Today, self-sufficiency continues to be a growing trend as people around the globe are looking to make living more fun, hassle-free, and enjoyable activity. Among these self-sufficient goals is the need to grow their food. But, how does one decide how much food to plant, especially when the goal is to feed a whole household? Or the amount of space needed to harvest the farm produce right from the backyard garden.

Making the move to grow your family’s sustainable gardening during the cool winter and spring months and the humid summer and fall can be quite tasking and requires meticulous planning.

If you’re seriously considering the sustainable living option of self-grown produce to feed your family all year round, in this article, we’ll walk you through:

·         Where to grow

·         Proposed garden size

·         What crops to plant

·         How to get the most from your garden space

·         Watering techniques for the garden

·         Proper preservation method to keep the extra yield from going to waste

Deciding Where to Grow Your Self-Sufficient Garden

How great your yield is will depend on the environment you choose to use. When considering environmental factors, the quantity of your soil, availability of water, and planting space should be key factors. To select the best planting area,

I. Select an Open Space with More Access to Sunlight

Before deciding where to plant, you also want to consider if that area has direct access to sunlight. Vegetables grow better in a sunny environment. Research shows that sunlight helps your seed germinate. Added to this, the sun works through a process called photosynthesis to help your plant convert elements like carbon dioxide, soil nutrients, and water into food. Invariably, without the sun, your plants wouldn’t survive.

Ideally, the direction of the sun will change with time and season. For the seeds to have the best chance of sprouting and growing healthy, you want to choose a planting area that would receive good sunlight and gets an average of about five to eight hours of direct sunlight during the day. But, you can always add shade as protection from the harsh sun rays for more delicate crops like cabbages and fruit bushes.

On the other hand, many home gardens may not have the necessary nutrients needed to grow your veggies. Other times, you find that the garden is swamped with weeds.  So, do you plant on such low-quality soil? The simple answer is no. But, the good news is that you can get your garden in good shape by testing and preparing the soil.

II. Testing the Soil

Do you know that nutrient-dense and rich soil helps your seed germinate and the plants grow? When deciding on garden space, it’s best to test the soil. If you find that your soil seems darker and easily falls off the roots of a plant, then it is most likely rich in organic matters. Any soil with plenty of concealed animals or soil organisms such as earthworms will work great for gardening. But, if your soil doesn’t have any of these qualities, you want to make sure to prepare it before planting.

III. Preparing the Soil to Grow Your Own Food

Most soils look shallow and are often filled with stones. Others are clay-rich and can be really cold during the winter, making it difficult to harvest any plant yield. To avoid this, you want to prepare your soil for the gardening season. You want to do this by building a raised bed and getting rid of the weeds, stones, and debris. Doing so will help improve drainage while preventing the growth of weeds.

You also want to consider cultivating in a pest-free plot. Pests are nuisances, especially on your veggies, as they can impede their growth. If you find your gardening area pest-infected, try dealing with them naturally rather than using harmful pesticides, which can seep into your veggies and potentially cause health hazards.

How Big of a Garden Do You Need to Be Self-Sufficient?

Great question! But, here’s the fact, how wide and large your garden should be will depend on the family population. A family of two will not need the same land capacity to grow everything that would last them year-round like a family of four or five. However, the more growing space you have, the more crops, veggies, and fruits you can grow to feed the family.

Generally, a growing space meant to feed one person all through the year averages 200 square feet. So, if you’re considering self-sufficient farming to feed a family of four all year, it would mean 200 square feet multiplied by four, which averages to 800 square feet.

Also, you want to keep in mind that some crops are quite weighty and will take up more space than others. So, if you’re planning to grow large crops like Asparagus and Brussels sprouts or larger fruit varieties like melons, it’s always best to plan on a few extra square feet.

What Crops Should You Plant in Your Garden to Feed Your Family?

How much to plant depends on the specific types of veggies you and your family like.  But, deciding what to plant to feed a family year-round is hard work, especially with everyone having their likes and dislikes. For instance, brothers A and B might love green Spinach, while brother C may only love whole-carb foods. 

The number of products you aim to plant will depend greatly on your family’s likes and need. On the other hand, cultivating a portion of food that would last for only one season may not be favorable. That said, here are some things you want to consider when planning your garden layout:

· Consider Planting More of What the Family Likes

If you have a large household, you know how difficult it can be when sorting out meals for everyone. Planting more of what your family likes would mean you’re less likely to waste food.

· Plant Other Varieties to Last the Year

Having to eat the same thing over and over can be tiring. Most times, you may run out of your favorite food and have nothing else to eat. So, while every household is picky with their food and may have a variety they favor over others, you want to consider other crop varieties that would serve year-round.  

Year-round, it’s easy to get veggies and crops ins seasons like carrots, tomatoes, bell pepper, corn, lettuce, spinach, potatoes broccolis, celery, cucumbers, peas, and eggplants. So, make sure to cultivate long rows of each of them to last you throughout the year.

If you have little kids who eat in small amounts, you want to downsize the number of plants to cultivate. But if you plan to preserve your veggies and crops by freezing, canning, or drying, especially when they are out of season, you’ll probably want to grow a little extra. Plan on planting a few extra varieties for everything you want to preserve.

Alternatively, planting a seasonal garden would work effectively to provide food for the family year-round. So, try growing some veggies and crops in the warm summer and fall months and others in the colder winter and spring seasons. This will allow you to benefit from your garden’s harvest all year long. While sunlight helps plants grow, you’ll find that some vegetables grow better in the colder climate with less sunlight so, they’re perfect for winter gardening.

· The Climate Matters

Weather conditions differ with the environment and location you find yourself. While each climate is beneficial in its own way, the cold winter may not do your farm produce any good, and growing anything decent can be challenging. 

The good news is that planting other varieties and larger quantities of your summer crops will keep the family well-fed even during the cold weather. However, you may need to preserve them properly.

How Do You Get the Most from Your Garden of Any Size?

Maximizing your garden’s produce may seem impossible as seasonal yield depends on factors, including the quality of both the seeds and soil, proper plant spacing, adequate water, and the weather. 

But, of all these factors, the climate condition may just be the only thing out of your control. What then does this mean? You can easily influence other factors to get the most from your garden’s production year-round. Consider the following:

1. Choose Veggies and Crops Wisely Before Planting

When it comes to planting a household garden, you want to always keep in mind that your aim of planting is to foster sustainable living. With the family’s likes as a determining factor on what to plant, it can be easy to get caught up in the excitement of planting what you like over what you actually need to sustain the family throughout the year. To get the most from your garden, it’s always best to weigh the food options and choose wisely.

2. Try Succession Planting to Take Advantage of Garden Space

Succession planting simply means the art of planting again and again to maximize available space. As soon as you harvest your crops, you want to pull it out and plant a new variety of the same crop to ensure that there’s always something growing in the ground. But, not all varieties grow fast or healthy from the previously uprooted crop spot.

Depending on the season and its length, it’s best to be strategic in choosing the next best plant that would grow healthy and faster in that spot. If you’ve previously planted potatoes in the spring period and your second or third planting follows towards the end of the growing season, it’s best to continue by planting cool weather crops like leafy greens, root vegetables, or broccolis.

3. Consider Intercropping

Intercropping is a gardening technique commonly used in small gardens. However, this technique has gained traction in larger gardens as it helps gardeners maximize their harvest. How? Intercropping enables one plant crops of varying sizes and growth rates together to maximize more yield in a small space. Imagine having to grow your Brussels in a large row and using the next available ample space to cultivate your quick-growing lettuce or radish crops.

4. Cultivate Crops Suited for Your Area

When selecting the best seed for your garden, you want to put in mind the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Most locations are prone to extreme climate conditions and can damage less-hardy vegetables. If you do not understand the Zone Map of the USDA, talk to other professional gardeners to get the best advice on cultivating the best crops suited for your area.

5. Maintain Soil Quality and Moisture to Make Your Garden Self-Sufficient

Every self-sufficient garden requires the right amounts of nutrients and moisture on the soil to grow plants. But, every time you cultivate crops, you end up losing more of this soil quality. Hence, you want to consistently replenish the soil’s nutrients. How? Maintain nutrient level by adding some base of organic matters through compost or cover crops.

Meanwhile, unhealthy soil loses its moistness to become dry and waterlogged. To get the most from your garden, make sure to drain and water your garden properly. Otherwise, it may become more tasking to harvest good yield.

6. Harvest Early and Consistently

An early harvest would increase the chances of a higher yield. In essence, your plants generate more produce throughout the season. So, you want to form the habit of picking your plants once every day or week.

7. Plant Different Varieties in Your Garden

Where possible, plant different varieties of crops that grow during the early, mid, and late growing seasons. This will ensure the family has a steady flow of products throughout the entirety of the season. It also helps cover up for all the losses caused by pests during the different stages of plant growth. So, if you’re growing seasonal crops with numerous varieties, plan to cultivate their different varieties at the different growing seasons.

8. Grow More of Calorie Crops to Maximize Your Gardening Space

Calorie crops are farm produce that has high-calorie content. If you’re planning self-sufficient gardening for your family, you’ll want to include this hack. Why? These crops quickly fill you up. Hence, they will last longer than other varieties. Likewise, they are generally stress-free, store well and for longer periods, and are versatile foodstuffs that can spring up useful delicacies for your home. The top five calorie crops you want to include in your garden are beans, potatoes, corn, winter squash, and grains like wheat.

9. Mulch to Reduce Weeds

While the growing season continues, weeds can invade your plot. Before it gets the most of your garden, it’s always best to keep weeds at bay. How? Build a layer of mulch to shield your plants. Doing so will keep your crops growing well without being weed-infested. The best part, you won’t have to work extensively to maintain your sustainable garden.

10. Try Cold Frames

When it comes to keeping your garden in good quality year-round, a protective method like cold framing is essential. Cold frames keep your harvest safe from scavengers and frost while letting in sunlight to ensure your plant thrives. The best part, you won’t have to build it yourself. You can easily purchase a ready-made cold from the store to lay over your plants.

Garden Watering Techniques for Sustainable Self-Sufficient Living

How you water your plant is one other important factor to keep in mind when considering self-sufficient gardening. A poorly watered garden will leave your crops to wither and die out. Hence, observing the right watering technique is crucial for successful gardening. To properly water your plant:

1. Water During the Day

Most times, people water their crops at night to shield themselves from the humid sunlight. But, doing so can attract fungus and insects, as your leaves are not properly dried out. Moreover, the sunlight makes your soil warm. 

Hence, your soil may not retain water till the morning. The best time to properly water your soil is right before the sunrise, as the earth is still cool from the night, and the leaves will have plenty of time to dry before the night comes.

2. Water at Intervals

A quick five minutes sprinkle won’t give your soil the strength it needs for the seed to germinate. You want to water at interims and for an extended time. This way, the soil has a constant supply of water that reaches the root to help seeds germinate.

3. Water Directly to the Roots

It’s easy to sprinkle water on the leaves believing that your plants will grow in time. Well, you may be wrong as watering directly on the leaves does not have any effect on your plants. For better absorption, it’s always best to water the roots.

4. Don’t Underwater the Roots of Your Crops

Give your plant roots about an inch of water every day of the week. Why? Neglecting to do so can lead to poor root growth, which will, in turn, affect plant production rate.

How Can I Preserve My Self-Sufficient Garden’s Harvest?

Your produce can easily damage when they are not preserved properly, especially during the harsh winter months. If you do keep to the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map or you simply anticipate an extreme winter climate, it’s always best to preserve your home-grown crops to ensure they survive through the winter and early spring. 

Wonder how? There are preservation techniques like freezing, canning, and trying to help you achieve this.

a. Freezing

One of the easiest methods to preserve your produce is freezing. Why? It will keep your veggies and crops long-lasting even without any special equipment. But, you may need to get a freezing bag to store your produce.

If you’re considering freezing as a preservation method, you have to first wash your produce, whether veggies or calorie crops, dice them neatly, then place them on a clean single-layered baking sheet. 

After this, place the baking sheet with your product inside the freezer for close to thirty minutes to freeze. Once frozen, get your freezer bag, portion them into individual servings, label the type of product, date them to keep track of them, and freeze until you are ready to use them again.

b. Canning

Unlike freezing, canning can be quite complex, especially for the novice gardener, as it requires some technical know-how to carry out safely. For this process, you’ll need your clean, sterilized, and dried canning jars. You’ll also need to know the proper sealing procedure suited for your produce.

To can, consider preparing your produce. Vegetables and fruits work perfectly when made as soup, sauces, relishes, and even jams. On the other hand, calorie crops will demand you precook and season them before storing them in your canning jar.

c. Drying

Another preservation technique to consider is drying. Like freezing, drying is a simple process that requires little to no know-how. But, while this procedure is quite useful in preserving your produce all year long, it is less commonly practiced.

The good news is that a technique like this will save you space. Dried foods are ultralight and less spacious. Plus, you won’t have to worry about them getting spoilt due to an extended period of a power outage.

Deciding on the Right Sized Garden to Be Self-Sufficient

Gardening to feed your family can be a long and difficult process, and only a few ever fully achieve it.  The good news is that self-sufficient gardening is extremely rewarding. Now, add the cost of feeding the full household throughout the year, and you save money while gaining peace of mind.

The key to its success lies in choosing the right garden space, what crops to plant, how to get the most from your plot, the right watering techniques, and proper preservation methods to save the extra harvest from going to waste. While deciding where to grow, especially the garden space can be tasking, a family of four would do well with an 800 square foot plot of twenty by forty feet in size.

Still, there are ways to make sure that you are saving the most money that you can on your energy use and that you are not impacting the environment with your daily activities any more than you have to.

If you have been wondering how you can save money through saving power and how you can reduce the energy use of your living room space, you are not alone. This is the room that most of us spend many hours a day in and it’s where some of the highest energy use items that we own are located like our TVs. You might be afraid that you will have to just spend less time in this room but that is not actually the case.

