GenAcres Homestead

Basil is a warm-season tender herb with soft stems and leaves.  It's popular for many reasons.  It makes the perfect partner for tomatoes, not only in the garden where its strong scent may confuse predatory insect pests but also chopped and sprinkled on thick slices of juicy tomatoes, still warm from the sun. Popular types of Basil Christmas Basil Height: 16-20" This basil will add a fruity flavor to salads and drinks.  It has glossy green leaves and purple flowers. Cinnamon Basil Height 25-30" This basil has a delightful fragrance and spicy flavor.  It has dark purple stems and flowers and small glossy leaves.  It's us ed in fresh arrangements and in fruit salads and as garnishes. Dark Opal Basil Height 14-20" Spicy basil in salads, in pesto and as garnishes.  Purple stems, flowers, and leaves. Holy Basil Height 12-14" The leaves are used to make tea for boosting your immune system.  Mottled green and purple leaves.

Ultimate Guide to Growing Hostas Hostas (plantain lilies) are hardy herbaceous perennials that grow well in Zones 3 through 8, with some that can tolerate the heat of Zone 9.  It's no surprise they continue to be one of the most popular perennials for shade gardens. Their beauty, toughness, and ease of care make them well suited for a shady or partly shady area and they will quickly become even a new gardener's favorite plant! 

  Why is headspace so important? So first, what is headspace?  Headspace is the space at the top of the canning jar between the underside of the lid and the top of the food or liquid in the jar. 

Growing Your Own Chives Chives are a tender herb with soft stems and leaves.  It’s one of the easiest perennial herbs to grow in Zones 3 – 9 and one of the earliest plants to appear in the spring. They produce lovely fuzzy flowers in pink and purple.   They are a special treat for those first-of-the-year salads.  

List of Items NOT Safe to Can Pressure canning and water bath canning have recently become much more popular due to the increase in home food growers, so it follows that there's also a big increase in newbies or first-time canners.

Leaf mold A free, readily-available resource! Leaf mold (leaf compost) is quite simply decomposed leaves. It is one of the best soil amendments you can use to bring new life to your soil. It has a texture much like compost, dark brown to black, and has an earthy aroma.  Leaf mold acts mainly as a soil conditioner by improving the soil structure. It WILL NOT add nutrition to your garden plants but it will enhance the condition of your soil creating a soil that is rich in calcium and magnesium and is less prone to compaction.

   Why is my Hosta Growing So Slowly? Ever wondered why your hostas are growing so slowly, or not growing at all, or are actually shrinking from year to year?   Even though hostas are naturally very hardy plants, which is one of the reasons they remain so  popular for perennials gardens, their ability to put on healthy growth each year depends on several things.