Homesteading Handbook : AComplete Homesteading Guide toSelf Sufficiency and SustainableLiving (Homesteading for Beginners,Homesteading Guide, How toHomestead,HomesteadingSkills)

RichardForeman

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RichardForeman

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TableofContentsIntroduction

UnderstandingHomesteadingWhyHomesteadingisagooddecisionUrbanHomesteadingVs.RuralHomesteadingHomesteadingandPermacultureHomesteading-Asocial,economicandlifestylechoice

StartingyourOwnGarden

GardeningforSelfSufficiencySelectingthelocationOptimumAmountofSunlightCollectingrainwaterforWateringplantsMakingyourownBackyardCompostMulchinginyourGardenSoilTypes,TestingandPreparation

TypesofHomesteadGardening

RooftopGardeningBackyardGardeningSquareFootGardeningContainerGardeningVerticalGardeningRaised-bedGardeningTrellisGardening

ChoosingPlantsforHomesteading

DecidingWhattoPlantPlanningwhentoplantArrangingCropsDealingwithweedsandpests

Livestock:HomesteadingLifestyle

MakingyourOwnFood

MakeYourOwnCheeseHomemadeBreadOrganicEggsHomemadeYogurt

PreservingFood

CanningFreezingDehydratingandDryingSaltPreservation

Conclusion

IntroductionUnderstandingHomesteading

Inthisfast-pacedtechnologydrivenworld,theideaoflivinglifeataslowandrelaxing pace has started to gain popularity and acceptance. Rising inflation,overdependence on technology, shortage of resources, pesticides ridden fruitsand vegetables, and not-a-moment-to-catch-my-breath lifestyle have pushed anumberof people into looking at homesteading as a viable lifestyle.Althoughhomesteading is certainly not a new concept, the ideas and concepts of urbanhomesteading has started to gain traction with both the young and the urbanpopulation.

In the past, homesteaders spent years undertaking backbreaking tasks ofplowing, tilling andharvesting farmscarvedoutof completewilderness.Theystayed away from modern day amenities and tools. Although, present dayhomesteaders tooundertakephysicallyexhaustive tasks, theyare,nevertheless,notasgruelingastheolden-daytasks.But,letthisnotfoolyouashomesteading—presentorpast—istaxingifyoudonothavetherightaptitudetoliveyourlifewithoutanumberofso-called‘basic’amenitiesthatwetakeforgranted.

A largenumberofpeopleare attracted towardshomesteadingbecause it helpskeep unhealthy and harmful chemicals out of the food chain. Turning togardeningistheonlywaytoensurethateachandeveryoneofushasaccesstowholesomeandless-contaminatedfood.Moreover,peoplehavegonefurtherandhave ensured that chemicals do not find theirway into their personal lives aswell.Witheveryactiontheytake,homesteadersmakesurethattheydonotharmthemselves, their co-beings, the Earth and the future generations. Call it whatyoumay—greenmovement, eco conscious or going green— the basic ideathat defines homesteading is self-sufficiency and environmental responsibility.Homesteading,asdifficultandbackbreakingitmightseeminitially, is thefirststeptowardsahappier,healthierandsatisfyinglifestyle.

Urbanhomesteadingisnotanewconceptoranidea;infact,homesteadingisasoldasthemountains.Beforepeoplestartedbuyingbreadandeggsfromstores,everyone raised poultry in their backyards and baked bread at their homes.

Homesteadingisanancientconcept;however,urbanhomesteadinghasrevivedthe old techniques of self-sufficiency and adapted them to suit the urbandwellers’needs.Urbanhomesteadingisnotasingleconcept;itisacollectionofvarious techniques and practices. It includes growing vegetables and fruits,raising animals, preserving food, making bread, cheese and yogurt at home,spinningandknitting,makingcleaningproducts,using solar andwindenergy,conservingwaterandmakingfertilizersandcompost.Theoneconceptthatholdsurban and rural homesteading is the idea of providing for self, resisting thetemptation to binge consumption, consumingproductsmade at home, creatingproductsratherthanpurchasingmass-producedproductsfromstores.

If you want to live a self-sufficient life, homesteading is a must for you.Homesteading is branded by subsistence farming, home conservation offoodstuffsanditmayincertaininstancesinvolveaminorproductionofclothing,fabricsandcraftworkforhomeuseorsale.

Homesteadinggenerallymakesadistinctionfromruralcommunelivelihoodbyisolation,sociallyorphysicallyofthefarm.Theusageofthisterm,intheUnitedStatesofAmerica,dateswaybacktotheHomesteadActof1862andprobablyevenbeforethe19thcentury.

Self-sufficiencymovementsinthe20thcenturybegantousetheconcepttocityand suburban locations known as urban homesteading. It incorporates smallsustainablefarmingandhomemaking. Inhomesteading,governmentandsocialsupportcoordinationarefrequentlygivenawideberthtofavorself-relianceandkithandkindeprivation,soastomaximizeself-relianceandself-determination.

Thedegreeofautonomyhappensalongaspectrum,withalotofhomesteadersproducingfoodstuffsortradestofascinatehigh-endnicheconsumersinordertocover financial requirements. Some homesteaders turn in to this lifestylefollowing fruitful careers which make available the funding for electricity,generators,land,farmequipment,housing,solarpanelsandtaxes.

Contemporary government rules in the form of structure codes, foodwelfareprograms, zoning guidelines,minimum salary and social security for seasonallaborforce.Andtowncommitteelimitsonlandscapingandanimalcustodyhasimprovedthemarginalexpenseofhomeproductionofsustenance.

Combinedwiththelaterewardsofformingaviablefarmingsite,thisincreases

the hardship of establishing an independent homestead from the ground,particularly for those of meager income. Actual monetary savings fromimplementingahomesteadingexistenceappearmoststronglyrelatedtoinferiormaterialsubsistencestandardsandupkeepofpurchasedmeanssuchasfoodstuff,electricity,waterandfertilizerratherthandecreasecostsofexistence.

Economiesofmeasureinmodernfarmingandopportunitycostofphysicallaborinhibit home-raised food items from being a cost-effective choice. Manyhomesteadershowever,showdeepapprovalwiththeirstandardofexistenceandfeel that their way of living is healthier and better rewarding than otherconventionalformsofliving.

Below is apartial listingofhomesteadingabilities thathopefullymay inspirenew homesteaders to study. This is highly recommended for young peoplewhowanttodarefindinganewapproachtolife.Eachskillthatyouacquirewillbeastepnearertoalifeofbetterself-relianceandautonomy.

Fundamentalhomesteadingskillsconsistoflearninghowto:

Bakebread;

Butchersmalllivestocksuchaschickenandrabbits;

Caponizeachicken;

Choosealocationforavegetablegardenororchard;

Cook10basicmealsfromscratchonacookstove;

Crochet;

Cutandglazeglass;

Determineananimal’sagebyitsteeth;

Digandproperlyuseashallowwell;

Dobasicsewing;andhomecanningandfoodpreservation;

Dubachicken;

Dyeclothoryarnfromplants;

Entertainyourselfandlivewithoutelectronicmedia;

Filletandcleanafish;

Graftbabyanimalsontoafoster-mother;

Grindwheatintoflour;

Growavegetableplantandeverydaykitchenherbs;

Hagglelikeahorsetrader;

Handthreshandwinnowoats,wheatandothersmallgrains;

Hangclothesonaclothesline;

Hatchoutchicken,duckorotherpoultryeggs;

Knit;

Know the differences between trees and the unique properties of varioustypesofwood;howandwhentousehybridseeds;howandwhentoprunegrapesandfruittrees;whenwinterisover;andhealthyplantsandanimalsfromthosewhicharenothealthy;

Laybasicbrickorbuildastonewall;

Learnwhenitismoreeconomicaltobuysomethingready-madeorwhentomakeityourselfalongwithbasicplumbingandhowtosweatcopperpipesandjoints;

Lightafirebothindoorsandoutdoors;

Livewithinyourfinancialmeans;

Make hard or soft cheese; butter; sausage; paper and ink; candles; soapfromwoodashesandanimalfat;firestartersfrompineconesorcorncobs;makeanduseahotbedorcold frame;and long-termplans for the futuresuchasplanforanorchardoralivestockbreedingprogram;

Createyourownwine;

Managehumanurineandfeceswithoutplumbing;

Pasteurizemilk;

Plantatree;

Properlyuseahandsaw,measuringtape;hammer&nails,wirecuttersandscrewdriver;

Readtheweather,analmanac,themoonandthestars;

Recognizeyourownmentalandphysicalskilllimits;

Refinishfurniture;

Reloadammunition;

Safelyuseachainsaw;

Saveopenpollinatedseeds;

Putbaittrapsforunwantedverminandpredators;

Sewyourownunderwear;

Sharpenanyedgetoolsuchasachisel,knife,hoeoraxe;

Spinwool, flax or cotton into yarn or threadwith a drop spindle or on aspinningwheel;

Swap,networkandbarterwithlike-mindedpeople;

Tellthetimeofdaybythesun;

Thawoutfrozenpipeswithoutbustingthem;

Useahoe,gardenshovelorspadewithouthurtingyourback,awashtub,washboard and hand wringer; a non-electric lighting; a treadle sewingmachine;ascythe;apressurecooker;awoodstoveandhowtobankafire;electricnettingorfencing;andapressuretankgardensprayer,anawlanddobasicleatherrepair;

Weaveclothandabasket;and,

Witchforwaterwithabendmetalhangerorforkedbranch.

These skills are but a few of the original homesteading skills that a personshould possess. The focus herein is on urban homesteadingwhich refers to ahousehold that produces for consumption a significant portionof their food in

theformofvegetables,fruitsandlivestock.

Thisistypicallytolinkwiththedesireofthefamilyinthesaidhouseholdtolivein an ecologically conscious way. Urban homesteading, also called hobbyfarmingorbackyardhomesteadinghighlights:

Communitytrading;Composting;Linedryingofclothes;Growingfruits,culinaryplants,vegetablesandmedicinalplants;Homeswithgardens,notlawns;Productionandpreservationoffoodandproductsforhomeuse;Rainwaterharvestingandusage;Raisingchickens,rabbits,worms,goats,fishorbees;Self-sufficientlifestylethroughre-using,endingandrecyclingthings;andUseofalternativepowersourcesandmeansoftransport.

·Growyourownfruitsandvegetables.· Raise farmanimals for food · Usealternativesourcesofenergy—

renewableenergy· Rethinktransportationbyusingbicyclesorwalkingtowork · Makeefforts toreducewasteandalsorepurposewaste · Rainwaterharvesting · Doyourhouseworkyourself · Learntoknit,mend,dorepairsandlearnusingbasictoolsandtechniques

·Makefoodathomesuchascheese,breadandyogurt.

Live in a simple and self-sufficient manner is the main purpose of homesteading image from Flickr byRandyRobertson

WhyHomesteadingisagooddecision

Broadly defined, Home steading is a lifestyle of self-sufficiency and it ischaracterized by subsistence agriculture and it’s a household compound for asingleextendedfamily.

Someofthebenefitsthatwegetwhenwechoosehomesteadingare-

·Qualityoffoodandlife:Regardlessofthereasonshomesteadersprovidefor livinga lifeofself-sufficiency,at theendof theday,qualityof foodand quality of life is themain reasonswhy they chose thisway of life.Homemadeyogurtandeggshaveatastethatleavesyourmouthsalivatingformore.Homemadebreadissosoftandfreshthatthestore-boughtfreshseemstastelessincomparison.Goodqualityfoodhelpsusforabetterlifestyle.

·HappyandHealthyLife:Thereisanumberofhealthbenefitsassociatedwithhomesteading.Thefoodyouproduce,undoubtedly,hasanumberofhealth benefits than mass-produced foods. Eggs, bread, meat and otherhomemade foods have their nutrients intact while mass-produced fooditemstendtoloseoutonessentialnutrientsastheysitintheboxwaitingfor you in the supermarket. Moreover, your backyard chicks and goatstend to feast on a variety of healthy foods that helps them producenutrient-richfood.

·Inadditiontobeingnutrientrich,homegrownfruitsandvegetablesdonothave harmful pesticides and chemicals in them.Since homegrown foodarenotgeneticallymodifiedorartificiallyripened,theyretaintheirnaturalcolor, taste and nutrients.A number of diseases that result from factoryfarming such as E.coli, salmonella and other viruses are eliminated inhomegrownfoods.

