Chelsea Green Blog
Farming & Homesteading
How to Grow Healthy Plants: Strengthening Your Farm or Garden’s Immune System
Searching for tips on how to grow healthy plants? The excerpt below offers advice on how to improve your farm or garden’s immune system through providing optimal conditions, managing plant competition, and achieving optimal nutrient balance. The following is an excerpt from The Ecological Farm by Helen Atthowe. It has been adapted for the web.…
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Designing A Food Forest: The Seven-Layer Forest Garden
Ready to create an edible paradise? Create your dream 7-layer forest garden!
• Lush habitat for wildlife • Fresh food for you and yours • Natural beauty & biodiversity
Get ready to grow a thriving ecosystem!
How to Manage Invasive Thistle and Improve Your Soil
Invasive plants creeping into your yard is frustrating. Particularly for thistle, there’s a better approach than yanking it out at the root or worse spraying herbicide. Work smarter, not harder, with these approaches to removing invasive thistle. The following are excerpts from Beyond the War on Invasive Species by Tao Orion and The Wild Wisdom of…
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Rewilding Your Land
Picture-perfect farms may be aesthetically pleasing, but they’re likely lacking in biodiversity. Rewilding practices allow the land to return to its natural wild state, providing more room for fruit-bearing plants to grow and animals to control small pests. The following is an excerpt from Farming on the Wild Side by Nancy J. Hayden and John…
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Insects on Fruit Trees: Controlling Pests Organically
How do you control bugs & pests on your fruit trees without using harmful sprays and treatments? Here are some tips for identifying insects on fruit trees and controlling them organically. The following is an excerpt from The Holistic Orchard by Michael Phillips. It has been adapted for the web. Finding Insects On Fruit Trees…
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Rock & Grow: Adding Local Rocks & Soil To Your Garden
Looking for ways to naturally enrich your garden? The answer is all around you….literally. Add local rocks & soil to your garden to improve soil health and see your crops flourishing in no time. The following is an excerpt from The Regenerative Grower’s Guide to Garden Amendments by Nigel Palmer. It has been adapted for the…
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Garden Strawberries — A Sweet and Delicious Ground Cover
Garden strawberries are excellent for both covering the ground and for growing fruit. If you’re planning out a forest garden, or are just looking for a plant to use as ground cover, strawberries are a great option. The following is an excerpt from The Home-Scale Forest Garden by Dani Baker. It has been adapted for…
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Asparagus: An Aspiring Spear
Asparagus is a delicious vegetable with a layered history. How did this aspiring spear make its way from growing in the wild to appearing on our plates? The following is an excerpt from the The Seed Detective by Adam Alexander. It has been adapted for the web. “Nature gives us the key to every secret…
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Compost: Small Farm-Style
With the right strategies and practices, composting on a small farm is surprisingly easy and inexpensive. Just follow these steps for making compost, and your farm will be thriving in no time! The following excerpt is from The Lean Farm Guide to Growing Vegetables by Ben Hartman. It has been adapted for the web. (All photographs by Ben…
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A Guide to Soil Fertility and Crop Health
Want to see your crops thrive this upcoming growing season? The key is in soil fertility and health. Spend time maintaining your soil’s health to guarantee bigger and better crops come harvest time! The following is an excerpt from No-Till Intensive Vegetable Culture by Bryan O’Hara. It has been adapted for the web. What Is Soil Fertility?…
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Weed Suppression: Choosing The Right Cover Crops & Living Mulches
Trying to figure out how to manage weeds in your garden beds? Use cover crops and living mulches for weed suppression while your garden flourishes! The following is an excerpt from The Ecological Farm by Helen Atthowe. It has been adapted for the web. Suppressing Weeds With Cover Crops: Getting Started Cover crops suppress weeds…
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How to Become a Shiitake Mushroom Farmer
Interested in becoming a mushroom farmer? Shiitake mushrooms are one of the easiest and most profitable places to start. The following is an excerpt from Farming the Woods by Steve Gabriel and Ken Mudge. It has been adapted for the web. (Photographs courtesy of Steve Gabriel and Ken Mudge unless otherwise noted.) The Stunning Shiitake…
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A Guide to Feeding Animals On Your Farm
One of the most essential parts of raising livestock is feeding your animals the right foods. Here are some tips for feeding animals on your farm!
