(Natural Blaze by Tess Pennington) Have you ever wondered why you should start your own garden when food is readily available at grocery stores? What about those who would love to be self-sufficient to the point of living off the food they can grow on their own land? The simple answer is yes, this is possible, but it will take hard work and dedication.
Most Americans firmly believe its impossible to be self-sufficient, and those values are all but permanently engrained into their minds from a young age. Even people who know that organic agriculture is just as productive as industrial agriculture often think you need to have acres and acres of land to grow all of your own food. But that simply is not true. According to the Small Footprint Family,applying certain techniques and principles can get you set on the lifetime journey of potentially being able to grow all your food on as little as a quarter of an acre! Even people in most suburbs could give this a try!
Obviously, how much food you need and can grow will depend on a variety of factors, space being just one of them. You will also need to take into consideration the size of your family and how much food they actually require. A large man will eat quite a bit more than a 5-year-old girl, however, that girl will also grow to consume more. These are a few factors to keep in mind when beginning to consider self-sufficiency. You should also consider the climate in which you live.
In the 1970s, research by John Jeavons and the Ecology Action Organization found that 4000 square feet (about 370 square meters) of growing space was enough land area to sustain one person on a vegetarian diet for a year, with about another 4000 square feet (370 square meters) for access paths and storage. The math works out to a garden plot around 80 feet x 100 feet (24m x 30m). But that is only the beginning.
After determining if you have enough space (calculate more for a larger family) you should also calculate how many pounds of each vegetable you consume as a family in one week. This will give you an idea of what you should be trying to grow. For example, if you eat 5 lbs (about 2kg) of potatoes each week as a family, that’s 20 lbs (9kg) a month and 240 lbs (109kg) a year. You’ll need to grow at least 240 lbs, plus a little more to make up for any loss of plant to disease, pests, and other often unforeseeable problems.
*Another helpful tip to keep in mind: There is no sense in wasting good garden space growing onions if no one in your family likes them. Plant what you eat and the reward for doing so will be greater.
You should also try to plant early, mid, and late varieties of your crops. This will provide a steady flow of produce spread throughout the growing season even if yours is shorter. It can also help to reduce losses due to pests and diseases as your plants will be in different stages of growth at different times. For example, GoVeg.com suggests if you’ve decided on growing potatoes you could choose 3 different varieties – one each of first early, second early, and maincrop varieties. Many other crops have seasonal varieties too, including peas, beans, apples, onions, and corn. You’ll also want to replant as you harvest your first early potatoes in June. You could then plant, for example, a quick growing crop such as some beets and still have enough time to harvest them as well.
You could also employ the use of greenhouses, cold frames, or a hoop house to add an extra few weeks at the start and end of the growing season. In cooler climates, this will ensure you are much more successful with tender crops like tomatoes, cucumbers, and melons. They will also help to protect your crops from unseasonal weather such as wet summers and from some pests such as birds, small mammals, and deer (although an effective fence to keep deer out is still recommended). It’s always an added and welcome bonus to be able to harvest fresh produce early in the season!
Another important thing to keep in mind is just because you may not have the knowledge or skillset yet to master a self-sufficient garden, that is not a reason to give up. Growing your own food doesn’t have to be about being totally self-sufficient, as that is going to have to come in time and with often several seasons of practice. Whether you have a few containers by your back door or have a 2 acre plot of land you can use, you’ll be able to add fresh ingredients to your meals, reduce your grocery bills, and maybe even discover a love for nature and gardening along the way! Another great side effect of growing even small amounts of your own food is that children often learn early how to eat better and stay healthier as they grow into adults. Getting your kids involved at a young age will spike their curiosity, as they love to eat the foods they have helped nurture an grow.
*Helpful Hint: grow snap peas along a fence just for your kids. They are easy to grow and withstand a frost quite well. Help your kids plant the seeds and water them. Show them how the peas look when they are ready to eat. Allow them to eat their peas off the plants whenever they would like as a healthy snack. My children love this and they go out on their own to weed their snap peas and taste the fruits of their labor all summer. It’s very rewarding for a rather small cost.