· Thehealthbenefitsofhomesteadingarenotlimitedtofood;infact,theamountofexerciseyougetalsohelpsyouleadahealthylife.Theamountof work involved in homesteading is exceptionally beneficially to yourbody.Evenifyouare intourbanhomesteading,yougeta lotofphysicalexercisewhichisgreatforyourhealthandgeneralwell-being.

· EconomicallyBeneficial:Bakingyourownbread iswaycheaper thanbuyinga loafofbread from thenearbysupermarket.Somepeoplemighttellyouthathomesteadinginvolvesinvestinginalotoffancygadgetsandtools;however,thisiscompletelynottrue.Makingyourownsoap,bread,eggs,meatandbreadgoesalongwayinhelpingyousavealotofmoney.Infact,homesteadingalsoinvolvesvariouswaysofpreservingfooditemsinanenvironmentallyfriendlymanner.

·Youcaneasilygrowacontainergardenusingsparecontainersathomeoralsolookforsquarefootgardeningtechniques.

· EnvironmentalFriendly:Our technology-enriched lifestyle has beenconsistentlytaxingourplanet’sresourcessomuchthatweareonthevergeof exhausting a number of non-renewable resources.Most of us assumethat ifweshift from travelling incars to travelling inpublic transportorgoinginforcarpooling,youaresavingtheplanet.Itistruethatcarpoolingandtravellinginpublictransportationhelpssavegallonsofoil,weshouldalsounderstandthatitisnotenoughtohelpsavetheplanet.Transportingfruits, vegetables and other food products from the farm to our homeconsumes hundreds of gallons of oil. Homesteading and gardening canhelpsave theplanet inanumberofotherways too.Factoryfarmingandmass-manufacturingofproducts is consuminga lotof resources. In fact,thetoxinsfromthesefarmsandfactoriesarechokingournaturalwaterandsoilresources.Theyareharmingtheearth’srepairandrestorationefforts.However,thisdoesnotmeanthatyouhavetothrowupyourhandsinutterexasperationandgiveuphopeforabetterfuture.Youdon’tevenhavetorun off into a cave or give up your fancy home in the city. Urbanhomesteading helps you retain your home in the city and continue toenrichyourlifeandsavetheenvironmentaswell.

· Creating a Sense of Togetherness: The idea of self-sufficiency andtogethernessseempolesapartandcontradictory.However,therearemorerelated to each other than we assume. When you take up urbanhomesteading,youareindirectlyencouragingothersinyourcommunitytojoinhands inmaking theworldamuchbetterplace to live.Youwillbesurprisedtolearnthatanumberofpeoplewouldbemorethanwillingtohelpyou in your endeavors.Self-sufficiency is not about providingonlyforselforisolatingfromothers.Infact,urbanhomesteadingisbeingtaken

upasacommunityeffortinanumberofplaces.

· PersonallyGratifying:There isnothingmoregratifying that seeingabeautiful bunchof carrots orbaking a large loafof bread—all byyou.The sense of satisfaction and pride you get by growing your own food,raisinggoatsandchickensandmakingyourownsoapsandotherutilitiescannotbecomparedwithbuyingthemfromthesupermarket.Youachieveadeepsenseofsatisfaction,achievement,andalsodevelopapositiveandhealthyattitudetowardslife.

Oneofthelessermentionedreasonshomesteadingiscontinuingtogrowinpopularityandthe“prepper”movementhastakenholdisthatofsecurityofprivatepropertyandthelivesoffamiliesacrosstheglobe.Crimestatisticsarenotdecreasingandthenumberofhomeinvasionsisontheriseinmanylargermetropolitanareas.Identifyingthisneed,manystateshaveenactedlawsthatallowindividualstoprotectthemselvesintheirhomesusingdeadlyforcewhenwarranted.

Nowwedelveintoaverycontroversialtopic-thatofsecurityforyourhomesteadandthebestwaytoprotectthatwhichisyours.Wewillstartwithbasichomesteadsecurity-afewcommonsenseideasthatwillhopefullykeepyourpropertyandyourfamiliessafe.

·Hard-WiredLighting.Dependingupontheavailabilityofelectricityandtheabundancetherein,outdoorlightingcanactasaveryeffectivedeterrenttocrime.Criminalsliketolurkinthedark,lightsonaroundyourdomicilecreatesaproblemforthem.Outdoorlightingusedtobeexceedinglyexpensiveaswell,however,oneoftheincrediblethingsabouttechnologyisthattoday,eventhelowwattagebulbsproducealotoflight.Yourelectricityusagemaynotbeasbadasyoumaythink.

·SolarPoweredMotionLights.Theonlycostyouwillhaveisthatofpurchaseandinstallation.Motiondetectinglightingnotonlylightsup

importantareasofyourhomestead,thegivetheimpressionthatsomeoneishomeandwatching-evenifyou’renot.Onethingtonote,however,isthatuseofmotiondetectinglightingisrenderedineffectiveifit’sinstalledclosetoyourlivestockareas.Themovementofyourlivestockwillhavethelightsflickeringallnightlong.

·Locks.Anotheritemfromthe“profoundgraspoftheobviousfile”tobesure,however,asimplelockcanprotectyourhomesteadfrominvasionforthemostpart.Lockingtools,expensiveequipmentandyourhomewiththeuseofheavydutylockswill,attheveryleast,slowdownthewould-becriminalbecauserarelywillthecriminalelementcarryboltcuttersintheirglovecompartment.Thesadtruthisthatifabadguyisdeterminedtobreakintoyourhomeandstealyourproperty,thereisverylittlethatcanorwillstophimorher.Theobjectivewithlocksistoatleastfrustrateandslowthemdown.

·Firearms(homeprotection).Ascontroversialasitmaybe,thereisnothingthatwillputthefearoftheAlmightyintheheartsandmindsofcriminalsthanthesoundofapumpactionshotgunrackingashell.Itisauniversallyknownsoundthatsays,“Ifyou’rewillingtocomehere,bewillingtodieforwhatyou’regoingtosteal.”

·Shotgunscantakeabitofgettingusedtobecauseoftheaggressiverecoil.Beforeashotgunisused-asisthecasewitheveryfirearm,takeittotherangeandthrowsomeleadandfamiliarizeyourselfwiththefeel,theweightandthesoundoftheshotgun.[Note:Urbanhomesteadersmustfirstcheckwithlocalauthoritiesandlearnwhattherequirementsareforthepossessionanduseoffirearms.Everymunicipalityisdifferent,thereforeit’sbettertobesafethansorrylater.

·Predators.Coyotes,bobcats,andmountainlionscanbeconsidered“nuisanceanimals.”Inmanystates,thesenuisanceanimalsearntheirtitlebecauseofthedamagetheydotolivestock.Beforetakingdownany

predators,checkwithyourstatewildlifedepartmentandfindouttheregulationsthereinbecausetheyvarygreatlyfromstatetostate,countrytocountry.

·Ashotgun,also,isnotagoodfirearmtotakethesepredators.Ashotgunhasaveryshortrangeandisineffective.Ontheotherhand,ariflewithaninexpensivescope,chamberedwithataveryminimum.223round,willtakedownacoyote,abobcatorevenamountainlionat75yardswithease.Ofcourse,urbanhomesteadersrarelyhavetoworryaboutsuchpredators,neitherwilltheyhavelivestockroamingaroundthebackyard.

Thereare,however,non-lethalmethodsofpredatorelimination.Forexample,mostpredatorssuchasbobcatsandcoyotes,areterrifiedofhumanscent.Dragyourfreshlyusedbathtowelaroundbehindyouasyoucircletheoutsideboundariesofyourproperty.Forthetrulybraveandadventurous,humanurinehasaverydistinctscentandlastswellafterthescentbecomesundetectablebythehumanolfactorysense.

·Rememberthosesolarpoweredmotion-activatedlightswediscussedafewparagraphsago?Thosetoocanbeusedtodeterpredationtoyourlivestockifinstalledattheperimetersofyourlivestockpens.Thisisnotalong-termfix,becausemanypredatorswillgetusedtothattypeofstimuliandnotbeeffectedbyitatall.Thebestwaytousethesenon-lethalmeansistomovethemtodifferentareasfrequentlysoastochangehowthepredatorseesorsensesthedeterrent.

·Protectingyourinvestment,yourcommitmenttoself-sufficientlysadlyincludetheneedtoprotectyouandyours.Itistrulyunfortunatethattheconversationmustexistastomakingadecisiontousedeadlyforcetoprotectyouandyours.Weliveintryingtimesandasmentionedpreviously,oneofthereasonssomanypeopledesiretoliveofftheproverbialgridandbecomeself-sufficientisbecauseofthedangers

lurkingineverycorneroftheglobe.

UrbanHomesteadingVs.RuralHomesteading

Bothurbanandruralhomesteadingoffersagreatsenseofsatisfactionofdoingthings by ourselves. Growing fruits and vegetables in a backyard garden,cookingthem,buildingfurnitureandtoolsforourhomes,andalsolearningnewtechniquesofself-sufficiencyandre-learningoldand

forgottenskillsishomesteadingthesedays.Homesteadingprovidesalotofindependenceandchoices.Itprotectsusfromdebtcrisis,offersmorechoicesforpursuinghobbiesandinterests,offersgreatersecurityinthetimesofeconomicslowdownandrecession,andprotectsusfromenvironmentalhazards.

Whilehomesteading throwsupapictureof living in thecountrysidewithvast(readacres)areasoflandwaitingtobetilledand

plowed,itisnothingmorethanjustadaytimefantasy.Infact,rural

homesteadingispossibleonlyforpeoplewhohavetheluxuryoflandandtime.

Ifyouarelivinginthecity,homesteadingmightseemlikeadistant

impossibledream.Givinguponamenitieslikecellphone,internet,home

delivery,garbagepickup,electricity,gas,near-byneighborsandeasy

transportationmightseemlikeaheavytolltopay.Livinginthecountrysidemightbepeaceful,calmandmorelaid-back;however,thisisnotforeveryone.

Most manuals on homesteading will tell you that you have to give up theluxuries of the city, pack your bags and settle down on a farm to take uphomesteading.Infact,manyhomesteadingexpertsalsotalkabout

gardeningandraisingfarmanimalsonacresofland.Theabundanceand

availabilityoflandwillsoonbecomeaburdenwhenyoudon’tknowwhattodowithit.Justbecauseyoudon’thaveanacreoflandtocallyourown,don’tgiveuponhomesteading.Youcancontinuetostayself-sufficientwithurbanhomesteading.Evenwithasinglesquarefootoflandinthecityorabalconytocallyourown,youcangrowyourfavoritefruitsandvegetablesandlivea

healthylife.Ifyouhavetheluxuryoflandsomewhereinthecountryside,andarewillingtogiveupthepleasuresofthecity,youarewelcometotryruralhomesteading.However,ifspaceisaconstraintandyoudon’twanttoloseyourcitylife,youcantryurbanhomesteadingandenjoythesamebenefitsofruralliving.

HomesteadingandPermaculture

Homesteadingandpermaculture are related tooneanother; theypropagate theconcepts of self-sufficiency, care for the planet, people and returning naturalresources to theplanet. It is theconceptof sustainablemethodof agriculture.Permaculture philosophy is working with nature and not working against itsprinciples. It is the ideaof lookingat the landscapeof aplace,understand thefunctions of species and bring various pieces together to create one betterproduct.Permaculturehelps reducewaste,minimize labor and inputof energyintomakingproducts.Itisaboutbringingallthepiecesofaconcepttogethersothatmaximumbenefitsareavailedfromit.Permacultureisanextendedbranchofecologicalandenvironmentaldesign.

GardenwithPermacultureimagefromFlickrbySean

Homesteading-Asocial,economicandlifestylechoice

To completely understand the concepts of homesteading, you should firstunderstand its roots and reasons for its popularity. Back in 1862, the U.S.governmentofferednearly160acresoffreelandtopeoplewhopromisedtoliveon it successfully for years.Many families staked their claim to this land andstarted growing crops, raising animals, cultivating land, and took care of thehouseholdusinghomemadethings.

TheHomesteadActof1862wasseenasaneffortbythegovernmentofU.S.topopulatepreviouslyundesiredpartsofland.Nationsthatwereengagedinnationbuilding,startedenticingpeopletopopulateandcultivateonthesepiecesoflandand develop self-sustenancemethods. MoreHomestead actswere initiated inthe late 19th and early 20thcenturies to drive nation building and populatingspecific areas of the nation.A renewed interest in homesteading started to beseeninthe1930’sand1940’s.

