Urban

Homesteading:

A beginner's guide to self-sufficiency &

sustainable living in urban homes
Table of Contents

Disclaimer
Introduc on to Homesteading
Understanding Homesteading
Why Homesteading is a good decision
Urban Homesteading Vs Rural Homesteading
Homesteading and Permaculture
Homesteading - A social, economic and lifestyle choice
Star ng your Own Garden
Gardening for Self Sufficiency
Selec ng the loca on
Op mum Amount of Sunlight
Collec ng rainwater for Watering plants
Making your own Backyard Compost
Mulching in your Garden
Types of Homestead Gardening
Roo op Gardening
Backyard Gardening
Square Foot Gardening
Container Gardening
Ver cal Gardening
Choosing Plants for Homesteading
Deciding What to Plant
Planning when to plant
Arranging Crops
Dealing with weeds and pests
Making your Own Food
Make Your Own Cheese
Homemade Bread
Organic Eggs
Homemade Yogurt
Preserving Food
Canning
Freezing
Dehydra ng and Drying
Salt Preserva on
Bonus Chapter!
 Companion Plan ng - Vegetables, Herbs and Flowers
Conclusion
Thank You!
Preview of “Container Gardening: A Beginners Guide to growing Organic Vegetables, Fruits & Herbs in a Small
Space”
Understanding Container Gardening
Choosing the Right Containers for your garden
Disclaimer

This eBook, ‘Urban Homesteading: A beginner's guide to self-sufficiency & sustainable living
in urban homes,’ is wri en with an inten on of helping you understand and appreciate the
concepts of Homesteading. The informa on provided in this book is meant to be taken as a
broad guideline to Homesteading. While the author has taken utmost care to make sure that
the informa on provided in this book are accurate, readers are advised to take precau ons
before following the informa on provided herein.

The author cannot be held responsible for personal or commercial damage caused because of
misinterpre ng the contents of this book. The author cannot be held responsible for any loss,
damage, or liabili es incurred directly or indirectly with the informa on contained in this
book.
Introduction to Homesteading
Understanding Homesteading

Have you ever secretly wanted to slow down your life’s pace and take things a li le easy? In
this fast-paced technology driven world, the idea of living life at a slow and relaxing pace has
started to gain popularity and acceptance. Rising infla on, overdependence on technology,
shortage of resources, pes cides ridden fruits and vegetables, and not-a-moment-to-catch-
my-breath lifestyle have pushed a number of people into looking at homesteading as a viable
lifestyle. Although homesteading is certainly not a new concept, the ideas and concepts of
urban homesteading has started to gain trac on with both the young and the urban
popula on.

Homesteading way of life was very common in the past and people have been consistently
growing fruits and vegetables in their backyard from mes immemorial. Moreover, the
concept of raising chicken in the backyard pen is not uncommon either. While the idea of
homesteading and self-sufficiency might not be new, the ways in which homesteading is
prac ced has certainly undergone a dras c change. In the past, homesteaders spent years
undertaking backbreaking tasks of plowing, lling and harves ng farms carved out of
complete wilderness. They stayed away from modern day ameni es and tools. Although,
present day homesteaders too undertake physically exhaus ve tasks, they are, nevertheless,
not as grueling as the olden-day tasks. But, let this not fool you as homesteading – present or
past – is taxing if you do not have the right ap tude to live your life without a number of so-
called ‘basic’ ameni es that we take for granted.

A large number of people are a racted towards homesteading because it helps keep
unhealthy and harmful chemicals out of the food chain. Turning to gardening is the only way
to ensure that each and every one of us has access to wholesome and less-contaminated
food. Moreover, people have gone further and have ensured that chemicals do not find their
way into their personal lives as well. With every ac on they take, homesteaders make sure
that they do not harm themselves, their co-beings, the Earth and the future genera ons. Call
it what you may – green movement, eco conscious or going green – the basic idea that
defines homesteading is self-sufficiency and environmental responsibility. Homesteading, as
difficult and backbreaking it might seem ini ally, is the first step towards a happier, healthier
and sa sfying lifestyle.

Urban homesteading is not a new concept or an idea; in fact, homesteading is as old as the
mountains. Before people started buying bread and eggs from stores, everyone raised poultry
in their backyards and baked bread at their homes. Homesteading is an ancient concept;
however, urban homesteading has revived the old techniques of self-sufficiency and adapted
them to suit the urban dwellers’ needs. Urban homesteading is not a single concept; it is a
collec on of various techniques and prac ces. It includes growing vegetables and fruits,
raising animals, preserving food, making bread, cheese and yogurt at home, spinning and
kni ng, making cleaning products, using solar and wind energy, conserving water and making
fer lizers and compost. The one concept that holds urban and rural homesteading is the idea
of providing for self, resis ng the tempta on to binge consump on, consuming products
made at home, crea ng products rather than purchasing mass-produced products from
stores.

o Grow your own fruits and vegetables.

o Raise farm animals for food
o Use alterna ve sources of energy – renewable energy
o Rethink transporta on by using bicycles or walking to work
o Make efforts to reduce waste and also repurpose waste
o Rainwater harves ng
o Do your housework yourself
o Learn to knit, mend, do repairs and learn using basic tools and techniques
o Make food at home such as cheese, bread and yogurt
o Live in a simple and self-sufficient manner.
Why Homesteading is a good decision

So, you think you have it all figured out. The slow pace of life as a homesteader beckons you
and you want to leave behind your posh high-paying job to become a homesteader – a slow
paced life (no internet and Smartphone’s, remember), environmental friendly (growing your
own food) and a chance to life an alternate lifestyle. These points are all true when you talk
about homesteading. Homesteading might not require you to give up all your talents and
skills; however, you will have to give up on a few things that you have – so far – held so dearly.
Depending on where you plan to homestead, you might have to give up on your internet, cell
phones and TV. When you compare what you would get in return, these simple compromises
might not seem very important. However, ini ally, you will face a lot of problems and you also
might take more than expected me to adjust. Pa ence and passion are the only two things
that can see you through.

Everyone who is a part of the back-to-land self-sufficiency movement will appreciate the very
many benefits of homesteading. Some of the benefits of homesteading are:

· Quality of food and life: Regardless of the reasons homesteaders provide for living a life
of self-sufficiency, at the end of the day, quality of food and quality of life is the main
reasons why they chose this way of life. There might be a number of reasons why people
choose the self-sufficiency way of life, but food quality is one of the main reasons for it.

There is no way that you can compare the taste of a tomato or a carrot plucked fresh from
the tree to picking up a carrot from the nearby supermarket that had to travel hundreds of
miles to reach there. The carrot in the supermarket might look bright and shiny; however,
it would have been plucked from the tree a couple of days ago, chemical-sprayed to
ar ficially ripen it and shipped hundreds of miles to the supermarket. Homemade yogurt
and eggs have a taste that leaves your mouth saliva ng for more. Homemade bread is so
so and fresh that the store-bought fresh seems tasteless in comparison. Good quality
food helps you and your family life a good quality life.

· Happy and Healthy Life: There is a number of health benefits associated with
homesteading. The food you produce, undoubtedly, has a number of health benefits than
mass-produced foods. Eggs, bread, meat and other homemade foods have their nutrients
intact while mass-produced food items tend to lose out on essen al nutrients as they sit
in the box wai ng for you in the supermarket. Moreover, your backyard chicks and goats
tend to feast on a variety of healthy foods that helps them produce nutrient-rich food.

