Gardening
The Best Potting Mix for Container Vegetables
The potting mix I actually use for container vegetables, why bagged garden soil ruins pots, and how to feed a mix through a whole growing season.
Foraging
Fresh or Dried Roots for a Tincture? The Mountain Way
Fresh vs dried root tincture: which to make, how the old mountain method differs for each, and the jar-and-cheesecloth steps I use for burdock and dock.
Fishing
How to Get Your Fishing Gear Ready for Spring This Winter
Get your fishing gear ready for spring on a slow winter afternoon: check the line, clean the reel, test the knife, and be at the water…
Gardening
How to Grow Cucumbers in Containers on a Small Balcony
Want to grow cucumbers in containers? Here's the pot size, the trellis, and the watering routine that keeps a small balcony vine producing all summer long.
Backyard Chickens
How to Train Chickens to Use a Nipple Waterer This Winter
Learn how to train chickens to use a nipple waterer: the tap-the-pin trick, how long it really takes, and why the old waterer stays out for…
Foraging
How to Make an Herbal Poultice the Traditional Way
An herbal poultice is the oldest preparation there is. Here's how to make one the traditional way from fresh plantain, and where a poultice stops being…
Foraging
How to Forage and Use Sitka Spruce Tips in the Pacific Northwest
Learn to find, harvest, and use Sitka spruce tips in the Pacific Northwest: how to identify the tree, avoid yew, and make spruce tip tea, honey,…
Backyard Chickens
How to Set Up Nesting Boxes for New Hens (So They Use Them)
Set up chicken nesting boxes before your pullets start laying: how many you need, how high to hang them, what to line them with, and the…
Gardening
How to Grow Ginger in a Pot, Even Without a Yard or a Garden
Yes, you can grow ginger in a pot. Start a grocery-store rhizome indoors this winter, keep it warm, and harvest tender baby ginger by late summer…
Fishing
How to Fish a Farm Pond After a Cold Front Moves Through
Fishing slows after a cold front, but it doesn't stop. Learn how to read the sky, slow down, go deeper, and still fill the cooler on…