Soil Health

Soil Health

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Healthy soil makes a healthy plant. If the soil is deficient in nutrients, especially nitrogen or phosphorus, plants will fail to grow. If the soil lacks good bacteria, the plants will be more susceptible to disease as well. 

On a nutritional note soil that is depleted in minerals, cannot give your produce minerals. This leaves your food lacking in minerals and cannot give you minerals you need.  The best way to determine what your garden has or is lacking in minerals is to take several samples of the soil and have it tested for the mineral content.  Having the soil tested is the best way to determine how much fertilizer you need as well.

For fertilizer I like to use horse manure as it is abundant and must be cleaned out of the pen anyway.  You can use about any livestock manure for fertilizer. Don’t have any? Talk to people in your community.  Anyone who has some usually has an overabundance and will probably gladly get you some of their excess.  Be mindful of the nitrogen content of the manure.  To much can burn your plants.  Using manure for fertilizer is best when applied in the fall and allowed to sit all winter breaking down.  This will also help any excess nitrogen to work into the soil and not burn your plants in the spring.  You can also water extra during the growing year if the plants are looking a little burned. 
Plants absorbs up what is in the soil, both good and bad.   They take up the minerals, and the water, and any chemicals also in the soil. Therefore, it is important to know the source of your plants, especially when using them medicinally.  When preserving herbs, some of these properties can be concentrated.  This is especially true if the plant is being made into an essential oil.  Make sure you know the essential oil company and they know the source of their plants.  Need help? I know a great company and will gladly share with you.   

Keep these in mind when tending the pests in your own garden. Using mulch for weed prevention is better than round up.  Mulch also helps preserve the moisture and encourages good bacteria growth as it breaks down the mulch and you are not tilling it to keep the weeds out.  Tilling disturbs the soil biome and dries it out.  I till once, to work the manure in just before planting and keep the tiller out after that, mulching the garden with unused or refused hay.  

You can help to keep bugs at bay, by using plants that naturally repel them. Marigolds around the edges of the garden work great for keeping pests out.  Onions and garlic also put off a strong scent that bugs tend to avoid.  Keeping larger plants, like tomatoes spaced out in the garden also helps.  I have had much less bug issues in my tomatoes since I started spacing them throughout the garden instead of all together.  


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Plants, Extracts, Salves and Essential Oils

Plants, Extracts, Salves and Essential Oils

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Saving plants to use during the winter is vital. If you are going to use them for cooking or teas, you can simply dry them down. But if you are wanting to use them for more medicinal preventative use, you need a different method of storage. 
 
Tinctures, Vinegar, Glycerite, Honey, and Oil Extracts
Liquid extracts are made using the bark, leaves, or berries of the plants and soaking them for 4-6 weeks in liquid. This pulls the active plant ingredient parts into the liquid, concentrating them. When making a liquid extract decide what the use will be and find the quality herbs that fit for that use. 

  • Tinctures are made with alcohol. This is a great way to store the plants for medicinal user, as it keeps for several years when stored in a cool dark place. The concentrated liquid is also easier to get children to take when needed. 
  • Glycerites are made with glycerin.  These only store about a year but are sweeter than a tincture.  So, children may take it easier.
  • Vinegar is great for making a oxymel, which is a probiotic.  You can take these as is or add them as a dressing to salad or seasoning to vegetables. 
  • Honey infusion is perfect for a little sweet treat that is also beneficial to your health. Raw local honey has great benefits anyway. Infuse with something like elderflower and you have an immune boosting treat!
  • Oil is the best to use when making the extract into a salve.  Olive oil is the preferred oil for most skin care salve.
Salves
Salves are excellent for wound or rash care. Let the herbs soak in oil for the desired time (varies depending on the plant), strain off the solids, warm to melt bees wax and pour into jars. I will occasionally add essential oils, if I am making the salve with a specific purpose. My personal favorite is the calendula salve. It is great for healing the skin and promoting tissue growth. Another good salve is pine, which is good at drawing infection out. 
 
Essential Oils
Essential Oils are extremely concentrated and keep for nearly forever, IF THEY ARE PURE. They are very tricky to make however as slight differences in pressure or temperature or time can make a big difference in what active ingredients are pulled out. When an essential oil is made, it also pulls from everything the plant has gathered and stored. This means if there are chemicals in or on the plant they’re coming too. When making essential oils for medicinal use the minor constituents are very important. These constituents are also dependent soil health (more on that next week). 
 
Whatever you decide to make, be sure to label what it is and what you intended to use it for if your memory is full like mine is. 

