Garden Checklist : March!

For many of us in the upper and certainly lower parts of the south March is GO TIME for the garden!
I get really excited once March rolls in and happily get out my Garden Checklist because there is so much to do!!

This is when I really start seeing life come back into the pastures and woods here in southeast TN and I am so thankful to God! It's so beautiful!

Last month some seeds were started inside, some thrived, some did not! Those that did are in the greenhouse now!
My snow peas are up but the sugar snaps are not... I should have put a blanket over them too. Oh well, it's in next years notes!
It's not too late to plant snow peas in the southeast though it's getting close! If you're in a cooler climate you may just be getting ready to plant them! You can check out my post here on some tricks I use to get good crops and the best variety out of the 6 I have grown Growing Snow peas!

Some mustard greens planted in the fall thriving under low tunnels

Keep in mind I am in zone 7. You may need to adjust if you're in a different zone.

My Garden Checklist For March

1. Fertilize all fruit and nut trees and brambles such as blackberries. This is best done right before the leaves start to come out
2. Give garlic a side dressing of compost
3. Weed and compost any beds you missed in February
4. Fertilize muscadines (or any grapes) before the buds swell
5. I can start to Propagate Blueberries, Elderberries, and muscadines this month
6. Divide mature perennial herbs such as comfrey.
7. Sow clover cover crops if needed, and grass seeds for pasture improvement.
8. Plant potatoes when daffodils are in full bloom
9. When Forsythia blooms I can plant these outsides with frost cover on hand! lettuce, green onions, fava beans, burdock, carrots, cilantro, collard greens, dandelion, dill, kale, mustard greens, spinach, 
10. Inside or greenhouse start in flats: Veggies: main crop tomatoes, sweet peppers, tomatillos, ground cherries, kohlrabi, cabbage, celery. Herbs: Arnica, oregano, sage, sorrel, thyme, valerian, and parsley.
11. Start sweet potato slips
12. I can start to Harvest stinging nettle that's rapidly making a comeback!

All that and get your garden journals out to keep notes! My saved charts and notes through the years have helped me be successful in the garden more so than anything else.

If you haven't grabbed a copy of my Givers and takers plants to help you plan your garden you can grab it here! Nutrient Needs of Vegetables, Givers, and Takers

Spring Time and other happenings on the Farm

The only ones here more excited about spring than me is the horses! They are already leaving their hay and venturing out more and more nipping on all the grass the rains have brought up! Of course, its prime time for my equine to get rain rot so I shared this Rain Rot remedy a few days ago. You can check it out here if your animals love standing in the rain as much as mine! Rain Rot Remedy Herbal recipe

Below, I snapped this pic of my 5-month-old poodle puppies and my mini mare, Freckles. They were playing and watching me start seeds by the greenhouse. 

Freckles is with foal and I couldn't be more excited or more nervous! Vets are on speed dial! She's the only horse I have bred to deliver this spring. Everyone else is due this fall or being bred to foal next spring. I love Freckles and she has great potential to be a good team partner for work. But first I'm praying for a healthy baby!! and an easy time for mom. 💓

If everything goes well I do plan to milk her just like I do my donkey jennies. If you are unfamiliar with why I would milk mare's or donkeys here are a few links

Wikipedia on Mare's Milk

Mare's Milk for health

Mare's milk and donkey milk are extremely similar. Both are great for people with food sensitivities and allergies like me! They both have incredible medicinal properties. Both can be used to make Kumis which we love! Talk about energy after just 1 little shot of it! Mare's milk being higher in milk sugars than donkey milk will make a bit better product. Here's a bit about Koumis Wikipedia Kumis

For more info on Donkey milk and what donkeys can offer a homesteader, you can check out a few other posts I've done at this link  Donkeys on the farm

Curious about donkey milk soap? You can try some here Etsy shop Donkey Milk Soap

Well, I think that's all that's going on here this week! Going to be a busy month getting everything done and I feel so blessed!

Have you have a blessed productive week of homesteading!

Garden Maintenance Checklist : February

Garden Maintenance Checklist for February 

January and February are my 2 least favorite months because for us in the southeast they are usually the coldest and most likely to get some snow and ice. Which I also hate! 

I'm a spring, summer and fall girl all the way! Gardening books, planners and seed catalogs help but there is no real substitute for getting in the dirt and sunshine! 