If you are ready to learn more about how to save energy in your living room, you need to read on for more information!

Energy Saving Tips for Your Living Room

These tips can all help you to improve your energy consumption and make your home more cost-effective and better for the environment. You might use all of these tips or only a few of them for your needs, but all of them can help you to save money and help the environment.

1. Use Power Strips

Plugging all of your high output items like your TV and your gaming consoles into a power strip can help you to eliminate draw off the outlets when you are not using these items. You will save energy when these appliances are in standby mode and they will not be likely to enter this mode while plugged into the wall directly. This is also a good fail-safe to prevent high draw from causing issues with your fuse box and other electrical setups in your home or rental property.

Many people who are planning to be away for an extended time or who don’t want to have to worry about a draw that should not be happening when the TV is no one will actually unplug the power strip to prevent this from being a concern. Especially in some older buildings or apartments, you might be shocked at how much money you are paying every month for power just because your TV and other items are plugged in all the time.

2. Use Drapes Properly

If you have drapes, make sure that they are closed when it is cold out and you want to keep heat inside your living room. You will find that older buildings often have less energy-efficient windows and that you will lose a lot of your heat to the windows just by having them uncovered. If you are going to have drapes on your windows, you should use them to your advantage to keep the heat inside your living room.

If you have wall heaters in your living room, drapes can really help to keep the heat in that you have paid for with electricity. You should always make sure that your drapes are not blocking the heater or the hot and cold air registers as well. This can cause fire hazards in some cases and can block the efficiency of your heating and cooling systems in a dramatic way.

3. Place Lamps Away From the Thermostat

Keeping sources of heat like your lamps or your TV away from the thermostat can make a big difference in the energy efficiency of your living room space. If your thermostat thinks that the room as a whole is hotter than it is, it might be running the heat at the wrong times or using the air conditioning far more than it needs to. Your thermostat tells the heating and cooling system in your home what temperature the interior of the house is and sources of heat like appliances can throw this off by a lot.

You should always make sure that you check the environment near the thermostat once in a while to be sure that you are not causing yourself to be inefficient in your heating and cooling just because the thermostat does not know what temperature your living room actually is. This is one of the biggest ways that people lose money on efficiency each year and you will love getting this money back and giving back to the power grid by not using the power you don’t actually need on a daily basis.

4. Use LEDs in Your Living Room to Save Energy

If you are still using traditional light bulbs, you need to switch to LED lighting for your living room. These lights use much less power and they will last for ten years. They also do not create heat which can help with thermostat issues and heat in the room in the summer. You will find that they cast a nice blue-white light as well which can be really great if you need to see details of your work or you want to avoid the soft amber color of other lightbulbs.

LED lights are not expensive at all and you will find that they can greatly impact your overall energy use throughout your home. Most people make the switch to LED lighting in their whole home when they swap out one area of the house. This is a much better way to generate light and it is so cost-effective that it is well worth the cost to make this change throughout your home.

5. Bundle Up

If you are trying to save some money on energy, you can wear a sweater or cover yourself with a blanket to stay warm in the winter months. This can help you to save a lot of money because even heating your living room by a single degree can require quite a lot of energy to be expended. This is particularly true if you are using wall heaters to heat your living room. You will save a lot of power just by making sure that you are warm without having to change the actual room temperature.

For those who are worried about having to spend money on a wall heater to heat your living room, you might have better luck with an oil heater or even energy-efficient space heaters. Older wall heater units can actually be very inefficient and will cost you far more to use than a simple oil heater would.

6. Conserve Energy by Opening the Living Room Windows 

In the summer when things get warm during the day, if you can open the windows at night to cool the house down, you will save a lot of money on your air conditioning costs. It can really add up to keep rooms cool all day in warmer locations and opening up your windows at night can help the rooms in your home to stay at a reasonable temperature all day without running the air conditioning. If you like to watch TV in the summer, you can try to wait until the evening when the windows are open to cool things off.

Being willing to hold off on using appliances that generate heat during the summer months can be a great way to save money on cooling costs. You will find that your TV creates more heat than you think it does and waiting to watch TV or movies until the evening can be a big help to your power use throughout the day. Beyond that, you probably have other things that you are doing all day long instead of watching TV, so having the TV on for background noise is just leading to energy use that you can avoid.

7. Close Off Attached Rooms

If you are not using your guest room that connects to the living room or you have an office that you are not spending time in during the day, close these spaces off. Both heating and cooling will be slowed down if your living room is open to other spaces that might not be at the same temperature and may not need to be as cool or warm as your living room. The more that you can close off unused spaces during the hottest and coldest months of the year, the more you can save on electricity use for heating and cooling.

Even if you have unused rooms in other parts of the home that are away from the living room, these unused spaces might be impacting your heating and cooling costs in the living room and other areas. Closing off unused spaces will almost always save you money throughout the course of the year. If you are not going to be in these spaces, there is no need to be heating and cooling them all day each day.

8. Clean Your Filters

Make sure that you clean the filters in your cooling and heating system at least twice a year. When these filters become clogged, they can make your heating and cooling much less efficient. This can also cause strain on your heating and cooling systems that can lead to breakdowns that are expensive to fix. Cleaning your filters is easy and you might be even better off if you just replace them with new ones each time that you check on the status of your filters.

If you have been struggling with allergies or other issues, this can also help you to feel better. Dust and allergens can build up in your filters and make the air that is blowing into your home be less healthy than would be ideal. There are many reasons that you should clean your filters and only some of them have to do with saving money and increasing energy efficiency.

9. Replace Old Living Room Appliances to Reduce Energy

Any old appliances that you own that are in use in any room of your house might be causing a big draw on your electricity. This is a common issue with older appliances and many people find that when they replace their older appliances with newer items, they have a reduced power bill and waste less energy.

You might not be able to replace all of your older appliances at the same time, but you should consider replacing the work offenders as soon as possible if you want to save energy. There are many older appliances that can also cause issues with too much draw on your electrical system which can lead to blown fuses and other issues that could otherwise be avoided. You might have to replace your older TV with a newer model as well, but most quality TVs are smaller and generate less heat which is an added bonus.

10. Check for Leaking Windows

If you have older windows, they might not be sealed properly. This can lead to moisture and cold air seeping in that should not be getting into your home. You can replace these windows or seal around them to make sure that you do not have issues with cold air and moisture getting into the room and changing the temperature.

This can be one of the biggest ways that people waste money each year on heating and cooling and often it is one that is overlooked. Unless you stand by your windows for a bit each day, you may not be aware that the cold drafts that you are feeling are from the windows themselves. This is often the culprit for heating and cooling expenses in older homes and rentals but you can still often attend to these problems with ease even if this is not your own home.

11. Use Door Bolsters to Save Living Room Energy

If you have doors that close off your living room and you have closed them and are still not keeping the room as warm as you would like, you should consider getting door bolsters. These handy items will block the cold air that might be leaking under your doors and making your living room cold despite it being closed off from the rest of the house.

Door bolsters also help with noise control which can be really nice if you have roommates or other family members who are on a different schedule from you and don’t want to hear the TV or the video games that you are playing. Many people who discover that there is cold air leaking under their living room doors also find that this is an issue with other rooms of the house as well. Hallways and other connecting spaces tend to lose warmth throughout the day, so door bolsters can help keep warm air in the rooms that you actually spend time in.

12. Add Insulation 

If you are having trouble keeping your home cool or warm, there might not be enough insulation in the walls. You could consider having someone come look into this and advise you about ways to improve the insulation in your home to make sure that it is up to the standards needed to keep your living room warm or cool.

This can be a process to take care of the lack of insulation in parts of your home, but you will save a lot of money once the right insulation is in place. Modern homes have much more insulation than older homes and this can lead to a lot of wasted money and electricity each year trying to keep the temperature of these rooms from being uncomfortable.

Energy Saving in Your Living Room Doesn’t Have to be Hard

From the simple solution of putting on a sweater in the winter to closing doors to unused rooms and running the heat or air conditioning for only part of the day, you can impact your energy savings greatly just by making some adjustments. You will find that your daily routine and comfort will not be negatively impacted by any of the suggestions on this list and you might even feel more comfortable and at home in your living room once you implement these changes.

Saving energy can be harder in a rented space like an apartment, but you can still get the benefits of energy-saving from most of the items that are on this list. If you are able to make some large changes to the insulation in your home you might get the biggest benefit from this alteration to your home’s energy efficiency. This may not be practical for everyone but the other solutions on this list will offer big improvements to the energy efficiency of your home on a daily basis.

If you are tired of costly heating and cooling bills and you want to save the environment, using the tips and tricks on this list will help you to improve your monthly costs and help save the planet at the same time.

At the end of the day, you have to realize that water isn’t free and indiscriminate use of water results in a significant spike in water bills. Also, for all the abundant water we have on earth, only 0.3 percent is usable. This makes the conservation of water all the more important. Here are some useful tips on how to manage and save a significant amount of water especially in the summer: 

Ways to Save Water in the Kitchen All Summer 

You use a decent portion of your total water consumption in the kitchen. You can save water when you: 

• Use a Bowl or the Sink to Wash Produce: Instead of leaving the water running when washing fruits and vegetables, you can save a lot of water by filling up a bowl or the sink. Moreover, you can reuse the water to water houseplants of the garden when you’re done 
• Defrost Food Without Water: running cold water over your food to defrost is wasteful. Let your food defrost overnight in the refrigerator instead. Also, when in a hurry, you can always use the microwave to defrost.
• Fill up the Dishwasher Before Use: Dishwashers use the same amount of water no matter if it’s completely loaded up or not. So, you maximize water usage by waiting to have a full dishwasher before running.
• Install WaterSense Faucet Aerators: this will reduce the flow rate of water by 30 percent or more. You could also install motion sensor faucets that automatically stop immediately you pull your hands away. 

Ways to Save Water in the Bathroom

The bathroom is where you shower, bathe, toilet, and shave. It is arguably where you consume the most water in your home. Save water in the bathroom by:

Making Shower Adjustments

• Choosing showers over baths saves water. It takes 70 gallons of water to fill a bath and only 25 gallons for an average shower 
• Replace your old shower heads with models with a flow rate between 2.5-1.6 gallons per minute. 
• Try to reduce shower time to about 5- 7 minutes. 
• Take warm showers instead of hot ones 

Making Toilet Adjustments 

• Conserve water when flushing by installing a low flow toilet
• Fix toilet leaks, just one drip could cost you several gallons per day  
• Prevent unnecessary flushing by not using the toilet as a wastebasket 

Conserving at the Sink

• Turn off the faucet while you brush your teeth 
• When shaving retain water in the sink rather than keep the water running 
• Install faucet aerators 

Ways to Save Water in the Laundry Room 

• Buy an Efficient Washing Machine: Get yourself a washing machine with both water and energy-saving features. Look out for washing machines with a small water factor rating. The rating is based on the amount of water used against the load capacity of the washer. 
• Run the Right Load Size and Cycle: Running a full load maximizes the usage of water. Though some new washers have an economic cycle feature and water level regulators to suit different load sizes.
• Pre-treat Stubborn Stains:  Pretreating stains helps you avoid having to wastewater with a rewash. You can pre-treat stains by saturating the affected area with a stain remover.
• Direct Greywater Drainage to Your Garden: Get a plumber to direct greywater (reusable water that includes water from tubs, sinks, and washing machines) to your plants and trees. This helps improve your home’s general water consumption.
• For Handwashing: Plug your sink when washing and rinsing, Don’t leave the faucet running, and use a small amount of washing powder.
• Check for leaks 
• Wear your clothes more than once before washing

Ways to Save Water in your Summer Garden

• Water Correctly: The right time to water is early in the morning. This is because there’s less evaporated due to cooler temperatures and less wind to blow droplets away from plants. 
• Collect Rainwater: Using rain barrels can collect and store rain that runs through your home’s downspouts. Rainwater is cost-effective and free from salts and chemicals in most groundwater. 
• Install an Automatic-Rain-ShutOff Device: This device signals your irrigation system controller to halt watering when the specified amount of rainfall. It conserves water and prevents accidental overwatering of plants.
• Mulch for Moisture: A layer of mulch keeps the root zone of plants cool and reduces the rate of water loss through evaporation. Organic mulches also improve soil quality.
• Fix Outdoor Plumbing Leaks: You might be tempted to overlook outdoor leaks, don’t! A single leak on your emitter or hose could waste a significant amount of water a year. 
• Plant Flowers that Need Less Water: Grow drought-resistant plants. Plants like mimosa, lavender, verbena, and palms are quite drought-tolerant.

Ways to Save Water in the Workplace

• Assessment: You can employ the services of a water auditor to inspect and provide reports on all areas of water consumption in your company. The report will contain information on where employees or customers may be wasting water.
• Staff Education: One of the most effective ways to reduce water wastage in your workplace is to create awareness. Provide your employees with information on how they might be wasting water and ways to reduce water consumption.
• Leak Detection: Undetected leaks are a notorious source of water wastage in the workplace. Unattended for a long time could attract higher expenses in taking care of visible mildews and molds and stains on ceilings, floors, and walls. 
• Update Equipment: Low flow toilets, aerators on faucets, and replacing old water equipment are all changes you could make at your workplace to conserve more water. 

Conserving Water, an Essential Resource

The world’s usable water supply is not limitless, so conserving water should be of importance to everyone especially in summer. Moreover, you’ll be doing yourself a favor by saving money on annual water bills. 

In this article, we will take a closer look at the variety of essential crops every survivalist should grow in their garden. But you shouldn’t rush when deciding on which of those to plant. Some might have a higher nutritional value, while others can be easier to grow in your climate. Also, you should compare how long they take before harvest and come up with an idea of where to store the veggies.

Since your homestead or farm might lack electricity (or the solar panels are simply not powerful enough for cooking), you must be well aware of which of those products you can eat in raw form. Frying vegetables on fire is not always an option because the process is somewhat time-consuming. With the survival garden, you must be ready for all kinds of situations!