CreatingyourowngardencreatesastablewayoflivingimagefromFlickrbyIanLivesey

Homesteading,inadditiontobeingasocialprocessofcreatingself-sufficiency,isaneconomicchoice toensure independenceandself-reliance.Homesteadingnot only allows you to produce food on your own, it also helps you sell yourproduce—foodandotherproducts—tootherstohelpimproveyourfinancialstatus.

Homesteading is a lifestyle choice formany, andanumberofpeoplewhoarehomesteadinghaveexpressedadeepsenseofsatisfactionandcontentmentwiththeirlifestyleandstandardofliving.Theyfeelthattheirwayoflifeisfarmorehealthy, satisfying and rewarding than the normal urban ways of life. Urban

Homesteadingisnotawatered-downversionofruralhomesteading;infact,itisafull-fledgedconceptthathasanumberofbenefits.

Livestock can be a staple of the homesteading lifestyle, providing a diversesourceofnecessarylife-givingproteinanddiversityinmealpreparationimagefromFlickrbyRyanLi

StartingyourOwnGardenGardeningforSelfSufficiency

Growing your own food is the first step in ensuring self-sufficiency. Urbanhomesteadingmakes it easier foryou togrowyourown fruits, vegetables andherbs right in your home.Homesteadgardeninghas startedgainingpopularitybecause of a number of reasons. Some grow vegetable gardens because it iseconomical,healthyandenjoyable.Thefreshandorganicfoodthatyougetfromyourvegetablegardeniscertainlyhealthythanbuyingoffthecounterinstores.

Growing foodneednotbe complicated; in fact there are anumberofways inwhichyoucangrowagardeninthecityevenwithspaceconstraints.Ifyouhaveshortageofspace,urbanhomesteadingallowsyoutogrowyourfavoritefruits,vegetablesandherbsinpots,containersandkitchengardens.

Gardenershavegrownvegetables, fruits, flowersandherbs fromancient timeswithouthavingmodernscienceandtoolstohelpthem.Itisunderstoodthatnoteveryoneisbornwithagreenthumb;however,urbanhomesteadingisallaboutgrowingfruitsandvegetablesthatyourfamilyconsumes.

Garden is a wonderful place where you can plant all your favorite fruits andvegetables and also grow your own livestock. Urban homesteading doesn’trequirelargespacesoracresoflandatyourdisposal;youcangrowyourgardeninyourbalconyorinaseriesofsmallpots.Asmallyardinthefrontorakitchengarden in theback isallyouneedfora fully-sustaininggarden.Whenyouaredesigning your own urban homestead garden, you shouldmake sure that yourememberthatgardeningisnotabout thephysical layoutonly.Thereareotherrequirements that need to be considered, such as time, water availability,availability of sunlight, participation of friends and family. These points willstartaffectingtheyieldofyourgarden.

Listingoutyourprioritieswillhelpyoudesignyourgardenbetter.Askyourselfif you want to provide for your family’s vegetable and fruits needs. Are youlooking to reduceyourdependenceon supermarketsordoyouwant to reduceyouroverallexpenditure?Ifyouarelookingtoaddnutritionandflavortoyourfood,thenurbanhomesteadgardenistherightchoiceforyou.

Alsorememberthatgrowingonebatchofvegetablessuccessfullydoesn’tmean

youcangiveupcaringandplanningthegardenanymore.

Selectingthelocation

Selecting the right location foryoururbanhomesteadinggarden isnota toughtask as long as you have your priorities set right.When you are selecting thelocationforyourgarden,youshouldfirstdecidewhetheryouaregoingtohaveanormalbackyardgardenoraverticalgarden,acontainergardenorasquarefootgarden. Each and every type of garden has specific needs and requirements.Whileselectingthelocation,youshouldtakeintoconsideration:

·Theclimaticconditions

·Thesizeofyourgarden

· The type of garden you are planning to have · The type of fruits,vegetablesandherbsyouarelookingtogrow· Theamountoffruitsandvegetablesyouneed· Availabilityofwaterandsunlight· Surrounding

structures and shade · Pest control and harvesting

Some plants needmore sunlight than otherswhile some plants tolerate shadebetterthanothersimagefromFlickrbyJosh

You should remember how each plant grows, its water needs and the time ittakestogrow.

·Firstpickaspotinyourbackyardwhereyouwantthegardentobe.Ifitisgoing tobe square footgardenor a containergarden,youcanmark thisplaceforthecontainerstobeplaced.

· Onceyouhavepickedouttheplace,thisisthetimetowaitandwatchthe

spotforatleastacoupleofdaysbeforeworkingonthespot.

· Placeapieceofwoodorcardsdemarcating thespot so thatyouknowwhereandhowbigthatpieceoflandis.

·Youshouldthenwatchthisspotthroughoutthedaytonotetheamountanddurationofsunlightitreceives.Someplantsneedfullsun,whichisatleast8 hours of direct sunlight for them to grow well.Whereas some plantstolerateagoodamountofshade.Thespotwhereyouareplanningtogrowyourgardenshouldgetatleast6hoursofdirectsunlightperday.

· Whilechoosingthelocation,youshouldalsorememberthatsunchangesitspositionandintensityoflightvariesfromseasontoseason.Youshouldmake sure your plant selection takes into consideration these changingrealities.

·Choosealocationthatdoesn’thavetalltreesorimposingstructuresaroundit.Talltressnotonlycastlongershadowsduringtheday,theyalsotendtoabsorb healthy nutrients from the earth, reducing the availability ofnutrients for your garden.Moreover, these tall trees tend to have longerrootswhichtendtointerferewithyourgarden.

· The layof the landandwater availability are equally important.Mostgardensareflat;however,incaseyouhaveaslightlysteepland,youhavetoeitherstraightenitortryusingraisedbedsforthegarden.Thereasonforthisissteeplandstendtoletthewaterflowquickly;thismakesitharderfortheplantstoabsorbessentialwaterandnutrients.

· The next step in selecting the right location is to understand the soilstructure.Ifyoualreadyhaveawonderfullysandyloamsoil,thenyoucanstartoffyourgardeningwithabang.However,ifyouareunsureofthesoiltype and structure, you should start the process of improving the soilquality.Regardlessof the typeofgardenyouaregoing tohave, the soilshould be well drained, aerated, and should retain good amount ofmoistureforlongerperiodsoftime.

Incaseyouareusinggardensoil,youneedtomodifyitbyaddingpeatorcoarsebuildersandorperlitetoimprovetheeffectivenessofthesoilimagefromFlickrbyIqbalOsman

OptimumAmountofSunlight

Sunlightisoneofthemostimportantrequirementsforthegrowthoffruitsandvegetables.Althoughthereareanumberofplantsthatrequirelesssunlightandcanalsogrowindoors,mostvegetablesrequirecertainamountofsunlighteveryday.

You should first decide the amount of sunlight your location receives beforechoosingtheplantsyouwanttogrow.Theavailabilityofsunlightwilldeterminetheplantsyougrowandtheyieldyouaregoingtoget.PlantsthatneedFullSun(morethan6hoursofdirectsunlighteveryday)aretomatoes,peppers,eggplantsandmore shouldbegrownduring the summerwhenyouare sureof receivingfullsun.Plantsthatreceivelessthan6hoursofdirectsunlightandstillsurvivetheshadearecauliflowers,spinach,beansandradishes.Theoptimumamountofsunlightyourpatchoflandreceiveswilldeterminetheplantsyoucangrow.

Ifyouwanttostartgrowingplantsthatenjoysunlight,youshouldchoosefruitsandvegetables that arenative to that area.Theseplants are accustomed to theclimaticandsoilconditionsofthatparticularlocation.Allplantsneedsunlight;someplantsneedmoresunlightwhilesomeneedless.However,mostvegetablesrequire good amount of sunlight every day. If you live in an arid area, youshould make sure that your garden patch receives good amount of shade inadditiontothesun.Toomuchsunlighthasthepotentialtokillyourplants;youshouldmake sure that your plants get enough shade too. So, toomuch or toolittlesunlightisharmfultoyourplants—trytohitthemagicmarkandyouarereadyforsomegreatharvest.

CollectingrainwaterforWateringplants

Collectingrainwater forwateringplantsandusing it forhouseholdpurposes isoneof the integral parts of urbanhomesteading.Rainwater is free; youdon’thavetopaythousandsofdollarsingettingafewhundredgallonsofwater.Itisyours andyours for free.Regardlessofwhetheryou live in adraught-strickenpartoftheworld,oryouareblessedwithenoughrainwaterforgenerations,youhavetotaketherightstepstoharvestthisimportantelement.Ifyouarelookingatself-sufficiencyasoneoftheprimarygoalsofurbanhomesteading,thenyouhavetoacceptrainwaterharvestingasoneoftheprimeandmostuseful,simple,and cheap ways of maintaining your garden.Water reservoirs and catchmentareasarefastdisappearingintheconcretewildernessofcities.

Rainwaterisfreelyavailable,easytocaptureandstoreinlargequantitiesforaprolongedperiodoftimeimagefromFlickrbyJennifer

Themain ideabehind rainwaterharvesting is tocapture the runoffwater fromroof tops, downspouts, and gutter and collect them in storage containers.Youshould make sure that you collect rainwater in large chemically-untreatedcontainerssothatyourplantswillnotabsorbtoxinsfromthecontainers,ifyouuse thewaterstored in thesecontainers towateryourplants.However,even5galloncontainerstendtofillupveryquickly,makingitnecessarythatyoulookforothersustainablemethodsofwaterharvesting.Youcantrybuildingapitofgravel,sandandpebblesthatcollectstherainwateranddivertsitintoyourwell.Thisway,youcanmaintaingroundwater levels throughout theyear.Thesand,pebblesandgravelhelpinfilteringwateroffharmfulbacteria.Rainwaterisfree

of chemicals, free from pesticides if you collect them from rooftops andbalconies; they are not treated with chlorine and other chemicals that couldaffectthegrowthofyourgarden.

Makinguseofstoredrainwatertowateryourplantsisagoodwaytoensureyougetagoodyieldeverytime.Alwaysmakeuseofspotwateringorhandwatering.You can try watering the plants, either in themorning or after sunset. Neverwateryourplantstoolateintothenights;someoftherootsandleavesofcertainplants need tobedrybefore thenight.Someplants require constantwatering;this ishelpfulwhenyouare lookingataplant that isaccustomed to rainyandmoisture-ladenclimates...

Toomuchwateringisasdangerousastoolittlewatertoyourplants.RemembertoalwaysusejustenoughwaterforyourplantsimagefromFlickrbySeanOwell

MakingyourownBackyardCompost

Homesteading is all about providing for yourself;making your own backyardcompostisalsooneofthemajorpartsofurbanhomesteading.Itiseasytomakeyour own compost using easily available garden clippings, kitchen vegetableleft-over’s, shredded paper, leaves, and a bit of soil. There are two types ofcomposting—cold composting and hot composting. Cold composting simplymeans that you collect organicmaterials in a bin, and allow them to turn intocompost over a period of one year or so. Hot composting is for the seriousgardenerinyou.

·Digaholeinyourbackyard,atleast5feetdeep.

· Tothis,keepaddingorganicmaterials—layerbylayer—suchasfreshleaves,kitchenwaste,driedleaves,paper,straw,coffeegrounds,fruitsandvegetablescraps,andeggshells.Thisshouldfillyourpitto3feet.

· Tothismixture,sprinklewatertokeepitmoist.Youhavetokeepaddingwater regularly tomaintain themoisture.Make sureyoudon’tmake themixture soggy; too much water will make your pile rot rather thancompost.

·Keepmonitoringthetemperatureofthispileeverynowandthen.

· Makesureyoukeepturningthepileusinggardenforksothatoxygenisworkedintothemixture.Youhavetostirthoroughlymakingsurethatallthelayersaremixed,andthecompostcooksfaster.

· Yourcompost isdonewhenyouaresure that it isnolongergivingoffheat,andthatitlooksdry,brownandiscrumbly.

