My Little Farm

06/30/2023

Aggression breeds aggression.
Hate breeds Hate.
Love begets Love.
Respect breeds Respect.
Respect and love be Respected and Loved.
Jah Bless all Rastafari. 🇯🇲💚💛❤️🇯🇲

06/30/2023

It be like that.

06/30/2023

RAIN WATER GARDEN - so clever
(source unknown)

03/11/2023

https://youtu.be/m3U79LN62iA

Actividad propuesta para refuerzo de la escuela infantil.

01/05/2023

01/04/2023

This will give you tomatoes that are sweeter!

The BEST farming and homesteading books!
The Old Farmer's Almanac Vegetable Gardener’s Handbook: https://amzn.to/3UjG8Id
The Homestead Canning Cookbook: https://amzn.to/3WKlB0X
The Farmer's Kitchen Handbook: https://amzn.to/3Uk2LfA
Mini Farming: Self-Sufficiency on 1/4 Acre: https://amzn.to/3zYydId
The Backyard Homestead: https://amzn.to/3tcYjDm
The Greenhouse Gardener's Manual: https://amzn.to/3EdBh5C
Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture: https://amzn.to/3tcQJJ1
(Affiliate links)

01/04/2023

GROW NATURALLY WITHOUT PESTICIDES

If you want to stay away from harmful synthetic chemicals and pesticides, and grow Naturally, you need to select plants for your garden that will help control and repel your insect pests. This method is called Companion Planting, and will help cut down on your workload in the Garden, It works best when you plant your Companion Herb varieties at same time you plant your Veggies, but you can also plant afterwards. When you are planning your Spring Garden, you can work a few of these in to help with pests.

It is always important that you experiment to find out what works best for your situation. Here are some of the best Companion Plants:

ARTEMISIA - This plant produces a strong antiseptic aroma that repels most insects. Planted as a border, it can also deter small animals like Rabbits and moles.

BASIL -The oils in Basil are said to repel thrips, flies and mosquitoes. Planted alongside Tomatoes, will help you to grow larger, tastier tomatoes.

BEE BALM- I love this plant because it attracts bees to my garden. It is another plant that you can grow with your Tomatoes.

BORAGE - Borage repels Tomato horn worms and cabbage worms, and also attracts beneficial bees and wasps. Borage also adds trace elements to the soil. Borage flowers are edible

CATNIP - This plant repels just about everything, including flea beetles, aphids, Japanese beetles, squash bugs, ants, and weevils.

CHIVES - Chives are great plants to repel Japanese beetles and carrot rust flies. It has also been said that Chives will help prevent scab when planted among apple trees.

CHRYSANTHEMUMS - When I do use an insecticide I use one made from chrysanthemums called Pyrethrum. This all-natural pesticide can help control things like roaches, ticks, silverfish, lice, fleas, bedbugs, and to control ants in certain parts of the garden. In the garden white flowering chrysanthemums are said to drive away Japanese beetles, and Painted Daisy kills root nematodes.

DAHLIAS - Dahlias repel nematodes and the blooms are great for adding some color to flower borders and fresh arrangements

DILL - Dill is best planted with Cucumbers and Onion varieties. During the cool season It can also be planted with Lettuce. Dill attracts Hoverflies and predatory wasps, and its foliage is used as food by swallowtail butterfly caterpillars. Tomato horn worms are also attracted to Dill, so if you plant it at a distance, you can help draw these destructive insects away from your Tomatoes. Dill repels aphids and spider mites. Sprinkling Dill leaves on squash plants will also repel squash bugs,

FENNEL- Repels aphids, slugs and snails.

GARLIC - In addition to its great taste and health benefits, Garlic planted near roses repels aphids. It also deters coddling moths, Japanese beetles, root maggots, snails, and carrot root fly. When planted alongside Onions, they also deter moles and mice.

HYSSOP - Hyssop is great for attracting honeybees to the garden, and you will need them for pollination of some of your Veggies.

LAVENDER - Lavender is a favorite among many beneficial insects, including bees, and also repels fleas and moths.

MARIGOLDS - The Marigold is probably the most well known plant for repelling insects. French marigolds repel Whiteflies and kill bad nematodes. Mexican marigolds are said to keep away a host of destructive insects and wild rabbits as well. If you choose marigolds for your garden they must be scented to work as a good repellant. And while this plant drives away many bad bugs, it also attracts spider mites and snails--which are good.