Please, make sure you’ve consulted a doctor before eating the crops mentioned in this article. Diet changes might cause allergies and other symptoms.

Amaranth (pigweed)

The main advantage of this plant is that takes little water and pests usually ignore it. While it looks gorgeous, we are after those tiny crunchy black seeds that you can eat with cereals, salads, or pasta. You can also grind them into flour.

The pigweed is an impressive source of vitamin C, iron, calcium, protein, and amino acids. The leaves can be eaten raw, but it’s recommended to stir-fry them just like spinach. By the way, did you know that you can brew fantastic beer with amaranth seeds?

Apples are Ideal for Your Survival Garden

The US is the second-largest producer of apples in the world. So why not join the statistics here. Some farmers say that it’s important to prune and shape each tree so that it grows healthy. Also, be prepared to spray pesticides and don’t forget to learn a bit of information about possible diseases because this will surely help you in the future. 

If everything is done correctly, you’ll get dozens of fresh fruits every year, and there is an enormous number of recipes with them. As for the vitamins, medium-sized apples contain vitamin C, K, B6, potassium, manganese, and copper. They are low in calories but nutrient-dense.

Asparagus

Once known as swamp grass, this perennial takes about five years to turn into a fully yielding plant from a seed. Luckily, the cooking process isn’t time-consuming here. You can choose to plant green or purple asparagus. While the latter is sweeter, these spears turn green when cooking.

The list of vitamins includes A, B6, C, E, folate, and calcium. It’s an excellent prebiotic that also reduces anxiety and provides you with a lot of energy.

Barley

This grass is world-famous for creation an inch standard (3 seeds equal 1”) as well as the base of many alcoholic drinks. Farmers plant it once the soil is dry in the spring and harvest it in the middle of summer. After it is collected, you then need to remove the edible part of the grain from the chaff. Soak it, and you’ll be able to cook stews, porridges, and salads.

Nutrition-wise, it contains several amino acids that help to reduce weight and sugar levels. On top of that, it is rich in vitamin B, loaded with fiber, helps balance gut bacteria, and prevents gallstones.

Basil is a Perfect Addition to Your Survival Garden

Along with adding an outstanding flavor to your meals, this herb contains polyphenols that boost your immune system. Vitamin K ensures stronger bones, while its antioxidants fortify cells. Furthermore, this adaptogen helps to improve your mood. As if it’s not enough, basil balances pH levels and promotes blood flow.

If you want to grow more than you can eat, you have to follow several care steps: 

Do’s:

• Water it every week;
• Remove the leaves once the plant has two sets of them.

Don’ts:

• Don’t use too much fertilizer;
• Don’t let them go to seed.

Beans

Commonly used as a meat substitute, beans contain vitamins, minerals, all the essential amino acids, and most importantly, protein. The protein amounts help to maintain lean muscle mass. Moreover, beans are low in fat and high in fiber. The organism takes a while to digest them, which lowers blood sugar levels.

They can be added to any meal, and you will surely get that feeling of fullness after dinner. Also, they grow fast, especially when the soil is warm and dry. Thus, you won’t have to keep an eye on them.

Beets are Easy to Grow in Your Survival Garden

You can come across a variety of beets: white, red, golden, and candy cane. These vegetables are full of oxidants, minerals like potassium and magnesium, and vitamin C. Many doctors claim that beets improve liver detoxification as well as purify the blood.

However, it’s not all about their taproots. The greens are edible too, and in our humble opinion, sautéing them is the best option to cook them.

You’ll love to learn that the beetroots are super easy to grow – they neither attract pests nor are susceptible to diseases. After you sow seeds, you’ll need to wait for about six weeks before harvesting.

Berries

Here, you’ll also find an assortment of plants to pick from. Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, huckleberries… the list goes on. Packed with vitamins and minerals, berries are low in calories and rich in fiber. They provide a healthy gastrointestinal tract, balance pH, and prevent heart diseases.

Have you ever heard that berries have the highest antioxidant levels among any fruits and veggies? Combined with vitamin C, anthocyanin, catechin, ellagic acid, gallic acid, they slow the aging process, provide better skin color, and even make joints more flexible.

Once gathered, you can freeze them for the whole winter to make smoothies and drinks and add them to porridges. The plants are self-sustainable, but it might take about 2-3 years until fruit.

Bok choy

Also known as Chinese white cabbage, bok choy is a highly recommended vegetable for those who want to have stronger bones. This benefit is achieved thanks to high levels of calcium, phosphorous, and Vitamin K. 

The entire vegetable is edible both raw and cooked, so you can stir-fry it, steam, add to your favorite soups or salads. It has a specific mild taste, but when harvested earlier, it becomes much sweeter. By the way, it grows quickly. Only 45 days are required for the plant to grow fully.

Broccoli

Did you know that broccoli’s close relatives are cabbage, kale, and Brussel sprouts? This cruciferous vegetable is entirely edible. While fresh broccoli is full of phytochemicals and antioxidants, vitamin C, K, A, and has decent protein and potassium amounts, the nutrient content can be altered depending on the cooking method you choose. For instance, it’ll lose fewer vitamins if you steam it.

It has multiple benefits for your heart and brain, reduces cholesterol levels in your body, and prevents allergic reactions. On top of that, that vegetable thrives in colder weather, which is rare among similar plants.

Brussel sprouts

Recently, Brussel sprouts have gained popularity due to their versatility allowing them to be used in any diet. This is partly because you can cook it or eat it raw.

Brussel sprouts are loaded with vitamin A, C, K folate, manganese, potassium, antioxidants, and have low calories. This helps to make your immune system stronger and prevents inflammations as well as some diseases. Next, the fiber they contain promotes digestive system health. As for growing, they don’t need much space, but it’ll take up to 31 weeks to produce sprouts.

Why Your Survival Garden Should Include Cabbage

Maybe some of you have heard of the anti-carcinogenic properties of cabbages. Unfortunately, cooking might destroy the component that is responsible for that, so it’s highly recommended to lightly steam them.

Additionally, cabbage helps stomach ulcers heal faster. It’s full of beta-carotene which allows your liver to detox itself. However, people with thyroid conditions should be aware of eating it because of goitrogens.

Once you plant it, you’ll get your harvest in less than 3 months. Just don’t forget to cover it with micromesh if your region is full of flies that like to eat it.

Carrots

World-famous carrot is a great source of alpha, beta and gamma carotene, zeaxanthin, lutein, vitamin A, B, C, K, minerals, and fiber. You can find this vegetable in many colors, and you can enjoy it raw, cook, or juice it.

The health benefits that its components provide are an improved immune system, healthier skin, eyes, and teeth, stronger bones, and increased metabolism. Carrots also help prevent cancer, cleanse the liver and achieve proper cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

You don’t have to constantly check them, so you can rest assured that you will get your harvest anyway. Depending on the weather, they can take up to 4 months to mature.

Cauliflower

This vegetable is famous for its low carb content, and it is widely used in the keto diet. As for the vitamins and nutrients, it’s super high in choline, which allows your brain to send signals to your muscles faster. Let’s not forget to mention the impressive vitamin C amount it has. Also, it comes packed with Anthocyanin which is a powerful antioxidant, Sulforaphane which promotes liver detoxification, and Isothiocyanate which reduces cancer risks.

Unlike broccoli or cabbage, cauliflower is very sensitive to climate changes, so growing it might take trial and error. 

Chives are Ideal to Plant in Your Survival Garden

Chives is a great source of choline, which is known for improving your sleep and learning process. Flavanols and organosulfur compounds found in this plant prevent inflammation, while vitamin A helps to maintain good eyesight. Additionally, chives are full of antioxidants like carotenes, zeaxanthin, and lutein. The grass-like leaves drastically reduce cholesterol production in the liver and normalize blood pressure.

The most successful way of growing chives is to wait until the sun becomes full so that it drains soil. Also, it requires good organic matter.

Corn

This is one of the oldest and famous crops in the world. You can think of it as both grain and vegetable. Besides vitamin A, E, K, and B6, it contains thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, pantothenic acid. It also has a lot of minerals, such as iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, manganese. Last but not least, it is a great source of phytic acids. Along with protein, it does contain gluten, so be mindful of that.

All of the components are important because they lower the risks of heart diseases, diabetes, inflammation, and help to normalize digestion.

You can come across herbicide and insecticide-resistant corn so that it will make it easier to fight pests when growing it. Also, corn loves to grow in larger areas and takes up to 100 days to mature.

Cucumber

You might be surprised to find out that cucumbers contain 73 different phenolic compounds. These help to maintain the proper levels of blood sugar and cholesterol, cause anti-inflammatory effects, and contain antioxidants and fiber. Just don’t peel them when eating so that you can get all the vitamins.

Since cucumbers contain a lot of water, you’ll always stay hydrated while also getting all the necessary nutrients. On top of that, they kill bacteria in your mouth that cause bad breath and help to fight stress.

Apart from being easy to grow, they are quite prolific.

Interesting fact: while pickled cucumbers help digestion, it isn’t the best way to preserve all the healthy components.

Dill

Dill has exciting antibacterial effects so that you won’t have to go to the pharmacy to buy something against flue. It also works well against fungal infections. Along with being full of beta-carotene and vitamin C, it is known to settle the stomach and provide positive effects to your skin. When cooking, it adds exceptional flavor to the products.

Do you often feel nervous and tired? Try eating dill daily since it helps to deal with stress and bad mood. Moreover, it is packed with Magnesium, iron, and calcium, so nursing mothers should consider this when feeding their babies. 

It is very simple to grow and get a permanent supply – plant it a few times each month, and you are ready to go!

Eggplant

Have you ever heard about eggplants containing nicotine? However, there is no need to worry since its content is very low. On the other hand, it’s packed with vitamins, potassium, and fiber, which promotes the absorption of nutrients. It also allows your organism to process food effortlessly.

This vegetable also reduces the risks of anemia, repairs damaged cells and protects lipids in our brain. Moreover, this is the best option for people who want to lose weight.

Apart from eggplant flea beetles, nothing should disturb your plants. After two months, you’ll find the veggies (or it’s better to say berries) that are almost ready to be harvested.

Include Garlic in Your Survival Garden

While many people know that garlic boosts the immune system, it also reduces blood pressure thanks to the active compounds it has and normalizes cholesterol levels. Next, eating more garlic will provide your organism with antioxidants that slow down the aging process. Also, this plant allows heavy metals removal from the organism.

At the same time, you have to be careful with eating too much garlic, because it causes bad breath. Some might also suffer from garlic allergies.

One thing we especially love about garlic is that it takes minimum space to grow. But you have to be patient – it requires more than seven months until you can gather it.

Ginger

Ginger is an excellent spice with many health benefits such as blood glucose levels control, gas relieving, and immune system boosting properties. Added to that, it allows your organism to absorb nutrients more efficiently, improves blood flow, relieves pain, and unclogs sinuses quite fast. Just like a cucumber, it can make your breath fresh and neutralize any bad taste.

Unless your climate is warm, it is impossible to grow ginger because it is a tropical plant. As an alternative method of growing it, you can plant ginger at home.

Jerusalem Artichokes

The prebiotic effect that Jerusalem artichokes provide helps to stimulate the activity in the gastrointestinal tract. They also control blood glucose levels, cholesterol, blood pressure, and improve blood formation. Full of vitamin B, these vegetables reduce inflammation and boost the immune system.

It’s great that this plant requires little to no attention and provides you with large potato-like tubers that can be eaten raw or cooked. However, it’s important to remember that you can’t eat leaves and hairy parts because these are known for causing choking hazards.

Your Survival Garden Should Include Kale

High contents of beta-carotene and vitamin C in Kale slow down the aging process and prevent damage caused by free radicals. At the same time, lutein, zeaxanthin, and carotenoids improve vision and ensure good skin. The recommended daily dose has more vitamins and minerals than you need. For example, it contains a lot of vitamin K, calcium, and iron, which ensures stronger bones.

It is also anti-inflammatory thanks to the well-balanced omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Thus, arthritis shouldn’t bother you at all. The best part here is that kale is low in calories while providing you with that feeling of fullness after lunch. Furthermore, it removes toxins from your body and improves immunity. Lastly, it is not hard to grow at all!

Lavender

You can’t mistake the lavender scent, which is commonly used in aromatherapy. The tea made with lavender helps a lot to avoid anxiety and calm down your nerves. At the same time, you won’t feel drowsy even after a few cups. 

In the well-drained soil, it grows fast, and it can withstand heavy winds, heat, and lack of water. Depending on the climate you live in, it grows either as a perennial or as an annual.

Leeks

Allicin contained in leeks helps to control the cholesterol level as well as blood pressure. The anti-bacterial properties of this plant boost your immune system. Thus, doctors often recommend it to pregnant women to ensure proper baby growth. 

Your heart muscles highly depend on vitamin B, and leeks have plenty of it, while iron and calcium prevent anemia. Also, its fiber helps your digestive system work better.

Leeks require at least 14 weeks for growing, and you have to make sure that the soil it sits in is fertile.

Lentils

The world knows more than 12 varieties of this plant, and it can be eaten with or without a husk, which contains a lot of fiber. It’s highly recommended for people with low blood iron levels. After a small portion, you will feel full and energized again. Along with iron, they help to control blood sugar.

Antioxidant effects, especially from manganese, prevent free radicals impacts, while folic acid help to keep the baby healthy during pregnancy. Also, lentils improve intestinal regularity.

Before harvest, it takes about three months, and they require to be planted in sunny areas. They prefer soil pH levels somewhere around 6.5 points.

Lettuce

Do you like crunchy salads? Along with the pleasant sound comes rich nutrient content. It contains omega-3 fatty acids that improve your skin and prevent the degeneration of skin cells.

To get rid of insomnia, you simply need to add lettuce to your salads on daily basis. On top of that, you’ll notice stress relief and reduced anxiety. If you are after weight loss, this is also a great option due to its low calories and fats content.

