The Thrifted Planter

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Homestead

Starting a Homestead Easy!

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Homesteading is a lifestyle choice that involves living off the land and being as self-sufficient as possible. You can create a homestead in any space you have big or small, apartment or farm. It can be a rewarding experience, but it’s important to do your research and plan ahead before you get started and don’t worry if you don’t do everything right. Baby steps are key when making lifestyle changes. Here are a few tips on starting a homestead:

starting a homestead
  1. Do your research. Before you buy any land or livestock, it’s important to learn as much as you can about homesteading. Read books and articles, watch documentaries, and talk to other homesteaders. The more you know, the better prepared you’ll be for the challenges of homesteading. If you live in a small space you need to plan how deep you want to go into homesteading. There are so many aspects that don’t involve having land so find homesteaders who live under the same circumstances you do.
  2. Set goals. What do you want to achieve with your homestead? Do you want to grow your own food? Raise animals? Produce your own energy? Once you know what you want to do, you can start planning how to make it happen.
  3. Find the right property. Not all land is created equal when it comes to homesteading. When you’re looking for property, consider the following factors:
    • Size: How much land do you need?
    • Location: Is the property located in a climate that’s suitable for the crops and animals you want to raise?
    • Soil: Is the soil fertile enough to grow crops?
    • Water: Does the property have access to water?
    • Zoning: Make sure the property is zoned for agricultural use.
  1. Make a budget. Homesteading can be expensive, so it’s important to make a budget before you get started. Factor in the cost of land, livestock, equipment, and supplies.
  2. Start small. Don’t try to do too much too soon. Start with a small garden and a few chickens. As you gain experience, you can gradually expand your homestead.
  3. Be patient. Homesteading is a marathon, not a sprint. It takes time, patience, and hard work to build a successful homestead. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t see results immediately. Just keep at it, and you’ll eventually reach your goals.
starting a homestead

For tips on raising chickens read this post!

Here are some additional tips for starting a homestead:

  • Get involved in your local community. There are often local groups and organizations that can provide support and resources for homesteaders.
  • Take classes or workshops. There are many opportunities to learn new skills and techniques that will help you on your homesteading journey.
  • Don’t be afraid to experiment. Homesteading is all about learning and trying new things. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Just learn from them and move on.
  • Don’t let having a small space stop you and don’t let having a large space frighten you from getting started.
  • Get started right where you are and learn as you go along
starting a homestead

Starting a Homestead can be a rewarding and fulfilling experience. With careful planning and hard work, you can create a sustainable lifestyle that’s right for you and your family.

Happy Gardening

Ciearra

21 Seeds for your Fall Vegetable Garden

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Just because summers almost over doesn’t mean you can’t continue to grow and harvest food. Many gardeners grow fall vegetables well into winter. Having home grown food beats grocery store food hands down! There are so many vegetables you can grow successfully!

fall vegetable

Here are some seeds that you can sow for a fall vegetable harvest:

  • Arugula
  • Broccoli
  • Cabbage
  • Carrots
  • Cauliflower
  • Celery
  • Chinese cabbage
  • Cucumbers
  • Kale
  • Leeks
  • Lettuce
  • Mustard greens
  • Okra
  • Onions
  • Peas
  • Potatoes
  • Radishes
  • Spinach
  • Swiss chard
  • Turnips
  • Winter squash

These fall vegetables are all cool-weather crops that can be planted in late summer and harvested in the fall or early winter. They are a great way to extend your growing season and enjoy fresh, homegrown vegetables. If you grow your vegetables under cover you can extend your gardening season even longer.

To learn how to grow Kale from seed read this post here

fall vegetable

Here are some tips for planting fall vegetables:

  • Start your seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before your first frost date.
  • Transplant the seedlings outdoors 2-3 weeks after your last frost date.
  • Water the plants regularly, especially during dry weather.
  • Fertilize the plants every 2-4 weeks with a balanced fertilizer.
  • Harvest the vegetables when they are young and tender.

With a little care and attention, you can easily grow a bountiful harvest of fall vegetables.

Happy Gardening

Ciearra

Start Seeds Indoors! Here’s What You Need to Start!

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So you want to start a garden and you’re ready to start some seeds indoors? Seed starting season is upon us, and if you’ve never started your own seeds, there are some things your going to need to be successful. I don’t want to scare you with these items, because you can literally start seeds with a paper towel and a ziplock bag; but if you want to make this a long term hobby there are certain things you are going to want to have at your disposal to make life easier.

start seeds indoors

This blog post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission to fund my houseplant habit if you use these links to make a purchase. You will not be charged extra, and you’ll keep me in the garden. It’s a win for everyone, really.

Start Seeds Indoors! Here’s What You Need!

