Feed your family from the ground up.
A productive garden is the heart of every homestead. Whether you have a quarter acre or a few raised beds, understanding soil, seeds, seasons, and plant relationships will multiply your yields and reduce your grocery bill. This module covers soil building, planting calendars, companion planting, seed saving, and pest management.
Find your USDA Plant Hardiness Zone. This determines your frost dates, which dictate when to start seeds, transplant, and expect your last and first frosts. Everything else flows from this.
Healthy soil = healthy plants. Add compost, aged manure, and cover crops. Test your soil pH (most vegetables prefer 6.0–7.0). Amend based on test results, not guesswork.
Map your garden before planting. Consider sun exposure (most vegetables need 6–8 hours), water access, and crop rotation. Tall plants should not shade shorter ones.
Start tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant 6–8 weeks before last frost. Use seed starting mix, not garden soil. Provide adequate light — a south-facing window or grow lights.
Three Sisters: corn, beans, and squash support each other. Basil repels aphids near tomatoes. Marigolds deter nematodes. Nasturtiums attract aphids away from vegetables (trap crop).
Deep, infrequent watering encourages deep roots. Drip irrigation is most efficient. Mulch heavily to retain moisture and suppress weeds. Water at the base, not the leaves.
Save seeds from open-pollinated (not hybrid) varieties. Let fruits fully ripen on the plant. Dry seeds thoroughly before storing in cool, dark, dry conditions. Label with variety and year.
Spring: start seeds, prepare beds, plant cool-season crops. Summer: maintain, harvest, plant fall crops. Fall: harvest, preserve, plant garlic, cover crop. Winter: plan, order seeds, maintain tools.
Compost Everything
Kitchen scraps, garden waste, and animal manure all become free fertilizer. A simple three-bin compost system produces rich compost in 3–6 months.
Keep a Garden Journal
Record what you planted, when, where, and how it performed. This data becomes invaluable for planning future seasons.
Succession Planting
Plant fast-growing crops (lettuce, radishes) every 2–3 weeks for continuous harvest rather than one big glut.
Perennials Pay Off
Asparagus, rhubarb, herbs, and fruit trees produce for years with minimal replanting. Invest in perennials early.