Gardening · Homesteading · Urban Homesteading

Grow Zone 8b: 2 Weeks Till Last Frost

It's April 1st. With the recent changes in the USDA Grow Zones, if one searches for the last frost date for grow zone 8b, one might get the results of April 1st. I'd say this, though, based on years of watching the weather: That's a huge April Fool's joke; you're risk-taking. Why so? Weather can… Continue reading Grow Zone 8b: 2 Weeks Till Last Frost

Gardening · Herbalism · Homesteading · Urban Homesteading

The Value Of White Sage Plants

White Sage (Salvia apiana) is a sacred plant native to Southern California and the northern part of Baja, Mexico. It craves an arid existence. Seeing it wild is pretty amazing, and well worth traveling to see it (no touching though, do not harvest wild). I always try to grow at least one White Sage in… Continue reading The Value Of White Sage Plants

Gardening · Homesteading · Urban Homesteading

Make Your Own Seed Starting Mix

As Winter works its way through, the thought of starting seeds is on our minds. Whether you start seeds inside under grow lights or in a greenhouse with natural light, it's time to think about the seed-starting soil mix you will use. Having a light soil mix is essential. You want to avoid a heavy… Continue reading Make Your Own Seed Starting Mix

Gardening · Herbalism · Homesteading · Urban Homesteading

My Favorite Herbs For Grow Zone 8b

On our homestead, we are herb-friendly. In a legal state, that sounds like pro-cannabis, but what I mean is we grow many herb plants. Both medicinal and culinary, nearly all herbs are pollinator-friendly as well. Grow zone 8b allows us to grow both annual (yearly) and perennial (comes back yearly) easily. There aren't many varieties… Continue reading My Favorite Herbs For Grow Zone 8b

Gardening

Why Do Bell Peppers Have Babies Inside?

Here's a great produce question: Have you ever cut into a bell pepper, only to find a baby bell pepper inside, often covered in seeds? Or weird stalagmite growths inside that look like they might someday be a pepper? This is called Internal Proliferation, and is naturally occurring. The little pepper inside the bell pepper is… Continue reading Why Do Bell Peppers Have Babies Inside?