How to Compost

Composting 101
A Little Art and a Little Science

Composting, in a nutshell, is turning your waste into nutrient-rich soil for use in your garden.

You can read about the subject in such depth as to make your head swim and find it to be quite overwhelming. But whether you start with a compost bin or a designated 3 foot by 3-foot area, knowing a few basic principles will help you achieve that rich, earthy-smelling soil amendment that we all want.

Sow Onion Seeds!

Give Your Onion Seedlings a Haircut!

If there's one crop that I love to grow indoors from seed, it's onions. Of course you can buy sets from your local hardware store or nursery, but there are usually only a few varieties available.

So not only do I have a larger selection of onion types to choose from if I buy the seeds online and grow them myself, but I can start them earlier indoors and give them plenty of time to grow before they get planted out.

Why You Need a Rain Barrel Now!

One only needs to read about Flint Michigan's ongoing problems related to their water system to realize that clean water may not always be available to us.

Grow The Right Potato the Right Way!

 

 Growing the Right Potato 
the Right Way!

Digging up a bed full of plump, healthy spuds is one of the many joys of growing your own food. It's always exciting to see what has grown under the earth when the wait is finally over and it's harvest time.

But if your potato harvest has been rather disappointing, the reason may be as simple as not using the correct method of growing the potato for the type of potato you're trying to growing.

Tomatoes - Determinate vs. Indeterminate

Tomatoes - Determinate or Indeterminate?

What are the basic differences between a determinate tomato plant and an indeterminate tomato plant and which one is right for your garden?  

 

Finding the Perfect Home for Your Homesteading Dreams

By Lance Cody-Valdez

Your retirement years provide a perfect opportunity to slow down, find joy, and reconnect with nature. If you have ever dreamed of starting a homesteading hobby, you can get started by searching for the right house where you can live out your goals. 

Whether you want to live off the land, practice a new craft, or just create an atmosphere for your family to visit, the ideal home is out there waiting for you. With a few tips in mind, including those shared below by The Homestead Village Blog, you will be ready to start this next step.

Know What to Look For

Real estate publications propose the idea that most buyers are more interested in the location rather than the features of the house itself. This will likely ring true for you as well since you probably need a spacious property away from urban areas to practice your homesteading hobbies comfortably.

There are, however, certain key features to prioritize depending on your personal goals. If you want to live a minimalist lifestyle, you need a fireplace for heat and a woodlot for chopping your own firewood. You also need plenty of acreage if you would like to try your hand at growing your own food or ranching, as well as a workshop for any crafts you intend to practice.

Be Prepared When Buying

Unless this is your first outing as a homebuyer, you likely know what to expect from the transaction process. Work closely with your real estate agent to ensure that you have a resource for answering any questions that may arise.

When you find the home of your dreams, one issue to remember is that you may need to act quickly to seal the deal before another interested party comes along. This might even entail buying the new house before selling your old one. If you believe that you're close to finalizing the sale on your old home, you can request an extended closing on the new transaction to give yourself a little extra breathing room.

Plan Out How to Use Your Space

Once you have moved into your ideal homestead, you will have the freedom to use the space for all manner of new hobbies. As one idea, you might try horseback riding. Raising horses is a fulfilling pastime, and riding can grant a sense of exhilaration and help you form a meaningful connection with nature. 

A few other homesteading hobbies you might try can include:


• Baking

• Beekeeping

• Gardening

• Farming

• Soapmaking

Consider Turning Your Homestead Hobby Into a Business

Creating beautiful crafts, preserving food, and raising animals are all hobbies that can be turned into successful businesses. You will need a functional business plan if you decide to make some extra money in your retirement by selling your products. Make sure to outline the goal of your new venture, your methods for selling products and services, and the funding you will need  to advertise and distribute. 

When registering, you will also need to settle on a business structure and maintain legal compliance with your state government.