In addi on to being nutrient rich, home grown fruits and vegetables do not have harmful
pes cides and chemicals in them. Since home grown food are not gene cally modified or
ar ficially ripened, they retain their natural color, taste and nutrients. A number of
diseases that result from factory farming such as E.coli, salmonella and other viruses are
eliminated in homegrown foods.
 The health benefits of homesteading are not limited to food; in fact, the amount of
exercise you get also helps you lead a healthy life. The amount of work involved in
homesteading is excep onally beneficially to your body. Even if you are into urban
homesteading, you get a lot of physical exercise which is great for your health and general
well-being.

· Economically Beneficial: Baking your own bread is way cheaper than buying a loaf of
bread from the nearby supermarket. Some people might tell you that homesteading
involves inves ng in a lot of fancy gadgets and tools; however, this is completely not true.
Making your own soap, bread, eggs, meat and bread goes a long way in helping you save a
lot of money. In fact, homesteading also involves various ways of preserving food items in
an environmentally friendly manner.

Remember, homesteading is costly if you make it costly. If you are looking for ways to cut
down your costs and s ll undertake a par cular task, the first thing you have to do is look
for various ways of doing that par cular task. Don’t zero in on one way of doing it un l
you know it is the easiest and cheapest ways. You have to look for cheaper, easier and
less-expensive ways of doing things – if you want to grow a garden don’t let space
constraints stop you or make you invest in land. You can easily grow a container garden
using spare containers at home or also look for square foot gardening techniques.

· Environmental Friendly: Our technology-enriched lifestyle has been consistently taxing

our planet’s resources so much that we are on the verge of exhaus ng a number of non-
renewable resources. The me has come to take a li le respite from this onslaught of
burden we put of the delicate environment of the planet. We have to start taking
responsibility for our ac ons and try to amend and mend a few of them so that the future
of this planet is not hanging in the balance. Take for instance the consump on of oil. Most
of us assume that if we shi from travelling in cars to travelling in public transport or going
in for carpooling, you are saving the planet. It is true that carpooling and travelling in
public transporta on helps save gallons of oil, we should also understand that it is not
enough to help save the planet. Transpor ng fruits, vegetables and other food products
from the farm to our home consumes hundreds of gallons of oil. Homesteading and
gardening can help save the planet in a number of other ways too. Factory farming and
mass-manufacturing of products is consuming a lot of resources. In fact, the toxins from
these farms and factories are choking our natural water and soil resources. They are
harming the earth’s repair and restora on efforts. However, this does not mean that you
have to throw up your hands in u er exaspera on and give up hope for a be er future.
You don’t even have to run off into a cave or give up your fancy home in the city. Urban
homesteading helps you retain your home in the city and con nue to enrich your life and
save the environment as well.

· Crea ng a Sense of Togetherness: The idea of self-sufficiency and togetherness seem

poles apart and contradictory. However, there are more related to each other than we
assume. When you take up urban homesteading, you are indirectly encouraging others in
your community to join hands in making the world a much be er place to live. You will be
 surprised to learn that a number of people would be more than willing to help you in your
endeavors. Self-sufficiency is not about providing only for self or isola ng from others. In
fact, urban homesteading is being taken up as a community effort in a number of places.

· Personally Gra fying: There is nothing more gra fying that seeing a beau ful bunch of
carrots or baking a large loaf of bread – all by yourself. The sense of sa sfac on and pride
you get by growing your own food, raising goats and chickens and making your own soaps
and other u li es cannot be compared with buying them from the supermarket. You
achieve a deep sense of sa sfac on, achievement, and also develop a posi ve and healthy
a tude towards life.
Urban Homesteading Vs Rural Homesteading

Both urban and rural homesteading offers a great sense of sa sfac on of doing things by
ourselves. Growing fruits and vegetables in a backyard garden, cooking them, building
furniture and tools for our homes, and also learning new techniques of self-sufficiency and re-
learning old and forgo en skills is homesteading these days. Homesteading provides a lot of
independence and choices. It protects us from debt crisis, offers more choices for pursuing
hobbies and interests, offers greater security in the mes of economic slowdown and
recession, and protects us from environmental hazards.

While homesteading throws up a picture of living in the countryside with vast (read acres)
areas of land wai ng to be lled and plowed, it is nothing more than just a day me fantasy. In
fact, rural homesteading is possible only for people who have the luxury of land and me. If
you are living in the city, homesteading might seem like a distant impossible dream. Giving up
on ameni es like cell phone, internet, home delivery, garbage pickup, electricity, gas, near-by
neighbors and easy transporta on might seem like a heavy toll to pay. Living in the
countryside might be peaceful, calm and more laid-back; however, this is not for everyone.

It is understood that rural homesteading offers you peace and quiet that urban dwellings do
not know of. The countryside is not completely dead; it is, on the other hand, more alive than
you know. The noises of the city are replaced with the noises of the countryside – the birds,
the animals and the wind actually has a say in the countryside. You can be sure of sleeping
well in the nights, but you have to deal with the loud chainsaws and grinding machines that
compensate for the traffic noises. However, the sheer madness of traffic, the cacophony of
noisy neighbors and the absolute mayhem of 24/7 traffic is something you will miss in the
countryside. There is reduced cost of living if you take up rural homesteading, and you are
always surrounded by the warmth of nature.

Most manuals on homesteading will tell you that you have to give up the luxuries of the city,
pack your bags and se le down on a farm to take up homesteading. In fact, many
homesteading experts also talk about gardening and raising farm animals on acres of land.
The abundance and availability of land will soon become a burden when you don’t know what
to do with it. Just because you don’t have an acre of land to call your own, don’t give up on
homesteading. You can con nue to stay self-sufficient with urban homesteading. Even with a
single square foot of land in the city or a balcony to call your own, you can grow your favorite
fruits and vegetables and live a healthy life. If you have the luxury of land somewhere in the
countryside, and are willing to give up the pleasures of the city, you are welcome to try rural
homesteading. However, if space is a constraint and you don’t want to lose your city life, you
can try urban homesteading and enjoy the same benefits of rural living.
Homesteading and Permaculture

Homesteading and permaculture are related to one another; they propagate the concepts of
self-sufficiency, care for the planet, people and returning natural resources to the planet. It is
the concept of sustainable method of agriculture. Permaculture philosophy is working with
nature and not working against its principles. It is the idea of looking at the landscape of a
place, understand the func ons of species and bring various pieces together to create one
be er product. Permaculture helps reduce waste, minimize labor and input of energy into
making products. It is about bringing all the pieces of a concept together so that maximum
benefits are availed from it. Permaculture is an extended branch of ecological and
environmental design.
Homesteading - A social, economic and lifestyle choice

To completely understand the concepts of homesteading, you should first understand its roots
and reasons for its popularity. Back in 1862, the U.S. government offered nearly 160 acres of
free land to people who promised to live on it successfully for years. Many families staked
their claim to this land and started growing crops, raising animals, cul va ng land, and took
care of the household using homemade things.

The Homestead Act of 1862 was seen as an effort by the government of U.S. to populate
previously undesired parts of land. Na ons that were engaged in na on building, started
en cing people to populate and cul vate on these pieces of land and develop self-sustenance
methods. More Homestead acts were ini ated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to
drive na on building and popula ng specific areas of the na on. A renewed interest in
homesteading started to be seen in the 1930’s and 1940’s.

