Chicken Motives

Why can't chickens cross the road without everyone sticking their nose in their business? A good question raised by the t-shirt below.

Get this shirt here!

~Marisa~

Easy Seed Starting

This  post was previously published on our blog but with so many new people we though it would be good to repost. 

Seed starting really isn't that difficult. It can seem overwhelming if you haven't done it before. I know it took me a few years of gardening before I dared start my own seeds. It wasn't until my husband Michael said to me,

"If the pioneers that crossed these plains could put a seed in the ground and grow food without peat pots, a bag of seed starting soil, and a mini greenhouse container....we can do it with those things."

He was right, and my family is living proof of that. If WE can start plants, trust me YOU can do it too. You will see in the pictures that my kids did most of the work (aged 4, 6, 9).

Here is how!

Step 1: Gather Your Supplies

A. Seeds. We prefer heirloom seeds. We like the variety that is available in heirloom seeds, as well as the fact that we can harvest seeds from our produce to use the following year. Packets of seeds you buy from a big box store will be hybrids and the seeds can not be harvested. In the long run, this saves money as you don't have to purchase seeds each year. We purchase a few packets each year to add more variety to our garden.

B. Containers. Something to hold the soil and seeds. Here are a few options.

Pellets: These start as a small hard disk, when added with water they pop right up and you can place a seed in them. These are nice because they are easy to use and small so they don't take up a lot of space.
You can place them right into the soil when you are ready, you do not need to peel off the netting around them. The disadvantage is that they are quite small and I always have to plant them in something else (like a plastic cup) before planting them outside.

Peat pots: These are nice because they are a little larger. I still end up having to plant them into something else before planting outside. I like these better than the disks because I can write the name of the plant on them making it easier for me to keep track of what is planted in it. You can also place these right into soil and do not need to worry about damaging roots by pulling them out of the container. The disadvantage of these is that there is an extra step involved, they do not come with soil, so you have to fill them. Flats: This is a container that held flowers that I bought from a nursery the year before. I was careful to pull my flowers out without damaging the container. Make sure that you thoroughly clean a container that you are re-using. There could be a disease lingering on the container that would kill your starts. Fill with a seed starting mix, and I marked mine with popsicle sticks.

Be creative. We save our yogurt containers and bring home plastic cups from parties for seed starting. It makes gardening more economical that way. For even more creative and frugal seed starting containers, check out this article. If you are recycling something like a cup, be sure to poke some holes in the bottom for drainage. About 5-6 with a thumb tack should do the trick.

C. Soil. If you bought the little dehydrated disks, you can skip this step, just hydrate your disks.

If you didn't buy the disks, don't go out and buy a 50lb. bag of potting soil. Look for a seed starter mix. It will be very light and fluffy. You can now find this at major big box stores as well as garden nurseries.

Step 2. Fill Your Containers
I have found that it is easier if moisten your seed starter mix first because it has a tendency to shrink down the first time it gets wet. Get your mix wet, then put in whichever containers you choose. I like to write the name of the plant that will be going in the container before we put the mix in.

Step 3: Plant your seeds
The packet of seeds will tell you how deep to put your seeds in the soil. For those of us that have harvested seeds from the previous year and no longer have a seed packet, a good guideline is to bury them down about 3 times the width of the seed.


Step 4: Water
We have a few different ways to water. For the disks and peat pots that we put in the plastic greenhouse containers, we bottom water. Bottom watering is when you fill the bottom of the tray with water, and the soil sucks up the water from the bottom. For containers that we can't bottom water (yogurt and plastic cups), we use a spray bottle like Mason (aka. Bubba) is demonstrating below.

Step 5: Keep them Damp and Warm
If you bought a greenhouse container it is easy, just put the lid on and stick in a warm area. If you didn't, that is okay, just use a piece of plastic wrap to cover your seeds, this will help keep the humidity in. At this point, you don't need to stick them in the sun, you will want to keep them damp and warm (about 70 degrees). So maybe place them by a heating vent or the top of your fridge, or you can purchase heating mats. I have never used the heating mats and haven't had any problems getting my seeds to sprout.

