Self-Sufficiency Made Simple: Recent Episodes

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When I first heard the word permaculture & heard that there were 12 principles it conjured up all sorts of complicated concepts that my new gardening brain just couldn’t fathom.

I was flat out working out how to keep a few pots of herb alive let alone applying 12 principles to my gardening. I mean, come on!! Who has time for that?

What I came to understand is that we all do. Permaculture is something we can all use to help guide our food growing journey and so much more.

I want to demystify permaculture for the newbie gardener a little but. Take out some of the unfamiliar language that can some times cause us to think what the fuck does that even mean.

Let's start from the beginning.. Back in the 70’s when I was born 2 coworkers and friends Bill Mollinson and David Holgren from Tasmania Australia developed a sustainable agriculture system. It was a system that took it’s concepts and methods from the natural environment and the word Permaculture is a combination of the words Permanent Agriculture.

The system is designed to have closed energy cycles. What that means in simple terms is that the gardens or farms don't need a bunch of external energies like chemical fertilizers, irrigation and human work like plowing fields for it to produce a great harvest.

The waste from one would feed the other like cutting and dropping the unused portions of the plants so that it becomes mulch that helps retain moisture and breaks down adding nutrients back into the earth. Just like trees do with leaves and bark.

It means growing different types of plants together or in a sequence so they help each other out with nutrient needs and help to keep moisture held in the soil.

It also means carefully observing nature so that our gardens and farms mimic the local ecology. Designing also takes into account the ease of use. No point having something that is great in theory but is too hard to implement and use.

Full show notes at www.sohfarmlet.com.au/podcast

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Here in the Hunter Valley winter is definitely on it’s way. Our nights are getting down to under 10 deg c and even though the days are stunning, there is a definite chill. This means that many of our warmer loving plants have packed it up for the season.

The cucumber vine died back almost overnight even though we hadn’t had a frost. The cherry and cherry roma tomatoes plants are covered in green tomatoes but they are starting to get attacked by bugs and the basil is all but done.

On the plus side our eggplants and zucchinis are still going strong and of all things, the pumpkins have decided to give a last hoorah putting on some last minute growth and baby pumpkins too. I will let them do their thing until we have a frost due then I will pick them like a woman possessed the day before. This is totally reliant of course, on me getting my timing right. But that is part of the fun of gardening.

We had about 5 kgs of cucumbers and about 1 kilo of small green tomatoes that needed to be picked.

I love cucumbers but if I ate 7kg of fresh cucumbers I think I would end up looking like one so I needed to do something with them to make them last longer. Hmm I wonder what I could do.

Pickles of course!

And as much as I love cucumbers I love pickles even more. I found a recipe years ago for a quick easy cucumber pickle that you store in the fridge. This means no fancy canning equipment needed just some basic ingredients, a pot and some sterilized jars.

This is the best recipe I have used to make sweet pickle cucumber and it’s quite forgiving. My cucumbers this year were from last year's saved seeds that I let cross pollinate. The result was a super yummy cucumber but with lots of seeds. Not ideal for making pickles but they still turned out great.

I will put the full recipe and instructions below, but as an overview this is what I did.

Boil jars and lids for about 15-20 mins to sterilize. Only use either pickling jars or thick glass jars. Thinner jars don’t handle being boiled and will crack.

The die hard preservers may argue that you can’t use old jars you’ve saved but using this method I haven’t lost one yet.

Make sure you also put the jars and water in together at room temperature and bring to the boil together or you will definitely crack your jars. You also want to keep the jar off the bottom of the pot if you can. In a pinch you can put in some all stainless steel cutlery to act as a trivet.

I boil up all the ingredients which is white vinegar, sugar, salt, mustard seeds, celery seeds or whatever pickling seed I have… I have even used coriander seeds for a different flavour. Turmeric and fresh dill.

Fresh dill is a non-negotiable in my opinion. The upside is that when your cucumbers are coming to their end your dill will be exploding. I have plants popping up everywhere.

You can also add in chilli with your cucumber slices if you like.

I put all the ingredients except for the cucumbers and dill in a pot and bring to the boil.

I take out my boiling jars and put my sliced cucumbers and dill fronds in, layering as I go. I put them in pretty tight without squishing them too much and pour in the hot liquid. Your jars should still be quite hot so the hot liquid won’t shouldn’t crack them.

Fill all the way to the top to cover cucumbers and pop the lid on. Refrigerate as soon as it’s cool to the touch. They are ready within a few hours and will last a few weeks in your fridge.

This is the easy and fast way. If you want to preserve them for longer then you will have to go through a full canning process process like a water bath or pressure canning process.

This process isn’t that much harder but you do need some knowledge and equipment to do it right.

Water bath canning is what I did for my green tomato relish aka piccalilli.

Relish or chutneys are a great way of using up just about anything sort of non leafy vegetable.

On a side note. What’s the difference between relish and chutney? A relish has a hero vegetable that is quite crisp and fresh and a chutney has a combination of vegetables and often fruit and is also saucier and thicker with deeper flavours.

Back to the green tomato relish. The recipe and instructions are below, but what I wanted to highlight the water bathing method I used.

By water bathing your relish, what you're doing is ‘cooking’ the bacteria out of the relish while also sealing the jar to stop bacteria from entering. This allows the relish to become shelf stable meaning you can store it in the cupboard for up to a year. This method is great if you have lots to make and store or if you don’t have much refrigeration room.

To do this you need to have a big stock pot that is big enough to cover your jars by at least 3 cm, you will also need a rack or trivet to keep the jars off the bottom of the pot and you don’t want your jars touching each other. You will need a way or removing the jars out of the water once processed and you will of course need jars with lids.

There are purpose designed canning jars that have a 2 part lid. These are ideal as they have a much higher success rate of sealing and you can easily test if they have been successfully sealed by removing the outer ring and testing that the sealed piece stays in place. However, you can use a single lid method as long as it has a good seal and button in the middle.

If you are a first timer then I would recommend getting yourself a canning kit. I don’t want to endorse any particular brand but Ball is one of the biggest, most cost effective and most available. In Australia you can buy it online or at BigW. The kit will give you the pot, the rack, jar lifter and air bubble remover tool with a measure. It won’t include jars or the preserving book, these are sold separately. And really, you don’t need the book, there are 1000’s of recipes for free online.

Once you have your kit you are set. There are special ingredients or additives you need. And no special skills, if you can follow instructions, you can preserve food.

My green tomato relish recipe was a combination of about 3 recipes I have. This was purely because of the ingredients I had available to me on the day.

This year I had 1 kg of green tomatoes, a quarter of an old red cabbage that needed to get used up, 1 sad looking ripe tomato that I chopped out the bits the grubs ate. 1 large capsicum, 2 onions, several small garlic cloves, the end of what I had from last season's garlic harvest and pickling seed mix. I think the seeds were dill, celery and mustard.

I put all of this into my Thermomix and blitz it until it was fine bits but note a paste. You can do the same by chopping it up into little pieces.

I then put in the mix into a sieve and added a little sprinkle of salt and let this sit for about an hour while the liquid drained out. I then put it in a cotton tea towel and pressed the remaining excess liquid out. I kept the liquid in case I needed to add some back in during cooking.

I then put in 1 cup of vinegar, 1 tablespoon of salt, 2 tablespoons of white sugar and ¼ teaspoon of turmeric powder in a pot and boiled. Add the drained vegetables and enough liquid to make it juicy but not swimming. Simmered for about 5 mins then put into sterilized jars.

I put the jars in the canning pot or large stock pot and processed them in a rolling boil for 15 mins then turned off the heat and removed the lid. I left them for another 10 mins before removing them and placing them on a towel on the bench. Left them to cool overnight and then tested the seals. Labeled and dated them.

The leftover juice went into the freezer ready to be added into a future minestrone soup. No wasting anything.

The first time I tried this I didn’t have all the equipment and I just made do. It worked great but it was a bit more fiddly. I like to upcycle everything I can but sometimes you just need to invest in purpose made equipment, especially when it means you can better ensure your food health.

No one wants botulism on the menu so be sure to educate yourself well about how to preserve food at home safely.

My ultimate goal is to grow and preserve enough food for our whole family to live on for a year. This will help us to keep eating organically, reduce our food carbon footprint and show others that with a little effort and planning they too can enjoy their food harvest all year long.

Quick Sweet Pickles

Makes just just under 4 cups of liquid

Ingredients

3 & 1/2 cups white vinegar

1 & 3/4 cups sugar

3 teaspoons cooking salt

1 teaspoon mustard seed

1 teaspoon celery seed

1 large bunch of fresh dill (enough to fill about 2 cups loosely packed)

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

Sliced cucumbers (or any other vegetable of your choice)

Chillies (optional)

Directions

In a medium saucepan, combine white vinegar, sugar, salt, seeds, chillies if using, and ground turmeric.

Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve salt & sugar.

Layer sliced cucumbers and dill fronds in one large or a few medium sterilized and still hot jars.

Pour or ladle in hot brine to completely cover the cucumbers and seal jar. Leave to cool on the bench until only warm to the touch then refrigerate until consumed.

Lasts up to 2 weeks but I have eaten them for a month without issue.

Green Tomato Relish or Piccalilli

Ingredients

Brine

1 cup white vinegar

1 tablespoon salt

2 tablespoons white sugar

¼ teaspoon of turmeric powder

Vegetables

1 kg of green tomatoes

1 quarter red cabbage

1 large capsicum

2 large onions

3 cloves garlic

2 teaspoons of mixed pickling seeds of your choice I use dill, celery and mustard.

Directions

Put vegetables into a food processor, Thermomix or chop into small pieces.

Put the mix into a sieve and add a little sprinkle of salt and let this sit for about an hour while the liquid drains out.

Then put it in a cotton tea towel or cheesecloth and press the remaining excess liquid out. Keep the liquid to add some back in during cooking as needed.

Put brine ingredients into a pot and simmer until sugar is dissolved. Add the vegetables and simmer for 5- 10 mins

Put relish mixture into still hot sterilized jars and put 2 part lid on finger tight.

Lower the filled jars back into the canning or stock pot and process them at a rolling boil for 15 mins then turn off, remove the lid and leave for another 10 mins to help seal. Remove jars and place on a towel on the bench.

Allow to cool overnight, label and date.

Store in a cool dry location and refrigerate after opening and use within 2 weeks.

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More information

Full show notes at www.sohfarmlet.com.au/podcast

Blogs – www.sohfarmlet.com.au/blog

Download Free – Chicken Keepers ‘Chicklist’ For Beginners

Download Free Guide Getting Started With Composting

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Reach me

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jo@sohfarmlet.com.au

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Review

I would be eternally grateful if you could give me a review as this will push the podcast out to more people, and it would make my heart sing, I’d love to hear what you have to say and what’s your favourite bit (and I will be giving a few shout outs each week).

For apple listeners, you can review HERE.

For other players follow the review link (if available) and leave a review on FaceBook or Instagram.

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I would also love it if you could share this podcast with anyone you feel would enjoy conversations about growing food, keeping chickens, bees, rescue animals, making homemade products and all things self-sufficiency related.

Gratitude to you & sending growing vibes your way. xx

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Gardeners have been saving seeds for thousands of years. First for food security, then to preserve the best varieties and more recently to ensure biodiversity. 

Seed saving is something that was a given for our great grandparents but is a practice that has petered out over the last few generations. Why? 

Because of the advent of commercialisation of the gardening industry. We can pop down to the shops and buy seeds for almost anything a home gardener may want to grow. You can even buy seeds in a well-known discount and seconds store here in Australia so the need for saving your own seeds has nearly disappeared. 

I say nearly because last year for the first time in my and my parents' lifetime a pandemic that saw all seedlings and seeds fly off the shelves in a flurry of panic buying along with the much-coveted loo paper.

Full show notes at www.sohfarmlet.com.au/podcast

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I am excited

This week I had my very first podcast interviewee on the Podcast, and it was AWESOME.

