Ticks are often a challenging problem to control, even in backyard areas. But when you have acres of property, dealing with these blood-sucking bugs without affecting the area’s entire ecosystem can be challenging. Besides being painful, being bitten by even one deer tick can be dangerous if it is infected with Lyme disease. While you…
Beet, or beetroot, is packed with nutritional and health benefits, but some people still choose to avoid this powerful superfood because of its dirt-like taste. Why do beets taste like dirt? Is it normal? Beets taste like dirt due to microbes in the soil that produce an organic compound called geosmin. Geosmin is also found…
I’m sure you’ve probably heard of neem tree oil and its excellent uses in the garden. It’s famous for eliminating powdery mildew. But neem oil has so many more benefits. And we all know how difficult it can be to find an excellent organic fertilizer that causes no harm when sprayed on both the plants…
Completing a hügelkultur bed is a huge undertaking and should be something you are proud of. As you want people to see your new creation, you want it to look pretty and be functional. So what are some plants you can plant in your hügelkultur beds? If you want to plant biennials, go for Black-eyed…
Ruth Imogen Stout was an American author recognized for her “No-Work” gardening books and techniques. She inspired many gardeners to exercise better gardening practices and defy the typical orthodox methods of gardening. Her vegetable gardening methods are compared to what is known as permaculture today. It has taken decades for Ruth's work to gain recognition,…
There are many great seed companies you can use to get organic seeds for your garden. Here are a few of the companies that have risen to the top of my list over the years and the reasons why. First, What Makes A Good Seed Company For Organic Gardening? Recognizes The Importance Of Organic and…
If you have leafy green vegetables or flowers in your garden, you probably have noticed a white powdery substance on your plants’ leaves, stems, or fruits during the warm seasons of the year. That’s powdery mildew. It may look terrible aesthetically and can spread very fast, but it’s nothing to worry about. It’s controllable and…
You’ve probably heard about rosemary from cooking shows or for its healing properties. What people don’t hear about is its other numerous uses. Did you know it can be used as a measure of pest control? What about in hair products? In this article, I’ll show you how and why you should grow rosemary at…
We love hazelnuts because, aside from being the key ingredient in Nutella, they are multipurpose. As a permaculture homesteader, planting the hazelnut is not just great for your food forest; it also has so many practical and commercial purposes. What Does The Hazelnut Tree/Bush Look Like? Without pruning, hazelnuts are bushes that can grow very…
Nature despises bare soil in your garden and it will work to cover it with something if you don't (usually weeds you don't want there). Mulch it a great option to cover that bare soil and has many benefits, but what kind of mulch should you use. The Benefits Of Using Mulch In A Vegetable…
Permaculture homesteads and gardens offer numerous methods for cultivating edible and ornamental plants. Among these, the espalier technique stands out as a unique method for training plants to grow in specific patterns along vertical or horizontal planes. This age-old practice not only enhances garden aesthetics but also maximizes space and productivity. In this post, we'll…
When I hear about stinging nettle, I think about the love-hate relationship I have with that plant. In its natural habitat, you have to be very careful to avoid the stings. Once you've managed to harvest it, you can make a vegetable dish out of it or consume it for its health benefits. For a…
Yarrow is among the best herbs to grow in your garden. It has several advantageous properties, such as its medicinal and dye properties, among others. In a food forest, planting yarrow would definitely maximize the production of not just fruits but herbs. In this article, I will discuss how to plant yarrow and why you…
The reward of gardening rhubarb, the harvest, is the best part of growing it. Its fleshy stalks work wonders in meals, salads, and desserts. However, if you value the space in your garden or food forest and want to get the most from it, then rhubarb shouldn't be the only plant there. The only problem…
Growing onions are easy, you go to your local farm supply store or get online and purchase your onion sets or bulbs and plant them in your garden. But what if you want to be more self-sufficient and sustainable as a permaculture homestead? You can grow your onions from seeds you harvest from the previous…
Cabbage worms can wreak havoc on many types of plants, including brassicas. If you’re trying to grow a beautiful garden and it’s covered with larvae, eggs, worms, and moths, you’ll have a difficult time getting anything edible out of it. The good news is there are many ways to keep them from coming back next…
What if there was a way that you could grow your own sweetener that could be used as a sugar substitute in many ways without the negative impacts of sugar. I think that would be some important information to have. Guess What? You Can! The plant is called Stevia. What Is Stevia? Stevia is a…
There are many techniques you can use to grow plants and vegetables successfully, and your chosen method will mostly depend on the space you have available for your garden and the conditions you're growing in. So how does hügelkultur work, and is it the right gardening choice for you? Hügelkultur is a permaculture method of…
One of my favorite authors of all time is Wendell Berry. Over the years I have received great encouragement and inspiration from this author for many endeavors, particularly when it comes to homesteading and permaculture. Who Is Wendell Berry? Wendell Berry was born on August 5, 1934 in New Castle Kentucky. His father was a…
One of the best ways to keep an abundance of fresh food on the table throughout the growing season is by practicing "Cut and Come Again" harvesting, but what is it and how do you do it? What Is "Cut and Come Again Harvesting"? Cut and come harvesting again is a vegetable harvesting technique that…
