Life is always throwing challenges and changes at us. It happens no matter where we live in the world. For better or worse, we must learn to cope with whatever comes our way.
While there is both an art and a science to running a homestead, it is often the productivity tips – the homestead hacks – that make a huge difference in just how much you can enjoy the entire experience.
Then the real magic happens when we begin to rethink “changes” (which are often perceived as bad) and turn them into “opportunities” (which, more often than not, are good).
Opportunities for learning, growth, appreciation and awareness.
As you read through this list of homestead hacks, take a peek into your own life to see where you can apply them. Either to:
- save money
- to save time
- save hard work (and your back!)
- or to simply enjoy more free-time on the homestead
Let’s get down to the business of being efficient!
Homestead garden hacks
The secret has long been out: gardening is not easy work by any means.
You need to fuss over soil conditions, too much or too little rainfall, irrigation methods, drought, seeds, pests and diseases, overflowing bumper crops to nothing to harvest at all.
One thing is for certain, gardening is never certain.
Yet, it can be such an amazing experience to grow your own food and herbs! Otherwise it would fall out of fashion, which is certainly not happening any time soon.
In fact, many people are turning back to the ways of old, every way and where they can. To ensure they always have food to put on the table. So that they can afford to eat organic, wholesome nutritious food. To know that their food is locally grown, without excess plastic packaging.
So many reasons to garden and so little time! Well, in reality most of us can find the time, it matters more where we waste it.
Instead of spending so much time online, rediscover a love for gardening, get out there and do it.
These homestead garden hacks will help you become the most efficient gardener you can be.
1. Planting perennials to harvest for decades
Want to know one of the easiest and most reliable ways to grow food?
Not only do perennial plants produce for multiple years (you only need to plant them once!), they are far more resilient to changing temperatures than annuals are.
When you plant a diverse amount of perennials in your backyard, you are guaranteed to get a crop every year. Incorporate those into a food forest – or forest garden – and you will begin to benefit wildlife as well.
Perennials are low-maintenance, they build up (rather than break down) the soil and they can help extend your garden harvest beyond tomatoes, cucumber and peppers.
Add some perennials to your garden, and see just how much easier they are to take care of than the often fussy market crops.
2. Vegetables to grow in shade
Gardening hack number 4: growing (and harvesting) crops in shade.
Not every garden has access to full sun. And that is a good thing, because not all plants need full-on sunlight.
If your goal is to grow beets, broccoli, cauliflower, leeks, peas or potatoes, know that they all thrive in partial shade.
Save yourself some unnecessary frustration by knowing what grows where in the garden.
3. Make your own compost
Getting to know the ins-and-outs of making your own compost can be tricky. Yet, compost is a necessity if you want to garden as locally as possible – adding your own nutrients back to the soil.
Here, at Rural Sprout, we’ve got you covered with plenty of advice on how to get started, as well as troubleshooting your compost problems.
- 5 Composting Problems & How To Fix Them: Flies, Stinky Compost, Rodents & More
- Can I Compost That? 100+ Things You Can & Should Compost
- 13 Common Things You Really Shouldn’t Compost
- Bokashi Composting: Make Fermented Gold For Your Garden In Record Time
- Vermicomposting: How To Start A Worm Bin & Turn Food Scraps Into Gardener’s Gold
4. Learn how to prune your own fruit trees
Is a homestead truly a homestead without a fruit tree?
My grandparents had a grand pear right by the back door. Towards the end of summer as the honey-sweet pears started to drop, one had to be careful of the wasps, but there was always plenty to share.
If you would like to make an apple pie with your own apples, or peach cobbler with your own peaches, you not only have to plant the tree years before you make the dish. You also need to keep the fruit trees well maintained too. Pruning them is essential for achieving bountiful harvests.
How To Prune Apple and Pear Trees In Winter For Higher Yields
How To Prune A Plum Tree For Better Harvests
5. And propagate them too
“Hacks” usually show you how to save money.
Have you seen the prices of trees in the nursery?! I know, I have worked at several of them, starting them from tissue culture, seeds, and cuttings.
It takes some practice to learn how to successfully graft some plants, but anyone can do it. With a little effort, you can propagate your own plants too. For yourself, for friends, for sale. Whatever the case may be for you.
6. Protect tomato plants from cold and frost
Tomatoes are probably that single fruit that every gardener hopes to grow. Not just one or two, more like one or two buckets of them.
Set them out too early in the season and the cold will get to them. Leave them too long and the frost will find them there too. Knowing how to protect them can save your harvest!
7. Grow microgreens and sprouts all year long
We’ve talked extensively about outdoor plants. But what about growing indoors?
One of the easiest ways to grow nutritious food throughout the year, is to grow it on your countertop – in nothing but water.
Take a jar, add some seeds and water. Rinse. Repeat. Rinse the seeds several times and you will end up with a healthy bunch of sprouts.
If you are seeking winter gardening hacks, try germinating microgreens.
8. Tips for a low-maintenance garden
Life is busy. Sometimes it is impossibly hard to fit everything you would like to do into one day.
Add some kids to the mix, and an animal or three, dishes, laundry and a garden to feed you all – and life gets beautifully complicated.
Gardening is a timeless activity that takes as much time as you are willing to put in. Make every moment count.
9. Easy ways to improve your garden soil
In order to produce healthy fruits and vegetables, you have to know that it all starts with the soil. Think about the best wines. Good soil, right?!
And your garden soil? How is it doing? Have you talked to it lately, or held it in your hand, or taken it for a soil test?
There is a lot you can do to help. Many options are free of charge.
10. Grow veg for free
The only thing better than random free food, is nutritious and healthy food grown by you.
Whether or not you have access to land, or an abundance of pots to plant in, there are a multitude of ways to grow food.
Gather your tools and seeds, then work with the energies of the earth (sun, wind and rain) to grow the nutrients your body needs to survive.
Here is another epic post, all about hacking the food you grow:
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