Rachelle Winter from Two Muddy Boots blog joined me and we had an amazing conversation. We went down some cool rabbit holes together, talked about the fun stuff, talked about the hard stuff and touched on some home truths.

We talked about

• Connecting with nature
• Growing food
• Imperfect gardens
• Soil health and compost
• ‍Farming practices
• Passion for saving the world & more!

I had been 'stalking' Rachelle for some time on Instagram and her blog, taking inspiration, learning and loving what she stands for. When I reached out and asked her if she would be interested in being on the podcast her response was 'Sure, but I don't know what I really have to share'.

Talk about make me giggle because this lady is on a mission to change the world, one person at a time. And, HAS SO MUCH TO SHARE. I know because we could've talked for hours and not even scraped the sides.

So grab a cuppa or a wine, if it's that time, settle in for about an hour and enjoy a conversation that I know you will love.

More information

Connect with Rachelle and her Two Muddy Boots

Blog - www.twomuddyboots.com

Instagram - @twomuddybootz

Facebook - 2muddyboots

Full show notes at www.sohfarmlet.com.au/podcast

Blogs – www.sohfarmlet.com.au/blog

Download Free – Chicken Keepers ‘Chicklist’ For Beginners

Download Free Guide Getting Started With Composting

Newsletter sign up

This Episode Sponsored by

This episode is sponsored by my soon to be released Self-Sufficiency Made Simple Composting Masterclass. This masterclass will help you go from wasting food and money to creating your own gold star garden soil system without mess, cost or hard work. The masterclass will show you how to choose, create and get started with your own simple system, all in your backyard.

Register your interest via email jo@sohfarmlet.com.au

Reach me

Instagram http://www.instagram.com/sohfarmlet/

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/sohfarmlet

jo@sohfarmlet.com.au

Subscribe

Have you hit the subscribe button yet? If not click subscribe so you don’t miss an episode.

Review

I would be eternally grateful if you could give me a review as this will push the podcast out to more people, and it would make my heart sing, I’d love to hear what you have to say and what’s your favourite bit (and I will be giving a few shout outs each week).

For apple listeners, you can review HERE.

For other players follow the review link (if available) and leave a review on FaceBook or Instagram.

Share

I would also love it if you could share this podcast with anyone you feel would enjoy conversations about growing food, keeping chickens, bees, rescue animals, making homemade products and all things self-sufficiency related.

I am so pleased and feel very privileged that you chose to join me this week. Thank you!

Let’s do it again next Wednesday. xx

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This episode is going to be a little bit 'Woo'. I am all about the Woo and anyone who knows me understands that I make decisions and take actions based on my intuition.

If you are thinking what the hell is Woo and what the F does it have to do with growing your own food and being self-sufficient let me share.

I know for many gardeners that their garden is their sanctuary, their happy place. It is the space they go to when they feel out of kilter or when they need to not people any more.

Woo, as I see it is just energy. The energy we have in our bodies, the energy we feel when we see someone we love or the opposite, that feeling when you know there is tension between people. It’s also the energy of your garden, the feeling you feel when you step into your garden and all the stress and tension just takes a backseat.

This energy comes from the vibration that everything on this earth has. The tree in your yard, the device you are reading or listening to this on, the chair under your bum or the floor under your feet. Now to go one step deeper, these vibrations have different frequencies.

Like the song good vibrations, we can pick up on good vibrations. That means we can also feel those heavy dark vibrations and lots of variations in between.

Take a moment to feel what vibe you might be in right now? Are you feeling loved and warm all over and are giving off vibes that say to those around you ‘hey, I am an open person who loves life’ or are you currently feeling annoyed or meh and giving off vibes that say to the world ‘stay away’?

Think about how you feel in these situations and what energetic message you are sending out into the world…

• When you receive an acknowledgement from someone
• When things aren’t going right
• When your dog comes over to you for a pat
• When watching the news
• When your friend or partner gives you a hug
• When you're tired
• And when you are in your garden.

Being in your garden or any place in nature can help to increase your happiness and help you feel more at peace than you may think.

There have been various studies done that show being in nature for even a short amount of time can improve your mood and overall feeling of well-being. It’s a positive vibe, something that gardeners have known for forever.

Why do you think we all get out there as much as we can?
Good vibes.

Even this week in the crazy rain I got out there in my gumboots and raincoat and planted seeds, harvested veggies and talked to my plants.

Yes, I talk to my plants, more on that in a minute.

You see, for me being outside in my garden, with my animals and connecting with nature on any level is a must. My body and soul feel like they wither away like that bit of ginger in the back of your fridge crisper draw that has been there for months. I feel drained of all goodness.

Being in my garden, even the overgrown totally overtaken by weeds section fills my energy levels back up again. I observe the bugs, I talk to the frogs, listen to the birds, I even ask the red-bellied black snake we named Cecil if he is feeling good today, even if I can’t see him or her.

This morning in the rain I just watched the droplets running down along the branches of the big gum tree in my garden. I noticed how they all formed perfect individual droplets but how they are all part of all the water on the planet.

This made me smile. It helped me feel connected to something bigger than me and it allowed me to focus on all the possibilities, opportunities and positive things that exist in my world and the world as a whole.

So why is this relevant to actually growing food?

Well, when we feel connected and inspired we take action. We don the boots and get started on things that would otherwise seem impossible or at least overwhelming because we can see how we are part of the bigger picture.

Taking time to connect ourselves to what we are growing, to water our garden, to touch a plant or to just be with our thoughts in nature helps perspective enter our consciousness, and when we have perspective the things that seem like big scary things don't seem so big or scary anymore. It's then that we can see the possibilities available to us.

I mentioned earlier that I talk to my plants, and I totally do. It makes me feel good and I am sure it makes them happier too.

There have been studies done where people have spoken to plants in different ways and have seen marked differences in how they grew.

I am generalising here but the studies had 3 groups of the same plants. Group A, B and C. All plants had the same soil, same amount of light and same watering regime.

• Group A was exposed to positive words throughout the day. They were told they are loved, beautiful, appreciated, wanted, valued etc
• Group B was exposed to negative words at the same rate throughout the day. They were told they were stupid, useless, ugly, waste of space, hated, disgusting etc.
• Group C was the control so had all the same growing conditions but were left alone and not spoken to.

Many of the studies showed that plant A grew taller, faster and looked more healthy overall than the control and that plant B looked stunted, had less growth and looked a little worse for wear.

Can I say that I felt sorry for plant B.. No one wants that kind of negativity thrown their way on a daily basis.

I am sure there are a heap of scientists out there who would have a counter-argument to this finding, but for me, it was no surprise that these plants reacted the way they did.

I have started to interact with my rose geranium plants whenever I go by. I tell them they are lovely and smell so beautiful and they have responded in kind by increasing growth. Plus I then smell like rose geranium which I lurve.

I also planted loofa late in the season and I started to tell it that I loved it no matter if it had time to produce fruit or not. It is valued and looks amazing and just a week later I have fruit. Could be my impeccable timing but I feel that my kind words and thoughts helped just a little. And, even if they didn’t, it makes me feel good.

When I feel good vibes I want to do more good things. That means I want to grow more yummy food and try things that I haven’t tried before.

So my message for this episode is to get out of your head, get into your garden or if you don’t have a garden, start one. Or, just go and be in nature. Visit a park or go for a walk down a trail whatever you can do where you are to connect with nature.

I know this will help to boost your happy vibes and lift your mood just a bit more. I know we all currently need a little more of the good stuff in our world.

More information

Full show notes at www.sohfarmlet.com.au/podcast

Blogs – www.sohfarmlet.com.au/blog

Download Free – Chicken Keepers ‘Chicklist’ For Beginners

Download Free Guide Getting Started With Composting

Newsletter sign up

This Episode Sponsored by

This episode is sponsored by my soon to be released Self-Sufficiency Made Simple Composting Masterclass. This masterclass will help you go from wasting food and money to creating your own gold star garden soil system without mess, cost or hard work. The masterclass will show you how to choose, create and get started with your own simple system, all in your backyard.

Register your interest via email jo@sohfarmlet.com.au

Reach me

Instagram http://www.instagram.com/sohfarmlet/

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/sohfarmlet

jo@sohfarmlet.com.au

Subscribe

Have you hit the subscribe button yet? If not click subscribe so you don’t miss an episode.

Review

I would be eternally grateful if you could give me a review as this will push the podcast out to more people, and it would make my heart sing, I’d love to hear what you have to say and what’s your favourite bit (and I will be giving a few shout outs each week).

For apple listeners, you can review HERE.

For other players follow the review link (if available) and leave a review on FaceBook or Instagram.

Share

I would also love it if you could share this podcast with anyone you feel would enjoy conversations about growing food, keeping chickens, bees, rescue animals, making homemade products and all things self-sufficiency related.

I am so pleased and feel very privileged that you chose to join me this week. Thank you!

Let’s do it again next Wednesday. xx

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Medical herbs have been used for eons. Some now see it as outdated and others swear and even rely on the power of healing herbs. Wherever you sit on this scale there’s no denying that some plants, especially herbs have properties that can aid in the all-round treatment of ailments and injuries.

Many of the common herbs that we use for flavours in teas and food have medicinal qualities that many of us aren’t aware of.

Herbal medicine is used worldwide and forms part of many systems of medicine including Chinese, Ayurvedic aka Indian, Native American, Folk Medicine across Europe and Indigenous Australian. Many of our common pharmaceuticals started their life as plants before becoming the primarily synthetic versions we have today.

Medicinal herbs can be taken as tea, extracts and powders. They can be made into compresses, poultices, ointments, soaks and wraps. Some are for external use only and others need to be used in minimal quantities.

I wanted to share with you 8 common and easy to grow herbs with medicinal properties. It’s likely you already grow a few of these versatile beauties.

Before I do, I want to add a disclaimer. I am not a medical professional, nor an educated herbalist or am I particularly skilled in using herbs outside of cooking and basic teas so if you plan to use these or any herbs as a replacement or in addition to conventional medicine you should consult a suitable and qualified professional. This goes 10 fold if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, elderly, ill or have any preexisting conditions.

1. Rosemary Rosemary is a staple of any edible garden. It is a Mediterranean plant that likes it warm and sunny. Once established it’s hardy and super low maintenance. There are many varieties of rosemary with white, purple, blue and pink flowers. This perennial herb is best grown from cuttings from new wood.

Medicinal properties of rosemary are said to include increased memory, decreased inflammation, appetite stimulant, circulation and calm upset stomach.

How I have used my rosemary in the past, is as a hair tonic. I boiled water and turned it off then chucked in a handful of rosemary cuttings. Left it to cool and rinsed my hair in it. It made it feel soft, looked shiny and I smelt very floral all day.

2. Garlic While not technically a herb, garlic is known for its beneficial qualities. Garlic is great at boosting immunity, as an antiseptic, antibacterial and antifungal. Lets us not forget it is also the go-to herb for repelling vampires. Just sayin’

It has also been linked to lowering cholesterol, blood pressure and boost circulation.

Plant garlic cloves in autumn for a late spring/summer harvest. I have just put in my early crop. This year is White Crookneck, Monaro Purple, Glenlarge and El Camino. There are varieties that can be grown in most places but they do need some cold weather and transition in the days' short daylight to long daylight hours to produce good-sized bulbs.

I wouldn’t recommend a nice hot cup of garlic tea unless that’s your thing, not judging, but if you cook with garlic as we do then you will already be reaping the benefits of this wonder food.

3. Dandelion Dandelions are so underrated in my opinion. Most gardeners consider this amazing herb as a weed because it is so hardy it will literally grow nearly anywhere there is a sniff of a nutrient or drop of moisture.

This herb has so many proclaimed benefits that it can’t be overlooked. Plus they are actually amazing to have in your garden. They have a super strong taproot that helps break up heavy soil and help neighbouring plants access deeper nutrients.

Dandelion leaves and roots are what is primarily used in medicine but all parts can be eaten including the flower.