GoodCompostmaterialsarefruitandvegetablescraps,driedleaves,greengrassandplantclippings,eggshells,coffeegrounds,choppedwoodandbarkchips,papershreds,andstraw.Therearecertainmaterials you shouldnotuse tomakecompost; theyareproducts that containmeat, grease, oil, fat,diseased plants, treated wood chips, feces of dogs and cats, dairy products and weeds image fromFlickrbyJenniferWhitetaker

MulchinginyourGarden

A large number of newbie gardeners would not know the difference betweenmulchandcompost.Mulchcouldbeanytypeoforganicmaterialthatyouspreadacrossthesurfaceofthesoiltohelpthesoilretainmoisture,keepthesoilcool,resistweed growth and improve the overall appearance of the soil.Moreover,organicmaterialshelpinkeepingthesoilhealthyastheydecomposeintoagoodlayeroffertilizer.

Organic mulch materials are bark, shredded paper, wood and bark, compost,grass clippings, leaves, straw and more. Since organic materials decomposequickly,youneedtokeepreplacingthemveryoften.However,organicmaterialstend to increase the fertility of the soil and also improve its organic content.Makesureyouknowthecontentsofyourmulchasyouwouldn’twanttospreadweedsintothesoil.

Knowingwhentomulchisveryimportantasitwillenhancethegrowthofyourplants. The best times to mulch are late-winter and early spring. When youmulch inwinter, thesoil traps themoisture fromthewetweatheranduses thesametosustainduringdrierweather.Thisway,yourplantsdon’tendupdryingvery quickly.Now, youhave towater the soil before you startmulching as itwouldbedifficulttowaterthesoilafteryouhavecovereditwithmulch.Makesureyoupickouttheweedsfromthespotsothattheydon’tendupenjoyingthebenefitsofthemulch.Spreadthemulchoverthesoiloraroundthesoilevenly—about2inchesinthick.Leavealittlegapinthespreadforthestem;andleveloffthemulchtoanevenfinish.

SoilTypes,TestingandPreparation

Therearefourdescriptivetypesofsoil:

Grainy

Sandy

Clay

Welldrained-loamy,whichistheidealsoilforgardens

Scientists,however,classifysoildependingtoits:

1.Color

Thecolorofthesoilcangiveinformationaboutunprocessedmatterinthesoil,fertility, drainage, and biotic activity. To know the color of your soil, use agarden shovel, and hallow out a shallow pit of at least four inches deep, andjudgethecolor.Youhavetodothisbeforethesuncandrythesoilwhichwouldchangeitstruecolor.

2.Compaction

Tobebeneficial,asoilhastobeabletobreatheaswhenthewaterisabletoflowthroughthesoilreasonablyfastandwithnotroubleatall.Compressedsoilsdonot permit much air to reach the root area and water, such as rainfall orirrigation, tends to merely run-off. This amplifies erosion and washes awaytopsoilandvegetation.

Anormal,freelycompressedsoilhelpstosoakupandkeepwater,releasingitintrickles, and enables the root areaof plants tobreathe.These soils are usuallymore prolific, as plants can grow readily. Dense, vastly compressed soilstypicallyhavelittleplantdevelopment,whichincreasesoverflow.

Thepercentageofinfiltrationofwaterisagreatindicatorofsoilcondition.Sandis the biggest element in the soil.When you rub it between your thumb andpointer finger, it feels coarse.This is due to it has sharp sides. Sand does notholdalotofwaterornutrients.

Siltisasoilelementwhosesizeisbetweenthatofsandandclay.Siltfeelsfineandchalky.Whenwetthetextureissmoothbutnotgluey.Clayisthetiniestsoil

element.Clayisevenwhendryandgluey,orplasticwhendrenchedinwater.Soilswithhighclaycontentareknownasheavysoils.

Claycanstoremanynutrients,andsometypescanholdabitof liquid,but thecompositionofclaydoesnotallowairandwaterflowthroughiteasily.Mostoftheliquidinaclaysoilissofirmlyboundtotheclayelementsthatplantscannotgetitfree.

3.Moisturecontent

The amount of moisture in soil differs greatly with the kind of soil, organicmaterial in thesoilandclimate. Thekindoforganisms thatcan live insoil islargely limited by the amount of liquid available as water acts as a way ofnutrienttransferandisneededforcellexistence.

Soilhumiditycanbeestimatedbymeresight,althoughthisisalittleimprecise.To be precise, soil moisture must be ascertained by a soils laboratory. Soilslaboratoriesgenerallydryasampleonahotplateandcomparetheheavinessofthesoilpriortodryingtotheheavinessafterdrying.

Themoisture substance is reported as percentagemoisture on the basis of itsweight. Many irrigation system producers have established soil humidityindicators thatmaybeused to regulate irrigationwithmoreprecision,makingthesystemoninlocationswheremorewaterisrequiredandthensolelyfortheminimumperiodnecessarytogetthesoilhumiditybacktoitsdesiredamount.

4.Organiccontent

The organic substance of soil greatly affects the animal, plant andmicroorganisminhabitants in thatsoil.Decomposingnaturalmaterialgives themuch needed nutrients to soil populace. With no fresh inclusions of organicsubstancesfromtimeto time, thesoilbecomes lacking incertainnutrientsandsoilinhabitantsdecrease.

Theamountofnaturalmaterialcanbeascertainedbyignition.Organicmatterconsists of carbon compounds, which when warm up to a high degree oftemperaturearechangedtocarbondioxideandliquid.Intheignitionprocedure,a dry hard sample is warmed up to a high level of temperature. The organicsubstanceinthesoilisreleasedasgases.Thisendsinachangeinweightwhichpermitsforcalculationofthenaturalcontentofthesampletested.

5. pH

Majorityof thepeople think thatwater fromrainhasapHof7, so it really isquiteshockingwhentheyfindoutthatunpollutedrainwaterhasanormalpHofabout6-6.5,whichisalittlebitacidic.Thisisbecauseliquefiedcarbondioxidefrom the air, which changes with water to create a dilute acid, so much likecarbondioxideinsoda.

ItisnosurprisethatmanyplantsgrowatbestaroundsoilhavingthesamepH.You can ascertain the pH of the soil quite easily with the use of a universalpointersolutionorapHpaperwhichareavailableatmanyhardwareshopsinthepoolmaterialsdepartment. Pleaserememberthatcertainplants,likeredcedar,rhododendron, firs, camellias, pines, azaleas, spruce, blueberries and ferns,thriveonsoilthatiswithanacidicpHof5.0.

Other plants, like beech, sagebrush, mock orange and asparagus, can live onsoilswithapH8.0.HigherthanapH8.5,theearthissolimyforthemajorityofplants;however,ifthesoilpHisbelow3.5,itwillbetooharsh.YoushouldalsoconsiderthateachlevelofsoilmayhaveunlikepH,whichsignifiesthatpHcandifferwithinthesoil,thoughthevarianceisusuallynottoowideranged.

6. SoilProfile

Ifyoutrulywanttogainknowledgeaboutyoursoil,thebestmethodistostartinobtaininga cross-sectionof themany layers.This canbedoneeasilywith theuseofasoilcoretool,whichisalittlemorethananemptytube2to4feetlongwithaholderandcrosspiece,likeashovel,toaidinpushingitin.

Assoonasthetoolhasbeeninjectedintothesoil,itshouldbetwistedtoloosenthesoilandthentakenout.Thesoilcorespecimencanbeeasilyscrutinizedtoidentifythemanyhorizontallayersinthesoil,thesumofwhichiscalledasoilprofile.Toknowasoilhorizon,youmerelymarkwherethesoilvariesincolorand/oroverallappearance.

Majority of soils have threemost important horizons consisting of the parentmaterial,topsoilandsubsoil.Subjecttowhereyoutookthesample,thetopzonemayconsistofactivelydevelopinganddeadplantsremnants.Thetopmostsoilistypically of a darker hue and usually has many roots, organic matter, higherbiologicalactivityandusuallylessinnutrientsthanthelayersbeneath.

Thefirstinchoftopsoilmaybelighterinhueasquiteanumberofthenutrientsmay have been filtered out by water and natural material may have beenincompletelyoxidizedbyheatandsunlight.Thesoilimmediatelybelowthefirst

inchisgenerallysomewhatdarker,hasmoderatenaturalmatters,manyrootsandgivesmostofthenutrientsfortheplants.

Thenextimportantlayeristhesubsoil.Thisistypicallyafootortwobelowtheexternalfaceandissetapartbyalightershadewithmuchlesserbutlargerroots.Thesubsurfaceleveltypicallyhaslessclayascomparedtothetopsoil.Thethirdlevel, generallynotobservable, is theparent substance.This consistsof loose,slightlywornrockysubstancesfromwhichsoilcomesintobeing.Itissetapartbyrestrictedbiologicalactivityandfewroots.

7. SoilStructure

Thistellsinwhatwaythesoilinfluencetheflowofair,waterandrootdiffusioninto the soil. The geometric silhouettes of the soil ascertain how it is placedtogether.Soilstructuredescriptivecategoriesare:

Blocks—Thismeansthatthechunksofsoilarehuge,withthesamefrequencyofcracksgoingverticalandhorizontal;

Columns -Thechunksof soil andconnectedcracksaremostly longer in theuprightdirectionthaninthehorizontal;

Granular -Thechunksof soilarenotbig,with thesamefrequencyofcracksgoingbothhorizontallyandvertically;and

Plate-like -Thechunksofsoilandconnectedcracksaremostly longer in theflatdirectionthanintheupright.

8. SoilTemperature

Theheatinthesoilhasasignificantpartinhelpingtoknowhowfastorslowistherateofplantdevelopment,andifaplantwillevenlive.Theheatinyoursoilchangesextremelywithdepth.

9. SoilTexture

Soil covered with dust absorbs at least two inches of water per hour. It isextremely porous,with huge spaces among soil particles. A small amount ofwateriskeptandthesandysoildriesoutfast.Loamsoilsoaksupfromafourthofaninchto2inchesperhour.

Loamis loose,absorbentandkeepswaterverywell. On theotherhand,claysoilsoaksuplessthanafourthofaninchofwaterperhour.Claysoilisthickwith few air holes between particles and containswater extremely tightly that

onlyalittlewaterisaccessibletoplants.

Oftheninelisted,threefactorsaremoresignificantthantheothers.Theseareorganiccontent,pHandtexture.

Choosing theright typeofsoildependsonwhat typeofplantdoyouprefer tocultivateimagefromFlickrbyHarvestGarden

TypesofHomesteadGardeningThedifferentkindsofgardeningare:

1. Squarefootgardening

2.Rooftopgardening

3.Containergardening

4.VerticalGardening

5.Backyardgardening

6.Raisebedgardening7.Trellisgardening8. CompaniongardeningYoumayalsouseacombinationofthesetypesof

gardening asmay be needed, based on the kind of plant you choose togrow and the position of your garden space in consideration of otherfactorssuchassunlight,waterandwind.Letustakeacloserlookoneachtypeofgardeningandtheiruniquefeatures:

RooftopGardening

Land is becoming scarcer, especially for gardening purposes. Urbanhomesteaders are finding it difficult to grow a garden because of the lack ofsuitable land for gardening purposes. Rooftop gardening is one of the bestalternativesforurbangardenerswhowanttoenjoytheinnumerablebenefitsofagarden even when there is no sufficient land available for them. Rooftopgardening is especiallyhelpful inurbanenvironments andcitieswheregroundspaceforgardenishardtocomeby.

Rooftopgardenisaman-madegardenspace,mostlyonthetop-mostlevelofabuildingimagefromFlickrbyJeanneSuliver

Thispieceofgreenlandcanbeusedtoproducefruitsandvegetablesorsimplyasaplayarea—orevenfordecorativepurposes.Althoughnoteveryroof topcan be converted into a full-fledged garden, you can make use of the emptyspacetogrowanumberoffruitsandvegetables.Youcanmakeuseoftheentirerooftop to make a garden or plant a number of fruits, vegetables, herbs andflowersincontainersandpotstobeplacedontheroofsorbalconies.

Some rooftop gardens do not require excessivemaintenance or upkeep.Theserooftopsworkasasimpleroofingmaterial,andarenotintendedforheavyfootfalls.However, therearerooftopgardensthatneedheavyupkeep, landscaping,andreinforcementtowithstandtheweightofthegarden.

· Beforeyoustartplanting the roof, first inspect the roofandmakesure

government and environmental regulations allow constructing a rooftopgarden.

·Findoutiftheroofcanwithstandtheweightofthegarden;ifitcan’t,thenprovideproperreinforcementstostrengthenit.

·Ifyouareunsureofit,consultastructuralengineertohelpyouout.

