Insteading

Whether you like them raw or cooked, zucchinis are one of the most versatile crops you can grow a home. Discover different zucchini varieties and their unique traits with this comprehensive guide...

https://insteading.com/blog/types-of-zucchini/

“Don’t throw that out,” my friend scolded (I was about to compost the core of a lettuce head)! “Why not?” I asked. “It’ll grow more lettuce and provide you with an economical source...

https://insteading.com/blog/growing-food-scraps/

Summer is waning, which means if you’re in elderberry territory — and most of us are — there are literal buckets on buckets of fruit available to anyone who doesn’t mind having purple fin...

https://insteading.com/blog/making-elderberry-syrup/

I have an awkward confession to make. I’m watching “The Office” for the first time (belatedly), and getting up to speed with all the jokes my friends made back in 2007. While I have enjoyed...

https://insteading.com/blog/hay-and-straw-difference/

Fire can be beautiful, pleasant, and calming when properly tended. Fire can also be hazardous and full of rage. Depending on where you find yourself homesteading in the United States, you may not...

https://insteading.com/blog/homestead-wildfire-safety/

Multiple uses of pumpkin make it one of the most beneficial crop to plant in your home garden. Get to know these popular pumpkin varieties and their unique characteristics before purchasing your ...

https://insteading.com/blog/types-of-pumpkins/

A particular quote comes to mind when I think of the patience required for a happy, healthy homestead: “The key to everything is patience. You get the chicken by hatching the egg, not by smashi...

https://insteading.com/blog/homesteading-patience/

I truly enjoy foraging in my neck of the Ozarks. As I venture out to collect the abundant wild spinach, pokeweed, and mulberries, my neighbors seem to think I’m mysteriously gifted with esoteri...

https://insteading.com/blog/elderberries-identification-harvest/

“What’s that horrible smell?” I pinched my nose. As always, my friend’s sunroom was filled with plants of every description. But there was a new one that caught my attention, and I leaned...

https://insteading.com/blog/scaredy-cat-plant/

You’ve seen all the social media and glossy-paper magazine gardens. They’re lush. They’re perfectly weeded. Their plants are in proportioned rows without a single hole in any leaf, and they...

https://insteading.com/blog/realistic-garden/

Summer is here, the air is warm, and you may be feeling the heat! Where I live in the central valley of California, the temperature has been tipping the scales at 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Whether ...

https://insteading.com/blog/staying-cool-without-electricity/

“Did you know this little treasure is actually a weed?” A friend was showing me the latest addition to her orchid family. “In countries like Cuba” she continued, “this Epidendrum radica...

https://insteading.com/blog/orchids-that-are-weeds/

Melons are one of the best refreshing treats you can plant in your home garden. Get to know various types of melons, ranging from the common honeydew to rarer varieties of cantaloupe! Originall...

https://insteading.com/blog/types-of-melons/

Spring is known as the season for “getting the garden in” but perhaps, for whatever reason, you haven’t yet put seeds in the soil. Now that spring has nearly run its course, and the long, h...

https://insteading.com/blog/vegetables-you-can-plant-in-june/

“Some tea?” My friend asked as we lounged in her plant-filled sunroom. “Dandelion?” “Why not?” She poured … and left the fragrant, yellow flower remnants floating in our mugs. Dande...

https://insteading.com/blog/edible-wildflowers/

The Columbian Exchange was an incredible time across the globe, when among other things, crops of the so-called “New” and “Old” worlds were traded for the first time (or the first time in...

https://insteading.com/blog/european-food-plants-to-consider/

Crisp and nutritious, radish is a well-known root crop with varieties suitable for planting in spring, summer, or winter. Before growing your radishes at home, learn the unique characteristics of...

https://insteading.com/blog/types-of-radishes/

When you imagine a “garden,” what comes to mind? Ripe, red tomatoes? Golden stands of jewel-like corn? Green beans, squash, potatoes, and peppers? These typical food plants all originated in ...

https://insteading.com/blog/native-american-food-plants/

Now that we’ve covered how to find your land, build your home, and keep things warm or cold in the previous article, let’s get into the nitty gritty of off-grid living and talk about how to g...

https://insteading.com/blog/off-grid-utility-options/

As I type this, my husband Jaeger and I are finally and entirely off-grid. Woo hoo! It started with getting our home’s heat off-grid, then our water, then our toilets, and eventually, hand-buil...

https://insteading.com/blog/off-grid-lifestyle-considerations/

Gardening is a rewarding hobby that boosts both physical and psychological health among all ages. If you’re a senior searching for relaxation, consider growing your own garden. Reconnecting to ...

https://insteading.com/blog/gardening-resources-for-seniors/

“This is interesting.” My friend looked up from her gardening magazine — yes, she subscribes to the real thing. A paper copy (as do I). It’s much better than surfing the net. “What’s ...

https://insteading.com/blog/butterfly-gardens/

Commonly used in many Asian and Italian recipes, basil (Ocimum basilicum) is a world-famous herb primarily cultivated for its aromatic leaves. Surprisingly, both its flowers and stems carry flavo...

https://insteading.com/blog/types-of-basil/

If you’re accustomed to planting simple annual seeds where all you need to do is open a packet, put seeds in dirt, and then wait for them to sprout, the process of more difficult seed germinati...

https://insteading.com/blog/seed-germination-techniques/

Okra is a Southern staple that primarily thrives in warm regions. However, you can grow this nutritious fruit at home under optimal growing conditions and use it to various culinary applications....