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9 Simple Steps to Sheet Mulching: Turn Barren Soil into Black Gold
To turn a barren lot into a permaculture paradise, you’ve got to start from the ground up — and sheet mulching is an easy way to start. Here are some tips to help you strengthen your soil with the power of sheet mulching! The following is an excerpt is from Perennial Vegetables by Eric Toensmeier. It…
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The Miyawaki Method: Imagining a Mini-Forest’s Potential
Want to witness the magic of the mini-forest? When you practice The Miyawaki Method, a unique approach to reforestation, you’ll see an empty lot or backyard transform into a biodiverse forest before your very eyes. The following is an excerpt from Mini-Forest Revolution by Hannah Lewis. It has been adapted for the web. Photo Credit:…
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How to Grow Mushrooms on Woodchip
These days, growing mushrooms is all the rage. It is extremely simple, and they will grow pretty much anywhere — from milk cartons to denim to the always-reliable woodchip. The following is an excerpt from The Woodchip Handbook by Ben Raskin. It has been adapted for the web. Grow Mushrooms On Woodchip Growing mushrooms on woodchip can…
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Garden Planning: The Most Promising Veggies
Getting ready to do some garden planning? Discover the most promising veggies to kickstart your harvest and get ready to grow a thriving garden!
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Good Fences and Gates Make for Great Goats
Wondering how to get your goats to stay in one place? The secret is all in choosing the right fences and gates to keep them safe, happy, and healthy. The following excerpt is from Holistic Goat Care by Gianaclis Caldwell. It has been adapted for the web. All photographs courtesy of Gianaclis Caldwell unless otherwise noted. Finding…
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Optimize Your Soil with Cover Cropping
Make use of these slow gardening months by preparing your soil for the year ahead! Cover cropping creates nutrient-rich soil for winter gardening AND provides an extra boost to your seedlings come springtime. The following is an excerpt from The Resilient Farm and Homestead, Revised and Expanded Edition by Ben Falk. It has been adapted…
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DIY Seed Bank: The Seed Series
A do-it-yourself seed bank is simply your own frozen stash of seeds set aside for long-term storage. The best seed banks are located in your own home or neighborhood and contain vigorous, regionally adapted varieties of the crops you already know how to grow and use. The following is an excerpt from The Tao of Vegetable…
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Growing Cold-Hardy Black Raspberries
Black raspberries are unique, delicious fruits that can be grown in almost any weather condition. Keep reading for tips & tricks on growing these delightful berries yourself! The following is an excerpt from Cold-Hardy Fruits and Nuts by Scott Serrano and Allyson Levy. It has been adapted for the web. Growing Cold-Hardy Black Raspberries For many years…
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8 Seed Saving Myths
There is a lot of misinformation out there about how to save your seeds. Luckily, we’re here to bust the most popular myths about seed saving. Start building your own seed bank today and take control of your garden’s future!
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Maple Syrup 101: Spouts, Tapping, and Trees
Everything’s better with maple syrup. So what better way to solidify your love for all things maple than to learn how to make it yourself? If you have a couple of trees nearby, we have all the advice you need from spout to syrup! The following is an excerpt from The Sugarmaker’s Companion by Michael…
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Starting & Growing A Flower Farm: What to Consider
Want to start a flower farm? Most of your decisions when starting and growing a farm are interdependent, so it can be hard to know where to start. The following is an excerpt from Flower Farming for Profit by Lennie Larkin. It has been adapted for the web. Featured photo by Molly DeCoudreaux. Take Stock…
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Eliot Coleman’s Components of the Winter Harvest
So you want to start reaping a winter harvest, but you’re not sure where to start? Eliot Coleman breaks down the three basic components of the winter harvest so that this time next year, you’ll be knee-high in produce! (Maybe not knee-high, but you’ll definitely have fresh vegetables!) The following is an excerpt from The…
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