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    • All Things Garden
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    • “How to Grow”
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Uh oh. Did you forget about your kombucha brew aga Uh oh. Did you forget about your kombucha brew again? Same here! πŸ˜‚ Truth be told, we have been completely neglecting our booch lately. But even if it has become far too tart to drink, don't throw it out! You actually have some pretty valuable stuff on your hands now ~ kombucha vinegar. . πŸ’‘ "7 Clever Ways to Use Sour Kombucha Vinegar" is now live on Homestead and Chill. Follow the link in my profile to the blog, and tag your booch-brewing buddies 🍻 . Kombucha vinegar contains probiotics and acetic acid, the same stuff that is in apple cider vinegar and makes it so healthy for you - and has some other surprising beneficial uses! Use it to make fire cider, as salad dressing, as a natural hair rinse, and more πŸ‘ŒπŸΌ . Keep in mind we also have several kombucha brewing 101 articles on the blog too. Cheers! . #homesteadandchill #zerowaste
πŸŽ‰ It's time! Today, we are going to start sowin πŸŽ‰ It's time! Today, we are going to start sowing some of our spring seeds! Namely, we'll be starting tomatoes, peppers, onions, leeks, leafy greens, and some herbs and flowers. Hold off on starting squash, beans, peas, corn, carrots, radishes, or other root veg until warm weather is closer ~ as most of those prefer to be sown directly outside (root veg for sure), or perhaps started indoors but for only a very short period of time, and transplanted out before getting too big or root bound (e.g. squash, peas and beans - though we only direct-sow peas and beans these days). 🌿 . ⏰ It may not be seed starting time in your zone quite yet, but it's likely just around the corner! If you're in zone 9-10 like us, and maybe even zone 8, there are many things you could start now. If you're interested in getting a calendar for your growing zone (I made one for evevry zone, 2 through 12!) follow the link in my profile to the free printable garden planning toolkit. I hope this helps! πŸ’š . Who else is getting their season started this weekend? βœ‹πŸΌ . #homesteadandchill #seedstarting
🌿 That turmeric harvest video I shared last wee 🌿 That turmeric harvest video I shared last weekend spurred all sorts of questions! And understandably so. Namely, what the heck do we do with nearly 20 pounds of homegrown turmeric?! πŸ˜† I'll try to answer some of the FAQ here: . Turmeric low-down: We plant small pieces of rhizomes (the "fingers") and over a 10-month growing period, those grow whole new "hands" of turmeric! This was the harvest from 5 half wine barrels, planted last March - and our largest haul after 4 years if growing this magical stuff. Turmeric can be grown in containers in nearly every zone, but needs to be protected from freezing. To learn more about growing turmeric, search "how to grow turmeric" on homesteadandchill.com for a step-by-step guide πŸ‘ŒπŸΌ . πŸ’‘ So, what will we do with it all? We will save some of the rhizomes to re-plant as "seed", and also use a lot of it fresh over the next couple of months - mostly grated/minced and added to meals like you would with garlic or ginger. We will freeze some rhizomes whole too, to use later in the same manner. It is also awesome added to homemade krauts and other ferments! Then, the largest bulk of it will be dried and turned into turmeric powder, one of our most special homemade seasonings. Not only is it super tasty in meals (curries, on veg, in chili or soup, added to brown rice, in golden milk, etc) but turmeric is also insanely good for you. Search "turmeric powder" on the blog for instructions on how to turn fresh turmeric into powder. . Curcumin (the active component of turmeric, and what gives it that beautiful golden-orange color) is a known strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, proven to help with joint pain and arthritis as well as fight or prevent cancer, reduce heart disease, and even improve mental issues such as memory and mood. . Essentially, Aaron is holding a bowl full of gold. Grow some! 🧑 . #homesteadandchill #growyourowngold #growyourownmedicine #growfood
When you realize you forgot to plant kohlrabi this When you realize you forgot to plant kohlrabi this fall 😭 Oh well. The good thing about gardening: There is always next year . #throwbackthursday #kohlrabi #alienvegetable
Nerd alert! πŸ€“ I mean... New article alert! "9 C Nerd alert! πŸ€“ I mean... New article alert! "9 Common Seed Starting Mistakes to Avoid" is now on Homestead and Chill. Can you guess what the most common mistake is? 🌱 . πŸ’‘ Do you ever have tall, leggy, weak seedlings? Or ones that seem to die "for no reason"? There is probably a reason, and one that is likely quite easy to fix! . Follow the link in my profile to the blog to learn how to prevent OR correct the most common seed starting issues. And guess what? We've done them all! You've got this. πŸ‘ŒπŸΌ . #homesteadandchill #gardennerd
Green Macerata πŸ’š When to harvest cauliflower (o Green Macerata πŸ’š When to harvest cauliflower (or broccoli), you ask? Ideally, when the head is still tight and firm, but is finished growing larger in size. See how there a few gaps and soaces starting betweens the florets? This was picked just in time, or maybe a couple days late. Really though, it isn't a big deal if your heads become more loose! That is just the "market standard". The beauty about homegrown is who gives a **** about market standards! It all tastes the same. Actually, way better. 😁 #homegrown #growfoodnotlawns
Don't you just wanna squeeze 'em? ❀ Okay, maybe Don't you just wanna squeeze 'em? ❀ Okay, maybe not Phoebe... with that fierce toupee and dagger lady-spurs πŸ˜’πŸ€£ . πŸ‹ Our poor old meyer lemon tree isn't looking as robust and healthy as these beautiful birds are right now - since we just discovered a pretty significant scale infestation a couple weeks ago! Scale are little sap-sucking insects, related to mealybugs. We followed up with a fairly hefty but much-needed prune, removing a lot of dead old wood and also anything most severely covered in scale. The thinned canopy and increased airflow will help the neem + soap treatment we just started to be more effective too. Here's to hoping we caught it in time, and can take care of it swiftly πŸ™πŸΌ
πŸ›  Let's talk TRELLISES! Check out the newest ar πŸ›  Let's talk TRELLISES! Check out the newest article on Homestead and Chill ~ "How to Build a Trellis: Inexpensive & Easy Designs" Follow the link in my profile ❀ . Trellises are a fun (and sometimes necessary) addition to any garden. If you couldn't tell, we're big fans 😜 They can help support and train plants, double as fences to keep chickens contained, create β€œliving fences” as privacy screens, or simply add style and flair to your space! They also enable gardeners to save space and grow vertical - which is especially useful for small gardens 🌿 . πŸ’‘ Come see how we build several different styles of trellises, ranging from the most simple and cheap design ever, to slightly more "finished" and attractive (but still affordable!) option - such as with a wood frame. I walk you through both in the article, step by step. πŸ’ͺ🏼 . #homesteadandchill #diy #growfoodnotlawns
Today was fun. We harvested and cleaned four barre Today was fun. We harvested and cleaned four barrels of turmeric... and in four years growing it, this was by FAR our best harvest ever! Also made some cannabis-infused oil and salve. πŸ‘©πŸΌβ€πŸŒΎπŸ’šπŸ‘¨β€πŸ”¬
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