Step 6: Stick Them in a Sunny Spot
Once your seeds have sprouted, you will want to move them to a sunny spot. In the early spring, our kitchen looks like a nursery, we have plants everywhere, and I love it.

We put some on a bench in front of the sliding glass door.

Some in the window sill.

And some in a seed starting rack, modeled after Jennifer's. Click here to read that article.

Step 6: Harden Off
Once your plants are big and beautiful, you just stick them in the ground and water them, right? Wrong.
This part can seem scary, but don't let it intimidate you. When in doubt, take longer to harden off.

Your plants up to this point have had a cushy life. The temperature, humidity, and moisture, has been closely monitored. They have not experienced full sun, wind, or changing temperatures. Hardening off is the process of slowly getting them used to the environment they are going to move to. A typical hardening off at our home may go like this:

Day 1: Move plants outside in the shade for 2-4 hours on a nice day.
Day 2-5: Move plants outside for 2-4 hours in the shade and one hour in the sun making sure the weather isn't too cold or snowy.
Day 6-7: Move plants outside for 2-4 hours in the shade and 2-4 hours in the sun.
Day 8-10: Move plants outside for 2 hours in the shade and 6 hours in the sun.
Day 11-12 Move plants outside for 8 hours in the sun.
Day 13-14 Leave plants outside all day and all night in the area they will be planted. Be sure that the weather overnight won't be too cold or windy.
Hint: I like to set my alarm clock, so I don't forget to bring my plants back inside. I have fried my little plants before because I forgot to bring them in from the sun.

Step 7: Plant
Once your plants are properly hardened off, you can plant them in the ground just like you would had you bought them from the nursery. Congrats!

Enjoy the bounty that is sure to come!

Note:

There are some plants that you will not start indoors either because they won't transplant well, or because there is no need to. Some climates may be nice enough that you never have to start seeds indoors, that would be heaven! But, for Utah in order for us to get a full growing season, you have to start many plants indoors.

Some that you do not need to start indoors are, but not limited to: peas, beans, lettuces, beets, carrots, and onions.

Anyone have anything to add? Leave a comment!

There's Never a Dull Moment

We have had quite a bit of action here in our backyard.

We have had Fantastic Mr. Fox running around back there.

We have had a swarm of bees (not our own), which I was able to capture.

We get antelope all the time.

We had a herd of cows one time. 

Then of course we can't forget the devastating chicken coop fire we had.

Recently, I woke up, looked out the window to find what I thought were 2 horses in my backyard. I hadn't yet put on my contacts or glasses. I started making phone calls to everyone in the neighborhood who had horses, and I couldn't track down the owner. I put on my glasses and noticed they actually weren't horses, but mules. They lived two doors down from us and had gotten out. They must have heard from the other animals that our house was "The Place To Hang Out". 

There is never a dull moment here on our backyard farm, and I LOVE IT!

I can't wait to see what happens next!

What exciting things are happening in your neck of the woods?

~marisa

Goaty Goat Goat Goat

I'm SO ready for spring, to work in the yard, and to work the ground. I'm excited to get more baby chicks.  I'm hopeful that we will be building a new beautiful coop. I can't wait to get a couple of goats. Is it strange that I think goats are cute? 

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What are you excited about?

~marisa~

All Purpose Cleaning Spray

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Whoa Mama! You should see my windows, we get some crazy wind out here that coats my windows with a nice layer of dirt.  Then, there is my dog that likes to gunk up the window in my door while she is waiting to come in and out. 

I feel like I'm constantly wiping the windows down (along with counters, floors, mirrors...ugh!)  Did you know that there are ingredients that are harmful to the environment as well as your health in a lot of the cleaners you purchase at the store? Yup there are. And you are using them all over your house! Don't worry, you can make your own toxic free cleaners and save a lot of money while doing so. 