Only about 1 month is needed for this vegetable to grow, and you go even further with a loose-leaf type that will help you avoid any fuss with it.

Melon

Not only they are sweet and juicy, but also melons are a great source of vitamin A, beta-carotene, and antioxidants. The latter prevents skin aging and protects it from sunlight while also causing a positive effect on our eyes. On top of that, you’ll be glad to find out that it has an anti-inflammatory effect, helps our digestive tract, and prevents asthma. Thanks to vitamin C, potassium, and fiber, melons lower blood pressure and protect the heart. It is also incredibly beneficial for our hair.

Just like other tropical and subtropical fruits, melons need sunny places and well-drained soils. Apart from that, they are quite easy to grow, but the maturation process might differ for each fruit.

Milk thistle

Also known as “silymarin”, this herb is famous for influencing the hepatocyte growth factor. It causes a positive effect on the liver: it reduces damage caused to cells by toxins and regenerates them. Along with being full of antioxidants, it boasts anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects.

While growing them in your survival garden is not a big deal, you should know that they can overtake any plants that sit nearby.

Mint is Perfect for Your Survival Garden

This herb is known for its wide variety of uses and its sweet and cooling taste. It guarantees fresh breath and fights oral infections. By the way, you don’t have to make smoothies or tea every time – just chew a leaf for a few minutes to prevent any potential dental diseases.

It is a great source of vitamins A, B2, C, zinc, calcium, copper, and magnesium. If you add mint to your diet, you’ll notice that it helps to relieve indigestion. Also, its antispasmodic properties soothe the muscles and relieve pain. Due to the inflammatory effects it causes, it soothes asthma symptoms. 

Before planting mint, you should prepare the flowerbeds so that they won’t invade other plants. It takes only 3 months before maturity.

Moringa Tree

Only in a couple of years, moringa tree has caught the attention of the medical community around the world with its high protein content, vitamins A, B6, and C, iron, beta carotene, phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium.

The components found in moringa lower blood sugar levels, which prevents blood diseases. It also reduces inflammation and cholesterol in your organism. For those looking for a crop that can keep the hormones balanced, this is an ideal solution. On top of that, you’ll get healthy skin and improved mental health.

Moringa tree likes slightly moist soil, but don’t water it too much so that its roots can develop normally. It can grow very high, but the trick is to top it, so you’ll get a small bush-like tree.

Nettle

The nutrients and vitamins that you can find in nettle help to detox your body. Vitamin C and iron improve blood circulation. Also, studies have shown that its anti-inflammatory effect works great against arthritis and muscle pain. It strengthens bones and helps with respiratory conditions.

As for growing, you can plant them indoors and then take them to your garden. The harvest will be ready in 3 months.

Okra is a Must in Any Survival Garden

The “ladyfingers” can be found in red or green color. Despite the type to pick, you’ll always end up having green ones after cooking them. Okra contains vitamin C and K1 that control the immune system and blood clotting respectively.

It’s low in carbs and calories but rich in fiber and antioxidants. This plant promotes muscle growth and prevents heart diseases. 

Of course, it likes a warm climate, but it’s OK to start growing it in the pot. The maturity is then reached in 2 months, and the fruits will be available for multiple weeks.

Onions

Everybody knows that onions are packed with vitamins and minerals. For example, they are full of chromium that maintains blood sugar balance. Also, they contain biotin which is needed for healthy hair. Vitamins B6 and C are responsible for metabolism and the immune system, while sulfur is needed for liver detoxification. Onions have strong anti-viral properties, and their components are great for your heart.

To make sure that they keep as many vitamins as possible, you should remember to lower the heat when cooking. Next, don’t cook them for too long and never cut them too thin.

Oregano

Here is another member of the mint family. This plant is rich in compounds that prevent damage from free radicals. Moreover, its essential oil fights well against various bacteria and decreases chronic inflammation. Consequently, your organism will be more resistant to viral infections. 

If you want to plant oregano, don’t hesitate to do so because its presence will be beneficial for other veggies. With the well-drained soil and full sun, it will reach maturity in 45 days.

Parsley

You can find this herb in many gardens, and this is due to the simplicity of growing it and various medical effects. The seeds are known to work great against flatulence and colic pain, the roots are excellent diuretics, and its juice is used to treat kidney ailments. Apart from that, it causes a beneficial effect on your bones, removes toxins from the body, and fights cardiovascular diseases. The anti-bacterial properties ensure good breath.

To get the most out of your harvest, plant the parsley in the sunny area and water the soil regularly.

Parsnips

This root vegetable resembles carrot but has a unique spiced flavor with some extra sweetness. Just like carrots, you don’t need to cook them. Parsnips are packed with vitamins B, C, E, K contain a high amount of potassium, manganese, magnesium, phosphorous, zinc, and iron, and have a lot of fiber.

This vegetable allows your digestive tract to function better, improves metabolism, prevents depression, and eliminates free radicals.

From seeds to roots, they need more than 4 months. The process will go faster if you provide them with sun and moist soil.

Peanuts are a Great Addition to Your Survival Garden

These delicious nuts are full of fats that promote good heart health. Thanks to manganese, they normalize blood sugar regulation. If you eat a small portion of the peanuts daily, the risk of developing gallstones will be reduced drastically. The combination of components allows you to fill full longer, so it’s a great weight management choice. Also, they are full of niacin, which helps to improve your memory.

Before planting peanuts, prepare a bowl with moist soil and remove the shell. If you keep them inside until the weather gets warmer, you should be able to get the harvest in four months.

Peas

Many healthcare associations and organizations recommend consuming legumes regularly as they have multiple benefits. As such, they reduce heart diseases and free radicals damage caused to your organism, lower cholesterol levels. On top of that, they are packed with vitamin C for your immune system and help to improve your skin.

These delicious vegetables take about two months to grow, and you can choose to plan them either inside or outside.

Pepper

When speaking about bell peppers, red ones have the most nutrients, but all of them are extremely beneficial. They contain beta carotene that helps to improve vision, vitamin C that boosts your immunity, and low calories. Additionally, they improve the condition of your digestive system.

They only need some extra care in the early developing stages. Later, they won’t require that much attention. Depending on the type you’ve picked, they can grow mature in two or three months.

Potatoes

Do you know why potatoes can be deemed as the most important vegetables in your diet? This is because of the amount of energy they can provide you with. The high potassium content ensures a good supply of ions in your body. Eating potatoes with skin allows you to get more calcium, iron, and phosphorus.

While there is a common misconception that potatoes are responsible for gaining extra weight, this isn’t going to happen if you lower the amount of butter that is used when cooking.

Growing potatoes is a simple process, and you’ll always get an abundant harvest. The thing is that you might require extra help when digging the soil.

Pumpkin

While pumpkins aren’t very easy to cook, eating them fresh allows you to get as many vitamins as possible. They are packed with vitamin A, beta-carotene, potassium, and fiber. You shouldn’t be afraid of gaining extra weight with them because they have almost no calories and no fat.

Growing pumpkins can bring a lot of fun, especially if you love making Halloween decorations. All you need to do is to hide it from cold weather, provide them with plenty of water and sunlight, and you’ll be able to enjoy this massive type of squash.

Add Quinoa to Your Survival Garden Crops

This gluten-free cereal is nutrient-dense, while also being full of protein and all the essential amino acids. Moreover, it contains magnesium, potassium, zinc, iron, and antioxidants. Quinoa is anti-inflammatory, and it has an anti-depressive effect.

The good news is that it grows almost in every climate, doesn’t need that much space, and needs only about 90 days to mature.

Radishes

If you are looking for something that can help you to clean sinuses, radish is a great option as it removes mucus from different parts of your body. Apart from that, you’ll be happy to know that it supports your liver and kidneys as well as the lymphatic system.

It only takes three weeks to mature after planting, so you can organize a constant supply of this fast-growing vegetable.

Rhubarb

Rhubarb has its distinct sweet and tart taste, but this is not the only reason why we’ve included it on our list. When eaten raw, it will supply your body with vitamins C, K potassium, magnesium, and manganese. Doctors admit that it normalizes digestion and improves cognitive function.

The plant does need sun but also can grow in partial shade. The soil needs to be well-drained and rich. But keep in mind that it takes two years to grow after you seed it.

Rutabagas

This vegetable appeared as the result of crossing cabbage and turnip, and both its parts are edible. Full of vitamin C, magnesium, potassium, calcium, zinc, iron, rutabagas reduces blood pressure, aids your digestive function and metabolism, and boosts immunity.

This plant needs a longer growing period and requires cooler days to mature. You can plant it in containers if you want, just make sure that you leave more free space for each of them.

Sorrel

Sorrel is another popular herb that boasts multiple health-promoting abilities. It increases blood circulation, helps your immune system, digestive tract, and it’s full of vitamins A, B6, and C. This herb also has a lot of dietary fiber.

In open areas with dry soil, sorrel thrives and gives many leaves. Only two months are needed before it is ready to harvest.

Your Survival Garden Should Have Spinach

The top benefits of eating spinach are its rich nutritional profile, anti-inflammatory effect, heart diseases prevention, and immune system boost. This is all due to the higher content of vitamins A, C, K, magnesium, calcium, and potassium.

It is a fast-growing plant, as only 6 weeks are needed before it’s ready. In addition, you don’t have to water it too often.

Squash

Butternut squash is easy to recognize because of its cocoon shape and orange flesh inside. Apart from the flesh, you can also roast and eat its seeds. As for the concentration of nutrients, it includes vitamins A, C, fiber, zinc, protein, folate, potassium, and various antioxidants. It protects your heart health, preventing strokes, atherosclerosis, and other issues.

 You start growing it indoors in the pot, and then you can prepare the beds as the weather becomes warmer. The growing season is quite long, and it takes about 4 months to mature.

Sunflower Seeds

Sunflower seeds are rich in micronutrients and they ensure stronger bones, better skin, proper cell functions, mood enhancement, and cardiovascular health. Since they are full of antioxidants, they help to fight against free radicals. As a drawback, they lack omega-3, so you have to be mindful of that.

The sunflowers prefer warmer climates, and their growing season usually takes from 90 to 120 days.

Sweet Potatoes

If you compare sweet potatoes and their regular cousins, you’ll notice those lower amounts of calories and carbohydrates. Moreover, sweet potatoes have more vitamin A, fiber, and antioxidants, which ensures better skin and vision. Interesting fact: the nutritional content correlates with the color of the root.

You can call this crop fragile, as it can’t withstand cool weather. At the same time, you’ll be surprised by the abundance of the harvest if it grows in a warm climate.

Swiss Chard

Even astronauts admit the importance of this vegetable since they’ve picked it to be the first one grown in space. Swiss chard contains chlorophyll, phytochemicals, and fiber that help to prevent cancer. Next, people who suffer from diabetes will like that it helps to normalize blood sugar levels. Additionally, vitamin K and calcium will ensure stronger bones.

This plant is not demanding at all – with a bit of fertilizer, you will be provided with many green leaves that contain a lot of vitamins and minerals.

Thyme

Commonly used as a spice or tea, thyme is known to slow down aging processes, treat acne, and stabilize blood pressure. It has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects and improves your respiratory health. Thanks to the high iron content, it can provide up to 20% of RDA.

While this herb feels comfortable in rocky areas, it doesn’t like moist soil. After the first year, be prepared to prune it regularly.

Tomatoes

These juicy plants are used in a wide range of recipes. Due to the rich fiber content, they keep you full without those extra calories. They contain a lot of potassium, which normalizes blood pressure, and vitamin C is required for skin health.

Perhaps tomatoes are the best plant for beginners to grow in their survival garden as they are self-sustainable and provide you with a lot of fruits.

Turmeric

The curcumin that this plant contains has strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. It also helps to reduce the risks of heart and brain diseases as well as age-related diseases.

Turmeric grows like a weed in sunny and well-watered flowerbeds, but you’ll need your patience – the whole cycle might take up to 10 months.

https://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/diet/scientific-health-benefits-turmeric-curcumin/

Wheat

No one doubts the popularity of this crop, and the number of recipes you can find with it is big. Still, some might question the idea of growing wheat as it contains gluten. Various surveys show that wheat is proven to help avoid gallstones, prevent type 2 diabetes and cancer. It is also a great source of fibers and antioxidants.

At first, it might seem like a daunting task, but growing wheat in your survival garden is possible. It takes up to 8 months to reach maturity, and you need to be aware of all wheat pests and diseases beforehand.

Wheatgrass

The complex of vitamins in wheatgrass includes A, C, E, K, and it contains amino acids and minerals. Its juice is full of elements that improve your immune system, remove toxins from your body, and boost metabolism. Moreover, it lowers blood pressure and reduces cholesterol levels.

It is a very fast-growing type of grass that doesn’t need much sunlight. You can plant it in the pot and enjoy it after 10 days.

Zucchini

Also known as courgette, zucchini can help a lot for those who have extra pounds. It is rich in fiber, vitamins, and beta-carotene, which improves your immunity. Magnesium is beneficial for heath health while antioxidants flush out all the unwanted toxins from your organism.

Zucchini loves a warm climate, grows fast, and doesn’t need much attention. Adding a bit of fertilizer might help, and you’ll notice the germination in a few days.

Creating Your Survival Garden Crop Plan

We hope that our article helped you find out which crops are a must-have in your survival garden. With this information, it should be easier to plan your diet as well as analyze which of those plants can be used as medications or have the beneficial effects that you are after. Happy gardening!

If you have wanted to go off the grid but are not sure what kinds of lights will work best for your needs, you are not alone. This is a common question that is asked when setting up a solar system and it is important to make sure that you have the right solar lighting to be comfortable and safe in your home. You will need to make sure that you look into a variety of factors related to the solar lighting that you choose so that you can ensure that you get the right lights for your unique needs.

If you are ready to learn more about the solar lighting that you should pick for your off-the-grid home, read on!

What is Solar Lighting?