Leaves are used in reducing water retention hence the name I knew them by as a child. Wet-the-beds. They can help in digestion and can sometimes cause gas as part of the process. They are high in antioxidants and may aid the liver and are said to suppress appetite.

If you are planning on running out to find yourself some dandelion in the local park be sure you check it hasn’t been exposed to chemicals or dog urine.

4. Chamomile Pretty yellow and white daisy flowers are used to make the popular chamomile tea. If you have ever wondered down the tea aisle of your local supermarket you would see that there seem to be 100 different variations of chamomile tea that proclaim to help insomnia and send you off to the land of nod.

What you may not know is that it can also assist in nausea, inflammation and when made into a balm or salve can be rubbed onto muscles and used as a muscle relaxant.

Great for after a big day in the garden or calming muscle spasms caused by menstrual cramps.

It prefers a cooler climate and is great for those part shade spots you don’t know what to plant in. Once it’s established, neglect it. I have killed several chamomile shrubs with too much love. Seriously walk past it once a week and give it the stink eye, it will love you for it.

Chamomile is relatively safe however anyone who is sensitive to daisies, aster or ragweed should check their tolerances first.

5. Aloe Vera Mostly known for the beautiful cooling sticky gel that is used to calm angry sunburn Aloe vera is so much more.

There is An edible and non-edible variety. apparently way back when there was a cock-up with naming these different varieties and now there's much confusion over the correct name for the correct variety. A really good way to tell the difference between edible and non-edible is that edible aloe vera has a grey tinged leaf with very few markings and they're really fat and juicy. Non-edible varieties are usually more vibrant green with thinner leaves and have prominent whitish flecks.

Edible aloe is said to aid digestion, blood sugar stabilization and treating stomach ulcers.

Non-edible is best used for burns. Use fresh as the potency decreases the longer it exposed to air.

I have the edible variety in my garden and I add it to fresh juices but mainly as skincare. I peel back the outer leaf and rub the gel into my skin. When using it as face cream it feels pretty bloody yuck and has an odd smell but this only last about 20 mins then my skin feels lovely and hydrated.

6. Echinacea Also called purple coneflower is a member of the sunflower family and is used as an immunity booster. It has proved effective in helping fight minor viral and bacterial infections such as cold and flu by stimulating white blood cells.

It is said that you need to take enough for it to be effective, taking a smaller dose won’t have the beneficial effect of the full dose. Saying that, if you are sensitive to plants in the aster family then you may be allergic to this herb. People with autoimmune diseases should speak with their health care practitioner before taking.

These pretty flowers grow easily from seed and are perennials that will die back and grow again year after year.

7. Turmeric Most of us use turmeric in our cooking but not many of us are using raw turmeric. Some have found that consuming raw turmeric has better results than powdered supplements. Turmeric is said to be a powerful anti-inflammatory especially for those with chronic joint conditions such as arthritis and those with chronic dermatitis.

Use grated in a curry, salad, soup or in eggs. Make a turmeric latte or add to your choice of milk for a golden tea.

Turmeric is a root similar to ginger and grows well in tropical and subtropical climates. We grow it here in our temperate climate but our yield is much smaller and we must protect it from frost or allow it to die back and reshoot when the weather warms up.

8. Lavender If you are having a hard day go and stick your face in a lavender bush and all will be ok. Just make sure there are no bees there first or your day will go from bad to total crap.

Lavender isn’t just pretty and smells nice it has been proven to decrease stress and anxiety levels through it’s soothing and sedative properties. Putting a bunch of fresh lavender in a mesh bag under your pillow will help you drift off feeling wonderful. Bruise the leaves to stimulate the oil to release and when it’s spent, chuck it in the compost and pick yourself a fresh bunch.

It also has potential anti-inflammatory benefits when used as an oil on the skin, and can keep flies and mosquitoes away when planted near doors. We have tried this and our flies clearly didn’t get the memo. I think we would have to plant it so thick the flies wouldn’t be able to find their way in.

Easy to grow in warm temperate climates. They can handle a bit of cold but long humid periods will knock them around. Plant in full sun out of strong winds and go mad on all the different varieties out there.

As mentioned earlier do your own homework and speak to your health care professional before embarking on trying new herbs. Never ever consume a herb that you aren’t 1000% sure of what it is and don’t ask Facebook communities… you don’t know how much someone actually knows. Get yourself a good guide book that is specific for your area and speak to local people who have been using the herbs you are thinking about using first.

More information

Full show notes at www.sohfarmlet.com.au/podcast

Blogs – www.sohfarmlet.com.au/blog

Download Free – Chicken Keepers ‘Chicklist’ For Beginners

Download Free Guide Getting Started With Composting

Newsletter sign up

This Episode Sponsored by

This episode is sponsored by my soon to be released Self-Sufficiency Made Simple Composting Masterclass. This masterclass will help you go from wasting food and money to creating your own gold star garden soil system without mess, cost or hard work. The masterclass will show you how to choose, create and get started with your own simple system, all in your backyard.

Register your interest via email jo@sohfarmlet.com.au

Reach me

Instagram http://www.instagram.com/sohfarmlet/

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/sohfarmlet

jo@sohfarmlet.com.au

Subscribe

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Review

I would be eternally grateful if you could give me a review as this will push the podcast out to more people, and it would make my heart sing, I’d love to hear what you have to say and what’s your favourite bit (and I will be giving a few shout outs each week).

For apple listeners, you can review HERE.

For other players follow the review link (if available) and leave a review on FaceBook or Instagram.

Share

I would also love it if you could share this podcast with anyone you feel would enjoy conversations about growing food, keeping chickens, bees, rescue animals, making homemade products and all things self-sufficiency related.

I am so pleased and feel very privileged that you chose to join me this week. Thank you!

Let’s do it again next Wednesday. xx

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Back in episode 8 of the Self-Sufficiency Made Simple Podcast we covered the difference between perennials and annuals. If you haven’t listened to that episode yet and aren’t sure of the difference make sure you put it on your play next list.

Annuals are different from perennials in many different ways. They are very vigorous growers going through a full life cycle in under a year meaning they grow from seed to a plant that produces seeds for the next cycle. Annuals are shallow-rooted with many annuals having their roots in the top 30 cms of soil and can dry out very fast in unfavourable conditions and they have high nutrient demand to feed their rapid growth.

For convenience, many of us grow our annuals all together in the same garden bed. For example, in summer we tend to grow all our tomatoes together, in winter we will group our cabbages, broccoli and brussels sprouts together, have an easy to access garden bed with cut and come again green such as lettuce rocket and spinach and we will often build structures for climbing plants such as beans and peas.

This is called monoculture and in nature, this kind of intensive growing doesn’t occur.

Crop rotation is moving our monoculture crops around to different locations each year. This is done in a planned sequence and can be done 2 different ways which I will get too shortly.

I want to give you a visual here. Picture you have 3 garden beds. Last year in garden bed A you planted tomatoes, garden bed B you planted lettuce and garden bed C you planted carrots.

This year you rotate by moving them along the sequence. Garden bed A now has Lettuce, garden bed B has carrots and C has tomatoes. Next year Bed A is carrots, bed B is tomatoes and bed C is lettuce.

You can see that for 2 whole years you don’t grow the same thing in the same bed.

It might seem like a bunch of extra work and at first, it can be a little tricky to get your head around it if you are not a person who likes planning but it is very worth doing.

When we have monoculture gardening a number of issues will arise. The same plants all have the same nutrient demands and this can deplete the soil of those specific nutrients and minerals if grown in the same location year after year.

Using legumes like beans and peas in your crop rotation system is one way to help keep nitrogen balanced and readily available for other crops. Legumes are nitrogen fixing plants. This means They take nitrogen from the air and put it back into the soil in a form that is easily able to be accessed and used by other plants. Legumes are great to plant between heavy nitrogen feeding crops like leafy greens and Solanaceae or nightshade family like tomatoes, eggplant and potatoes.

Another issue is pest and diseases. Like us, pests have particular preferences when it comes to the types of plants that they like and when we plant them on mass it means we have a very concentrated population of pests that eat our crops and lay eggs for the next generation.

Beneficial bugs are great at keeping populations of unwanted pests down but they can’t compete with an infestation. Similar situation with diseases. When we plant the same thing year after year we are cultivating the ideal conditions for disease and soil-borne pathogens to take hold and reinfect the plants year after year.

I mentioned earlier that there are 2 main ways that people like to plant and rotate their crops.

The first is planting by the family group. This means you only plant brassicas (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts) in the same bed, nightshades all together (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, capsicum), cucurbits (melon, cucumber, pumpkin, zucchini), alliums (onion, leek, garlic, shallot).

This system is great if you like detail, have lots of room and are organised. When you start to plan it can get a bit complicated and many new gardeners give up because of the ‘CBF’ factor... Can’t be fucked.

On the other hand, John Jeavon’s has highlighted a simpler system of grouping annuals by their feeding needs.

There are three groups to consider. One heavy feeders, heavy givers and light feeders.

These categories are not all populated equally, with most plants falling into the heavy feeder section. However, using this three-part system to decide on what gets planted where from year-to-year is far simpler and takes much less brainpower and that's why it has me excited to change my rotation plan.

Heavy feeders are those plants that need the most nutrients and minerals. all the nightshades, brassicas, lettuce, kale, celery, sweet corn, cucurbits, herbs and asparagus however asparagus is best in its own bed and treated like a perennial.

Heavy givers are those that give back nitrogen and other elements to the soil. All legumes including peas, beans, alfalfa, clover and peanuts.

Light feeders are a little less demanding and prefer a not so nutrient-dense soil and include all the onions, leek, parsnip, turnip, carrot, shallot, sweet potato, swedes, swiss chard (silverbeet) garlic and mustard greens. All root vegetables can be put in here except for radish which are heavy feeders due to their fast growth.

The rotation system order is heavy feeders followed by heavy givers followed on by light feeders.

To add in extra nutrients and build soil health you can add in a green manure crop in-between seasons. Mustard greens, clover, lucerne and one I am going to trial this winter is lacy phacelia aka blue tansy.

We discussed green manure crops in some detail last week in the autumn todo list episode but basically just broadcast the seed thickly and cover it with enough soil or compost to hid the seed from birds. Water in and when it’s grown in about 6 weeks chop it down and either turn it into the soil or leave it on top to break down.

As part of any responsible crop, rotation practice is to give your soil a rest. Could you imagine if you were pumping out energy all the time and never took time to rest and restore? When we grow food so intensively we need to respect the earth and all the life underground that supports it.

Resting a garden bed by adding one or more of manure, compost, green matte, then mulching and leaving it for 6 months allows the soil time to regenerate and life to come back into the bed.

When we give back to our soil it will give back to us.

This episode is sponsored by my soon to be released Self-Sufficiency Made Simple Composting Masterclass. This masterclass will help you go from wasting food and money to creating your own gold star garden soil system without mess, cost or hard work. The masterclass will show you how to choose, create and get started with your own simple system, all in your backyard.

More information

Full show notes at www.sohfarmlet.com.au/podcast

Blogs – www.sohfarmlet.com.au/blog

Download Free – Chicken Keepers ‘Chicklist’ For Beginners

Download Free Guide Getting Started With Composting

Newsletter sign up

This Episode Sponsored by

This episode is sponsored by my soon to be released Self-Sufficiency Made Simple Composting Masterclass. This masterclass will help you go from wasting food and money to creating your own gold star garden soil system without mess, cost or hard work. The masterclass will show you how to choose, create and get started with your own simple system, all in your backyard.

Register your interest in the masterclass via email jo@sohfarmlet.com.au

Reach me

Instagram http://www.instagram.com/sohfarmlet/

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/sohfarmlet

jo@sohfarmlet.com.au

Subscribe

Have you hit the subscribe button yet? If not click subscribe so you don’t miss an episode.

Review

I would be eternally grateful if you could give me a review as this will push the podcast out to more people, and it would make my heart sing, I’d love to hear what you have to say and what’s your favourite bit (and I will be giving a few shout outs each week).

