Hugelkultur raised garden beds in a nutshell:

• grow a typical garden without irrigation or fertilization
• has been demonstrated to work in deserts as well as backyards
• use up rotting wood, twigs, branches and even whole trees that would otherwise go to the dump or be burned
• it is pretty much nothing more than buried wood
• can be flush with the ground, although raised garden beds are typically better
• can start small, and be added to later
• can always be small – although bigger is better
• You can save the world from global warming by doing carbon sequestration in your own back yard!
• perfect for places that have had trees blown over by storms
• can help end world hunger
• give a gift to your future self

The verbose details about hugelkultur raised garden beds

It’s a german word and some people can say it all german-ish. I’m an american doofus, so I say “hoogle culture”. I had to spend some time with google to find the right spelling. Hugal, hoogal, huegal, hugel …. And I really like saying it out loud: “hugelkultur, hoogle culture, hoogal kulture ….” – it could be a chant or something.

I learned this high-falootin word at my permaculture training. I also saw it demonstrated on the Sepp Holzer terraces and raised beds video – he didn’t call it hugelkultur, but he was doing it.

Hugelkultur is nothing more than making raised garden beds filled with rotten wood. This makes for raised garden beds loaded with organic material, nutrients, air pockets for the roots of what you plant, etc. As the years pass, the deep soil of your raised garden bed becomes incredibly rich and loaded with soil life. As the wood shrinks, it makes more tiny air pockets – so your hugelkultur becomes sort of self tilling. The first few years, the composting process will slightly warm your soil giving you a slightly longer growing season. The woody matter helps to keep nutrient excess from passing into the ground water – and then refeeding that to your garden plants later. Plus, by holding SO much water, hugelkultur could be part of a system for growing garden crops in the desert with no irrigation.

I do think there are some considerations to keep in mind. For example, I don’t think I would use cedar. Cedar lasts so long because it is loaded with natural pesticides/herbicides/anti-fungal/anti-microbial (remember, good soil has lots of fungal and microbial stuff). Not a good mix for tomatoes or melons, eh? Black locust, black cherry, black walnut? These woods have issues. Black locust won’t rot – I think because it is so dense. Black walnut is very toxic to most plants, and cherry is toxic to animals, but it might be okay when it rots – but I wouldn’t use it until I had done the research. Known excellent woods are: alders, apple, cottonwood, poplar, willow (dry) and birch. I suspect maples would be really good too, but am not certain. Super rotten wood is better than slightly aged wood. The best woods are even better when they have been cut the same day (this allows you to “seed” the wood with your choice of fungus – shitake mushrooms perhaps?).

Another thing to keep in mind is that wood is high in carbon and will consume nitrogen to do the compost thing. This could lock up the nitrogen and take it away from your growies. But well rotted wood doesn’t do this so much. If the wood is far enough along, it may have already taken in sooooo much nitrogen, that it is now putting it out!

Pine and fir will have some levels of tanins in them, but I’m guessing that most of that will be gone when the wood has been dead for a few years.

……..Read the rest of the article from the source

The post Hugelkultur: The Ultimate Raised Garden Beds appeared first on Grow Real Food — Organic Gardening, Homesteading & Real Food Recipes.

The post DIY: How to Make Moss Graffiti appeared first on Grow Real Food — Organic Gardening, Homesteading & Real Food Recipes.

According to a study published in the June 2003 issue of “Conservation Biology,” there are 561 known butterfly species in the U.S. and Canada. Not only are these insects beautiful, they’re important pollinators and vital to the health of their natural habitats. You can encourage these gentle creatures to visit your yard by using easy-to-make butterfly food and feeders.

Butterfly Food and Nectar

• Think “rotten” when choosing butterfly food. Butterflies like a variety of food sources, especially over-ripe fruit and rotting vegetation. If you own an apple, plum, cherry or pear tree, allow fallen fruit to ferment on the ground to create a favorite feeding spot. Look in the quick-sale area of your grocer’s produce section, and you might even get the produce manager to donate one or two unsaleable pieces of fruit. Consider saving extra bananas in the freezer, which you can defrost and place in a feeder at any time.

  Make your own butterfly food by mixing a solution of 10 parts water to 1 part granulated sugar (use tablespoons or teaspoons depending on the size of your jar), boiling the mixture until the sugar is dissolved, then letting it cool. Extra solution can be stored in your refrigerator for up to a week. An alternative recipe is to cut up a dozen over-ripe bananas into chunks, add two cans of cheap beer, one or two bottles of molasses, and a pound of brown sugar and let it ferment for about a week. The easiest recipe of all is to save any overripe fruit, add a squirt of honey, blend it coarsely in a blender, then divide the mixture into freezer containers.

