Exotic Plants for the Homestead
By Corcceigh Green
Issue #85 • January/February, 2004
Isn't it funny how even the things we step on while walking on the lawn have value? I learned this first hand last summer as I discovered some...
Fruit Trees
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Fruit trees
By Alice B. Yeager
Photos by James O. Yeager
-->By Alice B. Yeager
Fall winds down with the ripening of a Japanese
persimmon known as the Fuyugaki variety.
Issue #104 • March/April, 2007
There's not one of us who...
The Homestead Greenhouse
By Charles Sanders
Issue #67 • January/February, 2001
For those of us living close to the land, the production of a dependable and healthful food supply is a primary objective. To that end, some consideration will...
Use Old Newspapers to Make Your Starter Pots
By Darlene Polachic
Issue #49 • January/February, 1998
Why spend money buying plant starter packs when you can make all you need from old newspapers? The added benefit of these newspaper pots is that they can...
Plant Your Trees in the Spring
By Tom Kovach
Issue #61 • January/February, 2000
Winter is a good time to plan your spring tree plantings, deciding what and where you want to plant. When spring arrives you'll be ready.
Spring is the best...
Tomatoes, the Essential Garden Crop
By Charles Sanders
Issue #123 • May/June, 2010
Tomatoes are one of the most favored of all garden crops. They originated in South America, but in the early 1500s were taken back to Italy. Today, many...
Blueberry Cash Crop
By Ed Mashburn
Issue #130 • July/August, 2011
My almost two-year-old grandson loves blueberries. Put a bowl of those round blue jewels in front of him, and he's a happy little man. He's not alone. Many...
Saving Seeds
By Jackie Clay
Issue #129 • May/June, 2011
I go through dozens of garden seed catalogs in preparation for each year's new (and better!) garden. I have a lot of "old reliable" varieties that I grow...
Time to Forget About Snail and Slug Bait
By Lyle Dykes
Issue #135 • May/June, 2012
Years ago when traveling on business, I looked out of the window of my motel one morning in Newport, Oregon, and noticed a little Chinese lady flipping over...
Want More Fruit From Less Space? Espalier Your Trees!
By Rev. J.D. Hooker
Issue #79 • January/February, 2003
After originating in the semi-arid regions of the middle east, espaliering (is-'pal-yer-ing) became a commonly employed fruit tree growing method of the Greco-Roman world. Later, during the...
Vermicomposting — Raise Worms to Consume Waste, Amend Soil, and Earn Income
By Rebekah L. Cowell
Photos by Amanda Egdorf-Sand
Issue #124 • July/August, 2010
Vermicomposting takes composting to another level using Eisenia foetida (commonly known as red wiggler, brandling, or manure worms) to break down organic matter such...
Tea for the garden
By Lisa Nourse
We have poor soil and do our best to amend it with compost and manure every year. However, we feel our plants still need a boost throughout the growing season. We like...
Herb Boxes from Fence Boards
By Maggie Larsen
Issue #86 • March/April, 2004
During a binge of spring cleaning, I ventured outside and began to renovate the exterior of my home, a 47-foot trailer in a mobile home park. While waiting...
Growing and Using Peppers
By Jackie Clay-Atkinson
Issue #164 • March/April, 2017
I’ve been growing peppers for more than 50 years now and can’t imagine a garden without them. There are so many different varieties that no matter where you...
Build a Composter
By Charles Sanders
Issue #170 • March/April, 2018
As with most of the other facets of homesteading, composting can be as simple or as elaborate as you wish to make it. One of the easiest ways...
Leafy Green Vegetables — The Underrated Heroes of the Garden
By Jackie Clay
Issue #104 • March/April, 2007
When you mention "garden," everybody immediately thinks of sweet corn, green beans, and tomatoes, with a few peppers and cucumbers thrown in. But a whole lot of folks,...