(Dr. Mercola) Dandelion greens are nutritious, delicious and versatile. They can be added to salads, soups and stews or sautéed and served as a side dish. What you may have only thought of as a pesky weed in your yard is actually a flowering herb with significant health benefits.
The dandelion plant belongs to the largest plant family — the Asteraceae or sunflower family — which includes more than 22,000 species, such as daisies and thistles. The dandelion alone has more than 100 different species, all of which are beneficial to your health.1 In fact, every part of the dandelion can be used, from the roots to the leaves and flowers.
You probably know how difficult they are to eradicate from your yard. When you mow them each week, the plant accommodates and grows a shorter stalk.2 Dandelions have become masters of survival, which is likely what makes them such successful weeds. However, while you may not want them growing in your yard, there are benefits to growing your own patch of dandelions and harvesting the greens for your table.
History of the Dandelion Herb
The dandelion has been embraced across cultures and centuries, but has now been branded suburban enemy No 1. An estimated 80 million pounds of chemicals are poured on yards across the U.S. to eradicate the little flowering herbs, but year after year these hardy plants return. Before the invention of lawns, however, gardeners used to weed out the grass to make room for more dandelions.
The name of the plant originated from the French who called it “dent de lion” or tooth of the lion, as the jagged edges of the leaves are suggestive of a lion’s tooth.3 Although it is native to Europe and Asia, it has been carried around the world and is probably one of the most recognizable plants worldwide. It is believed the European settlers found the plant so useful they purposefully brought the dandelion with them to the New World.
The official botanical name for the dandelion is Taraxacum officinale. The pollen from the dandelion doesn’t cause allergic reactions as the grains are too large. However, the sap from the plant may cause a common contact dermatitis resulting in swelling and itching.4
The plant is known to grow just about anywhere, but loves direct sunlight. As the flower matures it forms a familiar white puff of seeds that can float as far as 100 miles in the wind before settling into the soil and seeding yet another plot of land.5 Some outdoorsmen claim the dandelion helps them predict the weather. After the flower has gone to seed, if rain is coming the head reportedly will cover the seeds to protect the seed ball until the threat of rain has passed.6
If you are planting your own dandelion crop, it is probably best to plant them furthest from your neighbor’s yard and remove the heads before they seed. You can grow a full crop in your backyard using an inexpensive hot house that allows sun in and keeps the seeds from spreading. Even with such precautions, seed can still leave the hothouse on your clothing or on the sole of you shoes, so you’ll still want to remove the heads before the seed ball forms.
When you are starting a crop, the first seeds can be sown outside approximately four to six weeks before the last frost.7 Once they have sprouted, which takes seven to 10 days,8 you’ll want to thin them so they are 6 to 8 inches apart, allowing for full growth of the greens and plenty of room for the tap root. You can choose from a variety of different dandelion plants to meet your particular needs. The Clio produces upright greens that are easy to harvest and the Ameliore is a French strain with broader leaves and a milder flavor.9
The root of the dandelion routinely goes 18 inches deep into the soil and is an excellent way of keeping the soil from compacting.10 The root is sturdy and often has little hairy rootlets that may remain in the ground when you harvest your plants and regrow a new plant.11Although the plants are incredibly resilient to poor conditions, the quality of nutrition you receive from the greens will depend on the quality of the soil the herb grows in.
Dandelions thrive in full sun, but will grow in partial shade. Use soil that drains well and compost the soil in the fall to encourage a strong spring crop. You can harvest the leaves and flowers throughout the summer months. The roots are best harvested during frost-free fall months.12 Before harvesting the leaves, cover the plants with a dark opaque cloth so the leaves blanch, reducing the bitterness of the greens.13
The blossoms should be harvested when they are young and tender, just as they have bloomed. Putting them in a bowl of cold water will prevent them from closing before you eat them.14
Dandelions will grow problem free. You won’t have to treat for pests or change planting location unless they are planted in full shade. Dandelions may also be grown in container gardens, which makes covering them to blanch the leaves, or cutting the flower when they go to seed, much easier than if they are planted in your herb garden. Containers can also be set up high to reduce the potential for back pain as you are bending to care for the plants and prevent them from seeding your lawn or your neighbor’s yard.
