It takes some thought and planning so we have the right tomato plants in our garden.  We don’t run out and buy or raise from seed just any tomato to grow.  Some may say, ‘Well a tomato is a tomato…right?’  Yes it is…. but if you want to end up with the right tomato plant in your garden or pot you need to know the two categories you will be choosing from.  DETERMINATE and INDETERMINATE.   For tomatoes we eat and for that longer growing and producing season we look for tomatoes in the Indeterminate category. And for making all our yummy tomato products, like spaghetti sauce, etc,  we will choose from the Determinate category.  Most folks know about these 2 categories and the difference but some of you may not know and end up disappointed with your choice of tomato plants. My husband, Melvin, has a great understanding about the two categories and made decisions about our tomatoes based on his knowledge.  I on the other hand, understood how each tomato grew and produced but knowing and understanding the terminology was something I didn’t have! I set aside a little time to learn more about it! Knowledge is GOOD, helpful and definitely not a waste of time to gain it.   So, what is the difference between Determinate and Indeterminate?

Indeterminate tomato plants will grow large some may be trailing, sprawling and will have to be supported with stakes or cages. They also will produce tomatoes for a longer season because they keep growing and setting on flowers.  Their size isn’t determined and some of them can reach up to 6 feet tall.  We use these tomatoes primarily for eating, juicing and can whole tomatoes.  Some examples of this category of tomatoes is Beefsteak, Big Boy, Goldie, Early Girl, most Cherry/Grape types and your Heirloom Tomatoes.

Determinate tomato plants are Bush type tomatoes, reaching 3-4 feet tall. They have a shorter growing and producing season because they will set flowers all at same time usually and the fruit will mostly ripen all at close to the same time. These are great tomatoes to grow if you don’t have a large garden. Perfect for raised beds, patio and balcony gardens.  You can also grow in most containers that drain well.  We grow plenty of these tomatoes because they are the ones we make our sauces from.  Some examples of determinate tomatoes are Roma, Heinz, Amish Paste and Rutgers to name a few.

So we grow tomatoes from both categories because they each serve a specific need or want for us.  We usually grow our own plants from seed and when you look in a seed catalog or on a seed packet it usually specifies what category that tomato is in. I haven’t seen many plants at greenhouses and nursery’s that has that information listed.

It may take a little time and effort to get the tomato plants you want, learning about and understanding these two categories will help!  And if you are a tomato lover it is well worth the effort!!!   Happy Frugal Gardening!

Oh my, it’s getting close to seed planting time…….I’m so EXCITED!!!   Does anyone else get excited about getting those seeds in some dirt??  What seeds will you sow for your garden this year?

We just ordered fresh seeds and feel that it just makes sense to start our seeds and raise our own plants for the garden.  It’s so fulfilling and exciting to plant seeds and watch them grow!  Besides that, it is also frugal!   So order those seeds and get your 2023 garden on track.

I saw this and thought it just so spot on…I can definitely relate to this.

Getting excited to sow some seeds….

Happy Frugal Gardening

Raspberry Runners, New Raspberry Patch

As a Homesteader, how can you start or expand your Berry patch without breaking the bank?  Especially if you have a large family to provide for and would like to preserve some berries for later.

If you are just starting your Berry patch there are some frugal ways to obtain your plants.  Family, Friends, Neighbors,  check around and see if anyone is growing the berries you are looking for.  Definitely look to other homesteaders, they always are ready to help. They may have some starts you can get from them and most likely they will be free or at least very inexpensive. Check out any local greenhouses, nurseries, farmers markets, etc you may get some plants from one of them.   If your county has an Extension Office they can be a great resource for you because they know a lot of farmers big and small and can direct you to someone who can help you.  Garden Catalogs sometimes will have great package deals if you buy more than one or two plants.  So, a little time and research can save you some big bucks.

You may already have a Berry patch but would like to expand so you can produce more berries. Look your Berry patch over and make sure it’s not showing signs of disease.  If it’s a healthy patch you can obtain all the FREE plants you could ever want. You may have noticed that your parent plants send out ‘Runners’ or ‘Suckers’.  I know we have mowed over a bunch of those in the past and I know others who do the same thing.  These plants will give you a nice new Berry Patch at no cost….FREE.

