Currants and Gooseberries
By Sylvia Gist
Issue #155 • September/October, 2015
Currants and gooseberries all belong to the genus Ribes (pronounced "rye-bees"). There are varieties of currants and gooseberries native to Europe and North America, along with some developed...
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...
How to become a backyard beekeeper
By Sheri Jones
If you’ve been intrigued by the idea of becoming a beekeeper but think you don’t have the space, resources, or knowledge, you’re about to be pleasantly surprised. Backyard beekeeping is a lot...
The Potato Hole
By Sylvia Gist
Issue #137 • September/October, 2012
Carrots go in sand in the green pail and potatoes can be sorted by type into plastic mesh bags.
We had talked of putting in a regular root cellar,...
How to Grow Garlic
By Melissa Souza
Issue #167 • September/October, 2017
Garlic is easy and rewarding to grow. I use it throughout the year, as it is extremely easy to store. Garlic is one of the most commonly used...
Use Plastic to Get a Head Start on Corn in the Fall
By Mark and Lynn Klammer
Issue #41 • September/October, 1996
As spring approaches each year, we can hardly wait for the feel of warm earth between our fingers. And so, while most avid gardeners let Mother...
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...
Slug Zapper
By Joel Winters
Issue #142 • July/August, 2013
I live in a small clearing in a big forest. This is on the rainy side of the mountains in the Cascade foothills. Slugs are underfoot nearly year-round...
Here’s a Mighty Creative Way to Protect Your Plants from Animals
By Joy Lamb
Issue #39 • May/June, 1996
A huge brown beast stared at me as I drove through our apple orchard toward the house. I parked, walked quickly into the house, and said to my...
Growing and Using Bamboo on the Homestead
By Jereme Zimmerman
<!--
>!>!>!> Make content-2-col-left = 70% if activating this column
-->
Issue #161 • September/October, 2016
Bamboo: The very word evokes an image of groves of tall, leafy plants swaying gently through the air...
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...
Fermenting Chicken Feed
By Melissa Souza
Issue #174 • November/December, 2018
On our homestead, we eat yogurt, kombucha (fermented tea), sauerkraut, and kimchi to add probiotics to our diet. These beneficial bacteria promote good digestive health, strengthen the immune...
How to Grow Great Carrots
By Jackie Clay-Atkinson
Issue #153 • May/June, 2015
Carrots are an old-time homesteader favorite. They can be frozen, canned, dehydrated, or simply stored in a cool location.
They are nutritious, too, being a great source of beta...
Grow Open-Pollinated Tomatoes
By Jackie Clay-Atkinson
Issue #166 • July/August, 2017
Nearly all of us homesteaders grow tomatoes in our gardens. Tomatoes are hugely valuable as a homestead crop. After all, they give us a wide variety of products.
Many...
Plant Your Irish Potatoes This Fall or Winter
By Robert L. Williams
Issue #48 • November/December, 1997
My family has made a practice of planting Irish potatoes in the fall rather than in the early spring. We tried it both ways for many years...
Gardening the Year ‘Round
By Alice B. Yeager
Website Exclusive • September, 2006
Normally, we gardeners tend to make plans to begin planting our gardens during early spring. We select vegetables such as garden peas, lettuce, mustard, radishes, onions, and...































