Canning - Why Headspace is So Important

 

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 Chives - Homesteading 101

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.

Making and Using Leaf Mold in the Garden

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.

Hostas Growing Slowly

  

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.

Fall Care for Hostas

  

Fall Care for Hosta Plants

With fresh air and fewer insects and plant diseases to worry about, Fall is a pretty great time in the garden.


But for hostas, those beautiful leaves are beginning to die back making the plant look a bit ragged, but the plant is just conserving energy and getting ready for their winter sleep where they will await warm Spring temperatures.

  

  

Cutting Back Hosta Blooms

Although hostas are basically grown for those beautiful leaves, there are some hosta varieties that have quite beautiful flowers. Removing these are not necessary for the health of the plant, so whether you choose to cut the flower spikes off or allow them to grow and flower is a matter of personal choice.