Solar lighting can be used both inside and outside a home. If you are off the grid, you will need access to both kinds of lighting systems to make sure that your home is safe and secure during all the seasons of the year. Solar lighting is powered by solar panels that might be installed on the roof of your home or on the property in another location and then power is collected by batteries that power your lights.

You can use unique systems for each kind of solar lighting, and your outdoor lights might have their own collection point and battery while your home is powered by the solar panels that are on your roof. Solar lighting systems are powered by the energy that is created by the sun or daylight through cloud cover. You can install these lighting systems in any kind of home, not just one that needs to exist off the grid.

How Does Solar Lighting Work?

Solar lighting systems are powered by solar panels that are able to transfer the energy of the sun into battery power for your lighting. Solar cells are made up of many layers of crystalline silicon and chemicals that create layers of negatively charged electrons and positively charged spaces. These cells take the light of the sun and excite the negatively charged electrons. This pushes them into the positively charged spaces.

These spaces then move the electron stream as an electrical current into a battery. The electricity is then stored until it needs to be accessed. The battery will charge all throughout the day so long as there is light from the sun that can be converted to electricity. Solar cells that are attached to outdoor solar lighting will commonly use a photoreceptor that can tell when it is dark. This receptor tells the outdoor lighting system to turn on and start accessing the stored electricity in the batteries attached to the system.

Indoor lighting in your home will more than likely not be attached to any kind of photoreceptor and will still be controlled through the use of switches that are in each room. The lights in your home can be powered by the stored battery energy that has been created throughout the day.

How to Choose the Right Solar Light

Solar lights are often chosen based on the quality of the solar cell that they are attached to and the amount of battery that they can store for your needs. You will need higher quality solar panels for lights that will offer enough illumination and duration of light for certain needs. You will be smart to focus on LED lighting for your lighting system since it is energy efficient and offers very bright light.

LED lighting also does not generate heat and the color of the light is quite pleasant when you are trying to work under it or near it. Many homes are lit entirely with LED lighting these days and the bulbs will last for 10 years on average. This means that the LED lights should be an essential part of your solar light system.

Indoor lighting can be challenging when connected to solar if you do not have the right overall system in place. The active time of the light might be a few hours or 12 hours or more. You will want to look at the battery time that is promised in the product information before you pick an indoor light of this type. You can also look at the lumens that these lights will produce. Lumens are the rating for the brightness of the lights.

Lumen output for indoor lights should be about 1-10 lumens. Floodlights will need 1500 lumens or more to be effective. The color temperature of the lights might also be a factor as LED lights off white-blue light that gives the feel of daylight. Amber-toned lights are more commonly connected with indoor lighting due to their yellow-amber tone. LED lights are becoming more common in indoor lighting applications, but some people still prefer amber-toned lights.

Advantages of Selecting Solar Lighting

Solar lighting has many advantages that traditional lighting does not and if you are off the grid, this is your best option for this kind of use.

• This is an environmentally friendly way to create power and saves on other energy creation forms that can cause harm to animals and the environment.
• This is a cost-effective option that makes sure that you are converting power that would otherwise not be turned into accessible power that does not require any kind of energy transfer from other sources.
• These are low maintenance systems that do not need much in the way of attention unless they have reached the end of their life and need to be replaced.
• You can get solar power in a wide array of systems and arrangements. You might install your solar power system on the roof of your home or in another outdoor location.
• You can access hybrid systems that accept power from the grid as well as giving power to the grid when excess energy is created. This can sometimes generate income for your home and save you money on the energy that you use to power your home.
• You might gain access to tax breaks or government programs that will pay for the installation of your solar panels.

Disadvantages of Solar Lighting

• Some solar lighting will not work at night for as many hours as you might need. Lower-powered systems or systems with smaller batteries might not generate enough light or enough hours of light to take care of your needs if you are off the grid. Larger solar systems that can take care of this power need might be more expensive than you expected but can be necessary.
• Installing a solar power system for your home can be quite costly and without tax breaks or government programs backing you, you might not be able to afford this installation. If you are not in a situation where you can give power back to the grid, you will likely not be eligible for the programs that help fund converting to solar power.
• Batteries can be an issue as far as protection and safety and you might not have the room to store your batteries safely to make sure that they are not causing risks to your home’s safety.
• You will need a lot of space for a large solar panel set up if you are trying to power your home with this kind of system. You will need the right roof on your home and need enough space on the roof for this kind of system or you will need a large area to install your solar panels where they will not be damaged or be blocked from getting access to the sun they need to function.
• Silicon dust is actually harmful to your health and working on your own batteries and solar panel system can expose you to health risks that you should try to avoid.

Ways to Make Your Solar Panels Work Better

If you are wondering if there are ways to improve the function of your solar panels once they have been installed, you are clearly thinking ahead. Your solar panel system can only work effectively if you take care of them.

• Clean the panels once a month or so. Your solar panels can work just by absorbing the light from the sun behind the clouds, but they will be obstructed in this process if they are not clean enough to do so. You can just clean them with water and a soft cloth.
• Make sure that you have not placed your solar panels in areas that do not get access to light for most of the day in the winter. This can also lead to moss and other kinds of invaders growing on your solar panel if it is getting moist and it is not in direct light. You will need to care for these solar panels much more often if you have placed them incorrectly and they are only useful in the summer months.
• Consider the use of mirrors to help redirect and increase the amount of light that your solar panels are able to access in a day. You can place mirrors near any kind of solar system that is on the ground with ease and this will help them to be more efficient and effective, particularly if you are off the grid and cannot borrow power from the electricity that is being used by your neighbors.
• Always be sure to look in on your solar panels after a storm and make sure they have not been damaged. You will likely have a warranty to cover these repairs and you should use it any time there are issues with damage to your solar panels.
• Use your online monitoring tools to make sure that your solar panels are performing as they should and to be certain that you are getting the right results for your solar power needs. You might need to have your solar panels looked at if they stop generating as much power as they should or you see a reduction in power generated for a few days in a row.

Choosing Solar Lighting for Different Applications

You might be wondering where you can choose to use solar power for your property’s power needs. These are some common uses for solar-powered lights that you can take advantage of on your own property or in your own home.

1. Street Lighting

If you have a long driveway that needs some lighting and you do not want to have to pay to power these lights, you can use solar lights for this need with ease. Street lights that are maintained by the city are often solar-powered these days for the same reason since this reduces maintenance and demand on the power grid.

2. Driveway and Parking Lot Lights

If you have a driveway or a parking area on your property that needs to be lit at night, a solar lighting solution will take care of this for you. You will just need to be sure that you have the right system in place that provides the right lumens and power to light the space all night long or at the brightness that you want. If safety is a key factor, make sure that you have a powerful system with a strong light in place.

3. Yard Lighting

If you want to light pathways and walkways near your home, a simple solar light system will take care of this need for you. You do not need a big or fancy solar lighting solution to light paths and walkways near your home and you can even use a simple self-contained system for this need.

4. Portable Lighting

There are actually portable lights that are solar-powered that you can use to light construction areas or areas that do not always see activity but still need some light. If you have a parking area that only gets used when guests are in town, you can put a solar-powered light in this area that can be removed later. These lights are also commonly used for camping.

5. Motion Detection Lights

You can actually use solar-powered batteries to power motion lights if you wish as well. These lights will not draw on the power of the batteries all the time but they might need to be highly powered lights. You should be sure that you look into the lumen power and the battery charge that is needed to run these kinds of lights effectively to ensure that no one will come onto your property without the motion light turning on.

6. Signage

You can use solar power to light signs that indicate a business or show your name on the street if you live down a long road. Some people also use these kinds of lights to mark their mailbox for easy location in the dark. You will find that signage doesn’t need to have much in the way of support to stay lit at night and you can use a self-contained system for this need with ease.

7. Pool Area Lights

Many people use solar-powered systems to light up the area around their pool or hot tub. This is an easy thing to install in these areas and you will not need very bright lights for this need in most cases. If you are off the grid, you can actually power the interior lights of your pool with this setup as well. There are many safety applications for outdoor lighting that are solar-powered and if you are in an area that justifies having an outdoor pool, you likely get enough sun each day to power these lights easily.

8. Business Needs

If you are looking to run a business on your property that is off the grid, you can create an easy power storage solution using solar power that will run the machines and other items that are needed for your work. This is one of the best ways to leverage solar power and you will love that you can power your shop and still have leftover energy every day for other needs.

Choosing the Correct Solar Lighting FAQ

How Long Does a Solar Lighting System last?

A solar system will last for about 3-4 years on average before you will need to replace the panels. The LEDs will last ten years or so. You will know that parts of your system are going bad when they are not able to illuminate areas at night. The system will likely not all fail at once, so you will need to decide if you want to replace panels as they go bad or just replace the whole system at once.

Are Solar Lighting Systems Waterproof?

Yes, almost all solar lighting systems are waterproof. They have to be outdoors or installed on the roof of your home and so they are made to hold up to wet and to tough weather. There was a time where this was not the case but there have been many improvements in the technology that makes these solar panels and the systems as a whole possible. If you are not sure if your solar panels are waterproof, the manufacturer should be clear about this in the information about the product.

How Do I Select the Right Number of Solar Panels to Run a House Off-Grid?

Most of the information that has been collected as homes are converting to this method of power shows that you will need about 11,000-kilowatt-hours to have power for a 2,000 square foot home each year. This means that you will have about 13 solar panels for this size home to generate enough annual power supply to take care of your needs. There are some variables to this equation and if you are trying to run a shop of some kind out of your home that creates a heavy draw on power or you need to use excessive power for other reasons that are atypical, you might need more solar panels than this average number.

What Are Some Important Factors to Think About Before Installing Solar Lights?

This is a big investment so you need to think about some of the factors that might impact deciding on solar panels for your power needs. How much energy you need can impact your choice and you might need permits for your installation. The type of your roof can impact the installation process and the cost can vary depending on your location. You will also need to think about whether you will live in your current location long enough to pay off the solar panels. They will take about 5-6 years to pay themselves off so if you are going to move right away after you install them you will not get the full benefit of adding them to your home.

Which Solar Batteries Are Good for Outdoor and Indoor Use?

The best solar batteries to use outdoors and indoors are LG Chem Lithium-Ion batteries. Commonly outdoor solar batteries are flooded batteries that emit hydrogen gas and need to be used in well-ventilated areas away from your living space. You can make a garage or a protected space for them that is not going to connect to your living space. Indoor solar lights like LG Chem Lithium-Ion are safe for use in both locations, which is why they are the best choice for many systems.

Does Solar Lighting Work Through Glass?

Solar panels will work even when the sunlight has to pass through glass. Their efficiency and power outputs will be much reduced, however. This is why it is common to place solar panels on the roof of your home so that there is no impediment to their ability to collect power. There is no need to protect most solar panels from the elements, so there is no need to place your solar panels beneath glass protection of some kind.

There are still many homes in the world that are run on Biogas and you will find that you might have been missing out on a really simple source of light and power by not using this easy-to-make product for your own needs.

If you are living off the grid or need any easy means to create a power source for your home, Biogas might be the perfect solution for your needs. You will not need anything exotic to take care of this need and you will find that common items can generate big results when you set up the system correctly. Biogas is one of the easiest ways to create a source of power for your home without needing to use expensive methods to create it.

What is Biogas?

This is a renewable fuel that is made by the breakdown of organic matter like food scraps and animal wastes. This is a cheap way to fuel some vehicles and it can be used to fuel heating and electricity generators. This is a common way to fuel homes and farms in many countries around the world and is not utilized frequently in the US.

You can actually create your own renewable Biogas at home by creating a simple Biogas system that will generate enough fuel for all of your needs and might even make an excess that you can let other people in your off-the-grid community use. This is an antique method of creating fuel that has been well documented even in ancient times and it still offers a viable means to power and light homes and other places all around the world.

An additional benefit of this kind of system is that the products involved are not volatile in the same way that fossil fuels are and you will be able to make your own Biogas with ease. You would not be able to access fossil fuels with ease in the same way and this makes Biogas a really attractive option for those living off the grid.

Materials You Will Need to Make Biogas at Home

You will need to collect a few key items to make Biogas at home. These are easily sourced items and you will not have to look all over to get them. Make sure that you get quality parts for your Biogas system so that you do not end up replacing parts after only a short time using the system.

• Inlet pipe
• Digester tank
• Slurry outlet Pipe
• Gas outlet pipe
• Adhesive glue that is waterproof
• Vegetable matter like a head of lettuce or dried rice. Some people also use cattle manure or grass.

The digester tank can often be made from a scrap barrel or other large container that is made of durable material. You can heat a piece of metal to melt holes into the sides of the tank or you can drill them out if you have access to the right tools to do this.

You will also need something like a paint bucket for your gas holding tank. It will also need to have a hole melted or drilled into the center of the bottom so you will need to use your heating or drilling method again.

Steps to Make Biogas

1. Make an Airtight Environment

You will want to use your barrel or another durable container for the anaerobic digester. It can be tough to add new material to the digester without letting new oxygen into the system so you will want to make the traditional “teapot” system to allow for adding material without letting oxygen into the system.

You will either need to use a metal pipe to melt round inlet and outlet holes into the barrel or you can use a drill to create the holes. Glue the inlet and outlet pipe with a waterproof adhesive.

2. Add Material

You will need both biomaterial like manure or vegetation matter and some water to be in your tank to create the Biogas. You will want to make sure that you have the ratio of 10% of air space, 50% water, and 40% material to be sure that you are creating the right environment to create your Biogas.

To create the reservoir for the gas, you will need something like a large paint bucket. This will need a pipe fitted into the center of it and glued using the method that you used for the pipe insertion in the large barrel.

3. Put the Holding Tank Inside the Barrel

You will now place the gas holder inside the digester tank on top of the slurry. You will want to open the valve when you do this step. You will also want to be sure that the spigot is pointed upwards and can be threaded out the hole in the lid for the barrel or bin.

Your first batch of gas won’t burn since it will have carbon dioxide in it. You will need to use the second batch and subsequent batches after for burning purposes. These will be free of carbon dioxide and will burn perfectly.