Homesteading, in addi on to being a social process of crea ng self-sufficiency, is an economic

choice to ensure independence and self-reliance. Homesteading not only allows you to
produce food on your own, it also helps you sell your produce – food and other products – to
others to help improve your financial status.

Homesteading is a lifestyle choice for many, and a number of people who are homesteading
have expressed a deep sense of sa sfac on and contentment with their lifestyle and standard
of living. They feel that their way of life is far more healthy, sa sfying and rewarding than the
normal urban ways of life. Urban Homesteading is not a watered-down version of rural
homesteading; in fact, it is a full-fledged concept that has a number of benefits.
Starting your Own Garden
Gardening for Self Sufficiency

Growing your own food is the first step in ensuring self-sufficiency. Urban homesteading
makes it easier for you to grow your own fruits, vegetables and herbs right in your home.
Homestead gardening has started gaining popularity because of a number of reasons. Some
grow vegetable gardens because it is economical, healthy and enjoyable. The fresh and
organic food that you get from your vegetable garden is certainly healthy than buying off the
counter in stores.

Growing food need not be complicated; in fact there are a number of ways in which you can
grow a garden in the city even with space constraints. If you have shortage of space, urban
homesteading allows you to grow your favorite fruits, vegetables and herbs in pots, containers
and kitchen gardens.

Gardeners have grown vegetables, fruits, flowers and herbs from ancient mes without
having modern science and tools to help them. It is understood that not everyone is born with
a green thumb; however, urban homesteading is all about growing fruits and vegetables that
your family consumes.

Garden is a wonderful place where you can plant all your favorite fruits and vegetables and
also grow your own livestock. Urban homesteading doesn’t require large spaces or acres of
land at your disposal; you can grow your garden in your balcony or in a series of small pots. A
small yard in the front or a kitchen garden in the back is all you need for a fully-sustaining
garden.

When you are designing your own urban homestead garden, you should make sure that you
remember that gardening is not about the physical layout only. There are other requirements
that need to be considered, such as me, water availability, availability of sunlight,
par cipa on of friends and family. These points will start affec ng the yield of your garden.

Lis ng out your priori es will help you design your garden be er. Ask yourself if you want to
provide for your family’s vegetable and fruits needs. Are you looking to reduce your
dependence on supermarkets or do you want to reduce your overall expenditure? If you are
looking to add nutri on and flavor to your food, then urban homestead garden is the right
choice for you.

Also remember that growing one batch of vegetables successfully doesn’t mean you can give
up caring and planning the garden anymore.
Selec ng the loca on

Selec ng the right loca on for your urban homesteading garden is not a tough task as long as
you have your priori es set right. When you are selec ng the loca on for your garden, you
should first decide whether you are going to have a normal backyard garden or a ver cal
garden, a container garden or a square foot garden. Each and every type of garden has
specific needs and requirements. While selec ng the loca on, you should take into
considera on:

· The clima c condi ons

· The size of your garden
· The type of garden you are planning to have
· The type of fruits, vegetables and herbs you are looking to grow
· The amount of fruits and vegetables you need
· Availability of water and sunlight
· Surrounding structures and shade
· Pest control and harves ng

Some plants need more sunlight than others while some plants tolerate shade be er than
others. You should remember how each plant grows, its water needs and the me it takes to
grow.

In order to select the right spot for your home garden, you should be ready to spend some
quality me to understanding the amount of sunlight that spot receives, the condi on of soil
and the type of plants that you are going to grow there.

· First pick a spot in your backyard where you want the garden to be. If it is going to be
square foot garden or a container garden, you can mark this place for the containers to be
placed.
· Once you have picked out the place, this is the me to wait and watch the spot for at
least a couple of days before working on the spot.
· Place a piece of wood or cards demarca ng the spot so that you know where and how
big that piece of land is.
· You should then watch this spot throughout the day to note the amount and dura on of
sunlight it receives. Some plants need full sun, which is at least 8 hours of direct sunlight
for them to grow well. Whereas some plants tolerate a good amount of shade. The spot
where you are planning to grow your garden should get at least 6 hours of direct sunlight
per day.
· While choosing the loca on, you should also remember that sun changes its posi on and
intensity of light varies from season to season. You should make sure your plant selec on
takes into considera on these changing reali es.
· Choose a loca on that doesn’t have tall trees or imposing structures around it. Tall tress
not only cast longer shadows during the day, they also tend to absorb healthy nutrients
from the earth, reducing the availability of nutrients for your garden. Moreover, these tall
trees tend to have longer roots which tend to interfere with your garden.
· The lay of the land and water availability are equally important. Most gardens are flat;
however, in case you have a slightly steep land, you have to either straighten it or try using
raised beds for the garden. The reason for this is steep lands tend to let the water flow
quickly; this makes it harder for the plants to absorb essen al water and nutrients.
· The next step in selec ng the right loca on is to understand the soil structure. If you
already have a wonderfully sandy loam soil, then you can start off your gardening with a
bang. However, if you are unsure of the soil type and structure, you should start the
process of improving the soil quality. Regardless of the type of garden you are going to
have, the soil should be well drained, aerated, and should retain good amount of moisture
for longer periods of me. In case you are using garden soil, you need to modify it by
adding peat or coarse builder sand or perlite to improve the effec veness of the soil.
Op mum Amount of Sunlight

Sunlight is one of the most important requirements for the growth of fruits and vegetables.
Although there are a number of plants that require less sunlight and can also grow indoors,
most vegetables require certain amount of sunlight every day.

You should first decide the amount of sunlight your loca on receives before choosing the
plants you want to grow. The availability of sunlight will determine the plants you grow and
the yield you are going to get. Plants that need Full Sun (more than 6 hours of direct sunlight
every day) are tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and more should be grown during the summer
when you are sure of receiving full sun. Plants that receive less than 6 hours of direct sunlight
and s ll survive the shade are cauliflowers, spinach, beans and radishes. The op mum
amount of sunlight your patch of land receives will determine the plants you can grow.

If you want to start growing plants that enjoy sunlight, you should choose fruits and
vegetables that are na ve to that area. These plants are accustomed to the clima c and soil
condi ons of that par cular loca on. All plants need sunlight; some plants need more
sunlight while some need less. However, most vegetables require good amount of sunlight
every day. If you live in an arid area, you should make sure that your garden patch receives
good amount of shade in addi on to the sun. Too much sunlight has the poten al to kill your
plants; you should make sure that your plants get enough shade too. So, too much or too li le
sunlight is harmful to your plants – try to hit the magic mark and you are ready for some great
harvest.
Collec ng rainwater for Watering plants

Collec ng rainwater for watering plants and using it for household purposes is one of the
integral parts of urban homesteading. Rain water is free; you don’t have to pay thousands of
dollars in ge ng a few hundred gallons of water. It is yours and yours for free. Regardless of
whether you live in a draught-stricken part of the world, or you are blessed with enough rain
water for genera ons, you have to take the right steps to harvest this important element. If
you are looking at self-sufficiency as one of the primary goals of urban homesteading, then
you have to accept rainwater harves ng as one of the prime and most useful, simple, and
cheap ways of maintaining your garden, judiciously use our shared resource, and reduce your
dependence on ar ficial methods of water procurement. Water reservoirs and catchment
areas are fast disappearing in the concrete wilderness of ci es. But, rainwater is freely
available, easy to capture and store in large quan es for a prolonged period of me.