NASTURTIUMS- You can plant Nasturtiums with my Tomatoes and Cucumbers as a way to fight off wooly aphids, white flies, Squash bugs, and Cucumber beetles. The flowers, especially the yellow blooming varieties, act as a trap for aphids.

PETUNIAS - They are great to have for color in your garden, and you get the added benefit that they repel Asparagus beetles, leaf hoppers, and a range of aphids, Tomato worms, and a good many other pests.

ROSEMARY-Deters Cabbage moth, Bean beetles and the Carrot fly

SUMMER SAVORY: Plant with beans and onions to improve growth and flavor. Include it with sweet potatoes. Discourages cabbage moths, Mexican bean beetles, sweet potato weevil and black aphids. Honey bees love it when it is in bloom.

SUNFLOWERS - I use Sunflowers as a way to draw aphids away from my other plants. Ants move their colonies onto Sunflowers. The Sunflowers are tough enough that they suffer no damage.

THYME-Deters Cabbage worm

At THE SEED GUY, you can get our 60 Variety Heirloom Seed package that is Small Farm Grown, fresh from the New Fall 2022 Harvest, has 33,000 Seeds, and contains several of the Companion Plant varieties listed above. You will get 49 Veggie Seed varieties, and then 11 Companion Herb Seed varieties, and Good Pricing at $89.

You can click on link to website to see Seed varieties and ORDER at https://theseedguy.net/seed-packages/50-60-variety-heirloom-seed-package.html

We also have 8 other Heirloom Seed packages. and all our individual varieties in Stock Now on our Seed Guy website at https://theseedguy.net/15-seed-packages

You can also Call Us 7 days a week, and up to 10:00 pm each night, at 918-352-8800 if you would rather Order By Phone.

If you LIKE US on our page, you will be able to see more of our great Gardening Articles, New Seed Offerings and healthy Juice Recipes. Thank you and God Bless You and Your Family :) https://www.facebook.co

10/18/2022

So true! 😂

10/18/2022

North America will witness the last total lunar eclipse of the year

10/16/2022

10/16/2022

October's evening skies are nice and dark for excellent stargazing. Fittingly, the action now mostly remains in the evening sky at nightfall with some beautiful Moon and planet pairings, the start of meteor shower season, and the low-hanging Hunter's Moon

10/16/2022

A NO DIG, NO TILL LASAGNA BED GARDEN

This is a great no-dig, no-till organic gardening method that will give you rich soil, and best of all, it's easy to build & maintain. The name "Lasagna Gardening" is actually the method of building the garden. You will add layers of organic material that “decompose” over time, and the result will be soil that will help your plants thrive. It's great for the environment, because you use your yard and kitchen waste, and then compost it to make a new garden.

If you don't feel like doing all the Garden work to clean up your Garden now, then this might be for you, or for your Spring Garden in 2023. One of the best things about Lasagna Gardening is how easy it is. You don't have to remove existing sod and w**ds from your Garden. You don't have to double dig. In fact, you don't have to work the soil at all. The first layer of your Lasagna Garden consists of cardboard laid directly on top of the grass or w**ds in the area you've selected for your garden. Wet this layer down to keep everything in place and start the decomposition process.

The grass or w**ds will break down fairly quickly because they will be smothered by the cardboard, as well as by the materials you're going to layer on top of them. This layer also provides a dark, moist area to attract earthworms that will loosen up the soil as they tunnel through it.

Anything you'd put in a compost pile, you can put into a Lasagna Garden. The materials you put into the garden will break down, providing nutrient-rich, crumbly soil in which to plant. The following materials are all perfect for Lasagna Gardens:

Leaves
Grass Clippings
Fruit and Vegetable Scraps
Coffee Grounds
Tea leaves/ tea bags
Weeds
Manure
Compost
Hay or Straw
Shredded newspaper or mail
Pine needles
Trimmings from the garden

You'll want to alternate layers of “BROWNS” such as leaves, shredded newspaper, peat, and pine needles with layers of “GREENS” such as vegetable scraps, garden trimmings, and grass clippings. In general, you want your "brown” layers to be about twice as deep as your “green” layers. What you want at the end of your layering process is a two-foot tall layered bed. You'll be amazed at how much this will shrink down in a few short weeks.

