Are you heading out of town for a few days and need a way to keep your plants watered? Would you like to find an economical DIY option? I have you covered! I’m going to bring you some of the easiest and most affordable DIY automatic watering systems available. I’ll also share a few of […]
The post 10 Frugal Automatic Watering Systems Your Potted Plants Will Love appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
I've been a culinary herb gardener for most of my adult life. For the past few years, though, I've been expanding beyond herbs and mastering the art of growing spices. To me, spices are a bit more challenging than herbs because you have to grow the plants longer to get a harvest. Many times, it's […]
The post Growing Poppies for Decorative Seed Pods, Spice, and Beauty appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
Do you want to create a perfect compost pile? Well, according to the USDA, the ideal carbon to nitrogen rate for optimal microbial action in a compost pile is between 20:1 and 40:1, with 24:1 being the absolute sweet spot. So, you can either build a pile and hope for the best… or, you can […]
The post Carbon to Nitrogen Compost Calculator: Create the Perfect Compost Pile appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
Greenhouse at Brooklyn school garden Imagine a school where inner-city kids spend part of their day in a garden learning to grow and cook organic foods. Sounds pretty amazing, right? Edible Schoolyard is an organization that makes that happen. In Brooklyn, they transformed this elementary school parking lot into a thriving half-acre organic farm. The […]
The post Edible Schoolyard NYC Brings Gardens To Low-Income Schools appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
Using natural fly repellents can be effective to rid your home of flies. Before we get started with the list of natural fly remedies, it’s important to note that you must identify the exact species of fly you’re dealing with before you can get rid of it. You have to know your enemy, right? The […]
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Do you live in a smaller area and assume you can’t grow much (if any) type of garden? You may not be able to grow large quantities or even larger vegetables, but you should be able to produce something. Salad tables are becoming quite the rage. They allow people to have a little garden – […]
The post 16 DIY Salad Table Ideas to Get Fresh Salad With Little Garden Space appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
Know what to look for when it comes to corn diseases. Sweet corn takes up more garden space than most crops and it’s also fairly demanding in terms of moisture and nutrients. The incomparable taste of freshly-picked corn, though, is enough to encourage gardeners to continue to grow it. Native to Central America, sweet corn […]
The post How To Prevent Common Sweet Corn Diseases appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
Harvesting Mulberries is a pretty easy task. Fruit-loving foragers unite! Just when you think you have tried all berries possible, there always seems to be one more to spark some interest. Do you remember ever singing about going “’round the mulberry bush” as a young child? Well, these berries are more than just part of […]
The post Harvesting Mulberries: Nature’s Tastiest Wild Treat appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
This hot German potato salad recipe gives a healthy twist to a classic side dish. We also give tips to help you pick the best potatoes for potato salad to maximize flavor and nutrition. 5 Tips to Pick the Best Potatoes for Potato Salad Choose waxy potatoes. Small fingering potatoes or new young potatoes hold […]
The post Easy German Potato Salad (Plus 5 Tips to Pick the Best Potatoes) appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
Starting a beautiful and productive perennial garden doesn't happen on accident. Gardeners need to plan, prepare the soil, and learn appropriate planting practices to establish that gorgeous dream garden. It's worth the effort. The best part about starting a perennial garden is that after you get it going, your plants will continue to grow each […]
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Most summer gardens are in full swing by early July; the plants are growing like crazy and the harvest is finally coming in. The days are wonderful…. and hot. While summer vegetable crops do love heat, there is only so much they can take. Understanding how heat affects you and your crops will make gardening […]
The post Summer Gardens – Dealing with High Temps in the Garden appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
A storm surge consists of the most dangerous flooding a hurricane can cause. Hurricane season has once again come to call, with people throughout the coastal states checking the National Hurricane Center’s website to know about the latest potential or next upcoming threat. Those threats are real too, with people losing their lives and billions […]
The post Dealing With Hurricanes, Floods, And Summer Storm Surges appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
