you probably already have in your house.

Aspirin - Dissolve 3/4 of an uncoated asprin tablet in 1 gallon of … Continue reading the story "Household Items You Can Use in the Garden"

How to Pick a Watermelon

Posted on: July 23rd, 2011 by Rachel

It's Watermelon season so I figured now is a great time to teach you how to pick the perfect watermelon whether it's at the store, farmers' market or in your own backyard. Most people just grab one out of the bin and hope for the best. But nothing can be more disappointing than a lackluster watermelon on a hot summer day. I've perfected my watermelon … Continue reading the story "How to Pick a Watermelon"