There is more to a jar of pickles than some dill and a batch of small cucumbers. In fact, you can pickle just about everything that you grew in your summertime garden. Things like beets, green beans, and sliced peaches can all be pickled and canned, making this an easy way to store fruits and […]
Once the last autumn harvest is complete and the temperatures start dropping, you may think that your gardening work is done for the year. However, that’s not quite the case. There are plenty of things to accomplish before the snow starts flying, including the items on this handy list: 1) Clean up your garden. Removing […]
Being completely self-sufficient is an excellent goal; however, there are times when you need to accept a little outside help. Whether you had a hard time while planting your garden, simply didn’t have the room for all of the crops that you wanted to plant, or had a catastrophic crop failure due to bad soil […]
Although having a chicken coop in your backyard was banned from most large cities and their surrounding suburbs, those regulations have changed a lot in recent years. While some cities still have bans in place, others have decided to allow it as long as your yard meets certain size requirements and your neighbors do not […]
There are several different types of cheese that you can make yourself. These include Ricotta, Cottage cheese, Mascarpone, Mozzarella and Yogurt cheese, to name a few. Making your own cheese can be tricky, and takes some time to fully learn, but once you have mastered it, you will (almost) never have to purchase cheese from […]
Sometimes it can be tricky to find useful vegetables that will grow in your garden. This is especially true if you’re unfamiliar with the United States Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zones, or if you’re new to gardening. However, in order to be truly self-sufficient, you need to know what vegetables to plant and what […]
To make purchasing trees, shrubs, flowering plants and vegetables easier on people who want to overhaul their gardens or become self-sufficient, the United States Department of Agriculture (U.S.D.A.) has divided the country up into 13 hardiness zones. These zones are determined by the lowest average temperature, and are color-coded to make it easier to figure […]
In order to be truly self-sufficient, you need to grow your own staple crops. A staple crop, according to the official definition, is one that sustains health by providing important nutrients, while at the same time, makes up a large part of any diet. These crops also can be used in many different dishes, and […]
Your plants are as susceptible to the heat as you are. They can become sunburned, and the vegetables growing on their vines can become warped and unpleasant to look at (although they are still edible.) Even those that are known to thrive in hot weather can wilt slightly and stop producing as many tomatoes, peppers […]
Growing your own vegetables serves several purposes. For one, doing so makes you truly self-sufficient, especially if you are concerned about the validity of organic produce. By planting your own crops, you know exactly which pesticides and fertilizers (if any) have been used. Knowing that your vegetables have been picked at the peak of ripeness […]
I get asked all the time where I learned what I know about gardening. The truth is it’s in my blood. My family has always been a self sufficient bunch. Ever sense I can remember I’ve been around a vegetable garden. I felt inspired to write this because I visited my Grandfather’s house in Galveston,TX, […]
