No matter the time of year, you can always get seeds started for the upcoming growing season or for growing indoors, and by knowing some creative ways to start seeds, you can save money. I’ve started seeds in muffin tins, milk cartons, and tiny clay pots. There’s no need to buy any type of special starting pots if money is tight or you just want to recycle whatever happens to be around the house. When should you start these seeds? …
It can be hard to think about gardening when it’s below freezing, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. Cold weather is the perfect time for planning, and it’s also the perfect time to assess challenges you ran into last growing season, learn more about what works best in your growing zone, and come up with a plan so next season’s garden is your best ever. You can do that with my free, printable Gardening Self-Assessment, which you can …
24 Ways to Prepare for Your Spring Garden in the Dead of Winter Read More »
A few years ago, I attended a class taught by Marta Waddell, a Master Gardener in Arizona. I’ve referred to my class notes over and over again, and decided they were good enough to pass along to you! This master gardener advice is priceless. It’s never too early to begin dreaming about next season’s garden, and even if you’re in the thick of things with weeding and harvesting, you’ll want these tips. You should also take my quick, 11-question Gardening Self-Assessment to learn …
You gotta love Altoids. The mints settle a queasy stomach and freshen even the most Dragonesque breath. They can make any beverage minty, help clear a stuffy head, and even defeat the munchies. And then there are the tins. What junk drawer would be complete without an Altoids tin (or two) full of whatnot, so why not use one or more for your own seed vaults? Long a favorite of Scouts, hikers, and others needing to travel very lightly, the …
Survival Mom DIY: Create Your Own Altoids Tin Seed Vaults! Read More »
Saving seeds is both a science and an art. Here are 27 things I’ve learned about seed saving over the years. 1. Saving seeds helps preserve the genetic material of the plant varieties we have. Within the last 100 years, we’ve lost over half of the varieties we used to have. 2. Saving seeds will give you crops that are better adapted to your specific environment. You’ll be collecting seeds from the plants/varieties that thrived. It gives you a lot …
27 Important Things You Should Know About Saving Seeds Read More »
Do you like sprouts? I had only ever eaten plain, long white mung bean sprouts from the grocery store and didn’t really care for them. Then I discovered home sprouting and the wide variety of seeds, beans, lentils and nuts that could be sprouted. My family now eats them on salads and sandwiches and sometimes even just straight from the sprouter! Beside the fact that sprouts are healthy for everyday eating and should be added to your diet for nutritional …
Sprouting Seeds – An Essential Part of Your Food Storage Plan Read More »
Ask any “food storage expert” what they recommend in a basic food storage plan and they will likely recommend the same types of things: wheat, rice, dry milk, salt, beans, sugar / honey, oil, pasta etc. The Survival Mom recommends many of these important items on her list of top 10 foods for stocking up. But with all their similarities, sometimes these lists include an item here or there that I hadn’t thought of before…something useful that I suddenly see …
Is your food storage plan missing these six essential pieces? Read More »
I’m a suburban gal. I’ve never lived on a farm, I’ve never raised chickens, and I’ve never lived anywhere where a rooster woke me up daily. One day, I dream of having a little homestead, but in the last few years, my soul and my senses have been awakened and soothed by the simple act of putting my hands into the soil in my own backyard and taking a stab at gardening, and I’ve done it all by gardening on a …