For apple listeners, you can review HERE.

For other players follow the review link (if available) and leave a review on FaceBook or Instagram.

Share

I would also love it if you could share this podcast with anyone you feel would enjoy conversations about growing food, keeping chickens, bees, rescue animals, making homemade products and all things self-sufficiency related.

I am so pleased and feel very privileged that you chose to join me this week. Thank you!

Let’s do it again next Wednesday. xx

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Episode #16 - My Autumn Todo List In temperate zones in the southern hemisphere, we have just transitioned into autumn. It’s cooling off, the colours in nature are starting to change and the garden starts to get a really great vibe. I love this time of year.

Apart from the cooling conditions and the abundance from the summer harvests still being picked it’s a great time for some regrouping and preparation as well all getting those cool weather plants in.

There are 7 things I do over autumn that help my garden stay productive and prepare for winter and the following spring.

Tidy up * Pick up leaves, chop and drop or chop and compost anything that is spent especially beans, peas and legumes off at ground level, this leaves the nitrogen-fixing roots in the soil to feed the next crop. * Pull anything out that is diseased and destroy or remove it. Compost only if you are hot composting. * Fix trellising, supports and fencing.

Prune * Young citrus to shape and promote new vigorous growth in spring * Blackberries, gooseberries and currants. All require a little different technique so make sure you educate yourself on your specific berries needs.

Composting * This is the time of year to build up your compost stores ready for spring. * Collect your grass clippings, end of season annual plants and prunings along with anything compostable. * If you've had a particularly wet summer like us the grass would’ve needed mowing every 5 minutes, or so it seems, all those grass clippings make great compost. * Chop up branches into small pieces, ideally use a mulcher to help get uniformity in size, this helps the compost break down faster. * Choose your compost method. Listen to episode 9 from 13th January and download the getting started with compost guide link below.

Weeding * Pull out any weeds at the roots or cover with wet newspaper or cardboard then add mulch or compost on top. * Remove any seed heads and dispose of them or hot compost. * The more weeds you remove or retard now the less you will have to deal with in spring.

Frost Protection * Protect shallow-rooted tender plants with extra layers of heavy mulch and have fleece or other frost protection solutions ready to go for trunks and branches.

Cover Crops * Green manure crops such as a one or a combination of lucerne, oats clover, lupins, mustard, fenugreek, pea, beans and buckwheat can significantly improve soil fertility and structure. These take about 6 weeks to mature and have very long roots that go deep and bring nutrients back up to the shallow soil. * Some say cut down before flowering, others say wait until they go to seed. I like letting them flower because the bees are still active and they are looking for pollen, plus I have seen no difference in either way. * If you use a tilling method of gardening then dig in the crop and repeat in 2 weeks. * If you are a no-dig gardener like me then use a chop and drop method. If you want you can take it further do the same as dealing with weeds. Cover with wet cardboard or newspaper and mulch or compost. This will help it break down and return more nutrients into the soil and the bed will be ready faster.

Plant out and divide * Plant early season garlic. * Plant brassica seedlings. * Silverbeet and English spinach. * Broad beans, green beans and peas. * Coriander, tarragon, thyme, parsley, oregano and marjoram. * Divide evergreens like lemongrass, chives, arrowroot, ginger, globe and Jerusalem artichoke and strawberries. However, I like to let my strawberries run and once established, cut the umbilical cord and transplant the new plant if needed.

This is a great time of year to share with your neighbours or like-minded gardeners. Trade a pumpkin for a divided ginger or trade a weekend of help with a fellow gardener. It's a special time to be in the garden.

This episode is sponsored by my soon to be released Self-Sufficiency Made Simple Composting Masterclass. This masterclass will help you go from wasting food and money to creating your own gold star garden soil system without mess, cost or hard work. The masterclass will show you how to choose, create and get started with your own simple system, all in your backyard.

More information

Full show notes at www.sohfarmlet.com.au/podcast

Blogs – www.sohfarmlet.com.au/blog

Download Free – Chicken Keepers ‘Chicklist’ For Beginners

Download Free Guide Getting Started With Composting

Newsletter sign up

This Episode Sponsored by

This episode is sponsored by my soon to be released Self-Sufficiency Made Simple Composting Masterclass. This masterclass will help you go from wasting food and money to creating your own gold star garden soil system without mess, cost or hard work. The masterclass will show you how to choose, create and get started with your own simple system, all in your backyard.

Register your interest via email jo@sohfarmlet.com.au

Reach me

Instagram http://www.instagram.com/sohfarmlet/

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/sohfarmlet

jo@sohfarmlet.com.au

Subscribe

Have you hit the subscribe button yet? If not click subscribe so you don’t miss an episode.

Review

I would be eternally grateful if you could give me a review as this will push the podcast out to more people, and it would make my heart sing, I’d love to hear what you have to say and what’s your favourite bit (and I will be giving a few shout outs each week).

For apple listeners, you can review HERE.

For other players follow the review link (if available) and leave a review on FaceBook or Instagram.

Share

I would also love it if you could share this podcast with anyone you feel would enjoy conversations about growing food, keeping chickens, bees, rescue animals, making homemade products and all things self-sufficiency related.

I am so pleased and feel very privileged that you chose to join me this week. Thank you!

Let’s do it again next Wednesday. xx

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Episode #15 - 8 Simple Ways To Grow Food In Your Backyard

A while back I asked a gardening community what was something they wished they knew before starting their own food garden. I had many responses including when to plant, water, fertilise, what grows well in their area and how to deal with pests and diseases. These are all pretty common questions for a new gardener and for a well-seasoned one too.

One sentiment that came up was I wish I knew about different methods. It sparked a lot of conversation and it was really interesting to see just how many of us start our journey not knowing what our options are. We research what we want to grow but not how we want to grow it.

In this episode, I want to highlight 8 simple methods that are suitable for the most backyard, or front yard gardens and that are easy enough for any gardener to learn a little about and get going. I will go through the pros and cons of each to help you understand what method or methods will be best for you.

I have personally tried all of these methods at some time over the last 20 years and have settled on a few favourites. I have however been as unbiased as I can.

Containers

Container growing is so easy and super convenient especially if you're renting or have a hard surface backyard like a paved courtyard. When you think of container growing don't limit to just pots. Think about anything that you can put soil in and that either has or you can create drainage. I've grown food in tubs, old buckets, kids paddling pools, old bathtubs, grow bags or old stockfeed bags, direct into potting mix bags and used food containers like soft drink bottles, yoghurt tubs and take away coffee cups.

You will need to choose the right size container for your plant. For instance, you won’t grow potatoes in an old yoghurt container but you can grow lettuce or herbs.

Pros

Convenient - you can put them just about anywhere

Cost-effective - you can find something to grow in for free around the house or pots are very cheap to buy

Temporary - If you move you can take them with you

Fewer weeds - Containers can get fewer weeds in them and are easy to remove if they do

Easy to protect - Easy to cover up f you have issues with pests or animals eating your crops like a hungry possum

Cons

You have to add your own soil - This may bump up your budget

You have to improve the soil yourself - The plants will deplete the life of the soil fast in pots so you need to stay on top of adding more organic material like compost regularly

You will have to feed the soil - you will have to fertilise on a regular basis

Water - They require more water more regularly than any other method as they can dry out through heat very fast. When you water a plant in a container the water moves through quite fast. The plant only has a very limited time to take as much moisture as possible after you water it. Once the water drains through the container the plant doesn’t have a water source until the next time you water. On the other hand, if you don’t have enough drainage you will drown your plants. Roots need moisture, air and nutrients. An imbalance in any of these will have your container veggies begging for attention.

Raised garden beds

Raised garden beds have been around for a very long time and are a favorite of backyard gardeners around the world. There are tonnes of styles, varieties and designs of raised beds. Raised beds are a simple solution to just about any garden and you can set one up pretty easily using reclaimed materials like recycled timber, old roof sheeting, or anything that you can put together that will hold soil. Or, you can buy a raised bed system to install.

Pros

All the same pros of containers plus a few more

No bending - raised beds are great for people who find bending down challenging

Great for urban areas - Many Urban areas are susceptible to soil contamination from heavy metals. if you don't know if your soil may be contaminated a raised garden bed is a great alternative

No tilling - with raised garden beds it's easy to add compost and soil to the top of the bed each season without the need of turning over the soil

No compaction from walking in the garden - remember I mentioned that plants need moisture, air and nutrients. Compaction from us walking back and forth on our gardens can deplete the air pockets, a raised bed can help overcome this.

Cons

Again, all the same cons as containers plus a few more

Cost- I know I said earlier that it can be very cheap or maybe even free to build a raised garden bed but if you want to put in a whole Garden of raised garden beds it's likely but you're going to have to outlay some money. As with containers, you're going to have to import soil to fill up those raised garden beds.

Productivity - If you have great soil and have all the elements of the 3 key ingredients right then this won’t be an issue however, getting the right balance across the growing season is tricky and this will affect the productivity of your garden.

Overcrowding - It is much easier to overcrowd a raised bed, even with best-laid plans. Often when we plant out our raised garden bed to maximize the space with plant flower seeds or seedlings close to the edge. Unfortunately, their roots don't take nutrients from the hard edge so their roots are pushed back in towards their neighbours, creating competition.

You need some skills - you have to be a little handy to put them together and maintain them. They won’t last forever.

Conventional garden beds

When I'm talking about a conventional garden bed, I'm talking about the old school style bed where you would dig or till a section of your garden, remove the weeds and maybe add some gypsum if on clay soil or import soil and compost if you are on sandy soil and plant into the ground. This is the standard method for most garden market and large scale farmers.

Pros

No Cost - it’s pretty much free, pending any soil improvement you may need to do

Access to greater nutrients - Without the restriction of walls the plants roots can go deeper and wider accessing a greater level of nutrients and moisturiser

Beaks up compacted soil - tilling a garden bed can help to break up any compaction that will allow air and moisture to penetrate the soil.

Cons

Disturbs the soil structure - The soil is a web of life and when we turn the soil over we are turning that structure on its head. This allows dominant weeds to access sunlight and grow and causes helpful underground critters such as earthworms to go deeper in all moved undisturbed areas.

Causes crusty bits - When we till the soil we expose a greater surface area to air and sunlight while reducing moisture retainability. This causes the earth to crust over and causes water to be repelled rather than absorbed.

Can cause erosion - when we till we loosen the topsoil and when it rains or it’s windy, there is nothing to hold the soil together causing erosion.

No-dig or Lasagne method

I did say at the start that I would be as unbiased as possible, I do have to say however this is one of my favourite methods.

A no-dig or lasagne method is where you layer a mix of carbon-based materials and nitrogen-based materials. Carbon material is anything like straw, woodchips, cardboard or wet newspaper, leaf litter, sawdust and rotten timber. Nitrogen is anything such as grass clippings, weeds, worm castings, compost, vegetable scraps, animal manure, animal bedding and coffee grounds. Often carbons are referred to as browns and nitrogen is referred to as greens, but this colour identification isn’t always accurate.

As the name suggests you layer these items on top of each other starting with the bulkiest item of carbon followed by the bulkiest nitrogen layer followed by another carbon layer and so on. A good tip is to add some compost as you go to help maintain the structure and kick start the microbe process. Water each layer as you go

This bed will heat up and over a few weeks, start to break down. Wait for the heat to go out of the garden bed. You can plant directly into it or put a thicker layer of compost and soil on top and plant shallow rooted veggies like leafy greens and water well.

2 big tips here is to

1-Use a garden fork to ‘open the soil’ before adding the first layer. Put the fork all the way in and tilt it back without digging up or turning over the soil.

2-Place wet newspaper or wet cardboard over the top of the finished lasagne garden. overlapping it so no daylight can get through, Then add a thick layer of mulch over the top. This will do one of two things first it will stop any weeds from germinating as they won't be able to access sunlight and secondly it will retain moisture like a boss.