·Chooseadesignthattakesintoconsiderationsunlight,wateringneeds,theplantsandmaintenance.

· Rememberyoucan’tgroweveryplantonyourroot;sochoosetheplantswiselyafterclearlyunderstandingitsnatureandgrowthcapabilities.

· Youcanalsouseanumberofpots,containersandplanters tohelpyoubuildagoodgardenontheroof.

· Considerwindbreakers tomakeyourgarden less susceptible togettingblownawaybecauseofthewind.

·Alsoconsiderwateringmethodsyouaregoingtouse.

·Theplantsyoucangrowonyourrooftopare‘BlueStar’juniper,lavender,daylilies, maiden grass, carrots, greens, lemon-pickling cucumbers, polebeans,lettuce,beats,chives,radishes,andsnappeas.

Therooftopshouldbeabletowithstandthecombinedweightof thesoil, theplants,water,andalsodealwithprecipitationimagefromFlickrbyAnneCorbell

BackyardGardening

Gardening is fast becoming one of America’s favorite pastimes, a time for the whole family to cometogetherandgetdirty!ImagefromFlickrbyJohnCornwell

Everyone dreams of a backyard garden — the perfect place to grow fruits,vegetables, flowers and whatnot! Moreover, growing your own fruits andvegetableshassuchacharmthatitisconvertingnot-the-gardeningtypesinto—green-thumbsveryquickly.Thereisnoagelimittotakeupgardening;andyouaresuretogetenoughsunandexercisewithgardening.Oneofthebasicstepsofbackyardgardeningischoosingtherightspottoplantyourgarden.Someofthekeypointstonotewhileplantingyoururbanhomesteadinggardenare:

· Decidethegardensizebeforedecidingonwhatyouwanttoplant.Urbanhomesteading is all about doing you’re planting and harvesting byyourself, and organically. You should make sure that you have thenecessary tools and time to take care of your garden. So, if you are astarter,startsmallandslowlyincreasethesizeofthegarden.

· Choosewhatplantsyouwant togrowdependingonwhatyouwant toconsume.

· Makesureyoudon’thavetoomanylargetreesgrowingnearyourgardenspot,andalsoenvisionfuturetrees

· Remember theamountof sunlight this spotwill receive, thewindandwateringneedsofthesoil

·Plantseasonalvegetablesandfruitssothatyoucansustainthewholeyearthrough. Do not plant too much of one single plant type; always makeintervalplantingsofanyonevegetableatleastevery10daysorso.Plantsthathaveshortpeakperiodstendtogrowfaster,andthesecanbereplacedimmediately.

· It isalsogoodtogroupplantsthathavesimilarplantingconditionsandharvestdates.

· Interplant plants that have a fast growing timewith plants that growslowly.

SquareFootGardening

ThistypeofgardeninginvolvesthepracticeofarrangingandcreatinglittlebutintensivelybeddedgardensimagefromFlickrbyHansMiller

Thepracticemixesconceptsfromothernaturalgardeningstrategiesincludingasoundfocusonfertilizers,denselyrootedraisedplotsandbio-intensivefocustoasmall,plainlydefinedspace.

Thistechniqueisparticularlybestforareaswithweaksoil,newgardenersorasacquired recreation for people with disabilities. It was made famous by MelBartholomew in a 1981 Rodale Press book and succeeding PBS televisionshows.Youdonotreallyneedaparceloflandtoproducefreshveggies.

Offersaneasyway toharvesta lotofproduce inasmallandconfinedgardenspace. Square foot gardening is most beneficial for those who have spaceconstraints and restrictions. You will be able to grow a number of fruits andvegetables in confined spaces. You can easily plant as many fruits andvegetablesyoursquarefootgardencanholdatonce.

Tobeabletosuccessfullygrowasquarefootgardeninyourhouse,allyouneedisfewfeetofland,somegoodsoilmixture,seedsandalotofpatience.Equallydivide the square yard into small pieces in such a manner that they canaccommodate your favorite plants. The success of square foot gardening alsodependsonthesunlight,wind,watering,soilmixture,fertilizersandthesquarefootgardeningboxesused.

Before you start making these boxes, you should first determine the size andlocation of your garden. You can purchase built boxes but since we are intourbanhomesteading,buildingsquarefootgardeningboxesisveryimportant.Itiseasytobuildtheboxesusingbasictools.Makesureyoubuildalargesquareshapedopenbottomedbox;withpartitionsdividingthewholeboxintoanumberofsmallersquares.Now,fillinthisboxwithsoilmixtureandstartplanting.

Theadvantageofsquarefootgardeningisthatyoucanhaveapieceofgardenevenwhenyouaredealingwithspacerestrictions.YoucanbuildagardenontherooftoporonyourfrontyardimagefromFlickrbyVansDevon

ContainerGardening

A lot of vegetables growwell evenwith limited gardening space.With a little thought to picking dwarfvariations,almostanyveggiecanbeadaptedtoflourishinginapotimagefromFlickrbyArnstrough

ContainerGardeningisanotherexampleofgoodurbanhomesteadgarden.Thevery term ‘garden’manages to invoke images of lush green ground garden inmostofus.However, for thosedealingwithurban space constraints, havingapieceof land forgardening isverydifficult.However, this shouldnotputyouout of the running for growing a garden. Container gardening is one of theeasiest andcheapestways tohaveagarden.Youcangrowacontainergardenindoors,onyourrooftops,onyourfrontporch,onbalconies,windowsillsandonyoursteps.

Evenifyoupreferyourfavoritelargevariety,youmayachievethesameifyouprovideitanadequatelysizedpotwithlotsofsoilandenoughwater,itwillgrowjustthesameandrewardyouwithabountifulharvest.

Vegetables that use little areas such as lettuce, carrots, radishes or plants thatproducefruitsoveranextendedperiodoftimesuchaspeppersandtomatoesarejust right for container veggie gardens.What you can develop in a containervegetableplotislimitedmerelybythesizeoftheareaandyourimagination.

Since your veggie plants will be creating their containers abode, youwant tobegin themoffright.Ensure there isenoughareafor themtodevelopintoandpick your soil and location with care. Here are some tips for setting up yourcontainergardeningforspecificvegetables.

ChoosingContainers:

Containersforyourveggiegardenscanbe:

1. Buckets2. Bushelbaskets3. Flowerpots4. Largefoodcans5. Nurseryflats6.Oldrubbertirescutintohalves

7. Pails8. Plasticbags9. Strawberrypots10. Washtubs11. Windowplanters12.WirebasketsDrainage:

Whatever kind of box you choose for your veggie garden, it should havepuncturesatthebasetoallowdrainageofsurpluswater.

ColorMatters:

Becarefulwhenhandlingdarktintedcontainersastheytendtoabsorbwarmthwhich coulddamage the rootsof theplants. If youusedarkhuedpots, take acrackatpaintingthemalightershade.

Dimension:

Thedimensionofthecontainerissignificant.Largerveggieslikeeggplantsandtomatoes, requires the use of a five gallon container for each plant. You candevelop theseplants in twogalloncontainers,butyouwillneed to sustain theplantsextensivelywithmorewater.

SoilandFertilizer:

Youmayusetopsoilinyourcontainerveggiegarden,butpottingmixeswouldbe better.You can choose among vermiculite, peat-basedmixes or containingpeat for your potting mixes. They are relatively germ-free and pH regulated.Theyalsopermittheplantstogetsufficientwaterandair.

Combiningoneportionofcomposttotwoportionsofplantingmixwillenhancefertility.Applyingacompletenaturalfertilizeratpottingwillkeepyourveggiesfedforthewholegrowingseason.

Watering:

Pottedplantsalwaysneedmore regularwateringascompared to thatofplants

imbedded into the ground. As the season advances and plants develop, theirrootswill expand and need evenmorewater. Inadequatewaterwill cause theplantstowilt.Hence,itisbesttocheckyourpotseverydayforpossibleneedforwater.

Wind:

The wind can be a formidable hazard for any potted grown plant and tallveggies,liketomatoes,astheirtopbecomesheavywhentheybearfruits.Trytoputyourcontainersinalocationwhereyoucanmanagetheeffectsofwind.Abreezewillgiveaniceairflowandhelpprotectagainstfungalailments.

On theotherhand,apowerfulwindcanknockdownplantsandcontainers. Itcanlikewisetearleavesandmakefruitsfall.Ifyourgardenisonarooftoporraiseddeck,itisnecessarytobuildsomekindofwindblock.

Containergardeninggivesyouthefreedomofpickingupanycontainerthatyoucanfindinyourbackyardandconvertit intoafeasibleandviablepartofyourcontainergarden.Moreover,containergardengivesyouthefreedomtomovethecontainers to different locations in your house depending on the needs of theplants. Ifyouthinkyourplantsaregoing todrownin thepouringrain,allyouhavetodoismovethatparticularcontainerindoorsortoabetterlocation.

The containermaterials you choosewill determine plant growth,water needs,andsunlight.Ifyouareusingterracottaorearthencontainers,youhavetomakesure thatyoukeep theplantsmoist as thesecontainermaterials tend toabsorbmoistureveryquickly.

Containergardening isalsoveryeffectiveway todealwithbadsoil structure,seasons,andweedsimagefromFlickrbyMarselArmstrong

VerticalGardening

Noteveryoneofushasbeenblessedwithspacetogrowagarden;someofushavetomakewith justawall tocallourown.Withverticalgardening,evenawallismorethanenough.Whetheryouhavealargewallorjustasmallhingetohangapotonyourbalcony,youcanstartgrowinguprightcropseasily.Withalittle bit of creativity and lots of patience, you can make a beautiful verticalgardeninverylittlespaceimagefromFlickrbyReachr

There are various plant varieties such as pole beans and cucumbers thatproducemore than double their usual yieldwhen you grow themon the rightsizedtrellisimagefromFlickrbyJohnMueller

Youhavecropsliketomatoesthatgrowwellandbringagoodyieldonlywhenyougivethemenoughsupporttostanduprightandoffthedampground.Allyouhave to do is give your plants all the needed support, and you can enjoy awonderfulgardenimagefromFlickrbySarahPenny

Raised-bedGardening

Raisedbedgardening isa typeofgardening inwhich theearth is formed in4footor1.2metersbroadbeds,whichcanbeofanyshapeorlength.Thesoiliselevatedabovethenearbysoil,withinarangeofsixinchestowaist-highofthefarmer, is sometimes surrounded by a frame mostly made of cement blocks,woodorrockandmaybeenrichedwithfertilizer.

The vegetable plants are spread out in geometric arrangements, much nearertogether as compared to the traditional linegardening.Thepositioning is suchthat when the veggies are fully developed, their leaves only barely come incontact with each other, making a micro-climate in which unwanted plantgrowthisblockedandmoistureispreserved.

Elevatedbedsproducemanybenefits:

Theylengthentheplantingperiod.

Theycanlessenweedsifarrangedandplantedcorrectlyandreducetheuseofpoornaturalsoil.

Thesoilisloosemakingtherootsgroweasilyasthegardenercannotwalkontheelevatedbeds.

Thenearplantarrangementandtheuseoforganiccompostusuallyresultinincreasedyieldsincomparisontotraditionalrowgardeningand

Waist-highelevatedbedsmakesitpossibleforthephysicallydisabledandelders to grow veggieswithout the need to bend over to be in charge ofthem.

TrellisGardening

Trellisingveggiesandfruitsisaplantingtechniquethatmaintainsplantsoutoftheground, increasesproductionandusablearea. It alsoprotectsyourharvest,especiallytomatoes,fromdecaying.Thereareasmanytrellisingchoicesastherearekindstogrow.

Thesecretisfindingormakingthemostapplicableoneforyourrequirements.Herearesomecropsbestforthiskindofgardeningstyle:

Tomatoes

Most tomato variations benefit from a robust support. Deciding the excellentway tomaintain disorderly plants in some form of order is contingent on thetomato kind and its growth designs. Determinate tomatoes are medium-sizedplantsthatdeveloptoapermanentmaturedimensionandmaturealltheirfruitinasmallperiodoftime.

Theyarethetypewhichbenefitsfromalittleelevationoffthefloorareaintheform of cages or stakes. On the other hand, indeterminate types continue toflourishallthetime,withfruitsmaturinguntiltheplantisdamagedbyfrostorbadweather.Thesetypesdobettertrainedonatrellissystem.