When living off grid, fishing can ensure your ability to survive. Pitching camp near a body of water is one of the best ways to ensure your capacity to survive. Water is necessary for the sustenance of life. Where there is water, there is the opportunity to snag supper on a reliably regular basis. With […]
The post Reasons Why Fishing Is A Survivalists Lifehack appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
I still remember the first time I tried growing cantaloupe. I selected a dwarf type because of the shorter maturation period and my compact growing space. Since I was eager to try my hand at some kind of fruit, melon seemed like a fun choice. That summer, I managed to grow a single melon. I […]
The post Growing Cantaloupe: The Complete Guide to Plant, Care, and Harvest Cantaloupe appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
Surviving Extreme Heat In The Summer Time Can Be An Emergency Situation. I don’t know how it is where you live, but where I live, it’s over 100 degrees Fahrenheit half the days of the year. We only end up using our home’s furnace a couple of weeks in January and February and then, it’s […]
The post Surviving Extreme Heat Without Air Conditioning appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
Soil might not seem like it's that important; it’s just dirt, right? Wrong! Soil provides your plants with all of the vital nutrients, air, and water that they need to grow and thrive. Soil is like your diet – if you eat food that isn't nutritious, you won't be as healthy as you could be. […]
The post 6 Types of Soil and Which Plants Grow Best on Them appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
When someone offers to send you a whole box of freshly picked Bing cherries? You say yes. Even if canning cherries will add an extra measure of craziness in between back-to-back trips and 4-H events. And that’s exactly what happened when Northwest Cherry Growers emailed me and offer to ship me a box of cherries […]
The post Canning Cherries with Honey appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
We all want to save money on our grocery bills. Food is expensive! According to the USDA, the average family of four (2 adults and 2 children that aren’t teenagers) spends somewhere between $200 and $246 per week on groceries. That’s nearly $1000 per month just for food, and that doesn’t include eating out. If […]
The post 35 Easy Ways to Lower your Grocery Bill by 50% or More appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
We all want to save money on our grocery bills. Food is expensive! According to the USDA, the average family of four (2 adults and 2 children that aren’t teenagers) spends somewhere between $200 and $246 per week on groceries. That’s nearly $1000 per month just for food, and that doesn’t include eating out. If […]
The post 35 Easy Ways to Lower your Grocery Bill by 50% or More appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
When people think of licorice, they usually imagine the black, chewy candy you can buy in the store. I was the same until I started growing licorice, and now the plant plays such a huge part in our medicinal garden that I can't imagine being without it. The root of the licorice plant is incredibly […]
The post Growing Licorice: The Complete Guide to Plant, Care and Harvest Licorice appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
Each year I preserve peaches in a variety of ways, stashing some for us to enjoy and some to use as gifts. (I have yet to find someone who does not appreciate homemade peach jam.) In this post I'll cover the easiest way to peel peaches, as well as canning, dehydrating, freezing, peach jam and […]
The post 5 Ways to Preserve Peaches – Plus the Easiest Way to Peel Peaches appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
We are now well into the warmer months of the year, but you can still plant mid-summer vegetables from seed. When you think about planting mid-summer vegetables in the garden – especially planting from seed – you might get a mental image of those early spring plantings just as your garden is getting started for […]
The post 10 Fast Mid-Summer Vegetables You Still Can Plant From Seed appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
Are you hoping to water your garden easily, quickly, and without spending a ton of money on an irrigation system? You’ve come to the right place. I’m going to walk you through the olla irrigation system. This is an inexpensive system and can be fully DIY if that’s your cup of tea. I’ll share with […]
The post Olla Irrigation System: A Water-Wise Way to Irrigate Small Gardens appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
After trying beetroot gnocchi at a top quality restaurant close to Mount Warning in New South Wales, Australia, I was determined to try and create something similar. So here goes. Beetroot Gnocchi Recipe Yield: around 75 gnocchi Prep Time: 40 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes Print Ingredients Gnocchi 2 […]