The main idea behind rainwater harves ng is to capture the runoff water from roof tops,
downspouts, and gu er and collect them in storage containers. You should make sure that
you collect rainwater in large chemically-untreated containers so that your plants will not
absorbing toxins from the containers, if you use the water stored in these containers to water
your plants. However, even 5 gallon containers tend to fill up very quickly, making it necessary
that you look for other sustainable methods of water harves ng. You can try building a pit of
gravel, sand and pebbles that collects the rain water and diverts it into your well. This way,
you can maintain groundwater levels throughout the year. The sand, pebbles and gravel help
in filtering water off harmful bacteria. Rainwater is free of chemicals, free from pes cides if
you collect them from roo ops and balconies, are somewhat clean and pH neutral. They are
not treated with chlorine and other chemicals that could affect the growth of your garden.

Making use of stored rainwater to water your plants is a good way to ensure you get a good
yield every me. Always make use of spot watering or hand watering. You can try watering
the plants, either in the morning or a er sunset. Never water your plants too late into the
nights; some of the roots and leaves of certain plants need to be dry before the night. Some
plants require constant watering; this is helpful when you are looking at a plant that is
accustomed to rainy and moisture-laden climates. Too much watering is as dangerous as too
li le water to your plants. Remember to always use just enough water for your plants.
Making your own Backyard Compost

Homesteading is all about providing for yourself; making your own backyard compost is also
one of the major parts of urban homesteading. It is easy to make your own compost using
easily available garden clippings, kitchen vegetable le -over’s, shredded paper, leaves, and a
bit of soil. There are two types of compos ng –cold compos ng and hot compos ng. Cold
compos ng simply means that you collect organic materials in a bin, and allow them to turn
into compost over a period of one year or so. Hot compos ng is for the serious gardener in
you.

· Dig a hole in your backyard, at least 5 feet deep.

· To this, keep adding organic materials – layer by layer – such as fresh leaves, kitchen
waste, dried leaves, paper, straw, coffee grounds, fruits and vegetable scraps, and egg
shells. This should fill your pit to 3 feet.
· To this mixture, sprinkle water to keep it moist. You have to keep adding water regularly
to maintain the moisture. Make sure you don’t make the mixture soggy; too much water
will make your pile rot rather than compost.
· Keep monitoring the temperature of this pile every now and then.
· Make sure you keep turning the pile using garden fork so that oxygen is worked into the
mixture. You have to s r thoroughly making sure that all the layers are mixed, and the
compost cooks faster.
· Your compost is done when you are sure that it is no longer giving off heat, and that it
looks dry, brown and is crumbly.

Good Compost materials are fruit and vegetable scraps, dried leaves, green grass and plant
clippings, egg shells, coffee grounds, chopped wood and bark chips, paper shreds, and straw.
There are certain materials you should not use to make compost; they are products that
contain meat, grease, oil, fat, diseased plants, treated wood chips, feces of dogs and cats,
dairy products and weeds.
Mulching in your Garden

A large number of newbie gardeners would not know the difference between mulch and
compost. Mulch could be any type of organic material that you spread across the surface of
the soil to help the soil retain moisture, keep the soil cool, resist weed growth and improve
the overall appearance of the soil. Moreover, organic materials help in keeping the soil
healthy as they decompose into a good layer of fer lizer.

Organic mulch materials are bark, shredded to paper, wood and bark, compost, grass
clippings, leaves, straw and more. Since organic materials decompose quickly, you need to
keep replacing them very o en. However, organic materials tend to increase the fer lity of
the soil and also improve its organic content. Make sure you know the contents of your mulch
as you wouldn’t want to spread weeds into the soil.

Knowing when to mulch is very important as it will enhance the growth of your plants. The
best mes to mulch are late-winter and early spring. When you mulch in winter, the soil traps
the moisture from the wet weather and uses the same to sustain during drier weather. This
way, your plants don’t end up drying very quickly. Now, you have to water the soil before you
start mulching as it would be difficult to water the soil a er you have covered it with mulch.
Make sure you pick out the weeds from the spot so that they don’t end up enjoying the
benefits of the mulch. Spread the mulch over the soil or around the soil evenly – about 2
inches in thick. Leave a li le gap in the spread for the stem; and level off the mulch to an even
finish.
Types of Homestead Gardening
Roo op Gardening

Land is becoming scarcer, especially for gardening purposes. Urban homesteaders are finding
it difficult to grow a garden because of the lack of suitable land for gardening purposes.
Roo op gardening is one of the best alterna ves for urban gardeners who want to enjoy the
innumerable benefits of a garden even when there is no sufficient land available for them.
Roo op gardening is especially helpful in urban environments and ci es where ground space
for garden is hard to come by.

Roo op garden is a man-made garden space, mostly on the top-most level of a building. This
piece of green land can be used to produce fruits and vegetables or simply as a play area – or
even for decora ve purposes. Although not every roof top can be converted into a full-fledged
garden, you can make use of the empty space to grow a number of fruits and vegetables. You
can make use of the en re roo op to make a garden or plant a number of fruits, vegetables,
herbs and flowers in containers and pots to be placed on the roofs or balconies.

The roo op should be able to withstand the combined weight of the soil, the plants, water,
and also deal with precipita on. Some roo op gardens do not require excessive maintenance
or upkeep. These roo ops work as a simple roofing material, and are not intended for heavy
foot falls. However, there are roo op gardens that need heavy upkeep, landscaping, and
reinforcement to withstand the weight of the garden.

· Before you start plan ng the roof, first inspect the roof and make sure government and
environmental regula ons allow construc ng a roo op garden.
· Find out if the roof can withstand the weight of the garden; if it can’t, then provide
proper reinforcements to strengthen it.
· If you are unsure of it, consult a structural engineer to help you out.
· Choose a design that takes into considera on sunlight, watering needs, the plants and
maintenance.
· Remember you can’t grow every plant on your root; so choose the plants wisely a er
clearly understanding its nature and growth capabili es.
· You can also use a number of pots, containers and planters to help you build a good
garden on the roof.
· Consider windbreakers to make your garden less suscep ble to ge ng blown away
because of the wind.
· Also consider watering methods you are going to use.
· The plants you can grow on your roo op are ‘Blue Star’ juniper, lavender, daylilies,
maiden grass, carrots, greens, lemon-pickling cucumbers, pole beans, le uce, beats,
chives, radishes, and snap peas.
Backyard Gardening

Everyone dreams of a backyard garden – the perfect place to grow fruits, vegetables, flowers
and whatnot! Gardening is fast becoming one of America’s favorite pas mes, a me for the
whole family to come together and get dirty! Moreover, growing your own fruits and
vegetables has such a charm that it is conver ng not-the-gardening types into –green-thumbs
very quickly. There is no age limit to take up gardening; and you are sure to get enough sun
and exercise with gardening. One of the basic steps of backyard gardening is choosing the
right spot to plant your garden. Some of the key points to note while plan ng your urban
homesteading garden are:

· Decide the garden size before deciding on what you want to plant. Urban homesteading
is all about doing your plan ng and harves ng by yourself, and organically. You should
make sure that you have the necessary tools and me to take care of your garden. So, if
you are a starter, start small and slowly increase the size of the garden.
· Choose what plants you want to grow depending on what you want to consume.
· Make sure you don’t have too many large trees growing near your garden spot, and also
envision future trees
· Remember the amount of sunlight this spot will receive, the wind and watering needs of
the soil
· Plant seasonal vegetables and fruits so that you can sustain the whole year through. Do
not plant too much of one single plant type; always make interval plan ngs of any one
vegetable at least every 10 days or so. Plants that have short peak periods tend to grow
faster, and these can be replaced immediately.
· Do not plant too many of the same type; rota on plan ng will help you cut growth of
weeds
· It is also good to group plants that have similar plan ng condi ons and harvest dates.
· Interplant plants that have a fast growing me with plants that grow slowly.
Square Foot Gardening

Square foot Gardening offers an easy way to harvest a lot of produce in a small and confined
garden space. Square foot gardening is most beneficial for those who have space constraints
and restric ons. You will be able to grow a number of fruits and vegetables in confined
spaces. You can easily plant as many fruits and vegetables your square foot garden can hold at
once.