At least in February things pick up for seed starting! There are only a few things I can start in January but this month I get to start early tomatoes, ground cherries and other things I can put out early in wall o' waters!! 

Let the fun begin... if you missed Januarys checklist you can get it here Garden Maintenance Checklist: January

My February Garden Checklist 

1. Prune fruit trees, blueberries and propagate raspberries if you grow them.
2. Prepare beds for carrots, spring greens, onions, broccoli, and potatoes
3. Weed perennials such as asparagus, walking onions and strawberries and give some compost.
4. Sow inside at seed starting station or in the greenhouse: cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, kohlrabi, hot and sweet peppers, Asian greens, celery, lettuces, leeks. I also start tomatoes, cucumbers and anything I plan to plant in a wall o'water.
5. Outside you can plant arugula, spinach, and radishes. 
6. When the daffodils start to come up or the forsythia starts to bloom I plant my snow peas (in a low tunnel or under a row cover. I also plant cold-hardy greens, carrots and fava beans outside at this time.
7. If you started spinach, onions or other hardy greens last month you can transplant outside them after hardening off.

Isn't it exciting? There is nothing as wonderful as a garden!

If you've not got your garden planned yet you can download a copy of this PDF to help with rotation planting based on  Nutrient Needs of Vegetables

Keep in mind this checklist is best for those in Zone 7a and 7b. Your zone may require a later start to some of these seeds. 

Also on the Farm

Our Livestock and Farm Days in the Cold

Luckily we do not raise any livestock that cannot handle cold weather on their own anymore! 

Though cold weather does take its toll on us as we have to go out and care for the livestock every day no matter the weather. Still, Some require a bit more time outside than others. 

Like my husbands Meishan pigs, since they don't have access to the ponds or creeks the Bald Man has to water and of course, feed every day. But they do absolutely fine in the cold weather with simple 3 sided pallet sheds! So no worries with them!

Never heard of the best homestead hog ever? You can check out a bit more about them Wikipedia_Meishan Pig and the Meishan Articles 

My Equine actually really like the cold, especially the horses! Yes, Donkeys are desert animals but healthy donkeys grow amazing thick coats for the winter and rarely go in the barn even if it snows. 

In fact some of them grow hair and an undercoat that I have actually spun into art yarn! Spinning art yarn is one of my favorite ways to spend a cold day inside plus gives me more to sell in my etsy store for extra cash (to buy more miniature horses and seeds 🤣)

The Donkeys do hide in the barn for icy rain and wind though, unlike the horses who stand outside in any weather!

Obviously, they can handle it but Rain Rot can and does happen so here is a PDF printable home remedy for Rain Rot if your donkeys or horses need it Equine Rain Rot Remedy

My equine have access to creeks and ponds that do not freeze for water and the hay stations my husband build save me from carrying hay flakes to everyone everyday! 

Making my winter chores very minimum! Most days I just walk down to the barn give them a treat and hug and get back in the warm house! 

Endless natural water supply and hay (or pasture) for days is the best way to raise horses and donkeys for me. Anything else would make them to high input and I would fall behind on the gardens. As I did with higher maintenance livestock in the past. Time management and saving time is SO important when you're trying to homestead. As I found out the hard way!

You can check out this post for making DIY Hay Feeder

It also works really well for sheep...most goats, not so much 🤣🤣

Though the Angora goats did well with it.

I hope you're keeping warm and cozy in the brutal cold that's hit the USA this winter!!

Just get out those seeds and let the spring dreams take over for a while!

Saturday the warmth came out for a few hours and I gladly took advantage and hooked up Stormy for a drive around the lower pasture.

Till next time... May you have many Homestead Blessings and Bountiful Gardens  💚

**ALL photos you see are from my actual Homestead. I do not need to use purchased stock photos. What you see on my blog is REAL! 

Garden Maintenance Checklist: January!

**ALL photos you see are from my actual Homestead. I do not need to use purchased stock photos. What you see on my blog is REAL! 

Last month I was a bit late posting my Garden Maintenace Checklist so this month I wanted to get right down to business and post my Garden Maintenace Checklist for January!

I mean, January is SO exciting!! The seed catalogs are rolling in, the holidays are over so now so garden planning can truly take priority, and indoor seed sprouting for spring vegetables (for me in the southeast) begins at the end of this month!!!

