Healthy Self Reliance
America’s environmental wake-up call is increasingly evident in our own backyards, especially when it comes to our gardens. Through more conscientious gardening such as organic methods, native plantings, and a renewed interest in growing our own food, we’re restoring a critical link with the land and even, with ourselves. For too long, and for too …
… from the Natural Handyman Every now and then I wonder, “Will I be found out?” Ever have the sense that you are in the wrong place, or that you really aren’t who everyone thinks you are? Perhaps you are a businessman, a nurse or postal worker. You get up every morning and do the …
What IS an earwig? There are more than twenty species of earwigs in the United States. Some species produce a foul smelling liquid that they use for defense. Earwigs also produce a pheromone (scent). Scientists believe that this pheromone is the reason that earwigs cluster together in large numbers. Everyone has probably seen an earwig …
Errrr… Colorado Potato Beetles I have grown potatoes in many parts of the United States and until this year did I have a single potato beetle show up for dinner. I am dead serious. Never. I have always heard about potato beetles I even looked them up once in an old class book from my …
No amount of watering or fertilizer will compensate for improper planting. On many occasions I have puzzled over the problems of plants only to discover they were planted six inches too deep or with their roots bound tightly. There isn’t any mystery to good planting, just some common sense techniques. Dig the Hole First Before …
Healthy soil basics give you an idea of where to start in preparing the best garden soil you can give your plants for effective growing. Soil Fertility First of all, I have to say I am sorry for the subtitle. 😉 To make a living on the internet, you have to make use of proper …
Quenching Their Thirst Once your garden has been planted, nothing is more important to its ability to thrive than water. When provided too little water, plants are unable to develop properly and become more susceptible to damage from pests. Too much water can of course be equally bad. In soil that is kept too moist …
One of the most critical pieces of a new chicken coop is how and where to build the chicken laying boxes. This is important because if you don’t give attention to a few, but basic rules, you have a healthy chicken coop, but lacking egg production. What to do and what to avoid. Nests should …
Bean blossom drop can occur when temperatures stay consistently over 90 degrees and/or if the plants are stressed. There’s not much you can do about the heat except wait it out. It may help to put a breezy row cover over them to provide some shade. The plants may start producing again when the weather …
Let me share with you our squash bug control plan. I am not, I repeat NOT going to be overrun again this year by squash bugs! Young squash plants (especially zucchini and pumpkin) are generally more susceptible to damage by this pest, and if you don’t squish the squash bugs, young plants will die. They …