You can make a Lasagna Garden at any time of year. To maintain the garden, simply add mulch to the top of the bed in the form of straw, grass clippings, or chopped leaves. Once it's established, you will care for a lasagna garden just as you would any other. While you will be maintaining it the same way you would care for any other garden, you will find that caring for a Lasagna Garden is less work-intensive. You can expect:

FEW WEEDS.....thanks to the cardboard suppressing them from below and the mulch covering the soil from above.

BETTER WATER RETENTION.....due to the fact that compost (which is what you made by layering all of those materials) holds water better than regular garden soil, especially if your native soil is sandy or deficient in organic matter.

LESS NEED TO HAVE TO FERTILIZE..... because you planted your garden in almost pure compost, which is very nutrient-rich.

SOIL EASY TO WORK.....crumbly, loose, and fluffy.

Lasagna Gardening is fun, easy, and allows you to make a new Garden at a much faster rate than the old double-digging method. Now, your only problem will be finding some good HEIRLOOMS SEEDS to fill your new garden!

Here at THE SEED GUY, we have our 60 Variety Heirloom Seed Package that contains 34,000 Heirloom Seeds, all Non GMO, and each variety is individually packaged and then put in a 10 x 14 silver mylar bag. All Heirloom Seeds are Small Farm-Grown, and we hand count and package to make sure you get the best germination. They are Fresh from the New Fall 2022 Harvest, and Priced Now at $89

You get 49 Heirloom Vegetable Seed varieties and 11 Heirloom Herb Seed varieties. To see Heirloom Seed varieties included in package and Order: You can go to our website https://theseedguy.net/home/50-60-variety-heirloom-seed-package.html

You can also call us 7 days a week, and up to 10:00 pm each night, at 918-352-8800 to place an Order over phone or to ask questions.

If you LIKE US on our page https://www.facebook.com/theseedguy/ then you will be able to see more of our great Gardening articles, New Seed Offerings, and healthy Juice Recipes. Thank you and God Bless You and Your Family. :)

10/16/2022

The Orionid meteors, which will be visible over Northern Illinois, will actually be continuing on through mid-to-late November, but their peak comes on Thursday and Friday of next week, October 20th and 21st.

10/16/2022

YOU SHOULD SAVE HEIRLOOM SEEDS FROM YOUR HARVEST

You might want to think about holding back a few plants of each of your vegetable varieties to save Seed from this growing Season.. Our Grandparents and Great Grandparents always saved back some Seeds of each of their favorite Heirloom varieties each year. When you save Seeds from your most productive plants each year, you are creating your own strain of vegetables that have been adapted to your climate, soil, and the way you water. They will do so much better each year after that.

FYI--We are in a very uncertain time in our Countries history, and we need to Be Prepared. We have seen different Supply Chain disruptions in the last year, and I'm worried that we will see a disruption in the Seed Supply. The Severe Drought in the Western States the last 2 years, followed by historic flooding last Fall before Harvest has wiped out all the reserves the Seed Growers had. They supply many of the Big Companies you buy from. They are running out of many Heirloom Seed varieties now, and you are seeing that manifest in your Seed companies running out. I would suggest you get your Heirloom Seeds early for next year. You can get Heirloom Seed packages from us to help you prepare, or from one of the other good Seed companies out there that you deal with, just make sure you are prepared when a disruption occurs..

EASY-TO-SAVE SEEDS
Seeds of tomatoes, peppers, melons, and winter squash are ready for saving when the fruits are ripe and ready to eat.

PEPPERS
Peppers are the easiest. The seeds are mature after the peppers have changed color, indicating final ripeness. Cut the peppers open, scrape out the seeds onto a plate—reserving the flesh for eating—and let the seeds dry in a non-humid, shaded place, testing them occasionally until they break rather than bend. What could be simpler?
(Note: Dry all wet seeds on a glass or ceramic plate. Spread the seeds evenly over the surface of the plate and stir twice daily to ensure even drying and to keep them from clumping together. Don’t dry seeds on paper plates or paper towels—they’ll stick like glue. A food dehydrator set at 85ºF works well, but don’t dry them in a warm oven or any place the temperature exceeds 95ºF.)

TOMATOES
Saving tomato seeds takes a little more time, but it’s just as easy. Harvest ripe tomatoes from several different vines of the same variety, cut each across the middle, and gently squeeze the juice and seeds into a bowl. You’ll see that each tomato seed is encased in a gelatinous coating. (This prevents the seed from sprouting inside the tomato). Remove this coating by fermenting it. This mimics the natural rotting of the fruit and has the added bonus of killing any seed borne tomato diseases that might affect next year’s crop.

