Gardening & Growing Food
Welcome to our Gardening and Growing Food category—your source for starting and maintaining a productive backyard garden. From seed starting and soil prep to harvesting vegetables and herbs, these guides help you grow fresh, healthy food right at home.
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How to Grow Rhubarb: A Perennial Favorite for the Homestead Garden
If you’ve ever dreamed of harvesting your own fresh rhubarb stalks, you’re in luck; it’s one of the easiest and most rewarding perennials you can grow. This guide will walk you through everything from planting and caring for rhubarb to harvesting and dividing it for years of bounty. Along the way, we’ll cover common problems, seasonal care tips, and culinary…
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What to Plant in a Fall Garden (By USDA Zone)
Knowing what to plant in a fall garden by zone is the key to getting the most from your growing season. Fall crops often thrive with cooler temperatures and fewer pests, but timing is everything—especially when you’re racing against that first frost. Whether you’re aiming for a late-season harvest of carrots and greens or planning garlic and cover crops, your…
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How to Split and Transplant Irises (Garden Beds or Pots)
If you’re wondering how to split and transplant irises, you’re in the right place. Irises are hardy, low-maintenance perennials, but every few years, they need a little attention to keep blooming their best. Dividing the rhizomes not only helps manage overcrowding—it also encourages stronger, more vibrant flowers. Late summer to early fall is the perfect time to dig up your…
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How to Grow Hardneck Garlic: A Step-by-Step Guide for Cold Climates
If you’re wondering how to grow hardneck garlic, you’re in the right place. This cold-hardy variety is ideal for northern gardeners and produces bold, flavorful cloves that are easy to peel and full of character. Hardneck garlic thrives in Zones 3–6 and offers a bonus spring harvest: garlic scapes. These curly flower stalks are edible and delicious, making hardneck varieties…
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How to Transplant Tomatoes into the Garden
You’ve started your tomato plants and need to know How to Transplant Tomatoes into the Garden. This is the next step in growing your very own tomatoes for canning and fresh eating. Transplanting plants is not always as easy as it seems. Tomatoes can be trimmed and buried deeper to help make the roots stronger in the ground, while other…
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How to Save Carrot Seeds
Saving seeds is such a rewarding process. Learning How to Save Carrot Seeds requires a little more patience since these plants are biennials, meaning they take two growing seasons to mature. You’ll need to know the best varieties of carrots to grow, how to protect them from potentially freezing weather, and when the best time is to save the seeds!…
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The Best Companion Plants for Tomatoes
Planting the best companion plants for tomatoes can make a big difference in how your garden grows — and how pest-free your harvest stays. Over the years, I’ve found a handful of reliable companion plants that not only boost my tomato yield but also help keep pests like hornworms to a minimum. In fact, since I started using companion planting,…
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How to Start Seeds Indoors in Zone 5: Tips, Timeline, and Best Plants
Learn when to Start Seeds Indoors in Zone 5 plus grab some tips and tricks along the way. If you’re new to gardening, this is a great place to start! Starting your seeds indoor can help combat the shorter growing season that we have in zone 5. Learn when to start some popular seeds to they are ready to be…
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How to Make Your Own Seed Starting Mix
You have your seeds, you have planned your garden, and now it is time to get your Seed Starting Mix put together. I have had such a fun time starting seeds. There is something so gratifying about planting a seed and then watching it become a plant in just a few days. Creating your own seed starting mix is super…
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How to Plant Turmeric In a Raised Bed or Container
Have you ever wanted to plant turmeric? There are so many amazing health benefits of turmeric but even more importantly, it makes your food taste delicious!! It makes such a great edition to add to your arsenal! When my sister started to suffer from chronic pain due to her auto-immune issues I began looking into all the different ways out…