I can hardly contain myself!!!🎕

This year I've got plans though not as grand as previous years perhaps. But plans to try more vertical gardening and more medicinal and tea herbs. I've got a major re-do on one of my front garden beds too.

Planning a garden can be as big or little of a project as you want. But no plan can be a hot mess! I have several Pinterest boards just for garden ideas and planning. You can check them out here Homestead and Horses Boards Don't forget to follow me if you're a planner because I post actively on them!

Here's my Garden Maintenance Checklist for January. Do keep in mind I am in the southeast zone 7 so your checklist might need to be a little different.

Checklist for January 

1. Order SEEDS! Whatever seeds you need now is the time!
2. Review last years winners and losers notes (I hope you kept notes!) Make notes about what needs to be planted this year! and what doesn't! Here is one of my posts on This year's Winners and Losers in the Garden
3. Finish up any pruning fruit trees or vines
4. Start making seed starting and planting schedules.
5. Inside you can go ahead and start Onions, hot peppers, artichokes, and rhubarb if you plant these items. I also start cold hardy spinach and greens this month that I will plant in a 'hot' bed with a low tunnel next month.
6. Outside prepare beds for greens, spinach, and peas. If I don't plant my snow peas in February I won't get a good crop! Which is totally unacceptable 🤣🤣 Check out this previous post I did on my snow peas trials Snow Pea Trials
7. Get your garden journal or planner ready. Don't have one? Check out this Pinterest board for some ideas Garden Journals

That's it for this month! But its enough isn't it? 

Now, if the weather will cooperate with my plans. That's the issue with gardening, the weather doesn't always get the memo that I need to get stuff done!

Ever an adventure but it's always an exciting one on a homestead! 

Blessings 💚

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Garden Maintenance Checklist: December!

**ALL photos you see are from my actual Homestead. I do not need to use purchased stock photos. What you see on my blog is REAL! 

Most people are planning holiday dinner parties this time of year... well not me honey! I'm in full on garden mode and ready to get this month's Garden Maintenance checklist for December all done!

Life changes when you start a homestead And life is adjusted in major ways for the Four season gardener. Seasons are certainly not about what holiday is coming up. Oh no, for the avid gardener, homesteader or kitchen gardener, we want to know; what do I prepare, what do I plant and what can I harvest!!??

Its all about the garden!💗

Maintaining a four season garden is a huge (fun!) undertaking and organization is key to success. But even if you don't garden all four seasons most of us what a spring and summer garden. Which means truly successful spring gardens are typically planned right now!
Especially for us in the southeast who want a snow pea crop! And I'm talking SNOW PEAS is what I want! Which means my actual planting in the ground starts in Feb. or I won't get a big crop.

As someone for many many years grew ALL my families veggies I have a checklist for every month and I've decided to share it with you guys!

Its truly exciting isn't it!! Preparing and planning the spring garden!

Here's my Garden Maintenance Checklist: December

1. Evaluate seed collection and make notes about what you need to order next month. Clear out and throw away any seeds that aren't viable anymore. Check  Seed Viability Guide PDF for info.
2. Get out the garden journal from last year and make notes about things you need to have ready this year. Such as homemade organic pest sprays, frost blankets, veggies that did well to re-order.
3. Service the rototiller if you use one so you don't get caught in the spring rush
4. Spread ashes and compost over gardens. 
5. If you do no-till gardens like most of mine (but not all) apply a thick layer of compost and thick layer leaf mulch. This has not only enriched my soil but also keeps weeds in check for gardens that aren't planted until late April or May. 
6. Get seed starting equipment ready and order what you need.
7. Prune grapevines or in my case muscadine vines :-)
8. I like start planning my layout during this month, planting light takers where heavy takers were in the previous year and planting heavy takers were givers were planted. Here is a free PDF printable of the takers and givers to help you plan. GARDENING GIVERS AND TAKERS GUIDE
9. I also like to walk the property with my husband and show him/make lists of what needs has to be done before planting, like repair the greenhouse, bring compost up from the barn, etc...

I keep a planner of 'garden projects' to do and like to go over them and see if there's anything I can fit in. Such as trying a spiral herb garden or building a new potting bench area.

Its crazy fun to plan a garden if you are prepared and organized so you don't get overwhelmed. Being overwhelmed is never fun.

I hope my checklist helps you plan your best garden ever!!