To ferment the seeds, add about half as much water as there are tomato seeds and juice in the bowl and stir the mixture twice a day for about 3 days. Keep a close eye on the mixture—especially if it’s a warm area, as fermentation happens more quickly at high temperatures. As the mixture ferments, its surface will become covered with white or gray mold. Don’t keep the bowl in the kitchen, anywhere it can be tipped over by animals or children, or where you’d be able to smell it—it will get pretty rank.

When bubbles begin to rise to the top of the mass, or when a thick coat of mold has formed, stop the fermentation by adding enough water to double the mixture, and stir vigorously. The clean, good seeds will settle to the bottom of the bowl. Gently pour off mold, debris and any seeds that float (they're hollow). Add more water and repeat the process until only clean seeds remain.

Capture the seeds to be saved by pouring the liquid through a strainer, wipe the strainer bottom with a towel to remove as much moisture as possible, then dump the seeds onto a glass or ceramic plate to dry. Stir twice a day to ensure even drying and to prevent the seeds from clumping together. Warning: Tomato seeds will germinate unless you dry them quickly. To speed drying, you can use a fan, but don’t put the seeds in sunlight or an oven.

MELONS AND SQUASH
Muskmelons, watermelons, and winter squash? Super easy. Cut muskmelons open, scoop the seeds into a strainer, rinse, and set out to dry. Watermelons are almost as easy. Put the seeds in a strainer and add a dash of dishwashing liquid to remove any sugar left on the seeds. Rinse and dry. Winter squashes need to be carefully cut to expose the seed cavity. Don't cut straight through the center of the squash—you'll cut through some seeds, too. Just stick the knife in as far as necessary to cut through the flesh and move it around the circumference. (Be careful—some squashes will fight back!) Pull the seeds from the fibers, rinse, and dry. And don't cut a squash before you're ready to eat it—seeds can be saved from most winter squashes many months after harvest (although a few of the long-storage varieties may have sprouted seeds inside after 6 months or so).

Seeds That Need More Time
Eggplants, cucumbers, and summer squashes must ripen beyond the normal, ready-to-eat stage to allow viable seeds to develop inside.

EGGPLANTS
To save the seeds of your eggplants, you’ll need to wait until the fruits are far past the stage when you’d pick them for eating. Any seeds saved from table-ready eggplants will be immature and won’t be viable. If left on the plant, purple eggplant varieties will ripen to a dull brownish color, green varieties to a yellowish green, and white varieties to golden. Eggplants ready for seed saving will be dull, off-colored, hard, and sometimes shriveled.

Cut the ripe eggplants in half and pull the flesh away from the seeded areas. If you want to save more than a few seeds, use a food processor or blender to mash the flesh and expose the seeds. Process (without peeling), and put the pulp in a bowl. Add water, let the good seeds settle, and then pour off the water and debris. Repeat until only clean seeds remain. Add a bit more water and pour the mix through a strainer with a mesh fine enough to catch the tiny seeds. Dry the bottom of the strainer with a towel to absorb excess moisture and dump the seeds out onto a plate to dry.

CUCUMBERS
After cucumbers ripen, they change color and become soft. (Remember, if you stop picking cucumbers, their vines will stop producing new fruit, so pick your fruit for seed saving toward the end of the season.) Cut the ripe cucumber in half and scrape the seeds into a bowl. To remove the seeds' coating, rub them gently around the inside of a sieve while washing them or soak them in water for 2 days. Rinse and dry. (Note: Make sure the cucumbers you use for seed are disease-free; some diseases can be carried on seed and could affect your future crop.)

SUMMER SQUASHES
You’ll need to let summer squashes ripen past the tender stage, too. When you can’t dent the squash with a fingernail, the fruit is at the right stage for seed saving. Pick it, cut it open, and scrape the seeds into a bowl, wash, drain, and dry.

BEAN AND PEA SEEDS
To save Bean and Pea seeds, wait until the pods are ripe. When beans and peas are fully ripened, they turn dry and crackly on the vine, and the seeds rattle inside. This may take up to an additional month after you would normally harvest them to eat. After you collect the pods from the plants, spread them in a well-ventilated area to dry. Let them dry at least 2 weeks before shelling.

When you are ready for some Small Farm Grown Non GMO Heirloom Seeds, please stop by THE SEED GUY website. We still hand count and package our Heirloom Seeds, like the old days, so you get the best germination. Fresh Fall 2022 Harvest Seeds in now.