Butterfly Feeders

• Take a ceramic or glass pie plate, plastic or terra cotta plant saucer—or any dish with a sloping rim—and suspend the plate with flower pot hangers or a macrame-style holder made from household twine. Decorate around the twine with the stems of silk or plastic flowers to make it visually appealing to butterflies, and hang the feeder from the bough of a shady tree, before adding butterfly food. Replace food if it dries out or becomes moldy. Place brightly colored yellow and orange kitchen scouring pads in the dish with the liquid butterfly food solution. You’ll attract butterflies and give them a resting place while they drink.

  Making a jar feeder. Use any small glass jar that has a tight-fitting lid. Punch a small hole in the lid of the jar using a small nail and a hammer, then cut a portion of a sponge and pull it through the small hole, making sure it fits tightly. Soak the sponge with a sugar-water solution, and fill the jar with the solution as well. Use string to tie around the jar to make a hanger, then hang the jar with the sugar water upside-down so that the butterflies can feed on the juice from the sponge.

(Source)

The post Make a Homemade Butterfly Feeder to Attract Butterflies to your Garden appeared first on Grow Real Food — Organic Gardening, Homesteading & Real Food Recipes.

Preserve your fall harvest by storing your vegetables in a homemade outdoor root cellar.

The Garbage Can Cellar

Keeping water out is one of the challenges of a hole-in-the-ground pit cellar, but using a garbage can will help. Dig a hole slightly larger than the diameter of the can and deep enough so that the can’s lid will sit 6 inches or so below the soil level. Set the can inside the hole, then layer in the veggies with some straw or dead leaves. Set the lid on the can, use a stick to pack soil all the way down into the gap around the outside of the can, and then flare the soil out at a tidy angle around the opening. Long-keeping root vegetables will live happily down there, even in the coldest weather. Good storage apple varieties will too, but keep your veggies separate from them. (Apples release ethylene gas as they ripen, which will shorten the storage life of vegetables.)

Cut a couple of 2-inch-thick pieces of extruded polystyrene foam slightly larger than the diameter of the lid and place the foam on top of the can to keep out frost. Cut another circle of three-quarter-inch-thick exterior-grade plywood to about the same size and place it over the foam, with a stone on top to keep it securely in place.

This technique also works well with other containers — such as an old chest freezer or a wooden barrel — buried in a similar fashion.

The post Simple DIY Outdoor Root Cellar For Apples & Vegetables appeared first on Grow Real Food — Organic Gardening, Homesteading & Real Food Recipes.

A Worm Tower is basically a length of pipe buried halfway in the ground with holes drilled in the buried part for worms to get in and out. Food scraps are added directly to the tower instead of into your composting bin, and are eaten by worms already living in the target part of your yard. You can add Worm Towers to your full blown vermiculture / vermicomposting regime or just use them by themselves, particularly in raised beds. Several steps and lots of time can be eliminated for some of your composting by simply delivering food waste directly to the worms, directly on to the garden.

Build Your Own Worm Tower in Just 3 Simple Steps

STEP 1
Drill ¼+ inch holes into a PVC or plastic tube so that the worms can move freely in and out. The tube should be anywhere between 2 and 2 ½ feet long, 4 to 8 inches in diameter. Drill on tarp or bed sheet to catch the bits of plastic.

The post Build Your Own Worm Tower appeared first on Grow Real Food — Organic Gardening, Homesteading & Real Food Recipes.

Avoid harsh and unhealthy petroleum-based paraffin, artificially scented candles. Instead use a simmer pot to make your home smell like you’ve been baking delicious goodies all day!

Instructions: Fill a small saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add the ingredients from your favorite recipe, continue to boil for a few minutes, then turn the heat down to simmer. Add water as needed, usually every 30 minutes or so.

Caution: Set your timer for 30 minutes so you remember to top up with water. You don’t want the pot burning dry. Do not leave the house with this left heating on the stove.