https://insteading.com/blog/types-of-okra/

Beans are an incredibly exciting plant to grow. This may come as a surprise to folks whose experience with the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) is limited to the limp, gray-green cylinders that g...

https://insteading.com/blog/saving-bean-seeds/

According to a quick Google search, onions are the third most bought vegetable in the United States (the average U.S. citizen consumes about 22 pounds of onions a year). Most people that I know u...

https://insteading.com/blog/onions-medicinal-benefits/

Winter is nearly over, and I’ve been flexing my irrepressible hope and getting seeds started indoors. While watching my little starting pots with great anticipation, I did a quick internet sear...

https://insteading.com/blog/homesteading-ai-content/

Growing your own turnips at home allows you to access varieties of different colors. From yellow to purple turnips, these gorgeous varieties can provide a pop of color to your garden and meals. ...

https://insteading.com/blog/types-of-turnips/

Few tools come in as many different shapes and sizes as the humble saw. To the uninitiated, two saws may look the same, and one may even think that any saw can fulfill the duty of another. Trust ...

https://insteading.com/blog/saw-homestead-uses/

Cauliflower can be grown as a cool-season plant right at your home garden. Each cauliflower variety offers unique traits on color, flavor, growth, texture, and yield. Originally published on Ty...

https://insteading.com/blog/types-of-cauliflower/

“You know those hats the young girls wear?” my friend asked. “The ones with the opening for a ponytail?” She pointed at an addition to her garden collection. “Here’s a plant that look...

https://insteading.com/blog/ponytail-palm/

Permaculture. As far as homesteaders are concerned, there are few topics that are more crucial to success on the land. Even if you aren’t a full-time back-to-the-lander, the concepts and ideas ...

https://insteading.com/blog/retaining-water/

Watermelon is a refreshing summer treat you can grow at home! From red to yellow watermelons, there's a variety fir to your garden needs. Originally published on Types of Watermelon © Inste...

https://insteading.com/blog/types-of-watermelon/

The United States is an ecologically rich country full of plant and animal diversity. Those living in the States are fortunate to have animal life around them regardless of the region where they ...

https://insteading.com/blog/coexisting-with-squirrels/

Beets are great all-around root crops you can plant, even in small home gardens. Some beet varieties are cultivated for their crisp leafy greens, while others can be processed into homemade sugar...

https://insteading.com/blog/types-of-beets/

There’s useful knowledge that disappeared somewhere between these last couple generations. Maybe it’s just me, but there seems to be a lot of younger folks out there trying to figure out how ...

https://insteading.com/blog/house-winterizing/

If you are a homesteader or looking at becoming one, permaculture is a topic you should do your best to understand. And even if you aren’t a full-time back-to-the-lander, the concepts and ideas...

https://insteading.com/blog/what-is-polyculture/

If you want a supremely nutritious addition to your home garden, look no further! Broccoli is an outstanding cool season crop with both heirloom and hybrid varieties. Originally published on Ty...

https://insteading.com/blog/types-of-broccoli/

Featured image is the Dresslerella caesariata, not the Acianthera Nikoleae. Since this is a newly discovered species, not that many images are available. Take a look at the Internet Orchid Specie...

https://insteading.com/blog/acianthera-nikoleae/

Peas add crunch and freshness to countless recipes. Growing them in your garden allows you to have fresh stock of this delectable treat, including its rarer varieties. Originally published on T...

https://insteading.com/blog/types-of-peas/

With self-sufficiency as the someday goal, my first gardening days were purely practical. I browsed through seed catalogs with an iron will, bypassing the flower sections with a steely gaze — a...

https://insteading.com/blog/vegetable-garden-flowers/

Ocimum tenuiflorum also known as tulsi or holy basil, is a popular Ayurvedic herb in India that is commonly used for tea. With “holy” being in one of its common names, you may have correctly ...

https://insteading.com/blog/tulsi-medicinal-benefits/

From the popular Bloomsdale variety to lesser known cultivars, get to know the spinach plant before planting them in your garden. These leafy greens are packed with nutrition and boasts versatile...

https://insteading.com/blog/types-of-spinach/

Fire has always been a part of our environment just like water, earth, and air. Believe it or not, fire is one of the most essential natural agents of change because it plays a vital role in main...

https://insteading.com/blog/controlled-burns/

When it comes to living and working on an off-grid homestead, there are a lot of different tasks people need to accomplish. Many of these tasks are in the area of land maintenance. Trust me, if y...

https://insteading.com/blog/manual-tools/

“Come see my newest succulent.” My friend greeted me at the door. She is always trying to grow something new, so I wasn’t surprised to be invited (yet again) to study a plant. I followed he...

https://insteading.com/blog/starfish-snake-plant/

With an immense number of varieties, corn is one of the most consumed grain in the United States. Don't get lost in the cornfield as we guide you in this comprehensive read! Originally publishe...

https://insteading.com/blog/types-of-corn/

Originally titled “How to Save Brassica oleracea Seeds (Cabbage, Kale, Collards, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Kohlrabi, Brussels Sprouts, Gai Lan).” I know it’s a mouthful, so you can see why the...

https://insteading.com/blog/saving-brassica-oleracea-seeds/

On the homestead, there’s a host of different tools that you need. Many of these have at least one blade, and some may look like they are the same tool or close to it. The truth is they might l...

https://insteading.com/blog/bladed-hand-tools/