4. Temperature Considerations

The temperature in the most general sense is like the power that you are applying to the process of creation. The more heat you apply, the more gas you will create. However, there is a ceiling to the whole process which happens when it gets too hot for the bacteria in your archaea and they decompose into more fragile states that do not make gas any longer.

Ideally speaking, you will want to be sure that you keep your archaea at about 50-85 degrees. This means that the breakdown process will take about 30 days. This is the most stable way to manage the system and it will make sure that your system can sustain itself even when temperatures fluctuate during high and low external temperature periods as well as times of inactivity.

5. Ensure Neutral pH

This is an important part of the process that aids in anaerobic digestion and you need to be sure that you take the pH at the inlet. You will need to see 5.5 for ideal conditions within the archaea. If your archaea has soured, you will not get gas from it anymore. This is easiest when you use cattle waste and that is the most common form of fuel for this process.

Checking your Biogas pH is really easy to do. You will just want to have pH test strips or you can get a special probe that is made to sit in the slurry and give you a reading of the pH that is present inside the digester.

How Much Biogas Can You Make?

The size of your system and the waste that you are using to fill it and create gas can impact the amount of Biogas that you can make. You will find that many digesters will make about 20 m3 per ton of waste and it will usually take about 10-15 days to generate your first batch of Biogas when you set up your system.

Larger systems can make as much as 800 m3 per ton which is a lot of Biogas! You might not need to generate high volumes of this product but if you do need to, you will want to use animal waste as well as a larger system to collect all of the Biogas that you need for your own use.

Biogas is an Untapped Resource in Many Places

This is a renewable power source that many people do not even know that they can generate on their own property. There is nothing expensive about setting up one of these systems and you will love that you can undertake this project and only have to wait for about two weeks to have a renewable fuel source that you did not have access to before. Using items that you have in your own home, you can create the freedom to love off the grid that many people enjoy all around the world.

One of the other really powerful benefits of using this kind of fuel source is that Biogas is renewable and does not require any kind of exotic materials that you will not have easy access to. Even rice can create Biogas, which makes this one of the most sustainable and readily accessed means to generate power. Imagine having all the fuel that you need right at your fingertips and for a fraction of the cost of fossil fuels!

If you are ready to make the switch to a renewable power source, this is one of the best choices that you can make.

If you’re considering preserving your fresh tomatoes for a longer and better cooking treat, or maybe you’re looking for the best way to sustain and preserve your tomato flavor for long, then a good place to start is learning how to make the most of your tomato harvest with easy to do techniques on the ways to preserve tomatoes.

Instead of leaving your tomato on the kitchen counter or plate to spoil, why not learn a preservation technique that would work best for you? Preserving your fresh tomato will not only help you make sumptuous dishes all year round but will also save you the cost of buying this treat regularly. Here, we discuss some of the ways to preserve your tomato recipe throughout the seasons.

Preserving Tomatoes in the Freezer

Did you know that many ripe tomatoes retain their flavor and quality for two to three days if kept at room temperature? While tomatoes are usually acidic, their pH level is a great determinant of the degree of their ripeness. In essence, the riper a tomato is, the less acidic it becomes and the more difficult it will be to preserve them. It is why a technique like freezing works wonders.

The fun part of this method is that you can preserve your tomato in any form, whether whole, raw, diced, chopped, skinned, or cooked. However, this method can be a chore to complete as it may cause the tomato to develop a mushy texture, especially for thawed raw tomatoes. On the other hand, you want to avoid seasoning them before freezing as this method may not retain the ingredients. While it is possible to freeze your tomato in different forms, the techniques, however, may differ.

To begin the process, prepare your tomato. Select a ripe, unspoiled, and firm tomato. Wash thoroughly and dry with a paper towel or clean cloth.

· Freezing Whole Tomatoes

Complete the preparation method to begin this process. Then, remove the stem scar before placing the tomato on a cookie sheet and freezing it. Once frozen, transfer into a safe container, seal, and freeze again.

· Freezing Peeled Tomatoes

Select your ripe, unspoiled, and firm tomatoes and wash thoroughly. Then, dip the peeled tomatoes in boiling water for one minute. If after dipping for one minute and the skin remains intact, boil until the skin breaks. Peel the skin away before freezing in a tightly sealed container.

· Freezing Cooked or Stewed Tomatoes

Follow the preparation method and cut the stem away. Dip into boiling water as described above until you get loose skin. Then, chop into small sizes, add your ingredients and cook in a pan until soft. Pack your stewed tomatoes in a freezing bag and freeze. But, make sure to cool the hot stewed tomatoes before packing and freezing.

Drying Tomatoes for Preservation

Dehydration is one eco-friendly and sustainable way to preserve your tomatoes, as it keeps moisture away from this veggie. However, completing this process we depend greatly on tomato variety, thickness, air humidity, and effectiveness of dehydrator.

When it comes to variety, you want to consider how firm, meaty, and ripe your tomato is before drying. Varieties like beefsteaks with a significant amount of gel cushioning the seed do not work well for this method. On the other hand, varieties like the Italian, Roma, Pear, and Plum tomatoes produce a better quality dried tomato as they hold fewer seeds and more flesh.

However, one secret of this method everybody should know is that a well-regulated air and temperature serves more advantageous. Optimal drying temperature usually ranges between 57° to 60°C. When dried properly, the tomato usually spots a deep red color and a leathery feel.

To complete this process, choose your ripe, firm, and unspoiled tomato pieces. Wash and dry thoroughly. Then cut halfway, remove seeds (or not), and lay the freshly cut side up on your dehydration pan.

· Sun Drying

For areas that have relatively low humidity and temperature that ranges close to 90°F, sun-drying may be the perfect option for you. To sun-dry, lay the chopped pieces of tomatoes on your wooden or plastic non-stick trays, then cover with a piece of cheesecloth or netting to keep dirt away. Make sure that the trays are not stacked to ensure proper circulation.

You want to consider changing the position of your cut tomato pieces once per day to allow them to dry well. If the temperature drops below 20°F, ensure to move the drying pan inside to prevent moisture from seeping into the dried tomatoes again. This process usually takes as long as five days to complete.

· Dehydrator Drying

A much more effective solution than sun drying, this method does not depend on the sun to dry your produce and can take place at any time. Likewise, it ensures proper air circulation and even temperature by using a blower. To complete this method sets your dehydrator at the right temperature between 57° and 60°C. Then place your cut tomato pieces upwards and rotates until dry. A process like this usually takes 15 to 18 hours to complete, depending on the size of your tomato and the type of model used.

Canning (Bottling) Preserved Tomatoes

If you are not planning on freezing your tomatoes due to constant power outages, or you don’t fancy employing the drying method, canning is one good sustainable preservation technique to practice. When canning your tomatoes, you want to consider using fleshy and juicy chunks as they hold together.

While this method is easy to complete, it is also an art that would require constant practice. It is also wise to acidify canned tomato products with acid bases like lemon juice, citric acid, or vinegar to keep the paste fresh and free of harmful toxins that may accumulate over time. Most people prefer using a steam canner as a storage container for tomato products, but a pressure canner is also easier, faster, durable, and more efficient.

A method like this would demand that you first sort fresh and ripe tomatoes, then discard the spoilt ones. After this, you want to make sure to sterilize your cans in the microwave or oven. Cut tomatoes nicely and add two tablespoons of lemon juice before or after filling the cans with your diced tomato pieces. It acts as an acid-base to ensure the longevity of your canned food.

You’re considering using an old can, ensure that the container is sealed tightly. Equipment like metal lids and rings works exceptionally for this purpose.

Partial Dehydration and Freezing

A more time-saving method, this technique combines both the dehydration process and freezing method to preserve your tomato. It is more or less the best resort for people who prefer these two methods but may not necessarily have the means to complete each. This procedure also adds a unique taste to your veggie while saving its original flavor.

Ideally, you begin this process by using a dehydrator to partially absorb the moisture from the cut pieces, allowing them to collapse. This usually takes four to five hours to complete. The next step would be to freeze the half-dried tomatoes on a cookie tray. Then, place the frozen halves in a tightly sealed container and store them.

Preserving Tomatoes with Fermentation

For many, fermenting any food, including tomatoes, could be scary. But, you’ll find this sustainable method more pleasing, time-saving, and more cost-effective. Like every other fermented food, fermenting tomatoes adds a level of probiotic benefits to it.

How? It keeps your tomato paste longer in storage. So, the bigger question is, why not ferment your tomatoes and save the stress, time, and cost of buying this ingredient daily? Fermented tomatoes last between four to six months in cold storage. Technically, canning this product is possible. However, it could potentially kill the beneficial probiotics.

· Fermenting Whole Tomatoes

To ferment whole tomatoes, you want to first make a brine by boiling water, add ingredients like salt, sugar, pepper, and bay leaves, and allowing it to cool down. Prepare tomatoes by washing, then making holes in the bottom of the tomatoes to allow the brine to penetrate in them.

After this, fill the storage jar with tomatoes, make sure they are tight, pour in cool brine to completely cover tomatoes, and seal tightly for three to five days. Once you notice the brine becoming milky, it may mean your fermented tomato is ready. So, transfer the jar into your fridge to cool.

· Fermenting Ketchup

Start this process by setting up your ingredients, which will include some amount of tomato paste, maple syrup or raw honey, vinegar, two tablespoons of brine or whey, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and your spices. Ensure that the brine/whey ingredient is present as it is advantageous in achieving that beneficial probiotic nature of fermented ketchup.

Mix all ingredients and pour in your preferred non-stick jar. Make sure to seal tightly, as you would have to leave the jar for two to three days at room temperature. If you’re considering using a regular lid, it simply means that the container would hold lots of gases. So, you want to burp the mixture regularly to avoid this. However, a cover like an airlock will not demand this process. After this, place your almost formed ketchup in the freezer for another three days to get a well-formed and quality flavor.

Making Tomato Condiments for Preservation

Your homemade pantry may do well with a perfect setup batch of tomato sauces, chutney, puree, and soup. But, you want to consider making tomato sauces and soup as they are easier and faster than most condiments.

· Preparing Tomato Sauce

To make your tomato sauce, you want to consider getting ingredients like onion, garlic cloves, tomato pieces, herbs, and seasoning. Stir-fry garlic and onions until golden brown. Then, cook chopped skinned tomatoes herbs for five minutes and add salt, pepper, herbs, and ingredients to taste. Simmer over low heat for about twenty minutes, and your tomato sauce is ready!

· Preparing Tomato Chutney

Technically, a process like this will require ingredients like freshly cut tomato slices, apple cider vinegar, and red wine vinegar, granulated sugar, red peppers, green onions, and seasonings such as salt and red pepper flakes.

To make the chutney, begin by heating the sugar, the two types of vinegar, and spices together. Chop the red pepper, onions, and tomatoes. Make sure to reduce the tomato halves into a smooth pulp after cutting. Repeat this process with other cut vegetables including, your onions and pepper. Then, mix all ingredients and cook for about fifteen to twenty minutes. If by this time the chutney isn’t completely thickened, continue cooking until you have a thick paste.

The best part, these two condiments can even be stored in a freezer or canned jar. But, you want to make sure to use a new container with a quality lid that seals properly.

Roasting Tomatoes

This preservation method gives a tasty flavor to your tomatoes. Moreover, it works well for different tomato varieties. However, they may require constant attention to prevent them from burning.

For this method, you want to start with washing your tomatoes thoroughly and dry them with a clean towel. Preheat microwave or oven at a temperature of about 204° C (400°F). Cut the tomato into halves while removing its seeds. Then line the cut-side up of tomato piece on a foil placed on an oiled-out baking tray. Season with ingredients like salt, olive oil, black pepper, and basil. After this, you want to bake until completely cooked for fifty minutes. Then, store in a freezer bag.

Preserving Your Tomatoes

Making the right preservation choice can be challenging, especially when considering air humidity and temperature levels. These different techniques help you make the best choice for sustainable living as it aids the cooking process while conserving energy, time and money. Hence, to make the right choices, there’s no better way than through this guide to teach you the right ways to preserve your tomatoes for your home pantry.

After you’ve decided to go off the grid, you will face the need for various tools that don’t require electricity to charge them or gas for refueling. This is why creating your own tools at your homestead can be a great option, to help you get the most out of your sustainable lifestyle. With these recommended tools that you can make at your homestead, you will learn how to handcraft these items with materials that you probably already have on hand. . 

Create Your Own Mallet

One of the easiest materials to work with is wood, leading into the first project of creating a wooden mallet. This tool will help you with other tool-making ideas, plus the crafting process is rather simple to complete. 

You will need:

• Piece of wood
• Large wooden block
• Chisel
• Hammer or another mallet
• Axe
• Hand planer

To start, you will need to prepare a handle. It is recommended to stick to a square-shaped mallet because it will be easier to make and more comfortable to hold. Take a piece of wood (oak is preferred for its durability), mark the comfortable size of a handle, and then use your axe to cut it. Then, add a final touch with a hand planer. 

Hint: Make sure that the handle is narrower towards the end so that the head will sit on it firmly.

Next, grab an oak block and mark a square on it for a hole. This hole should be a bit smaller than the handle’s thickest end. Now, it’s time for a chisel and a hammer. Attach a head to a handle, and you will be good to go with a brand new mallet!

Garden Hoe

Now that you have a mallet, creating other tools for your homestead shouldn’t be a problem. A garden hoe is a must-have item to deal with those pesky weeds and making one of your own will be even more rewarding to use when caring for your land. 

You will need:

• 1-1/4” metal banding
• Wooden handle
• Bolts or rivets
• Mallet
• Hand or electric drill
• Linseed oil

Perhaps most of you have some sort of scrap metal lying around, waiting for disposal. However, it’s a great idea to reuse it and recycle the material for this project. Find a 1-1/4” metal banding or a plate that you can easily bend. Grab a mallet and form a stirrup shape with a slight angle to make it simpler to use for weeding. As for the handle, any long wooden piece will do just fine. Make holes in the stirrup-shaped metal and the handle. After that, connect them firmly with bolts or rivets that you can also find in scrap metal. Add a finishing layer of linseed oil on top, which will make sure that the wood lasts longer, and the garden hoe will be complete. 