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Plant with Purpose: Home Remedies

Plant with Purpose: Home Remedies

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A recent interest I have found is using plants for home remedies. The first book I purchased that has been very helpful and remains my favorite is “Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner’s Guide” by Rosemary Gladstar. It lays out how to know the plants, grow them, and use 33 plants. What I discovered is many of the “weeds” were beneficial! All I needed was to be able to identify them and know where they were naturally growing. If I knew that area was not going to be sprayed, I could just harvest them there! Win!! I didn’t have to take care of it! The best part is most of these are easy to grow and maintain once they are established. I like to get any seeds I can from Seed Savers if I cannot find them there, the next place is Amazon.  I try to get heirloom varieties, as they seem to start from seed and grow the best. They also are great for saving seeds for next year. 

This is still a growing area of my yard. I started collecting the information and trying plants when I was pregnant with my second, not thinking about the fact that having a baby in June greatly limits my ability to take care of the new plants. So I am still working on starting that flower bed….

Here’s what I have so far:
Aloe Vera – gel from the leaves soothes burns, wounds, and skin irritations. This one lives in my house and able to survive toddlers!

Calendula – has so many uses! My favorite is for wounds. It has amazing ability to stimulate cell repair and keep infections at bay. It is also a great for yeast overgrowth, it’s astringent and antiseptic which is great for gastrointestinal problems, and great at nourishing and cleansing the lymphatic system. I love this one! Super easy to grow and re-seeds easily. I keep this on in an old tank by the house.  

Dandelion – the leaf is a mild diuretic and can be used for bladder or kidney problems and is high in potassium. The root is a liver tonic and stimulates the production of bile. It does taste very bitter though. The flower can also be eaten.   You can find dandelions everywhere but make sure, wherever you harvest them from, they have not been sprayed!

Lavender – The flower is the mainly used, but the leaf can be as well. It helps to alleviate migraines and headaches, reduce tension, stress and insomnia. This is one I got going good last year from seed and then it was killed on accident…

Lemon Balm – calms nervous and digestive systems. You can add it to chamomile for nervous exhaustion. It is also great as a spice to flavor food! Also, easy to grow and will spread. 

Peppermint – best known for its digestive aid and relieving nausea and gas. It spread to wherever it is allowed, so keep it contained.

Plantain – I didn’t know about this one, but it is everywhere! I don’t plant it because it comes up wherever there is blank dirt. It draws toxicity from the body and has properties that help check bleeding! I mix this one with calendula into a salve and use it on all cuts or rashes. 

Spearmint – milder than peppermint, but just as easy to grow. It is great alternative to peppermint for children and tends to have amphoteric properties (it moves the direction the body needs, stimulating and relaxing).

Yarrow – antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, and astringent properties. It is well known for healing wounds, bruises, and sprains. Make sure you find the wild version not a colorful hybrid. I found this one in my horse pasture!
 
Here’s the list of what I have coming:
Chamomile – anti-inflammatory and anti fever

Echinacea – aids in immune function, has antifungal and antibacterial properties

Elder – Rich in vitamin C! Great immune enhancer

Marsh  Mallow – Great from soothing inflamed and irritated tissues of the respiratory, digestive, and skin systems. 

Mullein – the leaf is antispasmodic and an expectorant (get rid of mucus). 

St. John’s Wort – strong antidepressant, antibacterial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties. Made into an oil, it is one of the best herbs for trauma to the skin, relieving pain and promoting tissue repair. 

Valerian – used for stress, tension, insomnia and nervous system disorders. 

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Plant with Purpose: Herbs

Plant with Purpose: Herbs

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Another way I chose which plants to start growing regularly was what do we consume the most of (excluding garden plants). HERBS!! I love to season food with home grown herbs and spices. So naturally I decided to grow them. The easiest accessible place for my herbs was right off my front door, but how to keep the dogs from destroying them? Old mineral tubs!! Or you can use any old container really. This allowed me to be able to move the plants as needed too! So what do I grow?

Basil – several varieties are available with slight differences in flavors. This is one that is an annual, BUT it does readily re-seed. In Nebraska it is difficult to get going from seed outside, but it is easy to take the seeds from the plant in the fall and start them in a pot inside then transfer outside once it is warm. Harvest the leaves as the plant grows, leaving leaves below so it will continue growth.

Parsley – This on is a biannual. IF YOU GET THE CORRECT VARIETY. Harvest from it the first year by continuing to cut leaves as they grow. The second year let the plant go and mature to seeds, as the leaves are bitter tasting. This does mean you will need 2 plants that will alternate years. I finally found the correct variety last year, so this spring I’ll let you know if it overwinters in the pot. 

Oregano – I have yet to get this one to come back in the spring, but I have it in a large pot above ground. It is however easy to get a cut going from the mature plant, for the next year. Oregano spreads very easily, so make sure it is contained. 

Sage – This does well in a pot and comes back! I was shocked honestly. It will grow to a bush size if it has the space. 

Rosemary – This one might overwinter if you have the correct variety and have it in the ground. It has also proven slightly difficult to start from seed, so I’ll get back to you on the specifics to make this one the best….