To be able to successfully grow a square foot garden in your house, all you need is few feet of
land, some good soil mixture, seeds and a lot of pa ence. Equally divide the square yard into
small pieces in such a manner that they can accommodate your favorite plants. The success of
square foot gardening also depends on the sunlight, wind, watering, soil mixture, fer lizers
and the square foot gardening boxes used.

Before you start making these boxes, you should first determine the size and loca on of your
garden. You can purchase built boxes but since we are into urban homesteading, building
square foot gardening boxes is very important. It is easy to build the boxes using basic tools.
Make sure you build a large square shaped open bo omed box; with par ons dividing the
whole box into a number of smaller squares. Now, fill in this box with soil mixture and start
plan ng.

The advantage of square foot gardening is that you can have a piece of garden even when you
are dealing with space restric ons. You can build a garden on the roo op or on your front
yard.
Container Gardening

Container gardening is another example of good urban homestead garden. The very term
‘garden’ manages to invoke images of lush green ground garden in most of us. However, for
those dealing with urban space constraints, having a piece of land for gardening is very
difficult. However, this should not put you out of the running for growing a garden. Container
gardening is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to have a garden. You can grow a container
garden indoors, on your roo ops, on your front porch, on balconies, windowsills and on your
steps.

Container gardening gives you the freedom of picking up any container that you can find in
your backyard and convert it into a feasible and viable part of your container garden.
Moreover, container garden gives you the freedom to move the containers to different
loca ons in your house depending on the needs of the plants. If you think you r plants are
going to drown in the pouring rain, all you have to do is move that par cular container
indoors or to a be er loca on.

Container gardening is also very effec ve way to deal with bad soil structure, seasons, and
weeds. The container materials you choose will determine plant growth, water needs, and
sunlight. If you are using terraco a or earthen containers, you have to make sure that you
keep the plants moist as these container materials tend to absorb moisture very quickly.
Companion Plan ng

Every gardener worth his plants will know that plan ng a diverse mix of fruits and vegetables
will not only make your garden look beau ful but also ensure healthy and faster growth of
plants. Companion plan ng can be done on normal backyard gardens, roo op gardens,
container garden, and square foot gardens. All you have to know before companion plan ng
is:

· Always combine fruits and vegetables that support and encourage each other plant’s
growth and not inhibit it.
· Choose plants depending upon similar needs and growing dates.
· Companion plants should have similar sunlight, water, soil and heat needs.
· Some of the best companion plants are: beets, cabbages, corn, cucumbers, potatoes, and
strawberries. Broccoli, bush beans, cauliflower, onions, Brussels sprouts also make great
companions. Cabbages, leeks, peas, radishes, sage and rosemary are one of the most used
companion plants.
· While choosing companion plants, you should also know which plants do not make great
companions. If you plant two incompa ble plants together, you end up killing both the
plants and spoiling the soil structure completely.
Ver cal Gardening

Not every one of us has been blessed with space to grow a garden; some of us have to make
do with just a wall to call our own. With ver cal gardening, even a wall is more than enough.
Whether you have a large wall or just a small hinge to hang a pot on your balcony, you can
start growing upright crops easily. With a li le bit of crea vity and lots of pa ence, you can
make a beau ful ver cal garden in very li le space.

There are various plant varie es such as pole beans and cucumbers that produce more than
double their usual yield when you grow them on the right sized trellis. You have crops like
tomatoes that grow well and bring a good yield only when you give them enough support to
stand upright and off the damp ground. All you have to do is give your plants all the needed
support, and you can enjoy a wonderful garden.
Choosing Plants for Homesteading
Deciding What to Plant

Deciding what to plant one of the toughest decisions is you are going to take; it is not easy to
resist the tempta on of plan ng just about everything at once. Most garden varie es used by
many green thumbed gardeners are the annuals; these last one season and have to be
replaced again next season. Unless you do not remove the complete yield and leave some to
rot in the ground, you will find a few tomatoes popping up in strange places all over your
garden. Spring is the best me to start plan ng.

What to plant depends on your requirements and family’s vegetable needs? It is not easy to
determine what your family is going to need for the rest of the year. Since every family’s
needs are different from others, you will have to start the journey will a trial and error
method. Moreover, certain plants that grow in my neighborhood might not grow in yours –
because of the sunlight availability, soil structure, and moisture levels in the soil. Certain
plants like ar chokes and asparagus take up a lot of me to grow and there are plants such as
cucumbers and melons that like lot of space to start growing.

There are certain plants that grow very quickly; some of the fast growing plants are le uces
and green beans. Plants like green onions tolerate sun and shade easily. Decide the plants
depending on your family’s needs, likes and dislikes, seasons, soil condi ons, watering needs,
sunlight requirements, and moisture content and overall appearances. You should consider,

· Your family needs for fresh, preserved and stored food supplies
· The clima c and water condi ons
· Soil structure and soil mixture
· Disease resistance of chosen plants
· Their growth and maturity dates
· The size, shape, color and compactness of the plants
Planning when to plant

When to plant is an important ques on every gardener should answer. If you live a place that
has warm temperature, you can plant trees any me of the year as long as it is not too hot or
it is not summer. Summer’s heat can dry up saplings very quickly. Generally speaking, early
spring and late winter are the best mes of the year to plant. Autumn is not a bad choice
either; however, summer should be avoided at all costs. In most cases, weather dictates your
schedule and choices. While summer’s intense heat can dry up saplings, it is also true that too
li le water will choke their roots easily. However, make sure that you don’t go overboard with
watering as too much water can drown your plants very quickly. Just because there is
excessive snow in winter, do not assume that the plants are ge ng enough water. Remember
that the moisture from snow is not enough to reach the roots of the plants. Un l and unless
the snow starts to quickly melt and the earth starts to thaw, your plants are going to die due
to lack of moisture.
Arranging Crops

Arranging crops is essen al part of maintenance. It is important that you maintain a proper
arrangement so that you find it easier to water all the plants, reach out to each of the plants
and maintain the area quite comfortably. Arranging plants in a linear direc on rather than just
plan ng them without any dis nct reason or rhyme is certainly not good for your plants
growth. Regardless of whether you are plan ng using seeds, or transplan ng from other
loca ons, container gardening or companion gardening, you have to ensure that a proper
format and arrangement is followed.

