Gardening

Some plants are easy. All they need is a bit of sunshine, a sprinkling of compost, and the occasional watering to put out a captivating display of flowers and foliage. …

If you grew up in rural America, a big part of summertime was fireflies. Or lightning bugs. Or lightning beetles.  No matter what you called them in your neck of …

Companion planting is an inexact science. There are plenty of unknowns in this arena. Surprisingly, we still have a patchy knowledge of the interactions between different plants.  But what experienced …

If you’re lucky enough to have an asparagus bed, you’ll benefit from eating home-grown vegetables earlier in the season than almost anyone else. Crisp and tender stalks make this hardy …

In the natural world, the decomposition of plant and animal matter into rich and fertile topsoil is a very, very slow process. Somewhere along the way, at least as far …

Hey there Rural Sprout Readers; I wanted to check in with another update on my Garden Tower project. For those unfamiliar with it, the Garden Tower 2 is a vertical …

Have you noticed how we’ve become obsessed with microbiomes over the past decade? Whether it’s the one residing in our gut or the one that’s below our feet, microbiome studies …

I’m not a huge fan of worms. While everyone else is waxing poetic about the fresh scent after a good rain, my nose picks up the scent of dead worms. …

You know those hamburger and hot dog buns that are topped with little black seeds that roll off in every direction when you take a gigantic bite? More specifically, the …

It’s time, Rural Sprout Readers. They’re coming. Spring 2021. Who knows, they may already be in your neighborhood. Some sunny afternoon, you’ll walk outside expecting twittering birdsong, and instead, you’ll …

It’s incredible how many plants there are in the average garden that you can grow again next season for free. Many gardeners take this fact for granted and purchase seed …

When planning out your homestead growing space, the vegetable garden tends to get most of the attention. However, you’re doing your family a disservice if you don’t prioritize learning how …

With the month of May comes dreams and aspirations of warmer weather, perfect for gardening and spending meaningful moments outside. Maybe you’ll be sitting close to the campfire, by the …

Everyone knows that compost is like black gold for your garden. Compost prevents soil erosion, it supplies your plants with necessary nutrients, it improves disease resistance and aids in water …

It’s tough being a new gardener. Or even an experienced gardener. There’s much to learn if you want a garden full of veggies instead of disappointment. And everyone has free …

Apple, cherry, plum, and other fruit trees are always a splendid addition to the edible landscape. Gorgeous in every season, fruit trees put out a mesmerizing display of fragrant blooms …

Operating under the cover of darkness, slugs and snails can do massive damage to garden plants in a very short period of time.   Each evening, they leave their cool …

If you’ve read much about composting, you’ll know there are a different ways to go about it. One option is hot composting. There are a number of reasons why hot …

I stumbled across square foot gardening in my early twenties. I was watching PBS one Saturday morning, and there was this guy named Mel Bartholomew playing in the dirt. The …

Cucumbers are relatively easy to grow, but they can take up quite a lot of space in your garden, but provide a trellis or support for your cucumbers and you …

If you grow tomatoes, you probably have a collection of metal tomato cages stacked somewhere in your garage or shed. Maybe this year, you’ve decided to use a different way …

There are a range of different onions to grow in your garden – from large bulbing onions, to red onions, to scallions. But when choosing which onions to grow, and …

I remember growing up celebrating Earth Day in school and hearing about global warming and greenhouse gasses in class. These concepts always felt so far away when I was a …

I’m just warning you right now if you clicked on this to read, and you’re serious about attracting hummingbirds to your yard, it helps if you’re a little crazy – …