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I'm obsessed with growing perfect tomatoes. In a good year, my plants can get enormous and be weighed down with an abundance of fruit. One of the secrets to my success is properly staking my tomatoes. If you don't stake your tomato plants the right way, you risk branches breaking or the entire plant tipping […]
The post The 5 Best Ways to Stake Tomatoes appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
About 78% of our atmosphere is made up of nitrogen. It's in the air we breathe and is necessary for plants (and humans) to survive. So how do you help your plants get all the nitrogen they need to thrive? The answer is garden soil inoculant. By inoculating your legume plants, you help to add […]
The post Garden Soil Inoculant: What It Is and Why You Need It appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
Everybody has a theory on what to do to prepare for survival should something tragic happen. People wisely prepare for natural disasters, war, economic collapse, or smaller events like power outages or money problems. No matter the reason for getting prepared, one thing is sure. Food is key to keeping your family nourished and well […]
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Just because you have little ones doesn’t mean you need to avoid raising chickens! While many people assume that raising a flock of backyard chickens if off-limits if you have kids, the opposite is actually true. Raising chickens is a great way to improve your kids’ self-esteem, autonomy, and interaction with the natural environment. However, […]
The post 13 Child-Friendly Chicken Breeds appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
Are you on the hunt for the perfect irrigation system? Choosing the right irrigation system is a big decision, and you should have all the information before making such an investment. I was searching approximately one year ago for the perfect irrigation system and found the rotor irrigation system. It has worked well for our […]
The post How Does a Rotor Sprinkler System Work and Would It Suit Your Garden? appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
Bullet selection is vital when it comes to self defense shooting Few topics can light up a range-side or gun store discussion like handgun caliber. Most every long-time handgun owner feels strongly about one caliber or another being the best. When speaking of self defense use, the term “stopping power” almost always enters the discussion. […]
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The first time I heard someone mention allelopathic plants, I thought the speaker said, “holipathic.” I'd done lots of dabbling in holipathic medicine. So, I believed for a minute, we were talking about plants that promoted good health in humans. The speaker listed sunflowers, mustard, buckwheat, and tillage radish as plants that fell into this […]
The post Allelopathic Plants: What Are They, The List, and How To (and Not To) Use Them appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
Watering your garden or lawn can be quite the chore. You might want to understand the different irrigation options, to pick the one best suited to your homestead. Once you dive into each irrigation choice and understand how you can make some options less expensive, you can lighten your load. I’m going to walk you […]
The post Spray Irrigation System: How Does It Work, Sprinkler Types, Pros, and Cons appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
If orange is the new black, then is white the new orange? It might be for pumpkins! White pumpkins used to be a rare find, but now you can see them just about anywhere in the fall. These pumpkins can be a bit more expensive to purchase from the store, but luckily, they are incredibly […]
The post Are White Pumpkins Edible and Healthy? appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
Bone meal is exactly what it sounds like: bones that have been finely ground into dust. Typically, the bones are a by-product of the beef industry. Once they're ground up, the bones undergo a sterilization process that eliminates potential bacteria and microbes and increases nutrient availability. The result is bone meal fertilizer. So why is […]
The post Bone Meal Fertilizer: What You Need to Know to Make It Work in Your Garden appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
Many countries around the world have started banning the use of plastic grocery bags. Some cities and states in the US are also either already doing it or considering doing it. We all know plastic bags are a serious environmental problem. So, this seems like a great idea in theory. Unfortunately, in some places, banning […]
The post What You Need to Know to Safely Compost Dog Poop appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
What type of sine wave inverter works best for your solar power needs? When most people think about solar panel systems, they think of the panels themselves. Those monocrystalline or polycrystalline black panels of about two feet by four feet. Solar panels themselves are ubiquitous in our society, and they can be seen on everything […]