Raspberry ‘Runner’ , Free Plant,

With a shovel you will cut in all around the plant and you will want to dig up as much dirt as you can with the berry plant. You will want to get the new patch prepared before you do this.  We use our big tiller and really work up the area nicely and then we add plenty of nutrient rich compost and rake that in.  We usually will dig our new holes first and space them 3-4 feet apart and if you have more than one row you will want the rows to be 5 feet apart. Plant you new plants only as deep as they were. Firm them in and give them a good drink of water.  We water them everyday ( unless it rains and we will skip that day) for a couple weeks to make sure they have a good chance to live! Once you know they are going to live you can then put up your support wires or fence. We try to be frugal around her so we used some old fencing be had laying around! It works great!

One important item to decide is, how many plants will you need to have for your family?  Well, you know you want to enjoy those fresh berries, make a cobbler or two, whip up some jelly or jam, and you’ll want to can or freeze some for later use. We like to have 7-8 plants per person. This usually supplies plenty of berries. You can always keep expanding your patch if you find it’s not enough plants to supply your family.

Hey Homesteaders, what are you going to do with those extra plants that you couldn’t use? Why don’t you pot them up and sell them!   I know a few people selling their extra raspberry and blackberry plants for $5 around here. That’s a good way to make a few dollars. Or if you have a friend or neighbor who wants to start their own berry patch you could share with them.

Share a picture of your Berry Patch!!   Happy Frugal Gardening!!!

Little green onions….a little cleaning and ready to eat!

“Onions are gross! We don’t really like onions!”  That’s what my daughter would say but I can’t live without onions in my life!  Thank goodness there are so many onions to choose from …some can be enjoyed throughout the gardening season and some you will grow for storage to enjoy after the gardening season.

I can’t even begin to say what my favorite onion is because I have never met an Onion I haven’t loved. But for an early treat in the Spring, I really love the little green onions or some people call them ‘scallions’, ‘spring onions’ or ‘bunching onions’ whatever you want to call them, you can plant them early in the spring and stagger planting times so you have onions during the whole growing season.  These onions are so versatile! You can eat them raw or use them in most recipes.  I love them in stir fry’s, egg rolls, pasta and potato salad, kale and broccoli salad and so many other dishes. Of course, my husband loves a dish we call ‘kilt lettuce’ or ‘wilted lettuce’. Oh so yummy!

You can plant them in so many different ways.  I usually plant them in a raised bed and do the square foot method and pack them in closely.  A lot of folks plant them in traditional rows. If you have very limited space, they can be planted in pots or grow bags.  There isn’t any hard fast rule for how to grow them. Just a note about these Little Green Onions, they aren’t the best for storing because they don’t get very big and they tend to not do well in the heat. Also, they will grow a large hard blade that will bloom and make seed and this will make the onion hard and mostly not edible.  These onions grow from onion sets.

You can find a large selection of onions you can grow for storage.  Some have a stronger flavor and some are sweet. These onions will grow much bigger than the little green onions and these are grown from onion plants. These do better if you plant them with more room between them and I do grow these in a traditional row.  Again no firm rules!  These onions require a longer growing time and a good place to store them after harvesting. ( will have an article on harvesting onions soon)

One thing to keep in mind is Onions are heavy feeders so you will need to provide them with nutrient rich soil. When you work up your onion plot you will want to add plenty of compost and some manure.

With both of these types of onions discussed, you can grow yellow, white and red onions!  I grow all of them because I have the space to do so.  Figure out what your onion needs are, what you love to eat, how much space you have and just go with those.

Onions are easy and fun to grow and what a bonus to go out and pull some fresh onions to eat or cook with!

Happy Frugal Gardening

Green onions in a raised bed.

Little green onions all cleaned up and they are a frugal item to include in your garden.

Foraged Chanterelle Mushrooms

Most folks purchase their mushrooms from the grocery store and you can get some good mushrooms there. But to really get something more amazingly tasty you really need to get out in the fields and woods and forage for some mushrooms. There is nothing like an earthy, fruity mushroom you pull from the forest floor. Not to mention the quiet, reflective time roaming around all the beauty the forest and fields offer. And another plus……It is a very frugal, money saving thing to forage for your food. When you find those favorite spots you will probably find enough mushrooms to preserve for later use. I like to freeze them and dehydrate them.  Next season, I want to try canning them. So, this is on my list to learn and do.

