Garden

Gardening, no matter how you tackle it, is always hard work. But every seasoned gardener knows that it can get a lot harder when you’ve got to combat the seemingly countless pests and diseases that want to rob you of your harvest. Slugs, bugs, bacteria, viruses, fungi, nematodes, mammals, and more: all are waiting to … Read more

Starting seeds indoors is always a good way to get a jump on the growing season and ensure that your plants will be healthy, hardy, and vigorous. How you start your seeds is a matter of preference, but lots of gardeners recommend using egg cartons for the purpose. Just as many warn against
it! So … Read more

Corn is the most ubiquitous grain eaten in the United States. Corn, or one of its derivative products, is in literally everything you can think of. For those of us living in farm country, there are literal oceans of the stuff growing everywhere. It might seem strange to grow your own corn in your garden … Read more

Have you stopped to think about what your garden plants need, the very first thing you think of is probably water. The next thing you think of is probably sunlight, and that’s what good reason. All plants, no matter what kind, need sunlight in order to photosynthesize and produce energy. But where many gardeners go … Read more

Gardening is a great way to save money on your grocery bill and also enjoy beautiful flowers and greenery throughout the year. As rewarding as it is, it’s also a lot of work: year in and year out you’ll be planting, caring for, pruning, and harvesting. The worst is when, through no fault of your … Read more

It’s funny how the littlest things can turn into huge problems. Take flies, for instance: even a single fly buzzing around in your home can be a huge annoyance, but clouds of them will spread disease, hurt your animals, and make life intolerable. If you are like me, you probably reach for the usual solutions: … Read more

Raised beds are one of the most versatile ways you can set up your garden, or a great addition to a traditional in-ground garden. The beds make it easier to care for your plants, save your back, and can be downright attractive when done properly. Also, raised beds are easy to build yourself. Easy to … Read more

No matter where you live, no matter what you are growing, if you are a gardener, you know the pain and aggravation that comes with having weeds getting in the way… These parasitic and pesky plants come in all kinds of different species, but they all compete with your fruits, veggies, and ornamentals for nutrition, … Read more

Raised beds are a great way to make gardening just a little bit easier. With them, you won’t have to work right at soil level, and you can typically get better control over feeding, watering, and keeping out pests. I love them myself, and it’s hard to go back to in-ground gardening after! But planting … Read more

There’s one thing that’s always at a premium in any garden, and that is space. Whatever it is you are growing, your plants all need a certain amount of room, and when you choose to grow one or the other you can’t put something else in its place. That’s just the way things work. But, … Read more

A couple of years after I started gardening, a friend and mentor finally got me turned on to the idea of using raised beds instead of traditional in-ground methods. Boy, what a revolution that was! Suddenly, it became easier for me to get up close and personal with my plants, my back wasn’t aching, and … Read more

If you’re low on space, don’t have land of your own, or just want flexibility when taking care of your plants, container gardening is where it’s at. You can move things around to reorganize, protect your plantings from harsh weather, and even garden in your own home or greenhouse through the winter. But growing some … Read more

If you care for your own garden, you already know that giving your plants what they need to thrive is mostly a matter of adding the right stuff to the soil. Fertilizers, soil amendments, and more will increase available nutrients, improve soil texture, and keep harmful pests away from your plants. The downside is that … Read more

If you are a gardener, compost will quickly become your best friend. It can help fertilize your plants, dramatically improve soil structure, and generally just make your garden thrive. It’s also one of the most economical ways to get your plants the nutrients they need if you stay on top of adding to it on … Read more

We’ve talked about it a lot here on New Life on a Homestead: compost is one of the very best things you can possibly use in your garden, your raised beds, your containers, and anywhere else you happen to be planting. All-natural and packed with nutrients that plants need, it’s easy and cheap to make … Read more

Whether you have a bountiful garden, productive raised beds, or beautiful landscaping, you’re going to have to weed them. No matter how hard you try, weeds are just a fact of life and an annoying chore. But what is a weed? It just means an unwanted plant, right? Yes, that’s what it means, but that’s … Read more