Indeterminatetomatovarietiesoftengrowtoenormouspinnaclesinhotweather,thusmakingthemextremelyunmanageable.Itisonlythroughtrellisingthatthegardenercancontrolthebranches,enablethesunlighttogetdeeperintotheplantandmaintainthefruituncontaminated.

Trellisingalsoallowtheplantstobeclosethusresultingtoamoreeffectiveuseof area. Commonly raised tomato varieties include: Big Boy, Brandy-Wine,EarlyGirl,HoneyGrape,RutgersandSuperSioux.

PoleBeans

Popular varieties areScarletRunner,Black-SeededBlueLake,KentuckyBluePoleandKentuckyWonder.

Peas

SugarSnapandTallTelephonearethepreferredvarietiesonpeas.

Melons

Favored varieties include the Blenheim Orange Muskmelon, Delicious 51Muskmelon,MoonandStars,andSugarBaby.

Cucumbers

ArmenianandMarket-more76arethefavoritesinCucumbervarieties.

PumpkinsandSquash

The highly chosen varieties consist of Jack-Be-Little, Patty Pan and ZucchiniJackpotHybrid.

Theadvantagesoftrellisingarenotonlyfortomatoes.Trainingotherproducetogrow upward instead of spreading all over the garden not only maintains theproduceofftheground,butallowsyoutogrowmoreinalimitedarea.Peasandpolebeanscanoftentimesreachoversixfeethighandaregenerallytrellised.

Theirsupportcanbeasplainasateepeecreatedfromwillows,ametalcontrolpanel fastened toametalhedgeposts,oruprightsmadeofwoodwithchickencable stretched amid them. It is best to choose a system dependent on thegrowingbehaviorofyourfavoredvariety.

CompanionPlanting

Companionplatingmakeseffectiveuseofareaandattracthelpfulinsects.Manyalsoagreethatspecificplantmixhaveextraordinaryandmysteriouspowersforaiding each other flourish. Scientific research of companion planting hasconfirmed that some mix have true benefits exclusive to those combinations.Andpracticalinvolvementhasdemonstratedtoalotofgardenershowtopairoffspecificplantsfortheirmutualvalue.

Companionplantingworksbestin:

1.Assistingeachotherdevelopasseenbyhighplantsgivingshade forsun-sensitivesmallerplants;

2. Efficiently using garden area as exemplified by having two plants in onepatchwherevineplantsspreadoverthegroundwhileverticalplantsgrow;

3.Deterringpestdifficultiesastypicalofonionswardingoffsomebugswhilesomeotherplantscandrivepestsaway;and,

4.Attractinghelpfulinsectswhichusuallyarepredatorsofunwantedinsects.

Prizedplantcombinationsinclude:

1. RosesandGarlic

Gardenershavebeengrowingchiveswithrosesforeons,mainlybecausegarlicrepelsrosebugs.Garlicchivesactmerelyasrepellents,yettheirsmallwhiteorpurple flowers at the endof spring appears lovelywith flowers and foliageofroses.

2.CabbageandTomatoes

Tomatoesarerepulsivetodiamondbackmothlarvae,caterpillarsthateatthroughbigholesintheleavesofthecabbage.

3. NasturtiumsandCucumbers

The vine stems of the nasturtiums make it a great buddy to the ramblingcucumbers and squash plants. Nasturtiums are known to prevent cucumberbeetlesbutarealsoahabitatforgreedyinsectslikegroundbeetlesandspiders.

4. PeppersandPig-weedorRag-weed

Leaf-minerspreferredtheunwantedplantstosprayplantsinastudyconductedat theCoastalPlainsExperimentStation inTifton,Georgia. Justmake sure toremovetheflowersoftheweedsbeforetheyplaceseedoryouwillhavetroublemanagingtheweeds.

Organic farmersknowthatavariedcombinationofplantsresults toahealthyandlovelygardenimagefromFlickrbyJohnStreat

ChoosingPlantsforHomesteadingDecidingWhattoPlantDecidingonwhattoplantisoneofthetoughestdecisionsyouaregoingtotake;itisnoteasytoresistthetemptationofplanting justabouteverythingatonce.Mostgardenvarietiesusedbymanygreen thumbedgardenersaretheannuals;theselastoneseasonandhavetobereplacedagainnextseason.Unlessyoudonotremovethecompleteyieldandleavesometorotintheground,youwillfindafewtomatoespoppingupinstrangeplacesalloveryourgarden.Springisthebesttimetostartplanting.

Whattoplantdependsonyourrequirementsandfamily’svegetableneeds?Itisnoteasytodeterminewhatyourfamilyisgoingtoneedfortherestoftheyear.Sinceeveryfamily’sneedsaredifferentfromothers,youwillhave tostart thejourneywithatrialanderrormethod.Moreover,certainplantsthatgrowinmyneighborhoodmight not grow inyours—becauseof the sunlight availability,soilstructure,andmoisturelevelsinthesoil.Certainplantslikeartichokesandasparagustakeupalotoftimetogrowandthereareplantssuchascucumbersandmelonsthatlikelotofspacetostartgrowing.

Therearecertainplantsthatgrowveryquickly;someofthefastgrowingplantsare lettuces and green beans. Plants like green onions tolerate sun and shadeeasily.Decide theplantsdependingonyour family’sneeds, likesanddislikes,seasons, soil conditions, watering needs, sunlight requirements, and moisturecontentandoverallappearances.Youshouldconsider,

·Yourfamilyneedsforfresh,preservedandstoredfoodsupplies

·Theclimaticandwaterconditions

·Soilstructureandsoilmixture

·Diseaseresistanceofchosenplants

·Theirgrowthandmaturitydates

·Thesize,shape,colorandcompactnessoftheplants

Theusualdilemmafornewgardenerschoosingplants, thekindofplantingforeachchosenplantandtherightseasontodotheplanting.Timingiseverythingforgardening.Theadvantagesofgrowingyourownfoodstuffseemtobeofnoend.Whetheryouwishtolessenyourcarbontrail,saveexpensesatthegrocery,

havenoworriesknowingspecificallywhereyourfoodstuffisoriginatingandthemanneritwashandled,orprobablyyoufindplantingtobearelaxingpasttimeor justawaytomaximize thatpatch in thebackyard,growingproduce is timewellspent.

Whatever it is, you consequently havemore fresh vegetables, herbs and fruit,and there aremany values of that produce you harvest. Fruits and vegetablesprovideanexceptionalsupplyofminerals,antioxidants,fiber,andvitamins.Isitnot great that a lot of your grocery store mainstays can be grown in yourbackyard?

Here areusualplants that almost anyonecanplant inhisbackyard. TheMaylongweekendsaretraditionallythebesttimemostplantersreallyborrowinthegarden.Itisusuallyasymbolthatletsusdeterminethatweareinthezero-frostzone.

Tomatoes

Tomatoesneed a littlework, but there aremanybenefits of havingyourown.Nothingcandefeatthejuicyflavoroftomatoesgrownathome.Tomatoesgiveagood amount of beta-carotene and vitamin C, along with the antioxidantlycopene,which have been linkedwith enhanced bonewell-being, cholesterollevels, decreasing the danger of heart ailment and even prevents cancer. Youcan pick varieties such as the Blazer, Pixie hybrid, Roadside red, Rocket,SummersetVF,Swift,orTerrificVFN.

Carrots

Carrots can live in tiny gardens, and even floral beds, and are immune to themajority of pests and diseases. Look for breeds, such as A-plus, Anvers 126,Carobest,Karaman,Nandro,andNarova.Makesuretogrowthecarrotsinrowsafootortwoapart,withseedsimplantedabouthalfaninchdeepandaninchortwoapart.

These root veggies contain much beta-carotene, which is an antioxidant thatassistscontrolcelldamagetothebody,helpsreducethechancesofmanyhealthconditionslikecancer,stroke,andheartdisease,aswellashelpstotakecareoftheskinandimproveeyesight.

Greenleafyvegetables

Byplantingyourowngreenleafyvegetables,younoneedtoworryaboutmissedstore-bought leafy greens decomposing in the lowermost part of your fridge.Spinachandlettucegrowwell inhomeyardsbecausetheyprefershadeduringthe day. It is also one of the dozen veggies and fruits known for havingtremendouspesticidedeposits. Avoid thesebugkillers byplantingyour own,freeofchemicals.

Cucumbers

BestcucumbervarietiesforsaladsorsimplytonibbleonareSweetslice,Jazzy,andSeed-way.Formakingpickles,lookforEarlipikorCarolina.Makesuretoplantcucumbersinwetsoilwithlotsoffertilizersotheywillbecometoughandbitter.Youcanreadilymovethecontainerstoawarmerlocationifdesiredandbackintothecoolshadewhenitgetstoowarm.

Potatoes

Potatoes are a really funveggie togrow.LateFebruaryandMarch is thebesttimetoplantpotatoesinbagsthatareonlypartlyfilledwithfertilizer.Whenthegreen sprouts begin to show above the soil, just cover them with additionalcompost.Dothisagainuntilthebagisfull,andthendonotforgettowaterthem.

Thefunstartsattheendoftheseason,about20weekslater,whenthevegetationstartstochangeitscolortoyellowanddie.Tiltthebagoutandhuntaroundintheearthtogatheryourownhomegrownpotatoes.

Meanwhile,herbsgrown incontainersaremoreavailable forusagewhen theyareplaced together inagroup.Chancesareyouwillbeusing themfrequentlywhentheyarejustbythedoorofyourkitchen.Herearefivechoicesforachef'sthemegarden:

Plantingapotwithnobottomintoyourgardenisawayofmanagingmintbutmaintainingittotallyoutofthegardencanbeachievedviaaseparatecontainer.Mintisalsodeliciousandcanbeusedfrequentlyifitishandy.Havingitpinchedregularlyisthewayyoucancontrolitfromgoingtoflowerandpollinatingothermints.

Sage

Sage is another herb that just does great if properly tended. It requiresmuchpinchingand trimming tokeep it fromturningwoody too fast.Asa rule, sagewillrequiretobereplantedafteraboutthreeyearsasitwillturntowoodystemswithfewleavesregardlessofanything.

Keepingsageinapoteasilyfacilitatesthischange.Sagedriesprettywellwhichcan be prevented if you tweak the leaves all through the growing period andplace a rubber band on them to keep them unharmed after drying. By theculminationoftheseason,youwillhaveadequatebundlestomakewreathoutofyoursageherbplant.

Rosemary

Rosemarydriesexceptionallyandholdsitspowerfultasteallthroughthesnowyseason.Indoors,itkeepsdevelopinginasunnyopeningandisrarelydisturbedby insects. It can be of use for numerous herb standards. The hard stem isexcellentforcrafting.Thestemcanalsobeusedasskewers.Youmaystorethestemsinafreezerbagandusethemforskewerswhengrilling.Sincerosemarydoesnotenjoysittinginwater,itneedstodryoutbetweenwatering.

Basil

Basilisawonderfulherbtotestyourgreenthumbwith,moresoifyouresideina confined space. It is the exceptional herb for planting indoors as it likesattentionandabhors thecold.Useamedium-sizedpot forplantingbya sunlitwindowinthecookingareaandjustcutofftheleavesforpreparingfoodasyoumayneedthem.

Thyme

Thyme is an often underrated herb. Oftentimes, it gets grown and neverconsumed.Itdeservesamoreelevatedstandingonthelistofcookingherbs.Itthriveswellinacontainersetting,needingjustalittlewatering.Afewvarietiesgrowintominuteshrub-likeplantsthatenhanceadoorwayanditspetitepurplefloraisasighttobehold

Beingalowmaintenanceplant,youcanseehowgoodthymewillbesuitableinyour container planting area. Whatever variety of thyme you choose, neverforget that it turnswoodyaftera fewyears.Planting it inacontainermakes itworry-freetoreplacewhenrequired.

Planningwhentoplant

Whentoplantisanimportantquestioneverygardenershouldanswer.Ifyouliveaplace that haswarm temperature, you canplant trees anytimeof theyear aslongasitisnottoohotoritisnotsummer.Summer’sheatcandryupsaplingsveryquickly.Generallyspeaking,earlyspringandlatewinterarethebesttimesoftheyeartoplant.Autumnisnotabadchoiceeither;however,summershouldbe avoided at all costs. In most cases, weather dictates your schedule andchoices.Whilesummer’sintenseheatcandryupsaplings,itisalsotruethattoolittlewaterwillchoketheirrootseasily.