Pros

Retains moisture very very well - even though droughts

Natural nutrients are accessible at all times - No fertilising needed

Soil is alive - you will have created a living garden bed with all the great bacteria, worms and other life needed for a super healthy garden

Once and done - there is a bit of work upfront but once it’s done you will have minimal maintenance

No hard digging - no hard labour needed

Reduction in soil compaction - You will have opened the soil and created loads of airflow along with moisture holding properties.

More natural style gardening - this mimics nature so it’s hardier and more pest and disease resistant

Regeneration - This method regenerates even the hardest, compacted and crappy soil over time

Best producing garden bed - this is by far the best producing method I have and still use.

Cons

Not suitable for hard surfaces - You can’t use this method on concrete or pavers

Need to gather all materials beforehand - you can add to it as you go but to get going you will want to have everything there ready to put on.

Takes a bit of grunt to do initially - this isn’t totally labour free. The initial building of the lasagne bed does take some effort, it’s great to get helpers involved.

May need to start small - Because this method takes some time and financial investment to get all the materials in one place and put them together it may be a good idea to start small and add to your garden bed as you need.

Straw bales

There are 2 straw bale methods. One is planting into the bales directly and the other is using them as the walls of the garden bed, similar to a raised garden bed. I am talking about the latter where straw bales are put together and used to create a temporary garden bed.

Ideally only one bale wide and as many as you like long. The reason you only want one bale wide is you can still access the centre of your garden bed from either side. Fill up the garden bed as you would a raised bed.

I have tried the grow in bale method a number of times and have had a little success but the fuss of it wasn’t worth it in my opinion and that’s why I am talking about the method I still use when I have access to cheap straw or cow hay bales.

Pros

Moisture retention - once the bales are wet they hold moisture incredibly well and this keeps a good level of accessible moisture in the soil.

They break down creating compost - as the straw bale start to decompose they will add nutrients to the soil and create an in situ compost.

You can put them just about anywhere - you don't have to put these on soil, you can put them on a concrete or paved surface. But be mindful that this may create permanent stains so may not be suitable for renters.

Cheap - At about $5 a bale, they are a very cost-effective raised garden bed

Free mulch and compost when it's finished - once the bales are spent and no longer has structure you can add this back into your soil in the next garden bed as compost and mulch

Cons

You need to transport bales or have them delivered - they are bulky

Temporary - I found that they will last about 2 seasons at most so not suitable for longer crops or perennials.

Not suitable for small spaces - again they are bulky in the garden so if you are tight on space then they may not be for you

Vertical

Growing vertically is great if you're limited on space and have vacant sunny walls or fences. you can use any of the other methods with a vertical garden buy trellising from a container, raised bed or garden bed or by installing a vertical system designed for upward growth.

Pros

Space saver - you can grow more food by growing vines upward

Build your own - use reclaimed or recycled materials like pipe and brackets to create your own vertical garden

Buy your own - if you are lacking in the handy skills department there are many vertical garden clip together options to choose from

Easy to access and maintain - no bending or digging

Cons

Limited on crops - you are limited to growing food plants that fit within the growing space. Things like corn and potatoes aren’t going to be as practical as strawberries, herbs, and vines.

Cost - even if you're going to build your own it's going to take some financial outlay

Watering system - Growing vertically tends to zap the moisture from the soil very fast so you will want to have a watering system in place such as drip irrigation or some sort of gravity-fed watering system.

Hydroponics

I have dabbled with hydroponics on and off over the years but I haven’t ever found it to be sustainable for me and besides, I like getting my hands in the soil. I do know though that there are many backyards that find this method fail-proof and swear by it.

Pros

Indoors - With a hydroponic system you can grow indoors with no mess

Your plants get exactly the right nutrients - the kit tells you exactly what to put in when so there is no guessing if your veggies need extra nutrients.

No watering - because they are grown in water

Healthy strong plants- because the plants get the right amount of nutrients spell tend to be strong and this will reduced pest and diseases

Cons

Limited crops - Like with vertical gardening your limited to the types of food plants you can grow

Cost - This is the most expensive way to grow vegetables. There are large set up costs and substantial ongoing costs to buy the right hydroponic solutions and nutrients.

Skill - There is a fair amount of skill involved in setting up and maintaining a hydroponic system

Wicking Garden Bed

A wicking bed is a garden bed that has a water reservoir at the bottom filled with rocks or sand and a wicking material that separates the reservoir from the top layer of soil. The reservoir is filled up from a tube at the top of the garden bed comma and an overflow is installed at the very top of the reservoir to ensure that the soil doesn’t become waterlogged.

Wicking beds are great if you want to grow in containers but don’t have the time to water every day or are water conscious and don’t want to waste any. These can be as big or small as you like and can be made using buckets or even large IBC’s cut in half (the big white caged food-grade containers).

Pros

No water wastage - whether you fill-up the reservoir from the fill tube or water the garden bed as normal any excess water is stored in the base and is used on demand by the plants

Keeps plants watered all the time - no summer wilting or dry out stress

You can add nutrients to the water - like diluted worm wee or weed tea that will give your plants an ongoing source of nutrients

Less weed - like raised garden beds

Great for anywhere - this is ideal for renters or those with no soil areas.

Easy to maintain garden - the veggies will almost look after themselves

Cons

You need materials - this will cost to set up. You need your container, reservoir medium, flexi pipe for the fill tube, poly pipe for the overflow, geotextile fabric and soil.

You need knowledge - There is some research and understanding you need before setting up a wicking bed

When something goes wrong it usually means starting again - Issues include piercing the reservoir, geo-tech fabric, having soil enter the reservoir or blocked pipes.

I would love to hear what works for you or what you would like to try.

More information

Full show notes at www.sohfarmlet.com.au/podcast

Blogs - www.sohfarmlet.com.au/blog

Download Free - Chicken Keepers 'Chicklist' For Beginners

Download Free Guide Getting Started With Composting

Newsletter sign up

This episode is sponsored by Self-Sufficiency Made Simple Composting Masterclass. This masterclass will help you go from wasting food and money to creating your own gold star garden soil system without mess, cost or hard work. The masterclass will show you how to choose, create and get started with your own simple system, all in your backyard.

Reach me

Instagram http://www.instagram.com/sohfarmlet/

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/sohfarmlet

jo@sohfarmlet.com.au

Subscribe

Have you hit the subscribe button yet? If not click subscribe so you don't miss an episode.

Review

I would be eternally grateful if you could give me a review as this will push the podcast out to more people, and it would make my heart sing, I'd love to hear what you have to say and what's your favourite bit (and I will be giving a few shout outs each week).

For apple listeners, you can review HERE.

For other players follow the review link (if available) don't forget to leave a review on FaceBook or Instagram too so I can give you a shout out!

Share

I would also love it if you could share this podcast with anyone you feel would enjoy conversations about growing food, keeping chickens, bees, rescue animals, making homemade products and all things self-sufficiency related.

I am so pleased and feel very privileged that you chose to join me this week. Thank you!

Let's do it again next Wednesday. xx

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Keeping backyard chickens is one of the most rewarding things that you can do on your self-sufficiency journey. Hearing the clucks, koos and squawks of your girls talking to you and each other is something that will make you smile.

There are so many beneficial reasons why keeping a few backyard chickens is something I think everyone should do.

They are so much fun - they all have their own individual personalities and quirks. Some are super friendly and will demand to be scratched. Others are just happy to be around you and part of the flock. Each girl has their own voice and over time you will learn to tell them apart. It is good to have at least 2 girls. They are flock animals and don’t do well alone.

They are great little recyclers. In my kitchen, I have 2 small buckets that sit on my bench near the back door. 1 is for compost and the other is for the chickens. They get pretty much the bulk of our food waste and the remainder goes to the compost and worm bins.

Chickens will eat nearly anything with a handful of things to avoid. Citrus and onion peel, avocado pit and skin uncooked rice or dried beans, spoiled food and those generally high in salt and fat concentrate. I will give them our leftover potato fries which are salted and sometimes they get the fat from when the meat-eaters in the house eat meat.

Chickens are omnivores and will eat meat and vegetable matter. They eat worms, bugs and mice. Yup, if you have a mouse in your hen house and catch it. Don’t watch!. It’s a bit brutal but that is nature works.

They produce fertiliser. Your girls will gift you little presents of fertiliser between 12-15 times a day. This is super rich manure and you don’t want it to go straight onto your plants in high quantities.

A good way to use it is to collect it and age it in a bucket or pile somewhere away from the house. It isn’t the nicest odour and you will need to turn it to keep air in it. It is generally ready for use from about 45 days as long as it looks crumbly and dark brown to black. Use it sparingly.

They give you eggs. This one is obvious if you want to keep hens for eggs. There are lots of breeds of chickens that will keep you in eggs for part of the year.

When you buy eggs in the supermarket they are from a breed called ISA Brown. These girls are a hybrid (known as a sex-linked) chicken and are bred solely for the purpose of egg production.

I have ISA Browns here at SoH Farmlet that are from an egg farm. At 12-18 months old they are considered too old and unreliable to keep so they are either killed off or given over to rescue groups to rehome. I have adopted well over 50 hens over the years and have kept anything from 2 to 30 girls at one time. Some breeds will live over 10 years but ISA Browns can generally live up to about 5 years. Their bodies are bred to produce huge quantities of eggs, up to 300 a year and this can take it’s toll earlier.

Currently, we have 20 girls and a white leghorn geriatric rooster from the RSPCA. He is old, confused and doesn't move too fast these days but he still looks after his flock and does his little rooster dance. The girls respond in kind by preening him and sitting with him when the bulk of the flock wander around the garden.

They take care of the bugs in your garden. A few chickens in an established vegetable garden can help reduce bugs. They don’t discriminate, good bugs, not so good bugs it’s all the same to them.

7 ‘Must Knows’ for Keeping Hens So that is just 5 reasons that keeping backyard chickens is so awesome now let's look at the 7 things you must know before you start on your chicken keeping journey.

1. Housing Your ladies will need a secure all-weather shelter even if you plan to free-range them during daylight hours. Things to consider are

Predators like dogs, cats, foxes and even birds of prey.

Weather - make sure your girls have a dry space to hang out

Space - Will they just sleep in their house or will they have access to a chicken run

Laying boxes - Anything that is big enough for a chicken to get in and turn around is big enough for a laying box. Around 1 box per 3 birds is a good rule of thumb. Most girls won’t all need to lay an egg at the same time.

We use plastic tubs with a panel cut out for the door. Plastic is good because it’s easy to clean and if you ever experience mites or lice, you will want easy clean.

Perching - Chickens are birds and birds perch. It's important to make sure your girls can purchase somewhere warm and dry at night and make sure purches are at least 30 cm or higher from the ground and at least 5 cm wide as they don't grip like a parrot, they rest their feet flat. If you have rescue hens you might find that they prefer to sleep in the Lange box or even on top of the lid of the lane box, this is because they come from a cage or environment where they weren’t provided with a perch.

1. Food Apart from kitchen scraps that I mentioned earlier, you will want to feed your ladies with good quality chicken food. When you get your hens ask what they are used to eating. Some will be on mash, some on pellets and other on grain. You can purchase large bags of chicken feed from your local produce supplier. Keep feed in rodent-proof tubs or bins and only give your chickens enough food in the morning that they can finish by sunset. Be guided by what is on the packet.

I use 2 treadle type feeders here on the farm to help minimise waste and not feed mice. This treadle style system has a panel at the front that the chicken stands on and it opens the lid of a tray containing seed and pellets. They then eat when and what they want.

1. Foraging Give your lady's access to a grassy area or at least a dirt patch that they can scratch in. They will spend a good portion of the day scratching for grubs and worms, picking at grass and weeds as well as treating themselves to a dust bath. Dust baths are important because they help chickens to manage external parasites like lice. Plus, it feels good.