Small birds eat the seeds of the dandelion; pigs, goats and rabbits eat the flowers and the nectar is food for the honey bee.15 But, beyond a food source for wildlife, the dandelion holds an amazing amount of health benefits for you as well. There are uses in your kitchen from the root to the flower, and health benefits to each part of the plant as well. Some studies have demonstrated the greens help produce antibodies to cancer.16
Dandelion greens are high in calcium, iron and potassium.17 They are also rich in vitamins C, A, K,18 thiamine and riboflavin,19 and surprisingly rank ahead of both broccoli and spinach in nutritional value. A full cup of chopped greens is a low 24 calories, packing more nutrition in a serving than some of the vegetables you routinely grow in your garden each year.
The vitamins and minerals provided in your dandelion greens help prevent Alzheimer’s disease, eye disorders, support your immune system and the development of strong bones and teeth. Practitioners of folk medicine have been using dandelion root and leaves for centuries to prevent and treat several health conditions. The root of the plant increases the flow of bile that may help reduce gallstones, liver congestion and inflammation and jaundice.20
The plant has a second name, “pis-en-lit,” (wet the bed) — a name that refers to the diuretic effect of its greens.21 When eaten before bed, they may require you make several trips to the bathroom during the night. Some find the leaves to have a mild laxative effect that aids in movement through your digestive tract.22 Traditionally, the root of the dandelion has been used in the treatment of rheumatism, as it has mild anti-inflammatory effects.
Time of harvest affects the properties of the root. Fall harvest has the greatest health benefits and produces an opaque extract with higher levels of inulin and levulin, starch-like substances that may help balance your blood sugar.23 Spring and summer harvest of the root produces a less bitter product, but with less potent health benefits.
The herb has been used by Native Americans to help heartburn and upset stomach and the Chinese have used it to improve breast milk flow and reduce inflammation in the breast during lactation.24 The Europeans used dandelion greens to help relieve fever, boils, diarrhea and diabetes. As a precautionary note, dandelions may make the side effects of lithium worse, and may increase your risk of bleeding if you are taking a blood thinner.25
Dandelions growing in the center of your yard can be harvested and eaten as long as your yard is chemical free and your neighbors don’t spray. Even if your neighbors use chemical pellets to treat the yard, the chemicals migrate to the edges of your yard, so don’t harvest and eat the dandelions within 10 feet of your neighbor’s yard.
You may end up with dandelions in your own yard in places where you don’t want them growing. There are several ways to remove them without resorting to chemicals. Even the pellets you sprinkle across your lawn to control weeds contribute to the damage done to wildlife in your area and groundwater pollution that affects the quality of drinking water. Over 5 billion pounds of pesticides are used annually across the world.26 These chemicals affect both plant life and the birds and wildlife that feed on the vegetation.
In most instances the chemicals are fat soluble. This means there is significant biomagnification as the chemicals remain in the insect and animal bodies and accumulate up the food chain. A conservative estimate is that 672 million birds are exposed to pesticides in the U.S. annually and 10 percent of those, or 67 million, are killed outright from ingesting the chemicals.27 The extent of the damage done long term to the bird population is difficult to estimate.
Birds exposed to chemicals also suffer “sublethal” effects that include thinning egg shells that break under the weight of the incubating adult, hormone disruption, impaired immune systems and a lack of appetite.28 Each of these consequences severely impairs the ability of the bird to reproduce, migrate and survive.
Birds may be particularly vulnerable as they can both mistake the pesticide pellets for seed and eat insects that are also laden with chemicals, doubling the load of pesticides they ingest.
Children are also more vulnerable than adults as they absorb more chemicals for their size relative to adults and are more vulnerable to the effects of the toxins in their bodies. A report by Environmental and Human Health Inc. found children exposed to pesticides had a higher incidence of childhood leukemia, soft tissue sarcomas and brain cancers.29
Some assume these chemicals are safe for use as they are sold over-the-counter, but while the Environmental Protection Agency classifies four of the more common lawn chemicals as having insufficient data to assess the impact on the development of cancer in humans, all are associated with the sixth most common form of cancer in the U.S., non-Hodgkin lymphoma.30
These chemicals don’t disappear after a couple of days either. They are incorporated into the leaves of the grass eaten by insects and your pet dog. They seep into the groundwater in your neighborhood, which affects the water that eventually reaches your tap. Residue is tracked indoors on the bottom of your shoes where it accumulates in the dust in your home.