The post The Must Have Sine Wave Inverter, The Real Secret To Solar Power appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
Does growing mushrooms at home sound like a fun endeavor? Are you considering mushroom farming for your family or to make a small profit? You may be feeling overwhelmed about where to start, but fear not. It isn't as challenging as it seems. Mushroom farming is growing in popularity because people are really starting to […]
The post A Getting Started Guide to Mushroom Farming for Beginners appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
Would you like your garden to harvest rainwater efficiently? Would you like to have a garden that is not only flood-proof, but drought-proof too, not to mention that it costs much less to irrigate? If so, then this article will introduce some techniques for making these wishes a reality. You may be surprised to hear […]
The post Rainwater Harvesting for Permacultures appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
Certain flowers can be a deterrent for bugs eating your vegetables. Gone are the days when vegetable gardens were planted in neat, perfectly measured rows that would please the toughest drill sergeant. Flowers, which don’t take well to precision planting, were relegated to their own beds. These days, organic gardeners understand that vegetables and flowers […]
The post Bugs Eating Your Vegetables? These Flowers Can Help! appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
Garlic is a staple in my kitchen. If I don’t have any on hand, it’s because I need to hit the grocery store to re-stock my cooking basics. Otherwise, I typically have multiple varieties ready to go. The first time I tasted a locally grown clove, my eyes opened up to a world of garlic […]
The post How to Know When to Harvest Garlic appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
Natural Garden Fungus Treatments I’ve been gardening for more than 40 years. I’m particularly fond of vegetable gardening, although my wife is an avid gardener with flowers and decorative plants. Both of us, though, have confronted the challenge of various forms of fungus growing on leaves, and we’re both very hesitant about any chemical sprays. […]
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Gardening brings you endless joy, wonderful meals, and beautiful flowers. But it can also be a challenge. Every garden, no matter how well maintained, comes with garden pests that want to eat your vegetables and destroy your blossoms. There are more pests out there than we could cover in one article, so we're covering the […]
The post 14 of the Worst Garden Pests and How to Control Them appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
Have you ever heard of or seen a vertical garden? If you're not familiar with the different styles of gardening, you may wonder why anyone would grow a garden vertically. Being able to grow in any situation is important. I’m going to walk you through when a vertical garden could work in your growing situation. […]
The post 2 Vertical Garden Irrigation Options to Keep Your Living Wall Flourishing appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
Keeping your garden watered effectively can be tough and time-consuming, can’t it? Whether you’re new to gardening or trying to find a better way to care for your garden, you should consider soaker hoses. They’re easy to buy and make. Plus, soaker hoses have a ton of benefits. If you’re interested in learning more about […]
The post How to Install and Use a Soaker Hose in Your Garden appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
Mosquitoes can ruin time outside and transmit disease. In this post, we’ll discuss what attracts mosquitoes, natural mosquito repellents (including mosquito spray recipes), plants that repel mosquitoes, mosquito control tips for your yard, and ways to avoid getting bit. Why bother with mosquito control? What’s the most dangerous creature on earth? Without question the answer […]
The post Natural Mosquito Repellents That Work (Plus Plants That Repel Mosquitoes) appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
A DIY daybed can be the perfect solution for any ‘space' issues you have in your home. If you need a unique space to sleep or for a guest to sleep, and you need a couch during the day in the same space, but you'd also love some extra storage space, then a daybed is […]
The post 17 Unique DIY Daybed Ideas Perfect for a Multipurpose Space appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
Are you ready to get started with worm composting? Composting is one of the best ways to reduce your trash output and create a rich soil amendment for your garden, and worm composting is a popular method that utilizes worms to recycle kitchen and food scraps. The result of worm composting is called vermicompost, and […]
The post The Ultimate Guide to DIY Worm Composting for Beginners appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
Early spring harvest… It’s almost a non-existent concept for Wyoming peeps like me. Our growing season is short. It starts late and ends early…. which means while everyone else is bragging about their first harvests of greens and radishes, I’m still looking at snow on the ground. And even when the first pictures of ruby […]