In the Spring I love to look for the elusive Morel Mushroom. I say elusive because they can be hard to spot, but they are worth the time and effort!  Some of the other mushrooms I look for are Chicken of the Woods, Turkey Tail, Lions Mane and of course the Oysters.  But the one I especially enjoy is the Chanterelles. They are so prolific and easy to locate and identify. Besides being so delicious!! They usually start coming up in the summer after several rains. One of the great things about Chanterelles is they usually come up in the same areas I have found them in the past, reappearing year after year. It’s not unusual to find up to 20-30 pounds in a season and if the weather is right for them you can find even more.

Some folks are afraid they won’t be able to properly identify the good mushrooms and could end up eating a toxic mushroom.  And I get it…… but this is something you can learn to do. I always was afraid in the past to eat a mushroom that was foraged, but once I started really looking more closely at mushrooms along with a good book that helps identify mushrooms, I started feeling a little more confident. But what has really helped me is joining some groups on social media (FB) especially groups in my state. They are so helpful! But one thing you want to look for in a group is that the group has Admins who are experts. They will definitely steer you in the right direction when identifying mushrooms.  Good admins also organize groups to go foraging together on land that someone has given permission to forage on.  These outings are especially helpful.  You can learn a lot when you go out with folks who are not only experts but folks like you who are learning to forage safely.

Hopefully you will get out there and start foraging for those wonderful, earthy and delicious mushrooms!  Send me a picture of your haul and what your favorite wild mushroom is!!

Foraging for Mushrooms

Garden and Plants looking good. Harvest should be BIG

us time to get to know our gardening zone, length of days, sunlight, water/ rain rate, temperatures we have to work with and get that soil testing done so we can be ready to get that garden planted in the spring and harvest a bumper crop!!

Happy Frugal Gardening Everyone

PUMPKIN DROP COOKIES

Preheat Oven to 400* F

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour;   1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon;   1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg;  2 eggs;  3 TBSP. applesauce;  1/2 cup solid packed pumpkin; 1 TBSP molasses; 1/2 cup beef or chicken broth or water; (if you use water you can add 2 TBSP. nonfat dry milk, this is optional)   (I have cooked up fresh pumpkin for this and I have also cooked and mashed sweet potatoes or yams in place of pumpkin)

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix together to a cookie dough consistency. You can add a little more flour if they are too sticky/thin.  Drop by the teaspoonful about 1 inch apart onto a greased baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes or till cookies are firm.  If you want harder cookies…turn off the oven and let the cookies cool in the oven 1-2 hours or overnight. ( For older dogs who can’t chew hard treats you can bake 10-12 minutes and take out of oven when done…you want them to be a little softer)  Store your treats in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  Your dogs will love you and the treats!

I have some other recipes for dog treats I have tweaked and played around with and they are easy and cheap to make. Will share soon. Try this one and let us know how your dogs liked them.

Mel and Marcia

Homesteading Frugally’s Doggie Treat Eaters Love Pumpkin Drop Cookies

• SUNLIGHT
• SOIL QUALITY
• WATER SOURCE
• DISTANCE FROM HOUSE
• ELEVATION

1. SUNLIGHT- All of us know that Sunlight is Crucial for the growth and productivity in your Garden. Most Gardens should receive 6 hours of direct Sunlight each day. When you select your Garden Site, just watch out for Structures (houses, barns, trees, etc) that would cast a shadow over the Garden Site.  Now some of your vegetable crops you choose to grow may like a little shadier spots….in that case plant them beside taller vegetables so they will get a little shade from them. That’s what we do. We have our Garden near a tree line so that after getting sunlight from morning till mid afternoon (3-ish) it finally gets a little shade in the hottest part of the day. This really works for us and the crops we plant.

2. SOIL QUALITY-For a Bountiful Harvest you soil needs to be fertile, loomy, full of Organic Material, loose and easy to dig- Plus it should be good draining soil.  Avoid a site full of Clay or one that is too Sandy.  If your soil is not of good quality, you can Amend it by adding Compost, Decomposing Manure and other Organic Matter (grass clippings, leaves, mulch, etc) which rots down and improves the soil. (Part III will talk more about soil quality)  Take a long hard look at the Soil in the Garden Site you are considering….is it dark, loomy, loose soil?  Or is it packed hard, red, clay or sandy! Keep looking unless the not so good soil is something you know how to amend and will have the time and resources to do so. We live on a rock…so we have done a lot of soil amendment. Now it is in good condition. But it is a lot of work…every year. So worth it though,  when you finally have that rich, loomy soil you just love to put your hands in.