Get Rid of Your Lawn Dandelions Naturally
There are several ways to keep your lawn clear of dandelions without resorting to toxic chemicals. Dandelions thrive in direct sunlight so when the grass grows 3 to 4 inches tall it helps to reduce the growth of the plant. The plant won’t flower until all the leaves have formed and only if there is sufficient sunlight and moisture.31 In the short time-lapsed video above you can watch one dandelion go from flower to seed ball in two days.
You can kill the plant, and therefore not worry about the tap root producing another plant, by spraying a mixture of white vinegar, water and salt directly on the plant. This will kill the surrounding plants as well, so use a direct spray and be careful where you aim it.
Your third option is to pull the plants from the ground, being careful to pull up the tap root from the end as any root you leave will produce another plant. Work in your yard when the ground is moist, such as after a deep watering or a long slow rain. Mother Earth News recommends three different weeders designed specifically for dandelions to help you remain chemical free.32
Each of the weeding options allow you to work standing up to reduce strain on your lower back and knees. The prices range between $20 and $30. Using a combination of all three strategies — length of grass, spraying individual plants with vinegar and salt and pulling individual plants — may help you keep a lawn free of dandelions and even address other types of weeds. Remember to address the plant before it goes to seed, as once the seeds begin to spread, all control is lost.
Use the Leaves, Roots and Flowers in Recipes at Home
In this short video, a chef from the Martha Steward test kitchen demonstrates making a chick pea and dandelion salad using fresh from the garden vegetables. Using the greens in a salad is just one way to use the plant — there are many more:33,34
Rainwater harvesting is one of the most important things anyone can do to help preserve our environment. We don’t have an unlimited amount of fresh water at the moment. Plus, rainwater that runs off your roof is better off being used than running down the drain. Roof rainwater is typically filled with heavy metals and chemicals that leach from roofing materials, animal droppings, and many other pollutants. This polluted water will make its way down the drains and into our rivers.
Rain Gardens Are the Perfect Solution
Rain gardens allow homeowners to collect rainwater, put it to good use by growing beautiful plants, ensure that it is conserved in the ground and filtered before it passes into lakes, rivers, and the groundwater. Water can be diverted from driveways and roofs into the rain garden, plus the way the garden is designed will mean most water in a storm will naturally flow into them instead of ending up in places that could hurt our health.
We’re going to look at the steps you need to take to create one, but first, make sure your tool shed is in order. You’ll need tools, so ensure the clutter is gone so you can find them and they’re all stored away neatly. Once you’re done we’ll proceed to focus on the individual steps you need to take.
A quick Step-by-Step Guide to Building a Rain Garden
1 – Choose Your Location
Make sure your rain garden is at least 10 feet away from your home, plus it should be at a low point in the ground to help it attract water naturally. The downspout on your house and garden shed should be able to reach it too. This can easily be achieved with downspout extenders for short distances and non-perforated drain tile for longer distances. Another option is to collect the water in large barrels or troughs straight from the gutters. The disadvantage is that you’ll have to hand-carry water in smaller buckets to the garden. The advantage is that you won’t have a large volume of water rushing into your garden during a storm, damaging plants, washing away soil and defeating the environmental purposes for your rain garden. Controlled watering from a container with a dispersing head produces gentler watering that is targeted and less wasteful.
Downspout extenders ($12-$25 each)
A 50-foot coil of drain tile ($24-$30 each)
50-gallon rain barrel with lid ($35-$70)
2 – Ensure It’s Large Enough
When you’re collecting water from a roof it’s going to have a big surface area, so you want your rain garden to handle it easily. You’ll have to work out if the area is large enough while taking the type of soil into account.
3 – Designing Your Rain Garden
You’re not just trying to protect the environment at the expense of your beautiful garden. The rain garden needs to be attractive too, which will mean sitting down with a piece of paper and coming up with the perfect design.
