Gardening
Mushroom Mulch
I cannot believe that it is mid-August already! My spring/summer garden is done. I have a few peppers still growing, but other than that it is done and mowed under. Now ironically in the dog days of summer, I am preparing for my fall garden. We live about 45 miles from Monterey Mushroom Farm in Madisonville, Texas. If you are from... »
Continuing Education
Most fields in today's workforce require an employee to go to seminars, take classes, etc. to stay current. I would assume that for anyone in a technological field this would be essential as times and technology are always changing. When my husband was an automotive technician, the dealerships would send him to school for one week of the year. Now... »
Pickle-Making the Easy Way
My daughter absolutely loves cucumbers. She will eat an entire cucumber as a snack. In fact all of my children love slices of raw cucumber, but not quite like Kyla. You cannot always eat enough before they start going bad. Our favorite way to preserve cucumbers is pickling them. In the past I have... »
Too Many Tomatoes?
There is nothing better than the taste of a fresh, vine-ripened tomato. Store-bought tomatoes do not even compare with those raised in your garden. I love Roma tomatoes, the big traditional tomatoes, and cherry tomatoes. They are all doing well in my garden this year, especially the Roma. We have... »
Plum-licious Jam
In my small and very young orchard, I have one plum tree. This was the first year that it bore fruit. Well a fruit. It gave me one small plum. I enjoyed eating it immensely and wished that I had more. My dad has a young plum tree, too. His tree gave him at least 40 plums. ... »
Finally Back to Writing
I did not intend to be gone for so long. I had to take off two weeks for the Grimes County Fair and all the events before and after that required so much of my attention. Then the house, yard, and garden had been neglected for at least a week. It took forever to get on top of my housework,... »
The Seven Phases of Gardening
On my right sidebar, I have Psalm 128:2 typed out for all to read. I really like this verse as it pertains to homesteading. "You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessing and prosperity will be yours." Gardening is labor-intensive. It takes time, sweat, and love to grow your own food. There... »
Stinging Grass
If you don't know what stinging grass is, then consider yourself lucky. Stinging grass is a light green plant that grows with grass. It has tiny bristles that "sting" your skin. It has to be a nettle of some sort. The sting can leave red welps on your skin. It also hurts for... »
Planting Potatoes
I am currently reading Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder to my son, Jake. Recently we read: Father asked: "You know how to raise potatoes, Almanzo?" "Yes," Almanzo said. "Say you have a seed potato in the spring, what do you do with it?" "You cut it up," Almanzo said. "Go on, son." "Then you harrow--first you manure the field, and plow it. Then you harrow,... »
Happy Birthday, Texas Homesteader!
This week marks the one year birthday for Texas Homesteader. Yeah!! Today I write my 180th article. First I want to thank my readers. Thank you for spreading the word about my site. I have said this before, but it bears repeating, "The power of word of mouth is amazing." I have had 60,000 visitors this past year. I have almost... »
Spring has Sprung
The signs of spring are everywhere. Rebirth and newness are evident all over creation from the first wildflowers to the newborn calves in the pastures. The landscape has turned green seemingly overnight. I so love springtime! The skies are clear and blue. The warmth of the sun is rousing ... »
Genetically Modified Food
Genetically-modified food. It is the new catch phrase, but what does it mean? And, what does it mean to homesteading families like mine? Simply, genetically modified foods have undergone a change in its DNA. There are two main kinds of changes: cisgenesis and transgenesis. Cisgenesis occurs when genes are transferred artificially with plants or animals that could procreate naturally. An example of... »
An Indoor Greenhouse
In my last article, "Semper Gumby", I mentioned that I started sprouting cabbage and snow pea plants indoors. Today I wanted to describe the process. First, I purchased a Jiffy Greenhouse. I paid about $6.00 for it. It has 72 peat pellets in which to start seeds. I definitely did not need that many cabbage or... »
Semper Gumby
This winter has been extreme for almost all parts of the United States. Whether you have had heavy snowfall, blizzards, freezing nights, and/or massive rainfall, gardeners must take into consideration the weather for a successful harvest. Valentine's Day is usually a day when people prune rose bushes and plant potatoes in Southeast Texas. ... »
Garden Planning Time
If you have been in Southeast Texas for the last few days, then you would have thought that it was springtime. It is January even though it feels like March this week. I am sure that the weather will change soon and that it get cold again. Texans say that "If you don't like the weather, wait 15 minutes." As... »