Arranging crops properly improves the yield and also increases your convenience levels. While
trying to decide the arrangement, you should consider:

· The topography of the land

· The slope of the terrain
· Exis ng vegeta on
· Shade and sunlight
· Physical barriers
· Soil structure and water movement

There are a number of advantages of arranging crops in a dis nct and specific order. You can
improve light absorp on, prevents buildup of excessive humidity, spread of water and
nutrients is even, water logging is reduced, provides be er access for cul va on, de-weeding,
allows of be er inspec on of individual plants, enhances overall maintenance and enhances
visibility of each plant.
Dealing with weeds and pests

Regardless of the type of garden you are going to grow, you are going to face weeds and
pests. Whether you have a large backyard garden or a small container garden on your balcony,
you will be invaded by weeds and pests, at any one point in me. You should be prepared to
deal with these pesky enemies and save your plants. Before you start applying over-the-
counter pes cides and insec cides, remember to try out homemade pest control products.
Since urban homesteading is all about making your own organic food, you can save your
plants from infec on by using natural pest control products using items available in your
kitchen.

Homemade insec cides will help save your garden; and it doesn’t cause harmful side-effects
as well.

· You can make this very simple pest control liquid at home. Mix together 90 grams of
garlic cloves (finely chopped) with 2T liquid paraffin, and allow this mixture steep for
nearly 48 hours. Completely dissolve 15 grams of grated soap flakes into warm water. Mix
these two solu ons together and strain it. One part of this mixture has to be used with 50
parts of water, and spray on plants.
· Best pest control for asparagus beetles, maggots and flea beetles are also available in
your kitchen and garden. Simply soak two cups of chopped tomato leaves in enough water
for at least 12 hours. Carefully stain this mixture and add one pint of water and ¼th
teaspoon of liquid soap.
Making your Own Food
Make Your Own Cheese

Making cheese at home is an integral part of self-sufficiency and frugal living. There are a
million ways of making homemade cheese, and each method has its own advantages and
difficulty levels. So, what do you need to make this delicious homemade cheese?

You would need, one quarter fresh cream, 1/8th teaspoon of mesophilic starter culture, a
really fine cheesecloth and sea salt.

· Before you start making your own cheese, you should first make the mesophilic starter
culture. You can use over the counter culture as well; however, it is be er you make your
own. In a clean and dry glass jar, add fresh and unpasteurized milk.
· Close the lid very loosely, making sure that you leave a slight crack open. Let this sit on
the counter un l the milk starts to thicken. If you are lucky, you might be able to get thick
milk within 24 hours; however, some mes, it might take more than 30 hours as well.
· Once the milk thickens, you should get it to look like yogurt. Once it comes to this
consistency, you should s r it, and pour it into a fresh freezer cube tray.
· With each of these cubes, you get nearly one ounce of Mesophilic starter culture.
· Now take one quarter fresh cream in a clean bo le, and gently add the Mesophilic
starter culture.
· Don’t close the bo le ghtly; just let the cover sit loosely on the bo le.
· Leave this bo le to rest for at least 8 to 12 hours for culture to start developing.
· You would know that it is ready when the mixture starts resembling thick yogurt.
· Gently dump this thickened cream on to cheesecloth; make sure that the whey con nues
to drip for at least 10 to 12 hours. Remember that the longer you let the cream drip, the
thicker and firmer your cheese will be.
· Now, slowly scrap the cheesecloth and sprinkle salt (as required).
· Store this creamy cheese in an air ght container for future use.
Homemade Bread

Bread is all- me favorite food for many Americans, and homemade bread, perhaps, has no
compe tors. Made using only 5 ingredients, this delicious homemade bread will soon become
a stable in your urban homestead kitchen.

· All you need for this French bread is 1 1/4th cup of warm water (not boiling!), a pinch of
sugar (can use sucanat, if available), 3 ½ cups wheat flour (can use half wheat, whole
wheat or half white as well), 1 ½ teaspoons dry yeast, and salt to taste.
· Take a large bowl, mix the yeast and sugar in warm water un l the mixture dissolves
completely.
· Now, add salt, and gently s r in flour into this mixture.
· Make sure there are no lumps and that the mixture is not chunky.
· The amount of flour required will depend on the water and your mixing technique. All
you have to do is make the dough so , pliable and non-s cky.
· Gently knead the dough, un l the dough becomes so and elas c.
· You can cover the dough with a wet kitchen towel for about an hour to make sure that
the dough rises or doubles up in size.
· Divide the en re dough into two halves and roll each of these halves into rectangular
shape.
· Slowly roll the rectangle by pinching the ends to seal the opening. Bring this into a nice
‘log’ shape.
· The seams have to s ck and sit down; however, if they don’t, simply moisten your fingers
with water and reseal the seams carefully. Make sure it sits together firmly; otherwise, it
will start to unravel during the baking process.
· Prepare an egg wash, by bea ng an egg and mixing it with one tablespoon of water. Egg
wash will give your bread the much needed color and finish.
· In your 375 degrees pre-heated oven, plop the loaves carefully.
· Before pu ng the bread loaves into the oven, make sure you brush the bread evenly
with egg wash and make four professional (and diagonal slashes across the bread loaves).
· Now, bake this for about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool down the homemade bread for some
me before devouring it.
Organic Eggs

Local urban families are now looking at the art of raising chicken with renewed interest. One
of the main reasons for the interest in organic eggs and farming is because people want to
know how their food is being grown. They are interested in knowing what cons tutes their
food. They want to be in control of the food, and urban homesteading is the perfect choice for
them.

Although raising chickens and goats in your backyard in the city is going to be very tough, the
benefits of the same are innumerable. Some ci es do not allow its residents to grow poultry
at home, while some ci es are more lenient. If you are unable to get permission from city
council authori es and neighbor, you can approach local community homesteading groups to
help you sort out this situa on.

Most so-called ‘organic eggs’ that you buy off the counters are not exactly organic; a number
of cer fied organic eggs are grown in inhumane and unhealthy condi ons. Hundreds of hens
are kept in steel cage like structures, and are not given the chance to even move about.

Pasture-raised hens’ eggs are, by-far, the most healthy and happy eggs. These hens eat
nutri ous food that is free from harmful and gene cally modified diet. These hens are free to
roam about the area and are not given steroids or performance enhancement drugs to make
them grow faster and fa er.

The flavor, color, and size of a pasture-raised egg are completely different from store-bought
eggs. These eggs are rich in vitamins, zinc, calcium, riboflavin, beta carotene and have loads of
omega 3 fa y acids. Organic eggs have the highest amounts of healthy protein, next only to
mother’s milk.

To grow organic eggs in your backyard, you should ensure that the hens are free to roam
about, and are not kept in cages or enclosures. The poultry should be given organic ma er;
make sure that you use homemade organic ma er instead of buying it from stores. Always
make sure that you do not provide an bio cs of any kind to the poultry. An bio cs should be
used only when there is an outbreak of infec on. Organic eggs do not induce the hen to molt;
the birds tend to go into natural molt.
Homemade Yogurt

Making yogurt at home is very easy; however it can test your pa ence. Yogurt doesn’t require
a lot of work from you; in fact, it takes a lot of me for the yogurt to simply sit and culture. So,
pa ence is the key here.

There are a number of ways to make yogurt and each method is different, but regardless of
the method you use, yogurts are delicious and super-healthy foods. Yogurt can be made in
large quan es and stored without worrying about spoiling it.