Make Your Own Shovel For Your Homestead

Suppose you’ve won the battle against the weeds in your yard, now it’s time to do some digging. By crafting your own shovel, you will be able to take care of your land with ease, using what you’ve creating to develop a fruitful outdoor space. 

You will need:

• Wooden log (basswood or willow wood)
• Saw
• Axe
• Mallet
• Chisel
• Hand planer

Using a saw, determine the perfect size for your shovel. Even if the log shape is a bit curved, it should still be fine to use. You can either split it or carve out the handle using the whole log, but the first method is easier to perform. For a bit of extra accuracy when splitting, use an axe and a mallet. The head part of the shovel must be thicker, and the whole tool might look like an electric guitar. Don’t forget to use a hand planer or a card scraper to make a handle comfortable to grab. As soon as the handle is ready, take a carving chisel or a spoon-bent gouge to make the head. Then, you’ve got yourself a shovel to use. 

Wheelbarrow

Since you are ready to dig holes for your new plants, it’s time to think about how to carry them with comfort. A wheelbarrow is a must-have tool that makes carrying anything around your property simpler. Not only that, but it also looks stunning and adds something unique to your homestead.

You will need:

• Multiple pieces of wood
• Saw
• Wheel with a hub
• Bolts and nails with a mallet
• Hand planer
• Hand or electric drill

Let’s begin with the tray panels. Get several pieces of wood and use a saw to achieve a desirable shape. A hand planer will help you to make the surface smoother. Next, make the legs in the same way. 

Hint: You can attach side panels using longer legs. 

After you’ve made the tray, cut and plane the support rails that also double as handles. Prepare the holes for the wheel and insert them with the hub. We will stick to a model with a single wheel, which adds extra maneuverability and makes it easier to empty. Screw the bolts, and your vintage wheelbarrow is ready to carry a load!

Create a Rake Right on Your Property

Fallen leaves or cut grass can easily create a mess at your homestead. If you wish to keep your area clean, you will need the help of a sturdy rake. This is another item that we will craft using hand tools only, giving you the ability to make it on your own with ease!

You will need:

• Axe
• Thin tree trunk (maple, willow, poplar)
• Small block of wood (beech)
• Saw
• Hand planer
• Metal banding
• Hand drill
• Chisel
• Nails with a mallet

Cut a thin tree that will serve as a handle. Then remove the branches and plane the handle to make it comfortable to hold. Split one end with a handsaw and attach a ring made of a metal banding to prevent further splitting. When it comes to the head, take a block of wood and shave it just like you’ve done to a handle. As you’ve probably guessed, you’ll need to make the holes for a handle in it with the drill. Other holes for its teeth can be made with a chisel. The last part of this DIY project is to make teeth – use an axe to cut them from hardwood pieces. Insert them into the holes, put everything together, and use the nails to prevent the head from falling off.

Build a Workbench for Your Homestead

It’s impossible to imagine a work area without a workbench. The even surface adds versatility when it comes to creating with different tools and materials. In addition, it ensures proper cuts with your saw and helps to keep everything organized in your workspace too. 

You will need:

• Wooden planks
• Large plywood sheet (optional)
• Saw
• Hand planer
• Screws and screwdriver
• Wheels (optional)

While this description might seem simple and fast to follow, the actual project takes a lot of effort when compared to the other tools. This is due to the amount of time required to work with wood. In the beginning, you will need to prepare wooden planks and shave them with a hand planer. If possible, you can use pallet wood instead. Screw the legs and the frame and check if it’s level. Use a large plywood sheet as a working surface and attach it to the frame with screws by the perimeter. Alternatively, you can stick to wooden planks. Also, you can make the construction sturdier by adding more planks around the bottom. Later, you can upgrade it by adding a bench vise mechanism to it if it’s stable enough.

Frame Saw

How can you create something without the help of a saw? While this part describes only the frame-making process, you can find how to make the blade by yourself at the end of the article.

You will need:

• Block of wood
• Saw
• Chisel
• Mallet
• Screws and screwdriver
• Rope
• Hand planer

For a classic H-shaped design, you’ll need to prepare 3 square bars. One should be a bit longer than the blade. Use it to make tenons with your saw and chisel. As for two other bars, cut mortises with your chisel right in the middle of those. Put the frame together and make cuts with a saw for a saw blade. Insert the blade and pop the screws to hold it. The last thing you need to do is to tie a rope around the top part and twist it with a stick or another bar.

Axehandle

As soon as you notice that your axe handle is starting to chip and the blade is wobbling around, don’t hesitate to replace the handle.

You will need:

• Block of wood
• Saw
• Chisel
• Drawknife
• Hand planer
• Mallet
• Linseed oil

You can use your older handle as a reference and copy its shape. While the pencil can still do its job, it’s easier to go for a marker pen. With the help of your saw and chisel, remove excess off after. A hand planer will make the surface smoother, but you can’t do without a drawknife. 

Hint: Go sideways with a drawknife. That way, you won’t have to sand it. 

For the blade, don’t shave off too much wood to make sure it sits as tight as possible. To set the axe in the handle, hold it upside down and hit its handle with a mallet a few times. Make a wedge using a planer, insert it with a mallet, and then cut the left material off. It’s recommended to coat the handle with linseed oil to make the wood last longer and remain durable over time.

Making Nails for Your Property

It’s hard to imagine making nails without a melting furnace and metal frame. This is where a new, innovative idea comes into play which uses wood instead of metal. You may wonder how durable this option will be, but don’t worry because if you use a strong, sturdy hardwood, it should last you a while

You will need:

• Block of wood
• Chisel
• Mallet
• Metal plate with a small hole in the center

You first need to grab a chisel and make small bricks of wood with it. These should look like a matchbox. Divide each brick into wood strips and install the metal plate on your workbench so that it doesn’t move or rattle around. You might need to place two blocks of wood under it so that there is free space under the hole in the plate. All that’s left is to smash those strips with your mallet to let them pass through the hole, and you’ll get the proper shape.

Rope

If you need a rope, there is a simple technique that will allow you to easily make one at your homestead. For this project, you will need plant fibers, but you can pretty much utilize any material that you can get your hands on.

You will need:

• Plant fibers (wisteria vine)
• Rock

While this might sound funny, but you will need to crunch the fibers by hitting the vine with the rock to its end. You do this to get to the core to remove it – just peel off the fibers. They might split into several strands, and the thicker they are the better. Next, you do the reverse wrap by twisting it in opposite directions. After it’s twisted on itself, pinch it with one hand. Then grab the other way with your second hand, twist away and pull back. Continue this until you notice that one end is shorter than the other one. Simply add more fiber to it, twist away and pull back. With this method, you will have a strong, sturdy rope in no time. 

Building a Ladder for Your Homestead

How often do you need to climb on the roof? Here, you can find a beginner guide on how to make a ladder for your homestead in less than an hour. 

You will need:

• Wood for sides and rungs
• Saw
• Hand planer
• Nails with a mallet
• Chisel

As mentioned above, the making process of a ladder is pretty straightforward. You will need to prepare two boards for the sides and plane them if needed. Next up, measure even intervals for the rungs. With the help of the chisel and mallet, make 1” deep spaces and insert the rungs into them. With this tool-making idea, you will be able to complete the project with ease, just keep in mind that all ladders can be dangerous and to be careful. 

Extra tools

If you still have access to electricity (perhaps by running a gas generator for a couple of hours, or by using solar energy) and you have a grinder in your shed, we’ll gladly share a few more ideas on what to do with old rusty files and scrap metal.

Knife

Handcrafted knives always have a special feel to them. As for the durability and performance of the tool, this will depend on the type of steel you have. For example, high carbon steel ensures a rich patina, which will make the knife excellent for fruit peeling.

You will need:

• File
• Bench grinder
• 6″ grinding stone
• 6″ flap sanding wheel
• Toaster oven
• Protection gear

Before you get started, prepare the protection gear. It’s recommended that you wear special glasses during the process. The first step is to rough out the profile of the knife. You probably won’t need the original tang, so you can remove it. Let your imagination fly when making the shape of the blade and the handle. When grinding, start with a 45-degree angle. As soon as the sides meet, you can increase the bevel height. Sand the blade and proceed to the handle. Deep scratches on the top of the blade can be removed with a back bevel. This will also help the tip to slice better. To temper the file in the oven set it to 400 degrees and leave it there until the edge gets a slight golden color. This usually takes up to an hour. The last step is to sand off the scale and then you have a homemade knife to put to use in your homestead. 

Chisel

A chisel is an irreplaceable tool that can turn any block of wood into a masterpiece. Just like with knives that are made out of files, you can expect them to last quite a long time. Also, you can try this project with the Allen wrench if you need access to a smaller tool.

You will need:

• File
• Angle grinder
• Wooden block
• Saw
• Sanding paper
• Grindstone
• Hand planer
• Hand drill
• Glue
• Metal cap
• Varnish

Use your angle grinder to remove any rust and make the surface shine. You can make its blade thinner if required. After that, sand it and achieve optimal sharpness with a grindstone. For its handle, you can use a log or a wooden block. A hand planer will help you to make it smooth to touch. Again, we recommend making a square handle since it’s easier to perform. Grab a hand drill and make a hole to insert a file there. Don’t forget about the glue and metal cap so that it sits inside firmly. You can coat the handle with varnish or oil so that wood becomes water-resistant and then, the project will be complete with a brand new chisel for you to use. 

Frame Saw Blade

If the blade you’ve bought at your nearest hardware store has broken, there is no need to worry about running back to the store. Instead, you can craft a replacement by yourself.

You will need:

• Angle grinder or rotary tool
• Carbon steel shim
• File
• Old saw blade
• Thin pliers
• Hand or electric drill

After you cut a section out of carbon steel shim with your rotary tool, file the burr off and use a marker pen to transfer the outline of the bandsaw blade onto it. Then cut the teeth and grab a file to make them sharp. Set the curve with thin pliers, drill the holes at the blade’s ends, and you are ready to install it into a frame saw.

Making Useful Tools for Your Homestead 

If you have been looking for easy ways to design tools for your homestead, these ideas can help you start handcrafting useful tools in no time. Don’t worry if something goes wrong during the process, trying to create your own tools might take some trial and error, but the final result will be worth it in the end. 

You will be able to make anything you need without even thinking about buying these items. Plus, you can repurpose old materials, be more environmentally friendly and help the planet by living sustainably. 

Even if you yourself don’t have a little house on the prairie, a root cellar may be just the ticket for keeping your garden-grown bounty fresh and usable throughout the cold winter months and into the spring. Whether you opt to build your root cellar yourself or hire a professional to help, the steps need for building a great root cellar are fairly straightforward. 

If you’ve always been curious about how to go about making your own root cellar, you’re in the right place. Here is a great step by step breakdown and all the information you’ll need to learn about root cellars and how they can benefit you. With a little effort, you too can have a root cellar of your very own. 

Why Have A Root Cellar Anyway? 

Technically, a root cellar is an underground food storage area that uses natural cooling. Root cellars are able to preserve food because they’re kept at a constant temperature of around 32 degrees, similar to a fridge, but they offer some benefits that a fridge cannot. Root cellars are able to keep their humidity levels up, which helps the food stay fresher longer. 

When temperatures are kept cool, the release of ethylene gas produced by vegetables goes down, as does the growth of microorganisms. This means that produce stays fresher longer without freezing or breaking down. 

This is why many root cellars are dug into the ground: the soil prevents vegetables from freezing and the moisture keeps fruits and veggies from drying out from the evaporation. While the length of time things will stay fresh in a root cellar can vary wildly, because there is often more room in a root cellar than a fridge, it’s easier to use things up and not forget that they’re there. 

Root cellars don’t rely on electricity to work which is why they’ve grown so popular recently. With many people who are preparing for natural disasters and even zombie apocalypses, there’s a lot of renewed interest in having a root cellar once again. But even people who are looking for cost-effective ways to store their food can appreciate what root cellars have to offer. 

While you can store any fruit or vegetable in a root cellar, often root vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, parsnips, rutabagas, beets, or turnips are typically stored most frequently which is how they got their name. Root cellars are also an ideal environment for storing jars of home-canned goods since heat can cause canned goods to spoil. 

A secondary use for a root cellar is that wine beer and other alcoholic beverages store beautifully in a root cellar with their moderate temperatures. A root cellar is a time-tested storage method and is definitely worth considering for any property. 

The Elements of A Fully Functioning Root Cellar

The measure of success of a root cellar depends on its temperature, humidity, darkness, and ventilation. Without these four elements working together your root cellar will likely be a disaster.

Because harmful bacteria thrive in warmth you will want to make sure that your root cellar stays between 32 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. 

While this can be harder to do in the summer months, you may choose to not store anything in your root cellar during that time. Root cellars are designed to borrow the cold from the cool ground or soil but protect produce from freezing in the winter months. The cool weather helps the crops stay fresh longer allowing you to eat safe vegetables even when they’re not in season.

Don’t underestimate your humidity levels inside your cellar. Aim for 85 to 95% humidity to prevent the cellar from losing moisture through evaporation and to keep your produce from wilting. It’s not complicated to keep the humidity levels on track to have longer-lasting produce.

Most below-ground root cellars don’t need special measures taken since soil naturally has a good amount of moisture in it already. However, should you find your moisture levels are too low you can spread damp burlap bags over your produce. Just be sure they’re not too wet which could cause mold. 

Equipping your root cellar with a hygrometer and thermometer is a great idea to help you track the humidity and temperature levels within your space. Checking both devices daily can help reassure you that your food is safe from harm and that your root cellar is in prime condition. 