Graph paper pad ($4-$6)
4 – Choosing Specific Plants
The same kind of thing applies when you’re choosing plants. You want to pick the ones that will make your garden more aesthetically pleasing. One big piece of advice is to use native plants as they’ll be able to handle the environment. The experts at your local gardening center will assist you in selecting native plants that will do well in local soils. Consider digging a hole and selecting samples from the topsoil and underlying soil layers to take with you for the plant expert to inspect.
5 – Start Mapping It Out
Now you will have to create the shape you plan on using based on your previous design work. It needs to be mapped before you do anything else. It’s also worth finding out at this point if there is anything like pipes underground. In the US and Canada, use the Call 811 service, and someone from the local utility company, usually at no charge, will locate and mark pipes and wiring on your property, so you can avoid the danger and damage of hitting them.
22-foot tape steel tape measure or 50-foot fiberglass tape, depending on the size of your project ($4-$24)
Wood marking stakes ($4-$8 per bundle)
Sisal for outlining garden boundaries before digging ($3-$5)
6 – Now It’s Time to Dig and Fill
Once you’re sure everything is clear you’ll be able to start digging the soil away. You want to make sure you dig between 4-8 inches deep and measure it just in case. Use some of the soil if you want to build a berm around the edge. If your soil is clayey, this depth will likely be sufficient. If you have sandy soil, especially where your climate is dry, consider digging down 12 inches and lining the bottom of the garden bed with rotting timber from nearby woods or locally purchased firewood. This is an eco-friendly permaculture technique like hügelkultur but in bed form. Timbers absorb water, requiring far less watering of the space should little rainfall. The humus and nutrients produced by the rotting wood encourage plant health too. In sandy soil, a layer of clay can be effective for water retention and for filtering pollutants. Soil scientist Gary M. Pierzynski of Kansas State University says, “Many soil clay particles have a negative charge and will attract any constituents in the water that have a positive charge (e.g., some heavy metals, salts, organic chemicals, and pesticides).” Minimizing the negative impact of these contaminants on the soil and groundwater is a primary reason for building a rain garden, of course.
Locally sourced firewood ($50-$70 per cord, sufficient for a 10’x20’ garden bed)
7 – Getting the Soil Ready
You’ll want to add 2-3 inches of compost into the hole you’ve dug, but it will also need to be mixed in with most of the soil until the ground is level again. You need to ensure you mix everything together properly. The greenest source of compost is your own yard and non-meat food waste. Fruit and vegetable rinds, seeds, egg shells, bread, grass cuttings, tree pruning waste and much more can be composted. Here’s a comprehensive list of things you should and should not compost and instructions to guide you.
8 – Planting Your Flowers
Go back to the design you came up with earlier, and lay your plants in the ground. Make sure they are roughly 12 inches apart. Once they’re safely in the ground you can use your hand trowel to put flowers and grasses into the spaces.
9 – Mulching the Rain Garden
When you’re mulching it’s good to use coarse wood chips as they won’t fly away when the weather gets bad. It should be around 2 inches deep once you’re finished, which will help to lock all the moisture in.
Conclusion
Let’s summarize the many advantages of harvesting rainwater that falls on your roof.
The polluted water is diverted from storm drains that empty into lakes and streams
It can be filtered through soil before entering groundwater
Water can be conserved in a permaculture garden so that fresh water isn’t required for keeping the garden green and growing
Research shows that, with specific precautions, harvested rainwater can be used to grow edibles
If you’re looking for a project that is good for people and the planet, planting a permaculture-based garden and watering it with harvested rainwater is a very earth-friendly choice.
Editor’s Note
There are some roofs, even some asphalt roofs, where the water can be collected and then be filtered and used as drinking water. It may be worth some research and lab testing. Before you use rainwater collected from a roof in a food garden, and especially for drinking, it is usually a good idea to get it tested.
girl with mosquito bite, scratching hand has motion blur
Have you ever had a mosquito bite that turned into a big, itchy bump? You may be surprised by the number of natural remedies you have lying around your home that can help stop the itch so the bite goes away faster.
This is especially important for kids who don’t yet fully understand the importance of not scratching a mosquito bite. Don’t spend money on toxic creams. Use one of these solutions you probably already have in your kitchen.