· You need a large stockpot, a thermometer, a cooler, and two-quart sized glass jar with
lids. You need half gallon milk – preferably cow or goat’s milk. If you are using goat’s milk,
you will end up with a very runny yogurt. Goat’s milk make runny yogurt that has to be
drunk.
· Now, fill the milk into the two quart sized jars, making sure that you leave at least 2
inches of room on top of the jar. Just don’t fill it to the brim. Preferably use glass canning
jars that come with lids. Never use plas c – you are going to boil the jars, remember!
· Gently, place these two jars in the large stockpot; fill it with water and set to boil. Make
sure you fill enough water in the pot so that these bo les don’t start toppling or ra ling
about.
· Bring the water to boil, and slowly reduce the flame and let the water start to simmer.
· This is the me to check the temperature of the milk inside the jars. It has to be around
180 degrees F.
· If you don’t have a thermometer handy, just look out for a ‘skin’ to start developing on
the milk. This will be your first indicator that the milk has boiled. In case, the temperature
in the thermometer points more than 185 degrees, don’t fret.
· Very carefully, remove the jars from the stockpot. The jars are going to be extremely hot,
take necessary precau ons.
· Let these hot jars cool down to about 100 degrees F. Resist the tempta on of placing
these hot jars under the sink tap to help them cool faster. You might end up breaking one
or both the jars. Let these jars cool on their own.
· Open the lid – just a crack - and allow the milk to start cooling.
· Give the milk a s r once in a while to help any hot spots escape.
· Feel the sides of the jar – if it is too hot to touch, you have to allow it to cool further. If
you are able to hold the jar, and if the milk is warm, then you are good to go. Remember
you are going to put live culture into the milk, which is ‘live bacteria.’ This bacterium
enjoys a good warm temperature but will die if you dunk it into scalding hot milk. If you
are able to hold the jar in your hands, then the bacteria will probably survive the heat too.
· Now, take two tablespoons of yogurt (made from live culture) and s r into each of the
milk jars.
· Tightly cap the jars and allow the incuba on process to kick start.
· You should make arrangements to keep these jars warm. Warmth will improve the
incuba on process. Some people place these jars in their oven and leave the light on. You
can try the homesteading way.
· Take a large cooler and fill it with warm water and place these jars inside the cooler. The
water should be maintained at 120 degrees, so you would have to replenish the cooler
with hot water regularly.
· The complete process will take at least 10 hours.
· Once it is done, you have to allow the yogurt to cool down completely. As it starts to cool
down, the yogurt will start to thicken.
· You have just made healthy and nutri ous yogurt right at home. Eat it with fruits, honey,
nuts and maple syrup.
Preserving Food
Canning

Canning is a food preserving technique that has been in use from me immemorial. It is very
effec ve in keeping food safe, healthy and nutrient-rich. With canning, you have the ability to
process and preserve just about anything you want, from meat to vegetables. Make sure that
the jars you are going to use are neat, clean and sterilized. If you are unsure, boil the bo les
for a good two minutes to keep those pesky bacteria out. Add the food you want to preserve,
add seasonings, and some boiled water. Close the lid, with just enough space to let air escape.
Now, place this bo le in water and boil it for few hours. Every food product has different
boiling points, so make sure you know when yours is complete. Remove the bo le from the
water, ghten the lid completely and allow it to cool. Make sure all the bo les are closed shut
for the food to stay preserved.
Freezing

Freezing is a common food preserving technique. The winter season is your best friend when
it comes to preserving food items. In the northern hemisphere, you will have a large outdoor
freezer the whole winter season. Take advantage of it by finding a spot outdoors that can keep
your food safe from decaying and from animals.
Dehydra ng and Drying

Drying and dehydra ng food is also an easy and me-tested method of preserva on. This
method of preserving food was used during the ancient mes and s ll con nues to be used in
a number of countries. Using the sun to dry food items is easy and environmental friendly. You
can dry pieces of fruits, vegetables, meat, and mushrooms. Make sure that you dry food items
for longer hours in order to completely drain off the water and moisture content from them.
Water has the poten al to quicken the decomposing process. Dried food items stay fresh and
edible longer; moreover, they retain most of the nutrients in the process.
Salt Preserva on

Salt preserva on is perhaps one of the oldest and most used forms of preserving food items
used in the world. Meat and pickles, around the world, are preserved using salt. It is not
enough to sprinkle salt on meat and expect it to stay fresh. You have to go overboard with salt
content to preserve food. Salt, sugar, and oil are great preserva ves.
Bonus Chapter!
Companion Plan ng - Vegetables, Herbs and Flowers

Name Best Companions

Pole Beans Potatoes, Marigolds, Corn, Radishes
Bush Beans Corn, Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, Beets, Marigolds,
Potatoes, Cucumbers, Strawberries
Broccoli Carrots, Marigolds, Beets, Calendula, Mint, Thyme, Sage,
Onions, Beets
Cabbage Spinach, Chard, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cauliflower,
Tomatoes
Carrots Cabbage, Radishes, Le uce, Onion, Sage, Rosemary,
Chives, Leeks
Beets Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Bush Beans, Onions,
Brussels Sprouts
Cucumbers Cabbage, Radishes, Potatoes, Beans, Corn
Garlic Roses, Tomatoes, Frui ng Trees, Cabbage
Eggplant Tomatoes, Peppers, Potatoes, Green Beans
Bay Leaves Cayenne Pepper, Peppermint

Celery Cabbage, Onions, Spinach, Leeks, Beans, Tomatoes

Cilantro Potatoes, Dill, Anise, Caraway
Leeks Celery, Onions, Carrots, Apple Trees
Le uce Broccoli, Carrots, Onions, radishes, Beans, Beets,
Cucumbers, Strawberries
Okra Peppers, Basil, Eggplant, Black Eyed Peas, Cucumber
Peas Bush Beans, Corn, Eggplant, Carrots, Cucumber,
Tomatoes, Spinach, Turnip, Potatoes
Bell Peppers Tomatoes, Carrots, Basil, Petunia
Onions Carrots, Beets, Strawberries, Leeks, Tomatoes, Le uce
Potatoes Peppers, Carrot, Peas, Marigold, Cabbage, Onion, Corn,
Celery
Tomatoes Basil, Beans, Onion, Peas, Garlic, Mint, Carrots, Peppers,
Le uce, Cucumber
Spinach Onion, Cabbage, Eggplant, Cauliflower, Bean, Peas,
Strawberries
Strawberries Spinach, Le uce, Bush Beans
Turnips Peas
Basil Tomatoes, Peppers, Petunia
Pumpkins Melon, Squash, Corn
Corn Cucumber, Beans, Potatoes, Soybeans, Melons, Peas,
Pumpkin, Sunflower
Conclusion

Homesteading requires complete dedica on and work. Don’t let this alternate lifestyle
become a noose around your neck by stressing yourself to achieve everything in a week’s
me. You should be ready to accept that urban homesteading is not easy; it needs constant
effort and lots of pa ence. Your urban homesteading brochures will not talk tell you anything
about these. Most people start out on homesteading with a lot of hopes and aspira ons but
they manage to burn out within few months – purely out of disappointment and despera on.
Even though many people set out to achieve their dreams of living a simple and self-sufficient
lifestyle, they lose the passion within a couple of years’ me. You have to understand that
crops will fail, animals will die, and rain might be less than normal, and everything you
planned out will not happen like clockwork. Urban homesteading takes me and you should
wait to get the best out of it.
Thank You!

Thank you for purchasing and downloading my book! I hope this book was able to help you
understand the basics of Urban Homesteading and mo vate you enough to become self-
sufficient wherever possible!

Finally, if you enjoyed this book, please take the me to share your thoughts and post a
review on Amazon. It’d be greatly appreciated! Click HERE to write a review.