2. Water Hens need unobstructed access to cool clean drinking water at all times. A water-supply can be as simple as a shallow bucket that you fill up every day or as sophisticated as a drinking system with nipples or drinking cups. Whatever you choose you will need to make sure that they have water every day, keep it clean and make sure they have access to it and can’t tip it over.

We use a simple self-filling system here. We have a plastic tray that is about 45 cm across and about 15 cm high. We then have a 20 lt bucket with a lid and we drilled holes in the lid and a few holes on the outside of the bucket, about 7 cms from the top. We fill up the bucket and put the lid on securely and then flip the bucket upside down into the plastic tray.

The plastic tray fills up with water to the level of the holes drilled on the outside of the bucket and as the chickens drink the water it refills out of the bucket. We have 2 of these and it keeps the girls in clean water for 5 to 7 days. I check it daily to make sure it hasn’t had a failure or it’s the tray isn’t full of dirt or straw.

1. Protection However you choose to keep your chickens you should provide them with ample sunshine, shade and an area out of the wind and rain.

In the summer heat chickens can suffer from heat stress very quickly. Ice cubes in their water or even regular hosing down of their chicken coop or free-range area can help bring the temperature down.

Depending on where you are and how hard your winters are you will need to adjust your chicken set up accordingly. If you live somewhere that gets very cold or snows, you will need to provide your chickens with an adequate indoor location where they can overwinter. For us, we have a much milder Winters. For most non-alpine regions of Australia as long as you provide a dry area out of the rain and wind that will keep them happy.

1. Local Rules As boring as this topic might seem it's really important to know what your local regulations are about keeping chickens. Local councils will have rules on how many hens you can keep per residential block, size of the coop, how often you clean the coop, how far away from your neighbours the coop needs to be and unless you are zoned rural, No Roosters!

The last thing you want is to set up a great backyard chicken system and bring your girls home only to find that you’ve broken the rules and your girls have to go.

1. Health Hens can suffer from several common conditions and parasites. Things like lice, body and leg mites, worms, becoming egg bound and suffering from an impacted crop. Taking the time to understand these and what the telltale signs are will help you help your girls.

There is a tonne of free information on chicken health issues on the internet and I would encourage you to do research on each of the above ailments.

Also, find your local Avian vet. Most vets can do the basics but aren't specialised in treating hens so finding someone who does will save you the running around if you ever need to take one of your hens to a vet.

There is a little bit of preparation to be done before bringing your chickens home however it is totally worth it and your girls will supply you with food, love and fertilizer for years to come.

More information

Full show notes at www.sohfarmlet.com.au/podcast

Blogs - www.sohfarmlet.com.au/blog

Download Free - Chicken Keepers 'Chicklist' For Beginners

Download Free Guide Getting Started With Composting

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Episode 13 Sponsored

This episode is sponsored by The Female MSI Club 30 Day Money Challenge. This challenge will help you understand your money mindset, identify blocks you have to making more money and understand how to manifest more money into your life.

This is the study I mention: How to make a city climate-proof, addressing the urban heat island effect

Reach me

Instagram http://www.instagram.com/sohfarmlet/

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/sohfarmlet

jo@sohfarmlet.com.au

Subscribe

Have you hit the subscribe button yet? If not click subscribe so you don't miss an episode.

Review

I would be eternally grateful if you could give me a review as this will push the podcast out to more people, and it would make my heart sing, I'd love to hear what you have to say and what's your favourite bit (and I will be giving a few shout outs each week).

For apple listeners, you can review HERE.

For other players follow the review link (if available) and leave a review on FaceBook or Instagram.

Share

I would also love it if you could share this podcast with anyone you feel would enjoy conversations about growing food, keeping chickens, bees, rescue animals, making homemade products and all things self-sufficiency related.

I am so pleased and feel very privileged that you chose to join me this week. Thank you!

Let's do it again next Wednesday. xx

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Episode #13 Growing in Sunny & Shady Spots

Working out what to grow in the prime sunny spot and what to relegate to the shady areas is something that every backyard gardener has grappled with at some point.

Like us, plants have different preferences. Some love being in the full blast of the summer sun every day and others are a little more tender and can suffer from sunburn, drying out or heat stress.

Knowing your food plants preferences means you can cater to their needs and have happy, healthy and good producing food plants all year round.

Many of us have followed the faith gardening model. Put something in without any consideration of location and hope and pray it grows. Most of the time it grows but it’s stunted, slow and generally weaker, attracting pests and finally, disease takes hold.

The way to move from faith gardening to working with your garden and her unique qualities is to understand the microclimates in your garden.

Microclimates is something I touched on in Episode 12 when I covered planning your food garden. I also cover working out what areas get shade and what are full sun. Take a listen before you start planting.

What is a Microclimate? Microclimates are the places around your garden that have different conditions to what is in the surrounding area. Under trees, near water features, behind structures, multilevel canopies, full sun, grassed areas, hard surfaces, paths, wind, ect all contribute to the conditions. A microclimate can be as small as a few square meters or as large as the whole garden.

Fun fact. Having a water feature such as a pond can reduce the air temperature of the surrounding area by up to a few degrees. This temperature change can go as high as 1 metre above the water level and spread as far as several metres. It is also known that moving water can further reduce the air temperature and planting trees around the pond can reduce air temperature even more and help to maintain a consistent temperature for longer periods. I will put a link in the show notes to a study that was undertaken in The Netherlands if you are into research.

In short, having a body of water in your garden can help to cool it and creates a microclimate for plants that don’t like high temperatures and also provides water for the wildlife and insects in your garden.

So how do you know what is considered full sun, part sun/part shade or full shade?

The general rule of thumb for working out what your garden sun status is:

• Full Sun gets a good 6 + hours of direct sunlight every day (8 hours in summer).
• Part Sun/Part Shade are the areas that get between 3 to 6 hours of sunlight per day. This may be a combination of dappled sunlight for 6 hours of direct sunlight for 3 or so hours a day.
• Full Shade are areas that don’t get any direct sunlight. They might get a little bit of dappled sunlight throughout the day or maybe they get reflected light off a surface like a wall.

Within these 3 categories, there are various levels. You might have an area that gets full sun from sunrise to early afternoon and then is in part shade until sunset or maybe you have an area that is shaded all day except for the last few hours. This is where you need to make a judgement call on what might grow well where and then trial and error your way to working it out.

Full Sun Most fruiting plants are sun worshipers and love being exposed to the sun. Vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, capsicum, pumpkin, okra, zucchini mellons, corn, strawberries, most of the berry family, grapes figs, passionfruit and most fruit trees.

Some underground vegetables like onions and garlic love full sun.

Herbs like basil, oregano, lavender, rosemary, lemongrass, thyme and sage.

Some of these will tolerate a little shade but it will come at a cost.

In cooler climates grow all the brassicas like cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts and kale in full sun but in warmer climates put these in partial shade, they are long croppers meaning they grow through a few seasons and sometimes the harsh summer sun can cause them to bolt and produce flowers. Once this happens the flavour will start to turn bitter.

Part Sun/Shade Vegetables that do well in partial sun/shade sites include root vegetables like potatoes, carrots, beetroots, radishes, horseradish, parsnips and turnips. Also, a huge range of leafy vegetables benefits from a little sun protection. Lettuce, mustard greens, spinach, silverbeet and rocket also called arugula.

Asian greens like bok choy, choi sum, tatsoi and mizuna will thrive in part shade.

As I mentioned earlier, If you're in a warmer climate consider growing brassicas in partial shade. Other veggies that will love part shade are asparagus, celery, kohlrabi, leeks, peas and beans. Beans don’t need direct sunlight but they do need warmth. So grow these where it might be part shade but it keeps the heat, same goes for ginger and turmeric.

Common herbs that love a little shade are parsley, coriander, dill, chives and mint.

There are many more edible and medicinal plants that fit into this category. The rule here is if in doubt, try it out!

Full Shade Most of the leafy greens will do well in a shaded spot if they have good soil and good moisture. In summer this might be the only spot that will prevent your greens from bolting to seed. Same goes for coriander and parsley.

And Brussels will tolerate quite a bit of shade.

If you forget everything and totally blank out remember that fruiting plants like it hot, root vegetables like a little protection and leafy greens are your shady space fillers.

More information

Full show notes at www.sohfarmlet.com.au/podcast

Blogs - www.sohfarmlet.com.au/blog

Download Free - Chicken Keepers 'Chicklist' For Beginners

Download Free Guide Getting Started With Composting

Newsletter sign up

Episode 13 Sponsored

This episode is sponsored by The Female MSI Club 30 Day Money Challenge. This challenge will help you understand your money mindset, identify blocks you have to making more money and understand how to manifest more money into your life.

This is the study I mention: How to make a city climate-proof, addressing the urban heat island effect

Reach me

Instagram http://www.instagram.com/sohfarmlet/

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/sohfarmlet

jo@sohfarmlet.com.au

Subscribe

Have you hit the subscribe button yet? If not click subscribe so you don't miss an episode.

Review

I would be eternally grateful if you could give me a review as this will push the podcast out to more people, and it would make my heart sing, I'd love to hear what you have to say and what's your favourite bit (and I will be giving a few shout outs each week).

For apple listeners, you can review HERE.

For other players follow the review link (if available) and leave a review on FaceBook or Instagram.

Share

I would also love it if you could share this podcast with anyone you feel would enjoy conversations about growing food, keeping chickens, bees, rescue animals, making homemade products and all things self-sufficiency related.

I am so pleased and feel very privileged that you chose to join me this week. Thank you!

Let's do it again next Wednesday. xx

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Garden Planning - 7 Tips to Make Growing Food Simple

Here are my top 7 considerations when planning a new garden, moving an existing garden or just giving an overhaul to a tired area. They are simple, easy and will help you have a far more productive garden in the long run.

Identify your growing area and type

• Include compost systems/worm farms
• Put garden beds in an area you go past regularly or have easy access to, not in a dead area of your yard
• How far is access water
• Are you planning on monoculture or polyculture style garden

Learn what grows well in your climate, area, garden, and microclimates within your garden

• Observe your garden,
• Know where the wind comes from, what trees and structures cast shade and at what time
• How does water flow when it rains
• If this isn’t your first garden, take note of what grew well last season and what struggled a little.

Identify what you like to eat - including what you might like to eat all year round

• What type of plant are they? Tender plant, sprawling, climbing, canopy, shrub
• How can you prolong eating your favourite home grown goodies, freezing, preserving, drying etc.
• Incorporate as many perennials and self-seeding annuals as possible to minimise time planting

Know how do you want to start plants and identify what companion plants will be suitable

• Do you want to plant seeds directly, plant seeds in trays, buy seedlings bor take cuttings?
• What companion plants do you want to grow, what do you want them to do etc. (Listen to Episode 11 - What is companion planting and why is it so awesome.)

Know your planting to harvest times and plan successive planting dates

• Starting the season early
• Leave the room or be prepared to make room

If you get frost, hard summers, wet or dry seasons plan for these

• Make the ‘downtime’ work for you by doing your planning, building structures, refurbing, maintenance etc.

Understand the time needed to inspect and tend to your garden regularly

• The annual type of garden takes far more work than a permaculture style garden with lots of perennials, self-seeding annuals and various level canopies for protection
• How will you manage the garden when you aren’t there?
• Make time to just be in the garden and enjoy it

More Information

Sign up to the Weekly Self & Sufficiency Tips and Hacks Email (often with extra goodies) https://sohfarmlet.systeme.io/73e35803

Blogs – www.sohfarmlet.com.au/blog

Free guide Getting Started With Composting

Reach me

Instagram http://www.instagram.com/sohfarmlet/

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/sohfarmlet

jo@sohfarmlet.com.au

Subscribe

Have you hit the subscribe button yet? If not click subscribe so you don’t miss an episode.

Review

I would be eternally grateful if you could give me a review as this will push the podcast out to more people, and it would make my heart sing, I’d love to hear what you have to say and what’s your favourite bit (and I will be giving a few shout outs each week).

For apple listeners, you can review HERE.