Recipe #1
Cinnamon sticks
Apple peels
Orange rinds
Whole cloves

#2
Apple juice
Cinnamon sticks
Whole cloves

#3
Vanilla (a few drops)
Orange peels

#4 – Christmas Potpourri Simmering Pot
3 sprigs evergreen or handful pine needles
2 cinnamon sticks
2 TBS whole cloves
2 bay leaves
2 pieces orange rind
2 pieces lemon rind

#5
2 TBS whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
5 star anise
1 orange peel

#6
Whole cloves
1 tsp nutmeg

#7
Peel from a whole orange
Whole cloves
2 Cinnamon sticks

#8
5 bay leaves
1 TBS whole cloves
2 sticks cinnamon

#9
Peel from 1 lemon
Peel from 1 orange
2 bay leaves
3 cinnamon sticks
2 TBS whole cloves

#10
1/8 cup cloves
1/8 cup allspice
2 cinnamon sticks

#11
6 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp vanilla

#12
1 cup dried lavender
1 tsp anise
1 TBS nutmeg
1 TBS whole cloves
1 Cinnamon stick

#13
2 sticks cinnamon
Peel from one lemon
Fresh rosemary
Whole cloves

(Source)

The post Scent Your Home Naturally with these Simmer Pot Recipes appeared first on Grow Real Food — Organic Gardening, Homesteading & Real Food Recipes.

What is a Keyhole Garden?

Each keyhole garden has a composting basket built into its center. This gives the garden a keyhole shape when viewed from above. The garden uses a number of layers to retain moisture and nourish the soil, making it more productive than a conventional garden. The composting basket replenishes the soil’s nutrients as well. The garden is made from materials that are all available at low cost.

Benefits of the Keyhole Garden

Soil enrichment
• The layers of organic materials decompose over time, adding nutrients to the soil.
• The central composting basket continuously replenishes the soil.

Moisture retention
• The layers soak up moisture, so the garden requires less water to remain moist.

Year-round vegetable production
• The stones of the keyhole garden wall absorb heat from the sun, protecting crops from cold winter temperatures.

Labor saving technology
• The soil re-nourishment and moisture retention reduce the amount of time required to maintain the garden.
• The garden shape makes it more accessible to sick or elderly gardeners.

Low-cost design
• All construction materials should be readily available (at no cost) to gardeners.
• Gardeners might need to purchase seeds for planting, however.

Steps in Construction of a Keyhole Garden

• A circle about 6 1/2 feet across is cleared.
• Four corner posts are secured into the ground.

• The outline of the garden is marked with stones.
• The outline dips inwards at the center.

• The basket is encircled with rope and lined with thatching grass to allow water that is poured into the basket to flow into the garden soil.

• The first layer of the garden is iron scraps such as empty food and beverage cans, aloe leaves, dry animal bones, broken clay pots, which can be substituted with fist-size stones
• These materials provide minerals to the soil as well as drainage in heavy rains.

• The first layer is covered with soil that gives nutrients, thatching grass that retains moisture, and wood ash that provides potassium.
• Every layer should slope downwards from the basket so water can flow properly into the soil.
• Soil is added on top of the wood ash.

• Soil is added on top of the wood ash.
• A thick layer of mixed soil and dry manure is added on top. Using wet manure will kill young seedlings
• Add stones to the garden walls as the layers grow taller.

• Seeds are planted according to the season.
• During the winter, protect plants from the cold with thatching grass or old carpet. During the day, plants should be uncovered so they receive sunlight.

Planting Keyhole Garden

Space, soil nutrients, and pest management are key considerations in planning your garden. Companion planting is planting different kinds of crops together in the same garden in order to best satisfy those needs. Different methods include planting leafy crops next to root vegetables or planting pest-resistant vegetables(like onion or garlic) next to regular crops. To best ensure that your garden will
stay fertile and resist pests, plant a minimum of four vegetable types.

Preferred Crops For Keyhole Gardens

Root Crops

• Carrot
• Onion
• Beetroot
• Radish
• Turnips
• Garlic

The post How To & Why You Should Build a Keyhole Garden appeared first on Grow Real Food — Organic Gardening, Homesteading & Real Food Recipes.

A DIY Compost Tea Brewer

Running through the equipment and materials needed—from bucket to drill to pump and aeration stones—and following up with a step-by-step demonstration of how to put this together, it certainly makes you wonder why some folks are spending extraordinary amounts of money on compost tea makers. Essentially, these are just aeration devices designed to keep oxygen moving in a tub of water and compost. That’s it. This video shows the bare basics of how to make that happen.

Learn how to brew and apply compost tea

The post DIY Compost Tea Brewer for Under $30 appeared first on Grow Real Food — Organic Gardening, Homesteading & Real Food Recipes.

One of the best ways to enjoy the nutrition of a sunflower is by eating its sprouts. Sunflower sprouts boast a surprising 25 percent protein. They are also rich in stress-busting vitamin B and hormone-balancing zinc. Their sweet taste and hearty texture make a great addition to any salad.