Ventilation is also key and making sure your root cellar works properly. Warm air rises so you will need to make sure your root cellar is properly ventilated to prevent moisture build-up which could possibly leave you with moldy vegetables. 

Make sure your cellar has both an air intake and exhaust fan to keep the air circulating. You will want the incoming air vent low to the ground and the outlet vent should be higher and close to the ceiling. For best results, the two should be on opposite sides of your cellar. This will allow the cool fresh air in and allow the stale air to be exhausted out with a good flow in between. 

The other necessary element to a root cellar is darkness. You’re likely familiar with potatoes that continue sprouting and turning green. Darkness helps prevent that from happening. Keeping your root cellar as dim as possible will help keep your vegetables fresh longer. 

Making sure the ventilation, darkness, temperature, and humidity are correct in your root cellar will help prevent you from being disappointed. This might seem complicated but in reality, will be fairly easy to pull off when you build your root cellar.

How to Build Your Own Root Cellar From Scratch

Most typically a root cellar is an underground room that will maintain its temperatures into the mid-thirties in the winter and mid-50s in the summer. If you are hoping to create your own root cellar, the first thing you’ll need to do is check the legal requirements in your area and then choose the perfect spot.

If your region gets a lot of snow you’ll want to choose a location that sheltered so you don’t have to dig in the snow to reach your produce. Beneath the porch or inside a dirt floor shed are great location ideas for snowy climates. If you live in a warmer climate you’ll have a lot more options for your root cellar to be located since you won’t need to avoid letting snow in. 

No matter where you live you will also want to avoid trees since ironically their roots can pose a problem. Not only can they make digging difficult but over time as the roots grow, they can crack the walls of your cellar. An open space will work best for a location for your new root cellar.

Digging the Hole For Your Root Cellar

Next, you will need to dig a hole. First, check to see if there are any buried electric lines or underground plumbing in the general area you wish to dig. Calling your utility companies before you dig could save you a lot of unnecessary expenses as well as potentially keep you from harming yourself should you hit a live electric wire. 

Depending on the size of the root cellar you’re looking for, dig your hole. Complete temperature stability requires a hole to be around 10 feet deep. Consider your soil and the water table in your area before you tackle digging to be sure your root cellar won’t flood or cave in. 

If you’re hoping for a large root cellar that you can walk in you may wish to hire someone with experience digging graves or with a backhoe to help you. For smaller root cellars you can likely dig yourself with a shovel.

Build The Footer and Walls for The Root Cellar

The best root cellars have dirt floors. Packed earth will help control the humidity in the cellar easily, but it is difficult to build walls right on the dirt so consider pouring a cement footer to build your walls on. 

Once you have a foot you can get to work on your walls. The easiest option is to use cinder blocks. Be sure to use plenty of mortar to hold them in place. This is for your safety and to be certain your root cellar will be usable. 

Build A Roof On Your New Root Cellar

The roof can be one of the most challenging parts of building a new root cellar. Because you want it to be made out of concrete, it will take some time to complete this next step. Again, professionals are well-equipped to help but it is not impossible for this to be done on your own. Be sure to factor in your vents before you pour the concrete since adding them later can be problematic. 

You will want to build a rounded ceiling, this will help excess condensation run down the sides and avoid ruining your produce. Use a wooden form and rebar as a support for your concrete as it is poured and hardening. Be sure you don’t enter your root cellar until you’re positive the concrete has cured properly and will not cave in. 

Once the roof is properly hardened and safe you can remove your wooden form from the inside. At this point get excited, your root cellar is nearly complete! Add some soil to cover the roof, about 2 feet should keep your ceiling properly insulated. 

Add Stairs and A Door To Get to The Root Cellar Easily

You’ll need a way to get in and out of your root cellar safely, so building stairs is a good idea since carrying produce up a ladder may prove difficult. Building your stairs doesn’t need to be complicated. But you do want to make sure your root cellar is properly insulated so you will need a door both at the bottom of the stairs and at the top. 

If you live in a snowy climate, you may want to build a small shed over the door so you won’t have to dig out the entrance when you need to get down there but this is completely a personal preference. You can also add a shed in later years if you find you’d prefer to have one after trying it out for a time. 

Install Your Root Cellar Shelves and Stock Them

For larger root cellars you will want to have wooden shelves to keep your produce and cans organized and safe. Wooden shelves and bins are your best bet in a root cellar since wood doesn’t conduct heat and cold as quickly as metal does. 

Stock your root cellar as late in the season as possible. If possible, chill your produce in the fridge before you place them in your cellar. It is better to store your vegetables with some dirt on them rather than being freshly washed. The excess moisture from washing could cause mold to grow or the produce to break down. 

Smaller Root Cellars 

Did you know it’s possible to have a small root cellar? These root cellars lack the storage capabilities of larger options but are a great first step into discovering the benefits of root cellars and can be easily created in one afternoon. If you just want to buy potatoes in bulk and not have them go bad, smaller root cellars are the choice for you.

You will need a few items to get started. galvanized steel garbage can with a lid, chopped straw, gravel, a tarp, and a cinder block. All of these things are easily purchased at your local hardware store. You’ll also need a drill and shovel though you likely already have these around your house or workshop. 

As you begin digging, following all the safety recommendations for the larger root cellars, you should aim to dig your hole large enough to insert the trash can into while leaving approximately four inches of the can above the soil line. Take into account that you will be lining the bottom as you dig. 

Line the floor of the dirt hole with your gravel to help drain rainwater away from the can. This is an important step to keeping your produce from getting moldy. Before inserting the garbage can into the hole take some time to drill ventilation holes all around the bottom of the can roughly six inches apart from one another.

Fill the can up with produce, layering with plenty of straw between varieties, and cover it with the lid. Pile twelve inches of straw on top of the closed lid then cover that straw with a waterproof tarp to stop rain from seeping into the can. Put your cinder block on top of the tarp to keep everything in place and to prevent wildlife from forging your produce.

It may seem straightforward, but you’ve just created a root cellar. Perhaps not the fanciest, but is still worthy of keeping your potatoes fresh longer. These smaller backyard options are a great introduction to the benefits of root cellars or for yards that may not be able to accommodate larger options.

A Final Thought on Building Your Own Root Cellar

No matter which kind of root cellar you prefer, making your own doesn’t need to be difficult. You too can enjoy the fruits (and vegetables) of your labors with a root cellar to keep your kitchen well-stocked throughout the winter and early spring months. Whether you’re a master gardener looking for a way to keep your potatoes fresh or preparing for zombies, enjoy your root cellar and its many benefits! 

But how can you play a role? If everyone thought like that, something would surely get done to make the world more inhabitable, cost-efficient, and safer.

While they may seem small, implementing personal power consumption changes can contribute to a more thoughtful way of living. These changes may inspire those around you: family, friends, coworkers, and peers; but there’s only one way to know: try!

The following tips are intended to guide you in making some simple yet effective shifts in your everyday living. Here’s how you can reduce and “greenify” your power consumption in three easy steps.

1 – Energy-Efficient Habits and Solutions

No one is expecting you to give up everything you know for “the cause.” But you can use energy more efficiently by changing some of your habits in simple ways.

Heating and Air Habits For Reducing Power Consumption

Cooling and heating are facts of life – but waste occurs; in addition to clothing choices, here’s what you can do. Examine your heating and cooling practices: does your HVAC system run continuously, and if so, what can you do instead?

Activate the air conditioner or furnace when necessary but deactivate or adjust the temperature when you leave home. Additionally, you can purchase a “smart thermostat,” which you can program to automatically change your home’s temperature appropriately.

Ultimately, reducing your power consumption will involve using power only when required. This means making common-sense decisions that are easy to implement and rely on self-constraint where energy is concerned.

While it may seem simple or inconvenient, finding alternatives to adjusting your home’s thermostat can be a big help. Try layering your shirts or wearing sweaters and jackets on cold days and wearing cool clothes on hot days.

Energy Efficient Devices Can Help Reduce Power Consumption

Light usage is another big energy user. Lowering their drain involves the kinds of lightbulbs you regularly use. Many people still use incandescent bulbs, which have mercury – a dangerous chemical – and are well outdated.

You can make the simple switch to LED lightbulbs, which are far more energy-efficient than traditional incandescent bulbs. LED lasts 25 times longer, with a lifespan of about 25,000 hours, and uses 75% less electricity, according to EnergyStar.

Furthermore, EnergyStar-rated appliances offer a set of standards that help you choose the best appliances for energy reduction. While the initial cost may be more expensive than a less efficient product, the reduced power consumption will pay off.

Unused Devices Should Be Turned Off To Reduce Power Consumption

Think of all the electronic devices you regularly own. Are any of them always plugged in, even when not in use? Most electronic devices still draw standby power despite being turned off, meaning your home could be riddled with energy “vampires.”

Devices such as televisions and microwaves should be unplugged or plugged into a switched-off power strip when idle. Additionally, shut down your computer – doing so won’t affect your device’s lifespan.

The easiest, most overlooked thing you can do is turn off lights when they’re not in use. Additionally, you can install motion-sensing switches to automatically turn off the lights when somebody isn’t detected in the room.

2 – Natural and/or Conventional Resources

Another step to reducing your energy consumption can be found just outside your door. Here’s how you can rely more on natural resources, without investing in state-of-the-art technology.

Windows Can Influence Your Power Consumption

Windows are tried and true inventions that can make a great difference during summer and winter. If you’re hesitant to consume power, knowing how to make the most out of your windows may be the solution.

On hot days, open the windows in the morning and evening to take advantage of the breeze. Additionally, closed blinds and awnings can be extra defenses against the heat shining through the windows.

On cold days, opening the blinds can make a huge difference, letting in the sun’s warmth. Additionally, window shutters can help you close out the coldness with extra support.

Moreover, make sure your windows are sealed completely to keep the heated or cooled air inside or outside the home. However, your windows may need replacing: some newer windows are built to be more energy-efficient.

The more you control the weather inside your home, the more you control the energy which generates it. And so, being aware and making use of your window’s efficiency may be the key to reducing excess consumption.

Insulation Can Save Power

Insulation is another great and simple way to take control of your home’s heating and cooling efforts. A little goes a long way in reducing cost and power consumption, and insulation is a great example of this.

For most homes, simply adding insulation to the attics can keep excess heat inside the home during winter. If your home has an electric furnace, adding more insulation to the walls, attic, or basement helps even more.

But the reverse is also true during the summer months: insulation can help keep the cool air inside your home. Help your air-conditioning unit by keeping that hot air out, where it belongs. You’ll likely be surprised by how much your overall household consumption lessens.

Fans, Fireplaces, and Space Heaters All Take Up a Lot of Electricity

During the summer, air conditioning may sound incredibly appealing, especially on those extra-hot days. But air conditioning relies on a lot of power, driving up your energy bills and contributing to potentially unnecessary consumption.

Installing ceiling fans in the rooms you use the most can increase air circulation without relying on air conditioning. After you’ve let in some cool air, you can systematically use your fans to move the air throughout your home.

The wintertime can be oppressive, and the solution seems simple: turn on the furnace for some toasty warmth. But this can be expensive and wasteful by warming up every isolated room of your house.

Take advantage of a space heater or fireplace if you can, and if you don’t, consider purchasing or installing one. They can add some additional warmth that may go a lot further than the furnace would, with less energy emitted.

3 – Switch to Alternative Energies

Many factors are propelling the conversation about global warming and climate change, calling for multiple, immediate solutions. While individual efforts only go so far, they are nevertheless important – you can contribute by considering an alternative energy.

Alternative energy, also known as renewable energy, is found in sunlight, wind, and water – parts of the planet’s natural structure. Increased worldwide attention is driving alternative power sources down in price each year, making them more realistic options for homeowners. 

Solar panels are used by urban homeowners throughout America, while in rural areas, some homeowners utilize wind power or hydropower. Location, individual income, and community planning are all factors in alternative energy’s accessibility, but overall, it is becoming increasingly accessible. 

Solar Energy Is a Great Option to Help Greenify Your Home

Solar technologies have many purposes: they convert sunlight into home light, electricity, and even heating and cooling systems. These technologies not only upgrade your home’s efficiency, but they also improve your property value – all while reducing carbon footprints.

Probably the most readily available alternative energy sources you can invest in are photovoltaic (PV) systems – or solar panels. With 25-year lifespans, solar panels can eliminate electric bills, increase property value, and provide an ROI of approximately 20%.

But if you’re not ready to make the jump to a solar panel, consider something small, like solar-powered landscape lighting. These simple lights stay off during the day, all while storing energy, to automatically switch on at night.

Wind Energy Is A Great Green Energy Option

Wind energy refers to wind flow that has been captured by wind turbines and then converted into electricity. Think of the most common form of wind energy, windmills used to pump water on farms, common wind energy sites. 

So if you live in a rural area, single-wind turbines may be a viable alternative to conventional electric utilities. And if available, wind farms create electricity you can buy on the wholesale power market through contract or bidding.

Hydroelectricity Can Be A Good Idea To Reduce Your Electric Bill

Hydropower has roots in early America, where waterwheels once operated mills. However, these mills are archaic compared to today’s examples. Today, hydroelectricity is the standard, captured from the kinetic energy flowing rivers and generated in two main ways. 

You may have seen a dam, a construction that stores water in a reservoir, generating electricity through turbines upon release. Or maybe you’ve seen “run-of-river” plants, which don’t require dams but funnel some of a river’s flow through a channel.

If you live near a dependable waterway source, micro-hydroelectric plants may be a realistic opportunity for switching to hydroelectricity. If you’re a farm/ranch owner or a small-town resident who lives in such a location, there may be hydroelectric options.

Final Focus On Greenifying Your Electricity

As you can see, there are many reasons to make the switch to a more energy-efficient way of living. Not only is it more sustainable for the planet, but it can be economically advantageous and personally fulfilling.

All it takes is examining the options for your household to see what you can do to cut unnecessary consumption. With methodical planning and a spirited attempt, you can take the steps necessary to make your home more energy conscious.