3. WATER SOURCE- For Gardens to remain Green, Healthy and Productive, they really need about 1 inch of water per week. Rain is the best way to get that 1 inch quota but we don’t always get that much rainfall every week.  Irrigation is a good way to get water to your Garden. So is a water spigot with a garden hose!  Whatever method you use-combine it with Mulching (we talk about mulching in Part 1)  Your getting a BIG HARVEST depends on your Garden getting enough water… So how easy would it be to get water to the Garden Site you are considering?

4.  DISTANCE FROM HOUSE-  How far away or close your Garden is to your house itself, isn’t going to make it more Productive. However, if it is too far away you may not be visiting it as often as you should…and that will affect the Productivity. We love having our Garden close to our house because it makes it so easy to walk out and tend to the plants, pick veggies, weed and water. We had the Garden a distance from our house before but it was difficult hauling our harvest in. So consider this carefully!  Do you have a Garden Shed in place if it is far from the house, a Tractor and Trailer for hauling in your harvest? It can be and is a drudgery when you have to lug everything back and forth.

5.  ELEVATION-  WHY be concerned with Elevation of your Garden Site?  Because your Garden needs good Air Circulation….plus you want to avoid those early Frosts.   Therefore, AVOID low lying areas and GO for a little Higher Ground!  Big Plus…Higher Elevated Gardens warm up quicker in Spring and they will have great Air Circulation….and don’t forget frost won’t settle on it as quickly.. We live on a Ridge and we see Frost down in the hollers and valleys and we won’t get any Frost at all and that means…. we have a longer harvest time on those veggies!!!!

We’ve considered many of the factors that will help you select a Productive Garden Site.  Part III will discuss the Basic Needs Plants have.   After that you should be just about ready to make your Garden a Reality!!

Happy Gardening and Homesteading!  

Mel and Marcia

Garden and Plants looking good. Harvest should be BIG

For some folks, Gardening can be a little intimidating. There are so many different crops you can plant, there is the WHEN and HOW to plant, where to locate the Garden, soil types and soil amendment, composting, weeding, pest control……well, we get the idea. There are many questions and decisions you face when starting a Home Garden. And this could be why many never get their Garden “off the ground”.

Part 1 of this series deals with some of the basic principles we share with our friends, family or whoever comes to us for advice on where to begin with their Gardening adventure. So for anyone who has wanted to start a Garden but then never got it “off the ground”, here is a list of some basic principle followed with an explanation of the principles.

7 BASIC PRINCIPLES

1. Keep Your Garden Simple and Start Small
2. Start A Compost Pile
3. Do Mulch
4. Check On Your Garden Often
5. Keep A Journal
6. Grow Veggies You Love
7. Talk With Others Who Garden-What Are They Growing

These may seem like small things to do…they are! But these things will definitely take away a lot of stress when you do them. Another benefit is, you will learn good Gardening habits, save you money, save you time and get you in touch with what you want from your Garden.

1. Keep Your Garden Simple and Start Small!         Don’t try to grow everything that is available out there!  That would be a formula for failure and a big waste of money and time.  A small Garden plot…say a  10′ x 10′ is a very manageable size to begin with. You can grow a lot of food in that size Garden. (You will want to pay attention to #6 because it ties in well with this one.) If you have the space and time you can start with a 10′ x 20′ plot. Just be selective about what you chose to grow and with a simple plan and a small plot you will have time to care for it and learn about Gardening and about your crops. I will list the most popular crops for small plots at the end of this article.

2. Start A Compost Pile!       We call this stuff the “Black Gold” of Gardening.  Composting is something every Gardener should be doing. It provides natural fertilizer and is great for building up your soil. Of course you can purchase bagged or bulk compost at a Gardening center….but it is so easy to turn all those leaves, grass clippings, veggie trimmings, livestock manure and other natural waste matter you have around, into “Black Gold” for your Garden. And remember…you can never have too much of it! Lay it on thick every year.

3. Do Some Mulching!      Mulching reduces the hard work associated with Gardening.  Yep….it keeps those weeds down!! We love this. Not only does it control the weeds it keeps that soil nice and moist.  Now we have used a lot of different things for mulch over the years…like straw, grass clippings, leaves, hay, newspapers…we really don’t like using hay because it grew some really nice weeds for us.  If you use straw…make sure it is clean…no weeds in it.  We thistle weeds one years from hay and straw we used for mulch and thought we’d never get rid of them.  We have been using leaves  and just love them.  You need to put mulch on thick and put it around all your plants and even in the walkways.  Mulch will rot down in the garden and improve the soil. We till it in that fall or in the spring.