Five healthy reasons to eat sunflower sprouts

1. Boost your fertility with sunflower seeds and sprouts: Both sunflower seeds and their sprouts contain high amounts of zinc. Zinc is a well-researched mineral that is essential for the development of sperm, which is why it is especially important for men.

2. Sunflower sprouts are high in B vitamins, especially folate: Folate (or folic acid) is a necessary B vitamin for pregnant women, needed to ensure proper development of the baby’s nervous system. The combination of B vitamins also assists in the mother’s circulation as well as aids in stress relief.

3. Boost your antioxidant capacity with sunflower sprouts: Both sunflower seeds and their sprouts contain high amounts of vitamin E. Vitamin E works synergistically with vitamin C and selenium to reduce blood pressure, increase the elasticity of arteries and prevent heart disease.

4. The sunflower sprout is a natural expectorant for chest congestion: In Ayurvedic medicine, these sprouts are thought to have the ability to encourage clearance of the lungs. Natural expectorants may also be used as a preventative measure against lower respiratory infections to deter the invasion of pathogens.

5. Sunflower seed sprouts are a great vegetarian source of protein: Protein is well known for its ability to repair muscle tissue and aid in enzymatic functions in the body. But protein is also important in bone development and the prevention of osteoporosis, as it acts as the fundamental framework for the development of the bone matrix and continues to support bone strength throughout life.

Sprout to life shake
Sprouts are a live food, which makes many nutrients more available for digestion and assimilation. Sunflower seed sprouts are rich in B vitamins and essential amino acids — precisely the nutrients your adrenal glands need to work at their optimum. Cleansing your tissues is more important for stress reduction than many people realize. If your cells are struggling to function because they are full of toxins, then you will be less resilient to stress, be it psychological, physical, or environmental.

Ingredients:
2 cups (500 mL) filtered water
1 cup (250 mL) apple cider or juice
1 cup (250 mL) fresh pineapple, sliced
1 cup (125 mL) sunflower seed sprouts
2 tbsp (30 g) hemp or sunflower seeds
1 tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice

Directions:
Add all ingredients to a blender, and mix until desired consistency is reached.
Makes 4 cups

Sunflower sprouts are also easy to grow indoors. Soak one cup of unhulled, natural and unroasted sunflower seeds overnight in a mason jar. Place a planting tray with holes onto a solid tray to ensure good drainage. Fill the planting tray with an inch of dirt, watering it well. Drain your soaked sunflower seeds, and spread them over the dirt in an even layer. Cover the seeds with an unbleached wet paper towel — this keeps the seeds moist and in the dark while they sprout. When the sprouts reach an inch tall (about two days), you can take off the cover and put them next to a sunny window. The sunlight will help create the bright green chlorophyll.

Be careful to keep them moist, but don’t over water them or you may encourage mold to grow. In one week your sunflower sprouts will be ready to harvest! If your house is cold, it may take an extra day for the sprouts to reach maturity.

(Source)

The post 5 Health Benefits of Eating Sunflower Sprouts (Plus a Juice Recipe) appeared first on Grow Real Food — Organic Gardening, Homesteading & Real Food Recipes.

Do you use your freezer to preserve herbs, vegetables, or fruit? The freezer can be a powerful, overlooked method of preserving. Pesto, strawberry puree, tomato soup — stash them away now for colder times! One of my favorite ingredients, a handful of fresh herbs from the garden, is one of the simplest things to preserve in the freezer, and I just learned a new, better way to freeze herbs: In oil!

8 Steps for Freezing Herbs in Oil

1. Choose firm, fresh herbs, ideally from the market or your own garden.
2. If you wish, you can chop them fine. Or leave them in larger sprigs and leaves. Here I froze a combination of finely-chopped and whole herbs such as rosemary, fennel stalk, sage, and oregano.
3. Pack the wells of ice cube trays about 2/3 full of herbs.
4. You can mix up the herbs, too; think about freezing a mix of sage, thyme, and rosemary to add to winter roast chickens and potatoes!
5. Pour extra-virgin olive oil or melted, unsalted butter over the herbs.
6. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and freeze overnight.
7. Remove the frozen cubes and store in freezer containers or small bags.
8. Don’t forget to label each container or bag with the type of herb (and oil) inside!

(Source)

The post Freeze & Preserve Fresh Herbs in Olive Oil appeared first on Grow Real Food — Organic Gardening, Homesteading & Real Food Recipes.