Tag Archives: gardening

Our favorite articles about gardening in zone 8b Northeast Texas, raised-beds, composting and more posted on TexasHomesteader.com

Easy Low-Tech Way To Kill Weeds With Vinegar/Water Spray

8 Replies

by Texas Homesteader ~

Something with a single long taproot seeded itself prolifically in my front ‘flower bed’ last year. Now that spring is just around the corner, they all sprouted with a vengeance!

So that it doesn’t become a bigger problem I started digging out all the plants that I could reach.

But I was dismayed to see how thickly they were sprouting in my rock feature at the downspout. That digging stick wasn’t as effective in the rocks as it was in the soil.

And ugh, my aching back. What a pain!

I killed weeds growing in the rocks in just minutes. Gotta love a cheap, fast, non-poison way to kill hard-to-dig weeds! #TexasHomesteader

Continue reading →

Planting Potatoes For EASY Harvest!

17 Replies

by Texas Homesteader ~ 

Here in NE Texas it’s the time of year when many gardeners are thinking about planting those potatoes! I’m a big fan of growing potatoes, especially since they’re such an easy crop to grow. 

In past years I’ve planted potatoes in a raised bed right in my garden. Of course that worked fine but this year I’ve decided to do something different.

Remember I’m a big fan of growing an Edible Landscape? Well not only will this different way of planting potatoes give me some effortless beautiful greenery on my back porch during the summer months but it will also help make harvesting those potatoes so easy.

C’mon, I’ll show ya!

I've planted potatoes in the ground, but this year I'm planning for not only a more bountiful harvest, but an easier one too! #TexasHomesteader

Continue reading →

Chicken Pen In The Garden Is Best Of Both Worlds!

4 Replies

by Texas Homesteader ~

Last year RancherMan & I decided that housing our free-range hens in the coop of our 1880’s barn just wasn’t protecting them.  Oh they were safe in the coop overnight, but when we let them out to free range each morning, predators were taking the entire flock time & time again.  We needed a modified free-range setup.

So we decided we’d amend our garden to include the chickens.  But our fenced garden offered some layout challenges.

I recently wrote a piece for Mother Earth News, come see how we were able to successfully incorporate the chickens into our garden area.  We have been able to protect the chickens from predators as well as the garden from the chickens.

Combining chicken pen w/veggie garden in a modified free-range setup protects chickens from predators & the garden from the chickens #TexasHomesteader

(Read More)

~TxH~

Other Chicken-Care Posts

All Posts About Chickens

C’mon by & sit a spell!  Come hang out at our Facebook Page. It’s like sitting in a front porch rocker with a glass of cold iced tea – lots of good folks sharing!  You can also follow along on Pinterest, Twitter or Instagram.

If you’d like to receive an email each time a new blog post goes live it’s EASY to
Subscribe to our blog!

 

 

Save

Save

Wordless Wednesday: Winter Veggie Garden Chores

3 Replies

by Texas Homesteader ~

Preparing the garden for winter: spread crimson clover in the bare rows to provide a living mulch & nitrogen for next spring's planting #TexasHomesteader

The veggie garden has been put to bed for the winter. I spread crimson clover seed along the bare rows to provide both a living mulch as well as nitrogen for next spring’s planting.  Nighty-Nite!

~TxH~

C’mon by & sit a spell!  Come hang out at our Facebook Page. It’s like sitting in a front porch rocker with a glass of cold iced tea – lots of good folks sharing!  You can also follow along on Pinterest, Twitter or Instagram.

If you’d like to receive an email each time a new blog post goes live it’s EASY to Subscribe to our blog!

 

Save

Save

Save

Texas Heat Superstar: Growing Malabar Spinach

15 Replies

by Texas Homesteader ~
*contains affiliate link

I love fresh spinach & I’m sure to plant it every year in my edible landscape garden. It’s beautiful, leafy-green and makes a lovely border. 

Oh, and you can EAT it! What’s not to love??!

But in our part of NE Texas the window of opportunity in enjoying fresh spinach is short. In no time our spinach bolts and becomes bitter. 

But I’ve recently been introduced to a completely different kind of spinach. One that grows vigorously in a vine. In the heat!

Malabar spinach!

Dark-green heart-shaped leaves that grow in a vine even in the Texas summer heat. Beauty, edibility and heat-loving staying power. #TexasHomesteader

Continue reading →