For other players follow the review link (if available) or leave a review on FaceBook or Instagram.

Share

I would also love it if you could share this podcast with anyone you feel would enjoy conversations about growing food, keeping chickens, bees, rescue animals, making homemade products and all things self-sufficiency related.

I am so pleased and feel very privileged that you chose to join me this week. Thank you!

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Companion planting put simply is growing plants together that have a beneficial relationship with one another. And why is it awesome? Because we are working with mother nature rather than spraying chemicals all over her.

When we work collaboratively for the mutual benefit of all the outcomes are always bigger, better and far more productive than we could have ever achieved alone. The same principles apply in the garden. When we work collaboratively with our environment we can see many benefits that go beyond what we see.

A handful of benefits of working with the environment through compassion planting are

• Attracting pollinators
• Attracting pest predators
• Deterring pests
• Masking scent of primary plants to put off potential pests
• Attracting pests away from the primary plant
• Adding nutrients into the soil
• Retaining moisture
• Aerating soil
• Providing windbreaks
• Shade

In permaculture and organic gardens, companion planting is one of the biggest ways to manage pests and disease.

‘Formal’ style growing systems which have rows or blocks of the same plant growing together can make for a really hard time backyard gardener. When you first think about it, it might make sense to grow all the same thing together. You can maintain them in the same space and harvest them together. However, this method has many drawbacks.

Growing same with same is like holding a sign up and announcing to the pest world - come and get it! Also, the same plants all use the same nutrients, require the same amount of sun or shade and the same levels of moisture. They are all competing with each other for the same things.

When you interplant your vegetable garden with several different types of plants that all work together you are allowing mother nature to do what she does best.

I want to go through some examples to explain what I am talking about.

Attracting pollinators

Planting plants that attract pollinators like bees, butterflies, flies, bats and birds are a great way to ensure crops that rely on insect pollination have the best chance of being pollinated. Planting borage, rosemary and sunflowers near your gourd crops (melons, squash, pumpkin, zucchini) will help attract more bees that will visit male and female flowers helping pollination.

Attracting pest predators

Planting coriander, dill or parsley will help attract ladybugs into your garden. Ladybugs love to feast on aphids, scale and mites. Plant these herbs with your bean crops.

Deterring pests

Marigolds are well known to deter whitefly from tomatoes. I have observed that more is best with marigolds and tomatoes. Plant at least 2 marigolds per tomato plant and it’s best to have them as close to the tomato as possible while still allowing enough not to crowd it.

Masking scent of primary plants

Planting mint, sage and onions with or around the perimeter of carrots can be very effective against carrot root fly. Female flies can smell bruised carrots and leaves from many kms away. So activities like thinning out and weeding can give away their location. By planting plants that mask this odour, it can confuse the fly and she may not make it into the patch to lay her eggs.

Attracting pests away from the primary plant

Nasturtium is a great plant to act as a sacrificial offering to aphids. It attracts aphids away from your main food plants and also attracts ladybugs which love a good aphid feast. Plant nasturtiums all through the garden, they grow well with anything and will attract bees and butterflies too.

Adding nutrients

If you’ve been gardening for a little while you may already know that legumes are nitrogen-fixing plants. This means they convert the nitrogen in the atmosphere into usable nitrogen in the soil that their neighbouring plants can take up and use. Planting legumes with nitrogen hungry plants is a great way to go. Plant climbing beans with corn, dwarf beans with brassicas like broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower. Beetroots will also benefit from dwarf beans too, but avoid climbing beans as they may shade out the sun-loving beets.

Retaining moisture

Living mulch which are ground cover plants grown amongst your vegetables will significantly reduce moisture loss through covering bare soil. Nasturtiums, thyme, oregano and creeping saltbush are great choices. Another way to help your garden retain moisture is to plant deep-rooted plants that will help to bring moisture from deeper soil to the shallows. Plants like pigeon pea are great because they are also a legume. Comfrey, dandelion and borage are all brilliant garden partners.

Aerating soil

The more organic matter in your soil the higher the change of the soil having aeration. When you have bare patches this can lead to compaction, especially if you get people or animal traffic over the area. Your plants need air pockets within the soil to allow moisture, worms, roots and microbes to pass through. The more roots moving through your soil the less compaction is likely.

Providing windbreaks

Some plants can take a battering from wind and others are more sensitive. Designing your garden with the wind in mind will keep your more susceptible plants protected. Know the direction of where your prevailing wind comes from and plan ahead. Use hardy hedging such as Lilly pilly, feijoa, blueberries and rosemary can help slow winds down for tomatoes or tender leafy greens.

Shade

Not all vegetables love full sun all day, especially in the warmer summer months. Using sun lovers to provide some shade for the more tender plants is a great way to protect them. Plant corn on the south-west side of lettuce to provide protection from the harsh afternoon sun. (for the southern hemisphere).

Companion planting won’t ever be 100% effective and you wouldn’t want it to be. We need all the things we term ‘bad bugs’ in our garden. They are all part of the ecosystem and there is a balance that needs to be maintained. Observe your garden and see what looks good and what is having a bit of a hard time. Notice the insects and bugs and become aware of how you could use companion planting to help your garden thrive.

More information

Full show notes at www.sohfarmlet.com.au/podcast

Blogs - www.sohfarmlet.com.au/blog

Download Free - Chicken Keepers 'Chicklist' For Beginners

Reach me

Instagram http://www.instagram.com/sohfarmlet/

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/sohfarmlet

jo@sohfarmlet.com.au

Subscribe

Have you hit the subscribe button yet? If not click subscribe so you don't miss an episode.

Review

I would be eternally grateful if you could give me a review as this will push the podcast out to more people, and it would make my heart sing, I'd love to hear what you have to say and what's your favourite bit (and I will be giving a few shout outs each week).

For apple listeners, you can review HERE.

For other players follow the review link (if available) or leave a review on FaceBook or Instagram.

Share

I would also love it if you could share this podcast with anyone you feel would enjoy conversations about growing food, keeping chickens, bees, rescue animals, making homemade products and all things self-sufficiency related.

I am so pleased and feel very privileged that you chose to join me this week. Thank you!

Let's do it again next Wednesday. xx

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14 Must Have Tools for The Vegetable Garden

I call these the must-have list because they make gardening life a tonne easier. Of course you don’t ‘have to have’ every item, you can adjust according to your gardening needs.

If you don’t have some of these don’t feel you need to run out and buy them right away. Wait and see if you need them and then buy the right ones for you.

1. Gloves

I started with gloves because they are a gardeners saving grace. Some gardeners are totally pro gloves with every activity and some love the feeling of dirt on their hand but when it comes to handling spiky plants, putting in timer stakes or rooting around in an area where there may be a bitty or 2 then your gloves are your best friend.

Like most items on this list there is a wide range of gloves and even wider price range. I like to go for ones that are flexible but thick with a little bit of extra padding on the palms and fingers. This is because I use my gloves for heavy duty activities. When I am doing light activities like hand weeding, planting seeds or seedlings, light pruning and some harvesting I go bare hands all the way.

Choose the gloves that are compatible with the type of work you would wear them for.

2. Hand Trowel & Hand Fork

I find these are a must have. If you haven’t heard of these before let me explain. A trowel is a hand sized mini shovel and a hand fork is a mini hand sized fork. If you have raised beds I am sure you already have these in your kit.

Hand trowel is ideal for planting, digging, harvesting and smoothing. Hand fork is ideal for aerating the soil, cultivating, light weeding and more.

Handy tip - turn them upside down and use the handle to make the hole for your seeds or seedlings.

3. Digging Fork Because we have heavy clay soil I have 2 of them I use them that much. Each new garden bed requires it to be forked beforehand. Using a spade or shovel when the clay is hard is like digging into concrete and when it’s wet it sticks to the blade. This is why the digging forks are forking priceless in our garden.

A digging fork can be used for a variety of things. Turning compost, turning soil, aerating and cultivating garden beds, loosening soil around plants and spreading mulch.

Don’t confuse a digging fork which is what we are talking about with a pitch or sometimes called a garden fork. A garden digging fork has 4 to 6 thick tines that don’t flex. A pitch or garden fork has 6 or more thinner tines that are flexible. It is used to move large quantities of lighter material like compost, mulch, straw or dry grass. You might choose one of these if your garden calls for it. I have a spunky purple one that I use to pick up horse poo.

4. Hoe A garden hoe is great for getting into places where weeds might be a little out of reach during the growing season especially if your garden beds are large or a little crowded. There are several types of hoe that might be good for your garden. Depending on the job will depend on the hoe.

If you want to weed your garden use a paddle or draw hoe as it’s designed to slice weeds off at their base. Use it like a broom, just like you are sweeping the weeds.

Another option is a stirrup hoe. This one you can stand at the end of the row and use a back and forth motion to cut through the roots of the weeds without too much soil disturbance.

Handheld hoes are available too but I use my trowel most of the time so I didn’t bother with one.

5. Secateurs Secateurs or garden shears are a must. And if you have a hubby like mine who likes to use them to cut hoses and all sorts of non plant materials then guard them with your life.

Your secateurs will be used for harvesting, pruning and taking cuttings. Keep them clean and sharp. Ideally clean them after each use with some alcohol. This will help prevent spreading diseases from one plant to another, even ones you didn’t know about.

Sharpen them or have them sharpened when needed. Sharp secateurs means less crushing damage to plant stems and this means less plant stress and potential for disease.

And don’t use your secateurs for non-plant things, as tempting as it is! This is what the next must-have item is for.

6. Scissors It’s amazing the things you need scissors for in the garden. Twine to tie back plants, opening bags of compost, mulch etc, cutting off plant labels that just don’t want to budge from their pot holder, opening seed packets and fertilisers, clearing out drip line nozzles, cutting hoses ect. I use just old household scissors, nothing special.

7. Shovel and/or spade Firstly let's talk about the difference between a shovel and a spade.

A spade is generally wider with a curved blade with a little folded bit at the top called a step designed for you to step on and apply downward force. They have a shorter fatter handle with a T or D grip at the top. They are used for digging trenches, edging by helping to break apart the dirt as you dig into solid ground.

A shovel has a longer blade that is often curved inward, they have long handles that can sit at an angle to the blade and they don’t have a T or D grip on the top of the handle and they don’t have a step as they aren’t designed for a downward force like a spade. They are used mainly in garden beds and for moving loose dirt.

Choose your garden weapon wisely. If you only have raised beds or pots then it’s unlikely you will need a spade.

8. Rake A rake can be very handy in the garden. Again depending on your garden needs will depend on the rake you need. There are more rake choices out there than there are days in a month but by working out what you need it for will reduce the choice to one or maybe two.

For raking leaves or cut grass on the lawn go for a plastic leaf rake.

For levelling or loosening soil or raking rocks and larger clumps in garden beds then for a metal or bow rake which has hard thick metal tines

I have always purchased the lower-priced products and have found them to work just as well.

9. Garden hose with adjustable nozzle

This is one you don’t want to scrimp on. Get yourself a length of hose suitable for your garden size and location from the tap. No point buying a 10-metre hose when the corner of your vegetable garden is 25 metres away from the tap.

You also want to make sure that all connections are good quality and on tight. Check them regularly.

An adjustable nozzle means you can adjust the flow strength and flow type to suit the plant you are watering.

A few extra tips.

If you have hard to reach plants use a watering wand.

If you are someone who gets frustrated easily don’t use an all in one recoil unit, go old school and wind it up yourself and put it on a hose hanger.

If you are on tank water get yourself a timer that will cut out after a set period of time. The amount of times I have left the hose on after using it and it has popped due to the pressure is too many to count. We now always set the timer for 60 mins or less so that in the event that I leave it on and it has a failure we can only lose a limited amount of precious water from the tanks.

10. Watering Can A hand watering can is used for hand watering but also for liquid fertiliser application. It’s far more directed than using a hose attachment. Make sure to clean the rose out regularly to prevent blockages, especially if you are using organic homemade garden teas like manure or weed tea.