However,makesurethatyoudon’tgooverboardwithwateringastoomuchwatercandrownyourplantsveryquickly.Justbecausethereisexcessivesnowinwinter,donotassumethattheplantsaregettingenoughwater.Rememberthatthemoisturefromsnowisnotenoughtoreachtherootsoftheplants.Untilandunlessthesnowstartstoquicklymeltandtheearthstartstothaw,yourplantsaregoingtodieduetolackofmoisture.

ArrangingCrops

Arranging crops is essential part of maintenance. It is important that youmaintainaproperarrangementsothatyoufinditeasiertowaterall theplants,reach out to each of the plants and maintain the area quite comfortably.Arrangingplantsinalineardirectionratherthanjustplantingthemwithoutanydistinctreasonorrhymeiscertainlynotgoodforyourplantsgrowth.Regardlessofwhetheryouareplantingusingseeds,or transplanting fromother locations,containergardeningorcompaniongardening,youhave toensure thataproperformatandarrangementisfollowed.Arranging crops properly improves the yield and also increases your

convenience levels. While trying to decide the arrangement, you shouldconsider:· The topographyof the land · Theslopeof the terrain · Existing

vegetation·Shadeandsunlight·Physicalbarriers·Soilstructureandwatermovement

Thereareanumberofadvantagesofarrangingcrops inadistinctandspecificorder. You can improve light absorption, prevents buildup of excessivehumidity, spread of water and nutrients is even, water logging is reduced,providesbetteraccessforcultivation,de-weeding,allowsofbetterinspectionofindividualplants,enhancesoverallmaintenanceandenhancesvisibilityofeachplant.

Dealingwithweedsandpests

Regardlessof the typeofgardenyouaregoing togrow,youaregoing to faceweedsandpests.Whetheryouhavealargebackyardgardenorasmallcontainergarden on your balcony, youwill be invaded byweeds and pests, at any onepointintime.Youshouldbepreparedtodealwiththesepeskyenemiesandsaveyour plants. Before you start applying over-the-counter pesticides andinsecticides,remembertotryouthomemadepestcontrolproducts.Sinceurbanhomesteading is all aboutmaking your own organic food, you can save yourplantsfrominfectionbyusingnaturalpestcontrolproductsusingitemsavailableinyourkitchen.Homemadeinsecticideswillhelpsaveyourgarden;anditdoesn’tcauseharmfulside-effectsaswell.

You canmake this very simple pest control liquid at home.Mix together 90gramsofgarliccloves (finelychopped)with2T liquidparaffin,andallow thismixturesteepfornearly48hours.Completelydissolve15gramsofgratedsoapflakesintowarmwater.Mixthesetwosolutionstogetherandstrainit.Onepartofthismixturehastobeusedwith50partsofwater,andsprayonplants.

Best pest control for asparagus beetles, maggots and flea beetles are alsoavailableinyourkitchenandgarden.Simplysoaktwocupsofchoppedtomatoleavesinenoughwaterforatleast12hours.Carefullystainthismixtureandaddonepintofwaterand¼thteaspoonofliquidsoap.

Protectingyourplantsfrompestsandweedsthroughnaturalwaysisthecruxforall new organic gardeners. Good cultivation customs can go a long way tocontrolling theworst dangers to your garden. No garden is ever free of plantdiseaseandpests.Beetles,caterpillars,dogs,fungus,anddogsarebutafewoftheendlesslistofcausalfactorsindamaginggardens.

Fortunately,youcancombatthesepredatorswithasimplesolutionandnotriskyour health or burn a heavy hole in your pocket. Many a times, simply bymodifyingthemanneryougarden,youcandeterproblemsprior to theironset.Thetipslistedbelowcanbeappliedtogethertocreateaprotectivewallagainstthemostusualcrisesthatmayhappeninvegetable,fruitandflowergardens.

Manyhindrancescanbeattackedondifferentfronts,soifoneremedyfails inyour garden, use another. Foremost of all, youmust stay heedful. It ismuchstress-free toguardyourgarden ifyouactprior toorat thesoonest signsofaproblem.

1.Mechanicalbarriers

Manydestroyerscanbecontrolledbyobstructingtheirentrytoyourgarden.Themostusualsystemisaplainfence,bigenoughtorepelthepredictedinvader.Itsformmaybeanyofthefollowing:

a.Coldframes

b.Cutwormbands

c.Hedges

d.Mesh

e.Lineshields

2.Chemicalbarriers

Certaingardenersmakeuseofanimalscentedproductslikedriedbloodorurinetodiscouragepeskycreatures.Thoughnotyetbackedupbyfactualeffectivenesssupport, they areworth a try. Just bear inmind that youmayhave to reapplytheseproductsfrequentlyduringrainyweather.

3. Pickdisease-resistantplants

Manyfungusinfectionsanddiseasescandamageawidearrayofgardenplants.Leaveswithachalkyappearanceorweirdcolorationareusualsignsofdisease.Thewaytobeatdiseasesistopreventit.Avarietyofproblemsaretoughornotpossible to control the minute they get a grip on your plants. Hence, pickvarietieswhicharegenerallydisease-resistant.This is themostcriticalfactoragardenercandotocontrolallkindsofdiseasesbeforehand.Youmayscanwebsitesorcatalogsforplanttypesthatareclassifiedasdiseaseresistant.

4.Getadvicefromdependablenurseryandgardencenterworkers

5. Providespaceforplants

6.Keeptheleavesdryatalltimesotherthanwateringperiods

7.Throwoutdiseasedplants

8.Checkplantsregularlyforproblemsymptoms

9.Rotatefoodcrops

10.Testandmaintainyoursoil

11.Useinsectcontrolmethods

12. Observewastemanagement

13.Usetrapsandsprayswhicharenontoxic

14.Keepweedsatbaybyusingmulch.

CompleteOrganicFertilizerRecipe

Tomake adequate complete natural fertilizer to liberally cover an area of 100squarefeet,youmaychoosefromthefollowing:

3quartsoilseedmeal

11/2quartsfeathermeal

Themostexcellentcombinationisprobably:2quartsoilseedmeal,

1pintfeathermealand

1pintfishmealplus

Mixtureof:

1quartsoft

1quartkelpmeal

And/or1pintAzomite

Applyliquidkelpevery2weeksasafoliarthroughouttheseason.

For lime,youmaypickoneof these twochoices: Ifyourgardenused tobe aforest,add:Pintagriculturallimestone,

100(finegrind)and

Pintagriculturalgypsum;

OR

If your garden used to be a prairie grass or a desert, add 1 quart agriculturalgypsum.

You may consider the following last four items optional: 1 teaspoon laundryboraxorasmallerquantityofSolubor(1/2gramactualboron)

11/2teaspoonszincsulfate

2teaspoonsmanganesesulfate

1teaspooncoppersulfate

When all ingredients are in the bucket, mix them very thoroughly beforespreading.Youmayuseeitherofthetwomixingmethods:

Slowly pour the materials from one bucket to the next and then back again.Repeatthisaboutsixtimes;

OR

Stirthecontentsbyhand.Thefirstmethodworksthebest,butcanstirupabitofdustandisbestdoneoutdoors.

Livestock:HomesteadingLifestyleLivestockcanbeagreatdealofworkandcareforthelivestockwillbecrucialindeterminingnutritious foodor fodder for familypets. The typeofanimalyouchooseshouldbebasedonyourabilitytocarefortheanimal,tobeabletobreedthe animal in a safe environment and will be the gold standard for yourcommitmenttohomesteading.

Urban livestock isgoing tobea significantproblem. Mostcitieshavezoningordinances that prohibits any type of livestock whatsoever. Check with yourlocalgovernmenttoidentifytheparameters.

Someof themore“lowmaintenance”animals (mindyou, “lowmaintenance”doesnotmean“nomaintenance”) foryourhomesteadcan include,butarenotlimitedto:

1.Rabbits.Containmentforrabbitscanbecumbersome,particularlyinregionswherepredatorywildlifeinhabit. Oncethecontainmentand“coop”ofsortsis built for the rabbits, they will consume 5lbs of feed per week - notincludingthefreshvegetablesyoufeedthem.

Rabbitswillreproduceeasily(theaxiomapplies)andwillbeagoodsourceoffoodandfurforthecoldwintermonths-whichwillcall intoquestionyourhide tanning experience. The learning curve may be sharp, but oncemastered,itwillbearesourcethatyoucanuseforyourselfandusetobarterwithotherhomesteaders,preppers.

2. Chickens/Ducks.Buildingthecontainmentareaforrabbitsand/orduckswill be only marginally time consuming and if the revenue is available,prefabricatedsheltersforpoultrycanbepurchasedandinstalledeasily. Foraboutadozenducksorchickens,thecostforfeedwillrangefrom$11to$16perweek.

Oneoftheveryuniqueadvantagesofchickenorduckonyourhomesteadisthatmanyof thenuisance insectscanbeeatenupby thefowl. Inaddition,wellcared-forducksandchickenscanproduceasignificantnumberofeggsprettymuchallyear-andeggsareaverygoodsourceofprotein,thoughthecholesterolmaybeaproblem.

3. Goats. Goatsaregood formilkand their fibersexcellent forclothing.After theinitialexpenseof theanimalsthemselves,acontainmentareaonalarger scalewillbenecessary. Goatsprefer tograze inopen ranges,whichwill lowerfeedandhaycosts,but theaveragecostperanimalperweekforfeedandhaywillbe$8to$12.

This,ofcourse,doesnotincludevitaminsupplements, increasedfeedandhaycostsduringthecolderwintermonthsandthecarerequiredforbreeding.Goatswilloftenserveasawillingcompaniontoasolitaryhorseonthepropertyandsurprisingly,canbeadeterrenttosomepredatorsbecauseofthesoundsandtheiralmostconstantmovement.

Othertypicalanimalsforhomesteadingincludehorses(fortransport,work,etc.),cows(milk,meat),andpigs(deliciousbaconandothermeatsandare the leastexpensiveofthelargeranimals).

Cows require a great deal of space and aremuch highermaintenance and thefeed costs canbe astronomical if youdon’t have large, expansivepastures forthemtograze.Pigscanbeagoodresourceformeatandtheywilleatuptablescrapswithgreat joy,butcarefor thepigs isequally importantas theyarenotknownforbeing themosthygienicof livestock. Butcheringapigformeat is,however, pretty simple. Pigs will breed up to three times a year, yieldinganywhere from three to six piglets. In other words, they can be quite asuccessfulrenewableresource.

Animalsrequiremuchmoretimeandifnotcaredforproperly,theycanspreaddisease. However, theycanbeagreat resource. Forexample,a flockofwellcared for chickens can keep you in eggs year ‘round and provide for a goodfamilydinnertoo.Duringthewintermonths,however,theyproducefewereggsandrequiremorefeed.

Itisimportanttonotethataddinglivestocktoyourhomesteadisamajorstepupfromgardening.ImagefromFlickrbyhomesteading

MakingyourOwnFood

MakeYourOwnCheese

Makingcheeseathomeisanintegralpartofself-sufficiencyandfrugal living.Thereareamillionwaysofmakinghomemadecheese,andeachmethodhasitsown advantages and difficulty levels. So, what do you need to make thisdelicioushomemadecheese?

Youwouldneed,onequarter freshcream,1/8th teaspoonofmesophilic starterculture,areallyfinecheeseclothandseasalt.

· Before you startmaking your own cheese, you should firstmake themesophilic starter culture.You canuse over the counter culture aswell;however,itisbetteryoumakeyourown.Inacleananddryglassjar,addfreshandunpasteurizedmilk.

··Closethelidveryloosely,makingsurethatyouleaveaslightcrackopen.Letthissitonthecounteruntilthemilkstartstothicken.Ifyouarelucky,youmightbeabletogetthickmilkwithin24hours;however,sometimes,itmighttakemorethan30hoursaswell.

· ·Once themilk thickens,youshouldget it to look likeyogurt.Once itcomestothisconsistency,youshouldstirit,andpouritintoafreshfreezercubetray.

· ·Witheachofthesecubes,yougetnearlyoneounceofMesophilicstarterculture.

· Nowtakeonequarter freshcreaminacleanbottle,andgentlyadd theMesophilicstarterculture.

·Don’tclosethebottletightly;justletthecoversitlooselyonthebottle.· Leave this bottle to rest for at least 8 to 12 hours for culture to start

developing.· Youwouldknowthatitisreadywhenthemixturestartsresemblingthick

yogurt.· Gentlydumpthisthickenedcreamontocheesecloth;makesurethatthe

whey continues to drip for at least 10 to 12 hours. Remember that thelongeryouletthecreamdrip,thethickerandfirmeryourcheesewillbe.

