Vermicomposting, or worm farming, is a fascinating and effective method of utilizing worms to break down organic materials into nutrient-rich fertilizer. This process involves the use of a specially designed vermicomposting bin, which creates a conducive environment for the worms to thrive and reproduce.
gardening
How To Control Soil Pests and Insects
Organic gardeners have long struggled with soil pests and insects, as there is currently no organic chemical solution available to treat them. Wireworms, cutworms, and leatherjackets are particularly troublesome on newly cultivated land, as they can devour the roots of almost any plant.
How To Grow And Maintain A Drought-Resistant Garden
If you look at a map of North America, you’ll notice that there are many areas with low average rainfall, mostly in the western and southern states (as well as in many other parts of the world).
A Few Ways To Practice Climate Farming
If you are no stranger to gardening and homesteading, you already know that climate farming is a cutting-edge growing practice that uniquely combines permaculture, proven tenets of regenerative agriculture, and syntropic agroforestry.
Tips For Planting Edible Windbreaks
The North Dakota wind howled from the southeast. The driving snow hit me like a sandblaster as I trudged outside to check on the chickens in their coop. I was at the mercy of Mother Nature’s wrath, barely able to see past the tip of my nose.
How To Maintain Healthy Soil With Crop Rotation
One important rule of organic gardening states that you should rotate plant families as much as possible from one season to the next, so that related crops are not planted in the same location more than every three years or so.
The Best Staple Crops To Grow For Food Independence
To depend on your garden to feed your family, you must plant staple crops, the foods that are essential to human survival. The ideal staple crops for increasing food self-sufficiency should be easy to harvest and store, provide high yields, and be calorie-dense to give you the food energy from carbohydrates that you require each day.
How To Grow Luffa, Your Own Natural Sponges
Lufa sponges (Luffa aegyptiaca, synonym L. cylindrica) are commonly found in health-food stores, where they are sold as exfoliators and displayed alongside soaps, shampoos, and other bathing supplies. It’s common to mistake a luffa for a sea sponge, but it’s actually a gourd that you can grow and process in your own backyard.
How To Grow Almond, Macadamia Peanut, and Pecan Nuts In Your Home Garden
Growing nuts can be a long-term endeavor, but it’s not always the case. For example, you can plant, nurture, and harvest a crop of peanuts in only a few months. Some, like walnuts, take longer to become productive than others, such as almonds, which can take a few years.
How To Improve Gardening Soil With Cover Crops
Cover crops are not just for large, commercial farming operations. Even on small farms and home garden plots, this regenerative technique works wonders on the soil.
How To Manipulate Your Microclimate And Keep A Flourishing Garden
Before the pandemic, our garden center organized some courses, and since I’m an old-time gardener, I decided to attend, just to see what new things I could learn. One particular session sparked interest among the attendees, the one about microclimates and how these microclimates can influence our gardens.
Time Tested Tips For Growing Tasty Tomatoes
As a person who loves to be self-sufficient, I’m satisfied when I can provide meals from food I’ve hunted, caught, raised, or harvested. I provide many meals of fish and wild game for my family, and almost all those dishes are accompanied by vegetables I’ve grown in my garden.
How To Grow Spinach And Enjoy The Harvest All Year Long
Scientists now agree that cartoonist E.C. Segar chose spinach as Popeye’s secret weapon not because it was high in iron—as most of us thought—but because it was high in vitamin A. To be fair, spinach is higher in iron than most vegetables, although plant-based iron is not well absorbed by the body.