We have 9 Heirloom Seed Packages in Stock Now. You can see on our Seed Guy website. https://theseedguy.net/15-seed-packages

You can also Call Us 7 days a week, and up to 10:00 pm at night, at 918-352-8800 if you would like to Order By Phone.

If you LIKE US on our page https://www.facebook.com/theseedguy you will be able to see more of our Great Gardening articles. New Seed Offerings, and Healthy Juice Recipes. Thank you, and God Bless You and Your Family. :)

10/11/2022

https://youtu.be/Mde3FXDyS3I

10/11/2022

When is the next meteor shower? Our Meteor Shower Calendar has dates for all the principal meteor showers—plus viewing tips from The Old Farmer's Almanac. Catch a shooting star!

10/08/2022

OCTOBER IS GARLIC PLANTING MONTH

You usually plant Garlic during the second to last week of October, depending on where you live, and then cover in at least 6 inches of a good mulch of shredded leaves or grass clippings, and harvest the following July.

Getting the soil ready is an important and often neglected prerequisite for successful garlic growing. Although garlic evolved in poor soils (most likely in the desert regions of Siberia), application of organic matter to the soil prior to planting will definitely increase your yield. Summer is the best time to add compost or well-rotted manure to the site where you intend to plant.

To prevent w**d growth between when you are finished with preparations and when you plant, cover the bed with black plastic or heavy mulch. You can add a little more nitrogen to your garlic bed in the spring in the form of compost or rotted manure, but lay off after that; too much nitrogen may cause premature yellowing of the leaves.

When you’re ready to plant, it’s best to divide your garlic bulbs into cloves before starting. Plant the cloves 6-8 inches apart, in rows or double rows with room to w**d in between. You may have to remove some of the mulch in the spring if it is compacted and impedes your plants’ growth. Often, though, the mulch breaks down enough over the winter to allow the garlic to push through.

Planting garlic is a joy because the days are crisp and cool and there are few pests that bother garlic. In fact, it is often used in companion plantings to protect other plants from pests.

Selecting the type of garlic you want to plant is a matter of individual taste, but be aware that there are many species of garlic out there other than the California white you usually see at the supermarket. There are dozens of exotic varieties available with names like Russian Red, Purple Stripe Porcelain, Rosewood, Kabar and on and on.

So-called “hardneck” varieties develop a flowerhead on the stem called a “scape,” which curls and then extends upward, eventually becoming woody (hence the name “hardneck”).

Garlic scapes are considered a delicacy in their own right.

They are harvested soon after they appear, and are often sold in bunches at farmers’ markets. Cutting the flower heads off of garlic when they appear also allows more of the plant’s energy to go into producing larger bulbs. Many commercial operations “pop the tops” off of their garlic for this reason.

You will find the Garlic Seed Bulbs in many of the Garden Centers this time of year, or many people buy from good companies online. If you have issues getting them, you can always go to your Neighborhood Grocery store, but make sure only to buy the Organic Garlic Bulbs. Then just plant the cloves from the bulbs. Good Luck.

Please visit us here at THE SEED GUY, when you are ready for some great Small Farm Grown Non GMO Heirloom Seeds. We still hand count and package our Heirloom Seeds for best germination for you, and have Great Pricing on our 9 Heirloom Seed Packages. Fresh from the New 2022 Harvest --) https://theseedguy.net/15- seed-packages

We are also available by phone 7 days a week, and up to 10:00 pm each night, at 918-352-8800.

If you Like Us on our page, you will be able to see more of our great Gardening Articles, New Seed Offerings, and healthy Juice Recipes .https://www.facebook.com/theseedguy Thank you, and God Bless You and Your Family:)

10/08/2022

https://youtu.be/PgBgJ0BV77I

La segunda venida de Cristo es el acontecimiento culminante de las profecías bíblicas y es vital que nos preparemos para este evento. Pero nuestro Dios es un...

10/08/2022

https://youtu.be/S24n2NgLr4M

Hace más de 2.500 años atrás, un rey tuvo un sueño que no podía recordar ni descifrar. Dios, mediante un joven esclavo judío, reveló el sueño que predecía el...

10/08/2022

https://youtu.be/igOCOU4iLZA

Esta es la historia de una familia que ha luchado durante años por salvar a su bebé de un final trágico. Ellos nos cuentan sus batallas y las lecciones apren...