Seeds

If you want to start seeds indoors, you are going to first need to get some seeds. Usually starting in late January, you will start to see seed kiosks popping up at your local big box stores, grocery stores, and greenhouses. You can also find a ton of seeds online if you prefer to not buy from your local stores.

Unsure of where to shop online? Check out this post with the 12 best places to buy seeds online.

When gardening for the first time, I recommend starting with what you actually like to eat; don’t get caught up buying tons of vegetable seeds or flowers you don’t like. It’s easy to get overwhelmed in the garden, so pace yourself and start with a few veggies and flowers you love.

Pots

Once you know what you want to grow and have your seeds, you need to think about what you’re going to plant them in. You can save money and use milk cartons, yogurt cups, etc; or you can buy seed starting trays. There are so many options when it comes to seed starting pots. Dollar stores often carry plastic pots for plants, and you get about 6 for $1.25; big box stores may charge a little more, or you can shop online.

Soil

Next up is soil. You can use regular potting mix, but when you use seed starting soil you will have a higher success rate with your seedlings. Seed starting mix is sterile, which means no bacteria to infect your seedlings and cause damping off disease.

Grow Lights

You need light for your seedlings; of course you can put them in a sunny window to grow, but in my experience this makes for leggy and stretched seedlings. What works best is overhead lighting. So when starting seeds indoors, grow lights work best if you don’t have a greenhouse. There are so many options for grow lights, so choose what works best for your setup.

Seed Starting Helpful Extras

You’ve got the basics down; now let me show you some helpful extras. I promise you these are so handy and you will want to add them to your seed starting set up.

starting seeds indoors

Drip Trays

Drip trays are the only way you will survive seed starting season. Seedlings need to be kept moist so drip trays come in handy so that you can water your seedlings in place.

Watering Cans

Using a watering can with a long spout is best when it comes to watering your seedlings or filling trays and bottom watering. It makes for less mess.

Shelving

Shelving comes in so handy. You will need a place to set up your seed trays and hang up your lights above your seedlings. These shelves are perfect.

Heat Mat

There are some seeds that need heat to germinate and usually a warm room will suffice, but adding heat will speed up the germination process.

Starting seeds indoors is a rewarding experience, and it’ll save you money in the long run. Buying everything up front can be costly so DIY, and shopping sales and clearance will be your best friend when you first start out. If you’re a first time gardener or indoor seed starter, take it slow. Buy the essentials, seed starting soil, pots and a grow light. It can be overwhelming the first year but hang in there and you will be rewarded when your plants begin to flower and produce food for you!

Happy Gardening

Ciearra

5 Things gardeners should do in winter

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The winter blues happens to us all. The big excitement and stress of the holidays topped with cooler weather and less options to garden outside or even just get outside leaves us with this weird sort of post-holiday hangover. This hangover can be very hard to get over if you’re not proactive about your needs and self- care. Let’s run through some ideas to help kick winter in the snowballs.

selective focus photography of person holding the adventure begins mug
Photo by S Migaj on Pexels.com

This blog post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission to fund my plant habit if you use these links to make a purchase. You will not be charged extra, and you’ll keep me in the garden. It’s a win for everyone, really.

One: Get Outside

This is probably the most important one. Despite the temps outside you should make a point to get out for at least 10 mins a day. Winters in Ohio can be quite cold so getting outside when I don’t need anything is tough. I usually just take a stroll around the perimeter of the house just to make sure everything is in order then take a quick look at the compost bin and a quick peep into the garage. Now if you’re someone who works outside of the home, you can skip this step. However, I would like to encourage you to stop for a second while you’re outside and take a few deep breaths to ground yourself before entering your work building.

Two: Visit a Conservatory

Check out your local Conservatories. They are warm, beautiful and full of amazing plants. We have two large ones in Ohio that are pretty great. You can get some great ideas for your home and garden here.

Three: Visit a Greenhouse

Greenhouses are even more special in the winter time. Like conservatories, they offer a little escape from life. When you walk in, it’s warm, cozy, and full of visual interest. Spend time looking around, learning about plants. Chat with the employees about any plants you have questions on, and if your interested bring a few new plant babies home with you.

Four: Start Seeds

There’s nothing more busying than starting seeds. Keeping up with needy seedlings will help uplift that winter fog. Start some herbs for the kitchen and a few seeds for outside.

Five: Read and Plan

Planning for the garden season ahead is a great way to get out of the winter blues. Looking through your seed collection, drawing up plans for spring, summer and fall. Ordering new plants and planning their placement. It’s all so much fun.

Happy Gardening

Ciearra

Turmeric Powder | How to make your own

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This blog post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission to fund my houseplant habit if you use these links to make a purchase. You will not be charged extra, and you’ll keep me in the garden. It’s a win for everyone, really.

