Were you a chicken homesteader or a garden homesteader? Most people start with one or the other. I started in the garden, moved on to the kitchen, and proceeded to chickens. I’m going to give you some tips to start a homestead garden that will actually feed your family and reduce your grocery budget.
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Brown Thumb to Homegrown Goodies
Growing up I was notorious for my terrible cooking and my brown thumb. I had to keep a plant alive for a class in highschool, so I immediately ran it home to my mom. She kept it alive and I got an A. It wasn’t a lack of experience. My mom and Mama both have beautiful flowers and bountiful gardens. As a kid I would help them plant, water, and pick. As a teenager, I would tend to the garden when my mom wasn’t home.
Something about doing it all by myself was different though. I started some seeds and they died. The night custodian gave me an aloe plant, which died within three months. We bought a lavender plant to put on the porch. Dead. Despite my track record, my husband agreed to build me a raised bed in the backyard. I was determined to make it work this time around, so I did what any 25 year old would do and got to Pinterest.
I measured out my bed and divided it into squares. Then I drew it out on paper labeling each box with a plant. Because I am a type A person, I also colored each box according to how many plants would go in a square foot. It looked pretty on paper, but I still hadn’t successfully grown anything yet.
My husband and I went to several stores and nurseries to get the exact number and types of plants I needed to make my paper garden come to life. After that it was up to me. I wound up with a bounty. We had more tomatoes and herbs than I knew what to do with. Success!
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Start a Homestead Garden: Plant What You Eat
The biggest mistake that I see people make when they start a homestead garden is to plant what everybody else does. If you don’t like zucchini then you shouldn’t plant it! That’s why you won’t find any of those nasty things in my garden. Use your grocery list to help you decide what produce to grow.
Start a Homestead Garden: Work With Your Zone
Knowing your garden zone is important, but talking to neighbors about your microclimate is probably the most helpful. If you think you know your garden zone, it may be worth checking again. Growing up we were zone 6b, but it has now shifted to 7a.
Now that being said, knowing the zone gives you a good place to start and will also help you pick out seeds, but talk to gardeners in the area. They will have more insight on the weather. For example, 7a means that our average low in the winter is 0-5 degrees. But I know that in the last several years, we have had many days well below that. We got as low as -27. So while I know that I won’t be planting any bananas based on my zone, from experience I know that plants that should be able to survive the winter in our area don’t always make it through winter.
Part two of knowing your zone is knowing your frost dates. Look up your last average frost date and your first average frost date. Then use Clyde’s garden planner to help you know when to plant things outside or seed start them indoors. I keep one tucked in my seed binder, so that it is always handy when planning my garden or buying seeds.
Start a Homestead Garden: Maximize Your Space
Planting crops in well spaced rows can work great. If that works for you then go for it. But there are more efficient ways to start a homestead garden. I really like the square foot method. It leaves very little uncovered soil and my plants do very well. Some other methods to maximize space are the 3 sisters garden and food forests. Pick a method and run with it. The worst that happens is that it doesn’t produce well and you can try something new next time.
Don’t forget about vertical space, landscaping, and pots. Instead of a row of hedges, perhaps blueberry bushes would make better use of the space. Many culinary herbs help fill out flower pots or landscaping. Don’t be afraid to mix produce and flowers. There is no rule stating that pretty can’t be functional.
The last tip I have to help you maximize space is to succession plant your crops. You can have 3 gardens each year in most places. Your cold hardy crops can go in the spring and fall gardens, but save the tomatoes and peppers for the summer garden. Being able to plant 3 times in the same space, triples your produce. Just make sure to rotate your crops appropriately so as not to deplete the soil and attract pests.
The site may contain links to affiliate websites, and we receive an affiliate commission for any purchases made by you on the affiliate website using such links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. As a Revive EO Affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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