This feedback will help me to con nue wri ng the kind of Kindle books that would give you
the maximum value and results. Thank you once again and good luck!
Preview of “Container Gardening: A Beginners Guide to growing
Organic Vegetables, Fruits & Herbs in a Small Space”
Understanding Container Gardening

There was a me, not very long ago, when the term, garden, used to bring a picture of a
neatly mowed lawn with rows of bright and beau ful flowers adorning the front yard or a
patch of healthy vegetable garden in the backyard, to your mind’s eye. Although this is a good
image to have (and a good garden to have!), not all of us are fortunate enough to have a
spacious lawn wai ng to be converted into a garden. We have to change with the changing
mes; and these days when we have to make do with urban jungles, a pot or a pan is a good
enough place to grow a garden. Amazing, isn’t it?

Everyone likes a bit of greenery – even the video game playing boy next door – and container
gardening is the best choice for those who are on space and me constraint.

Container gardening is the prac ce of growing plants – fruits, flowers and vegetables – in pots
or any other containers available at hand. If you have containers that are big and strong
enough to hold the plant in, you are good to start your own container garden. Pots, tubs,
vases and bins - not exactly the terms you would associate with gardening; however, these are
the most important parts of the container gardening prac ce.

Container gardening is one of the easiest, cheapest, and simplest ways to have your own
garden and to grow your own food. This type of gardening doesn’t require long hours toiling
in the sun or lling the soil. You would, however, need crea vity, enthusiasm and natural
ap tude for having fun.

Similar to Square Foot Gardening, Container Gardening gives you the ability to grow organic
vegetables and fruits right at your house. Regardless of where you live, in a house with a lawn
or an apartment facing the road, a condo or a trailer, you can plant and harvest your own
fruits, flowers and vegetables. Moreover, you will completely alter the appearance of your
house, bring in a lot of greenery and live a healthy and happy life. When you see your efforts
at growing a garden yielding fruits (in the form of vegetables!), you will marvel at how your
efforts have grown a simple seed into a sapling, a shrub, a plant and a vegetable. All it takes
for a seed to become a singularly beau ful vegetable or fruit is your efforts and passion – and
a few containers!
Choosing the Right Containers for your garden

The sheer number of containers that can be used for container gardening is mindboggling.
Even with a cursory glance around your house, you will be able to discover number of pots,
pans, buckets and tubs that can be used for container gardening purposes. From terraco a
pots to waste baskets, from bowls to bins, you are limited only by your imagina on. Since one
of the most important aspects of container gardening is the containers itself, you have to be
very careful while choosing the right containers for your garden. In fact, a lot of thought
should go into iden fying the right containers that suit your par cular garden needs and plant
needs.

Choosing the right container for your gardening can be quite a daun ng task, since you can
choose almost any container and it will have a purpose and a plant that can grow in it. There
are some important factors you should consider while choosing containers for your garden.

· Container Choices:
The number of choices you have is quite staggering. Although you can pre y much
pick any box or bin from you yard and convert it into a container for gardening, you
have to consider a number of factors before doing so.

Here are some of the most popular container choices used by expert to novice
gardeners.
o Clay containers such as terraco a, ceramic, drain les and more
o Molded plas c or fiberglass – make sure it is made of non-toxic materials
o Metal
o Plas c bags
o Glazed and unglazed pots
o Stones
o Aquariums
o Washtubs
o Wastebaskets
o Storage Bins
o Wine Crates
o Shoe holders (the one hung over the door with plas c or cloth pockets)
o Crates
o Bowls
o Pans
o Tubs
o Urns
o Cans
o Baskets
o Even your old pair of boots!
 In fact, you can use some of the items you would probably just throw away if they are
cracked or broken. For example, you can use empty coffee cans for plan ng small
flowers. Just paint a li le something on the coffee cans to make it look bright and start
using it for plan ng. Your plas c sandbox is great to be a part of your outdoor
vegetable garden. You can start using your soda bo les, half-gallon paper cartons,
cups, and milk jugs to sow seeds ini ally before they are moved to a bigger pot.

In case, you are planning to go the crea ve way, then try using your vintage china cups
and bowls for growing flowering plants. You can keep these as the centerpiece in your
living room. The beauty of the china and the vibrancy of the flowers could be the most
refreshing welcome your guests can get. Your old-fashioned square bath tubs need not
go to the trash; they can be converted into a nice vegetable garden. Use your enamel
bowls and cups for pep up your kitchen; or old canning jars to make your bedroom get
a dash of greenery and color.

· Container Size:
When choosing the right size containers, you should consider a number of factors.
Some of the most important factors to remember are:
o The size of the plant that you are going to plant in the container. If the roots of
the plant need more room for growth, you have to choose a bigger container.
o Choose a smaller container if the seed is planted for a shorter period of me
before it can be transferred to a bigger pot.
o Remember that larger pots have more space for root growth, can
accommodate more soil and retain more moisture. Choose the container
according to the plant needs.
o The container choice will also depend on the watering needs of the plant.
Shallow containers should be used for plants that need to dry out before they
are watered again. Plants that need constant moisture should be planted in
larger pots that will retain water content.
o Larger pots, because of their ability to accommodate more soil, can retain more
water and require less frequent watering. Choose a large pot, in case you are
planning to go on a vaca on or you can’t be bothered about frequent watering
through the day.
o Don’t use a pot that is too big for the plant, and similarly, don’t use a pot that is
too small for the plant. Never trim the roots of the plant just so that they fit
into the pot. Remember, plants don’t need extra space to grow; the soil in
larger pots will retain water for longer periods of me and this will make the
roots soggy and they rot faster.
o Mix up the size of the containers completely so that the final look of your
garden is good. Same sized pots might look uniform and even, but if you want
to hit the crea ve mark, the best idea is to mix it all up.

· Container Stability:
The stability of the container is also important factor to be considered before
choosing the right container for your needs. If you want to keep a few pots on your
 balcony or roo op, you should consider the stability of the pot. In addi on to the
pot’s size and stability, always ensure that the pot is firmly anchored or strapped to
the pavement.

The container’s shape will lend it stability so that the plants don’t p over when they
start growing or when a gust of wind decides to p them.
o A square container with a strong base is the best and most stable container.
o Inverted tradi onal pots tend to p over very easily, but pots that have straight
sides are more stable.
o Small pots tend to be heavy at the rim, which makes them easy to p and
tumble.
o A pot that has a large and strong base will be able to resist the weight of the
plant easily. Always keep in mind that a pot’s base should be more than the
pot’s height; this will bring in a lot of stability to the pot and the plant!

· Container Material:
The choice of material has an impact on the plant’s growth, appearance of your
garden and the maintenance.
o Remember that containers made up of porous materials such as terraco a,
wire and clay have the tendency to soak up water. This means that the plants
will dry up very fast unless you water them at least twice daily.
o If you are going to use porous materials, try to use plas c lining so that it can
help retain water in the soil.
o Remember that in winter, when water enters the pores of a pot, it tends to
freeze. This will crack the pot very easily. So, during winters, make sure you
cover your pots in plas c to keep them dry. On the other hand, if you are not
using the pots in winter, you can always turn them upside down so that it
doesn’t get filled up with snow or water.
o If you are going to put your porous pot in the ground, make sure you
completely cover the rim of the pot. If you leave the rim showing, water will
start evapora ng and the plant will dry out eventually.

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