Articles relating to growing vegetables, herbs and medicinal plants.
Sometimes you need to find a balance between sun and shade, depending on the conditions in your backyard, as well as the crops that you are growing. However, even if you have plants that require full sun, they may be getting too much light, particularly in the summer months when the weather is very hot. […]
Salsa is a tasty sauce that works well with tortilla chips, on tacos and burritos, and in other things as well. You can even put it on burgers if you so desire. Salsa has Spanish and Mexican origins, but is made from standard vegetables that you can grow in the United States. Even though there […]
If the leaves of your plants have what look like tiny, discolored, white trails popping up on them, then you have a leaf miner infestation. Unfortunately, there are different types of these pests, so they prey on various plants – not just one or two types, like other garden nuisances do. What Exactly Are Leaf […]
If you make room for one thing in your garden besides vegetables, it should be berry bushes or plants. Whether you choose raspberries, strawberries, blueberries or blackberries is up to you – all are tasty fresh off the plant, in desserts and salads, and can be turned into jellies and jams. If you plant more […]
Garlic grows best in cold weather. It should be planted in the fall, once your standard growing season is complete and your crops have been harvested. Yes, even if you have snowy weather in the winter, you can grow your own garlic. It all depends on which variety you choose. Types of Garlic Hardneck garlic […]
Proper gardening requires more than just soil and water. You also need the right tools to do the job. The amount that you spend on them doesn’t matter as long as they fit into one of these necessary categories: Preparing Your soil needs to be the right consistency and have the best chemical makeup before […]
Square foot gardening gained popularity in the 1980s, and it’s still very useful for people who want to plant a lot of crops, but have little space in their yards for a big garden. Setting up this type of garden is fairly easy, and it makes it keeping track of your crops simple. Let’s go […]
Soil is more than a medium to grow plants in; it’s filled with living organisms like fungi and bacteria that are necessary for the health of not only the soil itself, but for that of your garden as well. In order to maintain a healthy balance of these required organisms, you need to take care […]
Fresh herbs are great to have any time of the year. You can grow them indoors, as well as outside on your patio. In fact, it’s easy to move them from one place to another so that no matter how chilly the weather, you’ll have a self-sufficient way to season your meals and infuse olive […]
Dear BeSelfSufficient, I was recently looking to purchase organic seeds for my garden, but came across some labeled “heirloom.” Another packet said “heritage.” Is there a difference? What do these labels mean? Thank you, [name redacted] Most people know what the word “organic” means, particularly when it comes to fruits and vegetables. They are grown […]
If you don’t have any space outdoors to grow potatoes, or want to keep harvesting fresh vegetables when there’s two feet of snow on the ground, planting potatoes in a bucket is a great solution. You can grow perfectly edible potatoes this way, with very little difficulty. Gather Your Supplies In order to grow potatoes […]