4. Check Your Garden Often!      This is one of the habits a gardener should develop. Why? Because when you visit your Garden often you can check for weeds and pull them, water if any plants need it, check the plants for disease or pests ( those pests can destroy a crop in a couple days if not caught in time). You can keep your finger on the pulse of your Garden by checking it often and ensure a big harvest.  Also, you can look for any veggie that is ready to eat!!!!  BONUS!

5. Keep A Gardening Journal!      Write it down!!! Weather, What seeds you ordered/bought, Where you got the seeds/plants, date you started your seeds, when you planted seeds/plants in the Garden, What pests you had to deal with and what worked on them, Which crops did well and how much harvest you had with each one. Record your Garden diagram so you can rotate next years crops.  All of your Gardening information will help you with next years Garden planning.

6. Grow Veggies You Love!     Now doesn’t that make sense?  But we know people today who still plant crops that no one in the family will eat. Why??? I don’t know…but I do know that it is taking up valuable real estate. They could be growing things the family loves to eat.  So…make a list of what each one in the family loves and select those seeds and plants.  As you gain experience and learn more you can branch out and try other varieties of the veggies you love.  My family loves the Green Beans called Half Runners.  If you look at that particular Green Bean you will soon find out that there are a dozen or more varieties. We focus on the White Half Runners, Mountain Half Runners and this year I got a variety called the Pink Half Runner. That is the case with every veggie out there. You may be enlarging that Garden sooner than you planned.

7. Talk With Your Neighbors-What Do They Grow?     Most people love to show off their Garden’s and share their secrets and what they learned from the old folks before them. They are a wealth of information. What have they found grows well in your area? Where do they find good seeds/plants at? Check with the local Garden Clubs, Cooperative Extension Office, Garden Centers and Universities nearby. All experienced Gardeners around you are an invaluable source of information….spend some time picking their brains.

Start implementing these great ideas and good habits now. Make some decisions based on these principles and you should have that Garden “off the ground” in no time!  Part 2 will discuss Plants and their requirements. Part 3 is going to help you choose a great garden spot and soil condition.

• Here is that list of Easy Crops that are great for Small Gardens!

Radishes, Bush Green Beans, Bunching Onions, Cabbages, Zucchini and Summer Squash, Leaf Lettuces, Swiss Chard, Kale, Spinach, Beets, Snap Peas, Cucumbers, Bush Tomatoes, and I think Peppers are easy.  Select ones you love and get started planning!

• Bonus List- Which Plants you have to start early or purchase.

Cabbages, peppers, broccoli, tomatoes all have to be started in greenhouse or inside under a grow light. Or you can purchase plants at a Greenhouse.

• Seeds that can be sown in ground, check packets because some can go out before danger of frost is over and some have to go out after frost threat.

Radishes, lettuces, peas, kale, chard, beets, onion sets, spinach, most leafy greens, kohlrabi, potatoes can all go out before last frost date.

Beans, cucumbers, squashes, pumpkins, melons, corn, herbs can be sown after threat of frost has past.  

Again check for that information when planning your garden….learn all you can about the crops you want to grow.

Happy Gardening and Homesteading

Marcia and Mel

Starting our seeds in our low cost, re-purposed, greenhouse.

We were concerned about the seeds sprouting and the seedlings surviving the cold because we do not heat this greenhouse. The styrofoam seed trays float on water. The idea behind this method is that the water keeps the temperature from fluctuating….even when it is cold and snowy outside…the seeds and seedlings are kept from freezing or even getting a chill that would kill them.  We love this method.    An older man that lives over the hill from us has used this method for starting seeds for several years now and he is a pro at it. We love seeing others projects and how they do things. This helps us learn and grow as Gardeners and Homesteaders. It also helps us discover more frugal ways to Homestead.

Seeds are sprouting and coming up everyday.

We did experience a little issue out at the greenhouse…..

Baby Bella is making sure that Miko knows who the boss is….

These two are so entertaining….we love to stop our work to enjoy moments like this.

Our excitement for the gardening season is greater now that we have our little greenhouse. We can’t wait for that first Tomato, Cucumber, Lettuce, Cabbage and all the other delicious things we will be growing in our garden. And thanks to this Under $20 Greenhouse, we will be doing it all so Frugally!

Happy Homesteading to you all and come back and see us again here at Homesteading Frugally!

Marcia and Melvin