Thyme – Again so many varieties! Also still perfecting the growing of this one…. It does start fairly easy from seed but needs hot weather before it really takes off. 

Dill – Annual, but self-seeds so easy! Harvest what you what for the seeds but leave a few to drop back into the soil for the next round. I will often have 2 batches per year. 

Cilantro – Another annual that readily self-seeds. Only cut 1/3 of the plant at a time when you harvest the leaves. Leave a few seeds at the end to let them fall back to the ground. I will often have a spring and fall harvest with this one as well. 

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Where to start?

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The biggest hurdle for most people who want to be self sufficient, is how do I feed my family? Start with a little bit at a time. If you try to take on to much at one time, you burn yourself out. What does your family use? Herbs? Vegetables? Fruits? How much space do you have? Is it full sun or part shade? Are those plants able to grow in your climate zone? Do you need a greenhouse? What is your soil like? Does it need improved?

A simple gardening start is herbs. You can grow them in pots just off your porch or in a designated area in your yard. Think of what you use the most of: Oregano, basil, peppermint, parsley, rosemary, dill, cilantro, etc. If you have sunny windows you can even bring many of those pots inside in the winter and continue to harvest from them. Now choose to grow them instead of buying them! The herbs I listed are easy grow especially if you buy them as plants. Starting them from seed takes a bit more, but that is for another day…

Next the garden. What vegetables do you and your family enjoy? Grow them! Cucumbers are an easy one to grow but take up space. However, have them climb a fence or arch and you suddenly have way room! Tomatoes are also easy and do well with full sun. They are also versatile in preservation and so many uses! Spaghetti, salsa, simple sauce, soup, just to name a few. Peppers also do well in most gardens. Think what kind of peppers? Hot, sweet? What are you using them for? Fresh eating, cooking, as a spice? 

Choose a few more plants to try every year. Every year you will become more comfortable with the plants you have and will be ready for more. My aim is to grow all the vegetables we need for the entire year. My first garden (2014) I grew a few tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers, cucumbers, pumpkin, and corn. I didn’t harvest a whole lot of the produce because the garden was planted late and the soil was terrible. That fall I cleaned the horse pen out right into the garden! That following year? The plants were healthy and very bountiful! Now I add a little horse poo every fall and my garden continues to expand. This year (2020) I have, tomatoes, sweet peppers, hot peppers, cucumbers, snap peas, green beans, carrots, radishes, lettuce, spinach, broccoli, onion, and garlic. My herbs are no longer just in the pots by the house but have their own area as well. 

The best plants I’ve found are heirloom varieties. You can find all sorts at Seed Savers! The flavor tends to be better and as a bonus the plants produce seeds that you can start next years plants from! 

The next few blogs are going to focus around planting with a purpose in mind.




As I've grown in  my journey as an entrepreneur, mom, gardener, and livestock owner, I struggled to find a planner that met my needs and kept me organized. So I MADE MY OWN. You can take a look at it on the link blow and buy it on amazon below
Don't want the whole calendar part? I got you! I pulled the gardening and animal care pages out and put them in a book all their own. 

Wanting a community to lean into? Join the FREE Helping Your Family Homestead for Food group! This community is for the Mommas, looking to stay home and raise their kids, but unsure how to keep everyone fed and make ends meet. I share tips from my journey from the office, to half the income and feeding my family from home, while maintaining good nourishing food. Tips include: gardening, bulk buying, caning,/preserving, livestock, homesteading, and home remedies. Your family is precious and this group is to help you gain the knowledge and tools to keep your family well and not reliant on outside professionals. Remedies and tips are easy and simple for the busy momma, time is precious after all, including pregnancy, birth, young kids, and illness. Trust your Momma gut again! This community offers the resources + community you need to help get started on your journey and prepare for whatever future you envision. 
 
Starting to garden doesn't have to be hard! I gathered all the tips I've learned over my gardening learning curve and made them into a simple course to jump start your gardening your life. 

I've had 3 very different pregnancies. After the first traumatic birth, I learned better and how to care for my body naturally and prevent common pregnancy and birth problems before they arise. This quick course will get you the tools you need to have a naturally healthy pregnancy, labor, and delivery. My first pregnancy I had a normal western medicine all the things pregnancy. My second? I flipped to completely natural, no medicine. Bonus: Preventing Preeclampsia Without the Aspirin & Healing from Birth Trauma
Supporting Your Family Naturally From the Inside Out community!! This community is for the Mommas, looking  to Support Your Family from Nature for Wellness. Tips range from nutrition, herbals, detoxing, natural cleaning, and essential oils. Basically all the things I’ve learned slowly over the past 5+ years if my journey. We have moved off Facebook, so to better serve our community and be able to discuss openly option for providing for your family in the best way possible.
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