Whatever vision you have for life after retirement, there is no denying that your home is an important part of it. You deserve to spend your golden years pursuing new experiences that make you feel fulfilled and independent. This does not mean that you have to shut yourself away from friends and family, though. You can enjoy a life that includes all of your loved ones by finding the perfect homestead to suit your dreams.

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More articles from Lance Cody-Valdez

Monetizing Your Homestead to Market Success

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Popular Homesteading Article List

Use Epsom Salt in the Veggie Fruit Garden

It's Organic and Economical!

Growing healthy, juicy vegetables is as much an art as it is a science. One of the most effective yet economical ways to ensure that you grow great vegetables, whether potted or in the vegetable garden, is to use Epsom Salt.

  

So what is Epsom Salt and why is it so popular among vegetable gardeners?

The main ingredient in Epsom Salt is magnesium sulfate which is an important soil additive for healthy plant life. It allows plants to take in nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen and enhances the capability of the soil. It assists in the creation of chlorophyll which is used by the plant to convert sunlight into food.

Generally, the benefits of Epsom Salt on plants are many including that it’s organic, it’s gentle on plants and it’s inexpensive!




Here are some specific ways it helps with your vegetable plants:

• Improves flower blooming.
• It enhances a plant’s green color.
• It helps plants grow bushier.
• Greatly improves a plant’s ability to produce fruit and flowers.
• Assists in seed germination and gives a stronger start to seedlings.
• It’s safe, and there is little danger of problems from overuse.
• It doesn’t build up in the soil and it won't have buildup that will clog the root cells of your plants. In fact, Epsom salt can be used for potted plants that have developed a salt accumulation.
• It's organic!
• 
  

  

Versatility in its Use!

Another big advantage of Epsom Salt is its versatility in the way it can be used. You can sprinkle Epsom Salt over a large garden area, you can use it to circle around plants or you can add a solution of Epsom Salt to a garden sprayer. 

Here are some specifics.

On a New Vegetable Garden Area

If you're just breaking ground on a new plot for a vegetable garden, just sprinkle up to one cup per 100 square feet and work it into the soil.

  

To Help with Transplant Shock

Did you know that using Epsom Salt can reduce transplant shock? Plants can become weak and wither right after transplanting, and Epsom Salt can help reduce that transplant shock to the plant roots. The solution to use for this is one cup of Epsom Salt per 100 square feet.


 

On Potted Vegetables

Epsom Salt can be safely used with all fruits, vegetables, and herbs.
Water an area with a solution of 2 tablespoons of Epsom Salt per gallon of water and apply at least one time a month for more robust fruiting.

For a Large Vegetable Garden

Fill your tank sprayer with one tablespoon of Epsom Salt per gallon of water. Use this mixture to spray your garden after the initial planting, when the plants start growing and when the vegetables begin to mature.




 

Tomatoes

Since tomatoes are prone to magnesium deficiency, Epsom Salt is a great way to keep the plants healthy later into the season when the leaves of the plant can turn yellow. You may also have noticed a decreased production as the season wanes on.

For tomatoes, it is important to use Epsom Salt at the beginning of the season and all through the season. Add one to two tablespoons of Epsom Salt before sowing seeds or planting a transplant. As the tomato plant matures, work in one tablespoon of Epsom Salt per foot of plant height around the base of the plant. An alternative is to create a spray of one tablespoon of Epsom Salt to a gallon of water and spray the plant every two weeks.


 

Peppers

Peppers, too, can benefit from using Epsom Salt the same way as tomatoes.

 

In Closing

With this many uses for Epsom Salt in the vegetable garden, you're sure to find several uses for it in yours.

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Have You Tried Winter Sowing??

If you haven't tried winter sowing, you're in for a treat.  This method is especially good for sowing herbs.  Winter sowing is basically sowing seeds in the bottom of milk jugs in the winter, setting the milk jugs outside for the winter and leaving them there until the seeds germinate in the Spring.

For our article containing detailed information about Winter Sowing, click here.

To watch our 30 minute video on how to winter sow, click here.

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