·Now,slowlyscrapthecheeseclothandsprinklesalt(asrequired).·Storethiscreamycheeseinanairtightcontainerforfutureuse.

HomemadeBread

Bread is all-time favorite food for many Americans, and homemade bread,perhaps, has no competitors. Made using only 5 ingredients, this delicioushomemadebreadwillsoonbecomeastableinyoururbanhomesteadkitchen.

· All youneed for thisFrenchbread is 11/4th cupofwarmwater (notboiling!),apinchofsugar(canusesucanat,ifavailable),3½cupswheatflour(canusehalfwheat,wholewheatorhalfwhiteaswell),1½teaspoonsdryyeast,andsalttotaste.

·Takealargebowl,mixtheyeastandsugarinwarmwateruntilthemixturedissolvescompletely.

·Now,addsalt,andgentlystirinflourintothismixture.·Makesuretherearenolumpsandthatthemixtureisnotchunky.· Theamountofflourrequiredwilldependonthewaterandyourmixing

technique.All you have to do ismake the dough soft, pliable and non-sticky.

·Gentlykneadthedough,untilthedoughbecomessoftandelastic.· Youcancoverthedoughwithawetkitchentowelforaboutanhourto

makesurethatthedoughrisesordoublesupinsize.· Dividetheentiredoughintotwohalvesandrolleachofthesehalvesinto

rectangularshape.· Slowlyrolltherectanglebypinchingtheendstosealtheopening.Bring

thisintoanice‘log’shape.· The seamshave to stick and sit down;however, if theydon’t, simply

moistenyourfingerswithwaterandresealtheseamscarefully.Makesureitsitstogetherfirmly;otherwise,itwillstarttounravelduringthebakingprocess.

·Prepareaneggwash,bybeatinganeggandmixingitwithonetablespoonofwater.Eggwashwillgiveyourbreadthemuchneededcolorandfinish.

·Inyour375degreespre-heatedoven,ploptheloavescarefully.· Beforeputtingthebreadloavesintotheoven,makesureyoubrushthe

bread evenly with egg wash and make four professional (and diagonalslashesacrossthebreadloaves).

· Now,bake this forabout20 to25minutes.Cooldown thehomemadebreadforsometimebeforedevouringit.

OrganicEggs

Localurbanfamiliesarenowlookingattheartofraisingchickenwithrenewedinterest.Oneofthemainreasonsfortheinterestinorganiceggsandfarmingisbecausepeoplewanttoknowhowtheirfoodisbeinggrown.Theyareinterestedinknowingwhatconstitutestheirfood.Theywanttobeincontrolofthefood,andurbanhomesteadingistheperfectchoiceforthem.

Althoughraisingchickensandgoatsinyourbackyardinthecityisgoingtobeverytough,thebenefitsofthesameareinnumerable.Somecitiesdonotallowitsresidentstogrowpoultryathome,whilesomecitiesaremorelenient.Ifyouareunabletogetpermissionfromcitycouncilauthoritiesandneighbor,youcanapproach local community homesteading groups to help you sort out thissituation.

Most so-called ‘organic eggs’ that you buy off the counters are not exactlyorganic; a number of certified organic eggs are grown in inhumane andunhealthyconditions.Hundredsofhensarekeptinsteelcagelikestructures,andarenotgiventhechancetoevenmoveabout.

Pasture-raised hens’ eggs are, by-far, themost healthy and happy eggs.Thesehenseatnutritiousfoodthatisfreefromharmfulandgeneticallymodifieddiet.These hens are free to roam about the area and are not given steroids orperformanceenhancementdrugstomakethemgrowfasterandfatter.

Theflavor,color,andsizeofapasture-raisedeggarecompletelydifferentfromstore-bought eggs. These eggs are rich in vitamins, zinc, calcium, riboflavin,beta carotene and have loads of omega 3 fatty acids. Organic eggs have thehighestamountsofhealthyprotein,nextonlytomother’smilk.

Togroworganiceggsinyourbackyard,youshouldensurethatthehensarefreeto roamabout, and arenotkept in cagesor enclosures.Thepoultry shouldbegivenorganicmatter;makesurethatyouusehomemadeorganicmatterinsteadofbuyingitfromstores.Alwaysmakesurethatyoudonotprovideantibioticsofany kind to the poultry. Antibiotics should be used only when there is anoutbreakofinfection.Organiceggsdonotinducethehentomolt;thebirdstendtogointonaturalmolt.

HomemadeYogurt

Makingyogurtathomeisveryeasy;howeveritcantestyourpatience.Yogurtdoesn’t require a lot of work from you; in fact, it takes a lot of time for theyogurttosimplysitandculture.So,patienceisthekeyhere.

Thereareanumberofways tomakeyogurt andeachmethod isdifferent,butregardlessofthemethodyouuse,yogurtsaredeliciousandsuper-healthyfoods.Yogurt can be made in large quantities and stored without worrying aboutspoilingit.

·Youneedalargestockpot,athermometer,acooler,andtwo-quartsizedglassjarwithlids.Youneedhalfgallonmilk—preferablycoworgoat’smilk.Ifyouareusinggoat’smilk,youwillendupwithaveryrunnyyogurt.Goat’smilkmakerunnyyogurtthathastobedrunk.

·Now,fillthemilkintothetwoquartsizedjars,makingsurethatyouleaveatleast 2 inches of room on top of the jar. Just don’t fill it to the brim.Preferably use glass canning jars that comewith lids.Never use plastic—youaregoingtoboilthejars,remember!

· Gently,placethesetwojarsinthelargestockpot;fillitwithwaterandsettoboil.Make sureyou fill enoughwater in thepot so that thesebottles don’tstarttopplingorrattlingabout.

·Bringthewatertoboil,andslowlyreducetheflameandletthewaterstarttosimmer.

· Thisisthetimetocheckthetemperatureofthemilkinsidethejars.Ithastobearound180degreesF.

· Ifyoudon’thavea thermometerhandy, just lookout fora ‘skin’ to startdeveloping on themilk. This will be your first indicator that themilk hasboiled. In case, the temperature in the thermometer points more than 185degrees,don’tfret.

· Verycarefully,removethejarsfromthestockpot.Thejarsaregoingtobeextremelyhot,takenecessaryprecautions.

·Letthesehotjarscooldowntoabout100degreesF.Resistthetemptationofplacingthesehotjarsunderthesinktaptohelpthemcoolfaster.Youmightendupbreakingoneorboththejars.Letthesejarscoolontheirown.

·Openthelid—justacrack-andallowthemilktostartcooling.·Givethemilkastironceinawhiletohelpanyhotspotsescape.

·Feelthesidesofthejar—ifitistoohottotouch,youhavetoallowittocoolfurther.Ifyouareabletoholdthejar,andifthemilkiswarm,thenyouaregoodtogo.Rememberyouaregoingtoputlivecultureintothemilk,whichis‘livebacteria.’Thisbacteriumenjoysagoodwarmtemperaturebutwilldieifyoudunkit intoscaldinghotmilk. Ifyouareable tohold the jar inyourhands,thenthebacteriawillprobablysurvivetheheattoo.

· Now,taketwotablespoonsofyogurt(madefromliveculture)andstirintoeachofthemilkjars.

·Tightlycapthejarsandallowtheincubationprocesstokickstart.· You should make arrangements to keep these jars warm.Warmth will

improve the incubation process. Somepeople place these jars in their ovenandleavethelighton.Youcantrythehomesteadingway.

·Takealargecoolerandfillitwithwarmwaterandplacethesejarsinsidethecooler.Thewatershouldbemaintainedat120degrees,soyouwouldhavetoreplenishthecoolerwithhotwaterregularly.

·Thecompleteprocesswilltakeatleast10hours.· Onceitisdone,youhavetoallowtheyogurttocooldowncompletely.Asit

startstocooldown,theyogurtwillstarttothicken.· Youhavejustmadehealthyandnutritiousyogurtrightathome.Eatitwith

fruits,honey,nutsandmaplesyrup.

Creating your own food from your own gardening is the best way to healthylivingimagefromFlickrbyKellyHenner

PreservingFoodCanning

Canning

isafoodpreservingtechniquethathasbeeninusefromtimeimmemorial.Itisveryeffectiveinkeepingfoodsafe,healthyandnutrient-rich.Withcanning,youhavetheabilitytoprocessandpreservejustaboutanythingyouwant,frommeattovegetables.Makesurethatthejarsyouaregoingtouseareneat,cleanandsterilized.Ifyouareunsure,boilthebottlesforagoodtwo

minutestokeepthosepeskybacteriaout.Addthefoodyouwanttopreserve,addseasonings,andsomeboiledwater.Closethelid,withjustenoughspacetoletairescape.Now,placethisbottleinwaterandboilitforfewhours.

Everyfoodproducthasdifferentboilingpoints,somakesureyouknowwhenyoursiscomplete.Removethebottlefromthewater,tightenthelidcompletelyandallowittocool.Makesureallthebottlesareclosedshutforthefoodtostaypreserved

Freezing

Freezingisacommonfoodpreservingtechnique.Thewinterseasonisyourbestfriendwhenitcomestopreservingfooditems.Inthenorthernhemisphere,youwillhavealargeoutdoorfreezerthewholewinterseason.Takeadvantageofitbyfindingaspotoutdoorsthatcankeepyourfoodsafefromdecayingandfromanimals.

DehydratingandDrying

Drying

anddehydratingfoodisalsoaneasyandtime-testedmethodofpreservation.

Thismethodofpreservingfoodwasusedduringtheancienttimesandstillcontinuestobeusedinanumberofcountries.Usingthesuntodryfooditemsiseasyandenvironmentalfriendly.Youcandrypiecesoffruits,vegetables,meat,andmushrooms.Makesurethatyoudryfooditemsforlongerhoursinordertocompletelydrainoffthewaterandmoisturecontentfromthem.Waterhasthepotentialtoquickenthedecomposingprocess.Driedfooditemsstayfreshandediblelonger;moreover,theyretainmostofthenutrientsintheprocess

SaltPreservation

Saltpreservationisperhapsoneoftheoldestandmostusedformsofpreservingfooditemsusedintheworld.Meatandpickles,aroundtheworld,arepreservedusingsalt. It isnotenough tosprinklesaltonmeatandexpect it tostay fresh.Youhavetogooverboardwithsaltcontenttopreservefood.Salt,sugar,andoilaregreatpreservatives.

ConclusionThis book serves as you’re first and foremost guide for homesteading.Homesteadingisnotjustanewtypeofgardeningorsomefancywayoflivingcurrently in vogue. It is one of themost ancientmethods practiced by severalcivilizations as you have understood by now and the closest way to living inharmonywithnature.Itisawayoflifeandachoiceyoumake.Iunderstandanychange comes with resistance and suspicion especially when it requires yourprecioustimeandenergyonadaytodaybasis.ButIassureyoutheresultsarefar reaching and you will see the amazing results it brings to you and yourfamilyintermsofsuperiorqualityofhealthandthuslife.Hence take this book only as a beginner’s guide and keep continuing yourjourney in to homesteading and organic living with several other books andblogs. I suggest joiningyour local,organicgardeningclubs to share ideas andgettheencouragementtocontinuethisjourney.

FromtheauthorThankyouforpurchasingthisbook.

Ireallyenjoyedwritingit,andI’vealreadyhadsomegreatfeedbackfromreaderswhoenjoyedthebook.Ihopeyoutooenjoyedit.

Iappreciatethatyouchosetobuyandreadmybookoversomeoftheothersoutthere.Thankyouforputtingyourconfidenceinmetohelpyou.Ifyouenjoyedthebookandyouhaveacoupleofspareminutesnow,itwouldreallyhelpmeoutifyouwouldliketoleavemeareview(evenifit’sshort)onAmazon.Allthesereviewsreallyhelpmespreadtheworldaboutmybooksandencouragemetowritemorebooks!

SincerelyYours,

RichardForeman

Let me recommend you to read my otherpopular books: AComprehensiveGuide inQuitting Drinking: StopDrinking and Back toSoberLife

Brain Training: TheUltimate Guide toIncrease Your BrainPower and ImprovingYour Memory (Brainexercise, Concentration,

Neuroplasticity, Mental Clarity,BrainPlasticity)