The post Chive Blossom Vinegar Recipe appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
I think watching a garden grow is one of the most satisfying things you can do. Plant a seed, and in the span of a few weeks, the once bare ground becomes covered by a dense canopy of edible leaves, fruits, and vegetables. When it's finally time for picking your plants out of the garden, […]
The post The Right Time to Harvest These 15 Vegetables in Your Garden appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
Bok choy is probably my favorite vegetable. I love cooking Asian-style dishes, but I have a tough time finding some Asian ingredients at the supermarket – so, I grow them! I first started growing bok choy when my husband and I moved into our home. My gardening efforts began with a raised bed on the […]
The post Growing Bok Choy: The Complete Guide to Plant, Care, and Harvest Bok Choy appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
Mead may be the world's oldest alcoholic beverage. Many modern versions are just for enjoyment, but we'll show you why (and how) to brew old school (naturally fermented) mead. Why naturally fermented? Beyond the unique flavor possibilities of wild ferments, they also have probiotic and potential medicinal qualities. In a world where antibiotic resistant bacteria […]
The post Mead – 5 Things You Need to Know (And a Recipe) appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
Make the most of your tomato plants I have a confession (one that I’ve made here before): I don’t start seeds indoors. If they can be sown directly, I do that. Most of my garden does get started from seeds. But I buy some seedlings, namely tomatoes and eggplants. At the garden center, of course […]
The post How To Grow 6-Inch Tomato Plants In Only 1 Week appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
Dealing with pain is something that we all have to face during our lives. When it’s a minor injury or a sore muscle, most people reach for over-the-counter drugs like acetaminophen or ibuprofen. While these drugs work, they can have adverse side effects, like nausea, weakness, sweating, diarrhea, or even liver failure. Some people can't […]
The post Ease Your Aches with These 14 Plants That Relieve Pain appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
Image: Living Big in a Tiny House When you think of downsizing and living off the grid, you might picture a cute tiny home with a couple of solar panels on the roof, a composting toilet, and a garden. But there are many more sustainable technologies available to those looking to get off the grid. […]
The post This Tiny House Is Off Grid Perfection appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
Who doesn’t love Taco Tuesdays? Tell me because I want to find them and convince them that they’re incredibly wrong in their thinking. Mexican food is delicious and usually easy to make, and every dish bursts with flavor. If you love Mexican food and gardening as much as I do, then you need to grow […]
The post How to Grow the Perfect Salsa Garden appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
Chokecherry The modern back-to-basics food movement has led many people to rediscover plants used for centuries in the past. One particularly useful plant that grows in abundance around the country is the versatile chokecherry. Due to their quick and abundant growth, along with their tart berries, chokecherries have been planted in tree rows for wind […]
The post The Chokecherry, Why The Native Americans Prized This Survival Berry. appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
America, The Greatest Nation On Earth With all of the turmoil and controversy in our nation over the last few decades, it’s easy to criticize the USA. However, it is times like these that we need to gird up our loins, fight for what we believe in, and remember that despite the many faults we […]
The post 4 Reasons America Is STILL The Greatest Nation On Earth appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
Are you trying to develop an easier way to keep your garden watered consistently without adding any extra chores to your plate? It can become confusing when you research different irrigation systems. Drip irrigation is one of the most common irrigation systems. I’m going to walk you through how drip irrigation works, the different parts […]
The post All You Need to Know About Drip Irrigation Before Deciding If It Suits You appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
Rosemary (Rosemarinus officinalis) originates from the Mediterranean region but can be successfully grown around the world given the right conditions. This perennial is fairly hardy and will reward you with aromatic leaves to use in your cuisine ranging from roast lamb to soups, poultry and casseroles. Keep cutting off small twigs – a little goes […]
The post How to Plant, Grow and Harvest Rosemary appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.
