It is always a very exciting day when my tomato plants can finally go into the ground! I start all the seeds indoors. We grow mainly heirloom tomato varieties. Here, we share a comprehensive guide to transplanting tomato plants into the ground. When to plant tomatoes in the ground Tomatoes ...
Essential Tips for Growing Ripe Tomatoes in Cooler Climates
Nothing says summer like a freshly picked, ripe tomato from the vine. However, in a cold climate and short growing season, it does not happen very often, if at all. Most tomato growers around here pick green tomatoes in the fall and after ripen them indoors. Our summer seems to be just too short and ...
Embracing Community: The Heart of Homesteading
Homesteading is not a one-person endeavor. There are more blessings and projects than any individual can manage. Embracing community is at the heart of homesteading. Even with our small urban homestead on a standard town lot, we produce more than we can preserve or consume. Typically, there are more ...
Building a Free Geodesic Dome Greenhouse
With the rising cost of living, it is becoming increasingly important to grow your own food. In cold climates, a greenhouse is almost essential. However, under such conditions, it's crucial to have a sturdy greenhouse rather than a cheap, flimsy one. In this blog article, we will explore the ...
How to transplant seedlings into the garden
This blog article was inspired by a question from a reader who asked: Do you have some information about the best way to transplant seedlings to the garden? Especially cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, celery, and lettuce. We love reader questions and try to answer them as well as we can. And ...
Hardening off Seedlings the Easy Way
Hardening off seedlings that you started indoors the easy ways is different from the traditional method where you bring plants out on a nice and sunny day for 2 hours, then bring them back in, repeat that the next day for 4 hours and bring them in again. Adding a couple of hours each day, it takes 7 ...
Planting Seeds and Seedlings into a Bottomless Pot
This blog article started as a simple way to grow cucumbers, with 3 significant advantages over the traditional method—planting pickling cucumber seedlings in a bottomless pot. However, we soon learned that this simple method has much greater potential and is useful for a variety of ...
Tips for Successfully Planting a Greenhouse Garden
Planting a greenhouse garden can be a fun and rewarding experience. Whether you're a seasoned gardener or just starting out, it's helpful to have a plan in place to ensure a successful growing season. Here are some tips and ideas to help you get started planning and planting your greenhouse ...
Northern Vegetable Garden Planting Schedule
When to plant what in a vegetable garden? This is an important question. The Northern Vegetable Garden Planting Schedule answers this question in a nontraditional way. The general rule for planting dates in our area seems to be very simple: plant everything on the long weekend in May. This has to ...
Cold Spring Challenge in the Garden
Living in a cold climate, cold is a constant challenge in the garden. We share many methods about how our garden survives blizzards and how we protect plants from frost. In this blog article, we want to particularly address the cold spring challenge in the garden. If you prefer listening to ...