Turmeric is a spice used in many food dishes today. It comes from the root of the Cucuma longa plant, which is part of the Ginger family. It is a superfood with medicinal properties and worth adding to your spice cabinet. One of the prominent active ingredients is Curcumi, which is said to have strong anti-inflammatory properties. It also shows promise in helping with depression. There are so many wonderful benefits of adding Turmeric to your diet that it’s a no brainer! To learn more about the benefits of Curcumin, check out this article.

Let me teach you how easy it is to make your own Turmeric powder.

Turmeric Roots make easy Turmeric powder
Turmeric Rhizomes

List:

Gloves

Sharp Knife

Cutting Board

Grinder or Mortar & Pestal

Air-Tight Container

Dehydrator or Oven

Buy Turmeric

I chose to buy organic Turmeric, but feel free to purchase what you have access to nearby.

Clean your Turmeric

I gave my Turmeric a good rinse in the sink to make sure there wasn’t any dirt or debris. You don’t need to peel your Turmeric. You will dry and grind up the skin with the root.

Using your cutting board and knife, slice your Turmeric roots into round slices. You can also slice them lengthwise. No matter how you slice them be sure they are not to thick. Be sure to put your gloves on before you begin slicing. Turmeric will temporarily stain your fingers, cutting board and clothing.

Turmeric in dehydrator

Oven Instructions:

Lay your sliced Turmeric out on a parchment lined pan. Set your oven to 200 degrees. You will need to check your Turmeric every 30 mins making sure it’s drying. Once your pieces have reduced in size and are hard, they are done.

Dehydrator Instructions:

If you are using a dehydrator, you will want to follow the directions for drying. My dehydrator took about 12 hours to dry. I checked the slices every three hours to make sure they were drying properly.

Dried Turmeric

Grind:

When your Turmeric has dried, it’s grinding time! I ground my Turmeric using this grinder from Amazon. If you prefer Mortar & Pestle, it’ll require more effort but it’s always worth it.

Grinding Turmeric Yellow nail from not wearing gloves

Storage:

Now that you’ve made Turmeric powder, it’s time to store it in an airtight container. Stored this way, your powder can last for 3-4 years.

Turmeric Powder

Now you have your own stash of this amazing spice. You can use it in your everyday cooking including baking and smoothies; the list goes on! How will you use your Turmeric powder?

Happy Gardening

Ciearra

How to Make Garlic Powder

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This blog post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission to fund my houseplant habit if you use these links to make a purchase. You will not be charged extra, and you’ll keep me in the garden. It’s a win for everyone, really.

Is there any better smell than garlic? We love garlic in our house, although the kids would tell you otherwise. We eat it in some way, shape or form in our meals daily. There’s nothing more rewarding than having your own fresh stock pile of dried herbs, spices, and powders. I have started drying and powdering my own home grown garlic BUT you don’t have to grow your own to make garlic powder. You can purchase garlic from the grocery store to dry and powder; while it may not be as pungent as home-grown garlic, it’s much more convenient. Whichever route you go, nothing beats fresh garlic powder!

bulb of garlic and scattered cloves of garlic in peel on gray table
Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com

In order to make your own fresh garlic powder, you will need fresh garlic, a dehydrator or oven, grinder, and an air tight storage container.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase I may receive a small commission. This commission will pay for my plant addiction.

white and brown ceramic bowl dried herbs and spices ginger and garlic
Photo by lilartsy on Pexels.com

I used my dehydrator that I got for Christmas last year and I love it. You are welcome to use your oven for this if you don’t have a dehydrator. Here are a few dehydrators on Amazon that have great reviews if you want check them out.

composition of cut in half and pieces of garlic
Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com

First thing’s first! Peel your garlic and be sure not to leave on any skins. I don’t think it would hurt if you left some on, but best practice would be to remove every bit you can.

You don’t want to dice up your garlic too small. I like to cut mine into slivers; that way it doesn’t become too small to handle during the drying process.

The drying process in the dehydrator took about 22 hours. Be sure to start as early as possible so that you don’t have to leave your oven or dehydrator on the entire night.

If you are drying your garlic in the oven, you will want to set the temperature to 150-200 F and let the garlic dry for about two hours. Once you hit that first hour, keep checking it to make sure it’s drying and not burning. You’ll know it’s done when you can bend a piece and it snaps.

dried garlic and ginger

Once your garlic has dried, you will need a grinder or a mortar and pestle. Here is the link to the grinder I am using.

Ground Garlic
Gorgeous Garlic Powder

When your garlic is powdered, you will want to store it in an air tight container. I have been loving these cute little mason jars for my powders and herbs. If you want some for yourself, you can check them out here.

Your garlic powder will keep for 3-4 years if you keep it properly stored. Keeping a stockpile of freshly ground herbs and spices will help ensure you have more intense, vibrant flavors to add to your favorite dishes.

Happy Gardening and cooking,

Ciearra

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