11. Flexi Tub The all-purpose do everything garden tool. Haul compost, soil and mulch. Mix fertilisers carry harvests, the list is endless. Including keeping all your hand tools and bits and bobs together.

12. Wheelbarrow This one speaks for itself. If your garden isn’t big enough for a full-sized barrow then consider a smaller caddy on wheels. When moving heavy items like bags or bulk soil you will save your back.

13. Timber Stakes These are super handy. Use them to prop up top-heavy plants, make a teepee for beans, peas or tomatoes. Lay them in the garden to delineate growing areas, especially handy when you have planted seeds in an established garden bed.

14. Compost System (bin or worm farm) Having a system to break down organic waste into usable compost is a must-have in my opinion. Especially if you are an organic gardener. For ideas on what system is suitable for you check out episode #4 Getting started with compost or my blog how to get started with composting.

It might seem like a lot but I guarantee that when you are out there in your garden having the right tools will make all the difference to how enjoyable your vegetable growing experience is.

This is my list and there are many many more tools out there that may be helpful to you. Before you dig deep into your pockets and buy all the fancy tools, ask yourself what will that tool do? Will it make gardening easier and can I do the same thing with a tool I already have?

This approach has saved me from coming home with all the gadgets.

More information

Full show notes at www.sohfarmlet.com.au/podcast

Blogs - www.sohfarmlet.com.au/blog

Download Free - Chicken Keepers 'Chicklist' For Beginners

Reach me

Instagram http://www.instagram.com/sohfarmlet/

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/sohfarmlet

jo@sohfarmlet.com.au

Subscribe

Have you hit the subscribe button yet? If not click subscribe so you don't miss an episode.

Review

I would be eternally grateful if you could give me a review as this will push the podcast out to more people, and it would make my heart sing, I'd love to hear what you have to say and what's your favourite bit (and I will be giving a few shout outs each week).

For apple listeners, you can review HERE.

For other players follow the review link (if available) or leave a review on FaceBook or Instagram.

Share

I would also love it if you could share this podcast with anyone you feel would enjoy conversations about growing food, keeping chickens, bees, rescue animals, making homemade products and all things self-sufficiency related.

I am so pleased and feel very privileged that you chose to join me this week. Thank you!

Let's do it again next Wednesday. xx

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Tomatoes are a staple in any vegetable growers summer garden. It is rewarding when you see the flowers mature into plump juicy fruit that is bursting with flavour.

I want to share my top tips for getting a great crop. These are lessons from trial and error and a few that were imparted onto me from other wonderful gardeners throughout the years. And some of these rules I still break now and then.

More information

Full show notes at www.sohfarmlet.com.au/podcast

Blogs - www.sohfarmlet.com.au/blog

Download Free - Chicken Keepers 'Chicklist' For Beginners

Reach me

Instagram http://www.instagram.com/sohfarmlet/

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/sohfarmlet

jo@sohfarmlet.com.au

Subscribe

Have you hit the subscribe button yet? If not click subscribe so you don't miss an episode.

Review

I would be eternally grateful if you could give me a review as this will push the podcast out to more people, and it would make my heart sing, I'd love to hear what you have to say and what's your favourite bit (and I will be giving a few shout outs each week).

For apple listeners, you can review HERE.

For other players follow the review link (if available) or leave a review on FaceBook or Instagram.

Share

I would also love it if you could share this podcast with anyone you feel would enjoy conversations about growing food, keeping chickens, bees, rescue animals, making homemade products and all things self-sufficiency related.

I am so pleased and feel very privileged that you chose to join me this week. Thank you!

Let's do it again next Wednesday. xx

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Perennial vs annual or biennial what do they mean when it comes to growing food and is one better than the other?

This episode I will simplify what each means, the pros and a few considerations to growing perennials. I will also share my top 10 favourite perennials that are relatively easy for anyone to grow and why they are my faves.

This is a must-listen for the lazy or time-poor gardener.

Full show notes at www.sohfarmlet.com.au/podcast

Blogs www.sohfarmlet.com.au/blog

Download Free Chicken Keepers 'Chicklist' For Beginners

Reach me

Instagram http://www.instagram.com/sohfarmlet/

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/sohfarmlet

Email jo@sohfarmlet.com.au

Subscribe

If you haven't subscribed yet do that now. I really don't want you to miss an episode, you just never know what tip or hack will be the one that changes the way you are self-sufficient.

Review

I would be eternally grateful if you could give me a review as this will push the podcast out to more people, and it would make my heart sing, I'd love to hear what you have to say and what's your favourite bit and I will be giving a few shout outs each week.

Share

I would also love it if you could share this podcast with anyone you feel would enjoy conversations about growing food, keeping chickens, bees, rescue animals, making homemade products and all things self-sufficiency related.

I am so please that you chose to join me this week. Thank you.

Let do it again next Wednesday. xx

View Details

I am the first to admit that I am a slacker in this department. I always seem to forget about plant labels until after I have planted my seeds, and by the time I get around to it, I have forgotten what I planted where. It’s really surprising how fast you forget what you did 4 days ago.

What usually happens is that I plant 4 of the same thing (this year it was zucchini and okra) and forget the lesser loved or used vegetables.

In this episode, I share my top 10 tips for Easy and Cheap Plant Label Ideas including my favourites.

More information
Full show notes www.sohfarmlet.com.au/podcast
Blogs – www.sohfarmlet.com.au/blog
Download Free – Chicken Keepers ‘Chicklist’ For Beginners

Reach me
Instagram http://www.instagram.com/sohfarmlet/
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/sohfarmlet
jo@sohfarmlet.com.au

Subscribe
Have you hit the subscribe button yet, No? you can do that HERE for apple. I really don’t want you to miss an episode, you just never know what tip or hack will be the one that changes the way you are self-sufficient.

Review
I would be eternally grateful if you could give me a review as this will push the podcast out to more people, and it would make my heart sing, I’d love to hear what you have to say and what’s your favourite bit (and I will be giving a few shout outs each week). Click HERE to review and then select ‘ratings and reviews’ and ‘write a review’.

Share
I would also love it if you could share this podcast with anyone you feel would enjoy conversations about growing food, keeping chickens, bees, rescue animals, making homemade products and all things self-sufficiency related.

I am so please that you chose to join me this week. Thank you!

Let do it again next Wednesday. xx

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Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!!! Can you believe we made it here?

This episode is a little bit of a different flavour. I wanted to reflect a little on 2020 and ask you a few questions to help you decide what 2021 will look like for you.

1. What is important to you?

2. What do you want to achieve in 2021?

3. Who do you need to be to live the way you want?

Taking stock of the year that has been and taking time to consider what YOU want 2021 to look like. 

Full show notes can be found at www.sohfarmlet.com.au/podcast

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Who doesn't love water-saving solutions! We are all more water-wise these days and with good cause. By implementing some smart water-saving solutions in the garden it saves you time, saves the plants from dying and helps care for mother earth.

Here are my 5 top tips plus a bonus tip.

#1 Water crystals

#2 Drip or mini irrigation system

#3 Water slowly

#4 Harvest water

#5 Wicking beds

#Bonus - MULCH!!!!

Full show notes can be found at www.sohfarmlet.com.au/podcast

View Details

In this episode, I talk about the basics of composting and the most common composting solutions for all spaces.

I also cover the 4 rules to follow to get a good compost every time.

Keeping self-sufficiency simple is what it is all about.

More information

Show notes www.sohfarmlet.com.au/podcast

Blogs - www.sohfarmlet.com.au/blog

Download Free - Chicken Keepers 'Chicklist' For Beginners

Reach me

Instagram http://www.instagram.com/sohfarmlet/

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/sohfarmlet

jo@sohfarmlet.com.au

Subscribe

Have you hit the subscribe button yet, No? you can do that HERE I really don't want you to miss an episode, you just never know what tip or hack will be the one that changes the way you are self-sufficient.

Review

I would be eternally grateful if you could give me a review as this will push the podcast out to more people, and it would make my heart sing, I'd love to hear what you have to say and what's your favourite bit (and I will be giving a few shout outs each week). Click here to review and then select 'ratings and reviews' and 'write a review'.

Share

I would also love it if you could share this podcast with anyone you feel would enjoy conversations about growing food, keeping chickens, bees, rescue animals, making home made products and all things self-sufficiency related.

I am so pleased that you chose to join me this week. Thank you!

Let's do it again next Wednesday. xx

View Details

In this episode, I talk about how to apply my 5 hacks to growing strong seedlings.. well a combination of tips and hacks...

1. Get yourself prepared
2. Timing is everything, choosing the right time to plant
3. Natural selection.. this really is do or die.
4. Don't disturb the roots
5. Tucking them in for the ultimate experience

These seem so basic, and they are but if you are like I was when I first started growing food, excited and full of hope you want to give them the best opportunity to produce big juicy fruits and veggies for you to enjoy.

More information

Show notes www.sohfarmlet.com.au/podcast

Blogs www.sohfarmlet.com.au/blog

Download Free - Chicken Keepers 'Chicklist' For Beginners

Reach me

Instagram http://www.instagram.com/sohfarmlet/

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/sohfarmlet

jo@sohfarmlet.com.au

Subscribe

Have you hit the subscribe button yet, No? you can do that HERE I really don't want you to miss an episode, you just never know what tip or hack will be the one that changes the way you are self-sufficient.

Review

I would be eternally grateful if you could give me a review as this will push the podcast out to more people, and it would make my heart sing, I'd love to hear what you have to say and what's your favourite bit (and I will be giving a few shout outs each week). Click here to review and then select 'ratings and reviews' and 'write a review'.

Share

I would also love it if you could share this podcast with anyone you feel would enjoy conversations about growing food, keeping chickens, bees, rescue animals, making homemade products and all things self-sufficiency related.

I am so pleased that you chose to join me this week. Thank you!

Let's do it again next Wednesday. xx

View Details

In this episode, I talk about how to apply my 5 top tips on what to do in the garden in summer which are

1. Mulch your garden beds and things to consider
2. Giving your veggies some food including my tried and tested liquid fertiliser recipe for poo tea.
3. Providing shade and how you can do this simply
4. Composting and why summer is the perfect time to start
5. Watering your garden. Ways you can ensure your garden beds stay moist

Keeping self-sufficiency simple is what it is all about.

More information

Show notes www.sohfarmlet.com.au/podcast

Blogs - www.sohfarmlet.com.au/blog

Download Free - Chicken Keepers 'Chicklist' For Beginners

Reach me

Instagram http://www.instagram.com/sohfarmlet/

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/sohfarmlet

jo@sohfarmlet.com.au

Subscribe

Have you hit the subscribe button yet, No? you can do that HERE I really don't want you to miss an episode, you just never know what tip or hack will be the one that changes the way you are self-sufficient.

Review

I would be eternally grateful if you could give me a review as this will push the podcast out to more people, and it would make my heart sing, I'd love to hear what you have to say and what's your favourite bit (and I will be giving a few shout outs each week). Click here to review and then select 'ratings and reviews' and 'write a review'.

Share

I would also love it if you could share this podcast with anyone you feel would enjoy conversations about growing food, keeping chickens, bees, rescue animals, making homemade products and all things self-sufficiency related.

I am so pleased that you chose to join me this week. Thank you!

Let's do it again next Wednesday. xx

View Details

In this episode, I outline why Self Sufficiency Made Simple has been created what to expect and the show layout.

I am your host Jo Flintham and I’ll take you through weekly tips and hacks to becoming more self-sufficient using what you have now and starting at whatever level you're at.

Growing your own food keeping chickens and bees, making your own fermented or preserved food and making homemade products to use every day is simple and easy. This show is designed for the beginner and beyond with something for everyone.

New episode dropping every Wednesday and special guests joining us from time to time to share their knowledge and know-how in all things self-sufficient.

Be sure to subscribe to get your weekly dose of self-sufficient living goodness.

Sponsored by SoH Farmlet - Hobby farming with heart.