A large giant is lurking around your home, just waiting for a little attention. And chances are you rarely think about its needs.
While an arborist spends his days thinking carefully about the future of the forests around him, it’s something homeowners rarely do. After all, we have to-do lists a mile long. If something isn’t causing a problem, why worry about it?
Unless you’ve recently dug a hole, visited a nursery, selected a new tree, and planted it in the ground, watering probably hasn’t entered into your mind. Most of your trees were a part of your landscaping before you purchased your home.They’re just there. They grow. Why worry about them?
But think for a moment about all they go through. Relentless rainstorms and huge shifts in climate: fall, winter, and spring. Inch after inch of rain soaking into their root systems. Winds that cause the boughs of trees to sway back and forth. And finally, the heat of the summer, where the sun shines down day after day, sometimes breaking records with heatwaves that quickly bring ninety degree days over and over again. It’s only natural that we assume trees can handle life on their own. After all, they’ve lived here on earth a lot longer than we have. And they’ll be here long after we’re gone.
A tree in the wild is different than one we keep in our landscaping. When we choose to make a tree a part of our décor, it takes more than Mother Nature to keep it alive and in peak condition. Tree watering is an important aspect of that process. It’s important to understand when a tree needs a little extra help.
Newly Planted Trees
This is the point in time where we spend the most amount of time caring for a tree. When you plant it, you understand that it needs a little extra attention. So you watch over it, giving it extra care along the way.
For most of us, we plant a new tree when the weather is at its best. Spring, summer, and fall are the perfect times to change things up in the garden and bring in a new tree to add to the view.
Select the final spot carefully, making sure it has plenty of room to grow in the coming years. Dig the hole deep enough to cover the root system, with plenty of space to spread out. Then add water to the hole as you fill it up. Be sure to give it a thorough soaking after the process is complete.
Then continue to water your new tree in the coming weeks. A new tree can begin wilting long before it shows up its leaves. An extra soaking every few days will help it take root and give it strength as it takes hold.
The First Two Years
Trees are most vulnerable the first two years after planting. This is when they do the most expanding. This is when substantial growth takes place. Its root system is spreading out, taking place deep within the soil.
During the first few months, it will have trouble dealing with heat and drought. If you plant in the summer, make sure you give your new tree extra water during dry spells or days of intense heat.
Don’t forget to track moisture throughout the first two years as well. Some years we get more than our fair share of moisture. Other years, we can go weeks at a time with hardly a drop of rain in sight. Keep track of the rainfall. If we experience more than a couple of weeks without significant moisture, add extra water.
You can also help keep the ground wet my adding wood-chip mulch around the base of the tree. This helps the water move deep into the soil, and stay moist for longer periods of time.
Is There Such a Thing As Too Much?
Just like not enough water can harm a tree, too much of a good thing can cause its own set of problems.
Overwatering a tree is a common mistake, especially in a newer tree. Keeping the ground moist is different than allowing it to become soggy. Moist soil that is allowed to dry out for short periods of time will allow oxygen to penetrate the ground and feed the root system.
As a general rule of thumb, thirty seconds of a steady water flow around the base of the tree will provide adequate water to the roots. And if you’ve added mulch around the base, it will keep the moisture where it belongs.
If you aren’t sure if the ground is moist enough, there’s an easy way to check. Using a garden tool, dig about two inched into the ground, making a small trench for you to access. Place your finger to touch the soil and determine its water content. If it’s moist, it doesn’t need additional water.
Trees Over Two Years Old
Once a tree has been on the ground for more than two years, it has been established into the ground. This means it can handle a wider variety of conditions with ease. It has the proper root structure in place to handle heat and drought in an easier manner.
However, you can still base watering needs on conditions. When we set records for most days over ninety degrees or most days without rain showers, reach out to your trees and provide them with a little extra nourishment. An extra drink of water will help keep them strong.
Planning for the Future
Whether you are planting trees in a new home in a new community or are simply ensuring success with trees that have been in your yard for years, taking action now can ensure their health for years to come.
If you’ve experienced droughts in the past, plant drought-tolerant species whenever you plant new trees. That will give you an advantage in the years to come if conditions continue.