In this little bottle is like the superhero of cleaning. I use it for almost everything!

 It really should be pictured like this:

The "G" stands for GREAT! 

The very best part about the recipe is that it is so amazingly simple. 

1 part vinegar

1 part water

10-15 drops of lemon essential oil

Just make sure you give it a good shake before you use it to mix the oil in. I use this mix to wipe down my counters, mirrors, windows, table, walls, and even in the car! 

 Lemon essential oil is: antiseptic, antifungal, antiviral, and its refreshing!

I recommend purchasing doTERRA essential oils because they are the purest, and most potent essential oils out there. Other companies will claim they are the best, but doTERRA is the only company that does the testing to prove it. You can purchase doTERRA essential oils here. 

If you are interested in learning more about essential oils, look for my upcoming essential oil webinars, or feel free to email me your phone number, I would love to chat with you about oils.  backyardfarmingblog@gmail.com

I work for doTERRA, educating others about essential oils and how to use them. I'm looking for others to be on my team who would like to teach classes in their area. I love working for them, and it is financially rewarding as well. Feel free to email me if you would like to learn more about it! backyardfarmingblog@gmail.com

~marisa

The New Guy in Town

Michael and I had some good laughs picking out the Barry White song. Once the video all came together, it was pretty funny to listen to the words because they seemed to fit......I love you baby, let me run my fingers through your hair feathers.

~marisa

Tomato Hornworm

We've been infested!

 It seemed to happen so quickly! The tomato hornworm is difficult to see, it's like playing "Where's Waldo" since they are green and just lay along the stems and sometimes hide under leaves. Their damage is easy to detect,  the hungry munchers eat all the leaves and just leave the stems.  My running partner wanted to see our garden,  and instead of a morning run, we spent a half hour searching for these little buggers,  we found over 20! The best and most organic thing to do is to keep watch, pick them off, and smash them. I've told the kids that there is a 50 cent bounty on each hornworm brought to me dead or alive.

Beware! check your tomatoes, but they can also infest your potatoes, eggplants, and peppers. 

Update: in the comments someone asked what the moth that lays the eggs looks like. Here it is:

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~marisa

Enjoy

We are enjoying fresh peas from the garden. We are eating them as fast as we can pick them. 

What are you enjoying from your garden?

Immune Boosting Echinacea

 Echinacea is also known as purple coneflower, and it happens to be one of my favorites in my flower bed. Taken internally, it is used to boost the immune system, fight colds and flu, and fight infection. Echinacea is great to boost an immune system that has been compromised by a prolonged illness, surgery or antibiotics. Since it does boost the immune system, those with autoimmune diseases should stay away from it.  Used externally it can speed wound healing and reduce inflammation.  Try making an echinacea tea for a skin toner for sun damaged skin or to help with eczema.

 

Studies show that echinacea itself does not cure diseases, it helps the body resist and fight the illnesses, making it stronger. Those using echinacea, tend to fall ill less often, experience milder symptoms, and recover sooner.

When making echinacea preparations, you use the root. I have echinacea growing in my flower beds and I want to keep it that way, so I have to buy cut herbs from the health food store. 

Use it as a tea for topical applications, as a tincture, or fill your own capsules if using internally. 

Echinacea is safe in normal doses for children and nursing mothers, but refrain from using it while pregnant. 

Do you have any experiences with echinacea?

~marisa

First Eggs!

The girls are 4 1/2 months old now, and we just got our first eggs!!! I don't care how many times you've had new groups of chickens, getting your first eggs is thrilling! I squealed with delight as I admired the deep olive color of one of our eggs, and comment on how cute and little they are (the first ones are normally quite small.)

Out in the garden, we harvested our first batch of radishes.

These are the French Breakfast radish. You can let them grow longer and they will be long and thin. We like to pick ours earlier so they aren't as spicy. 

So what is going on at your backyard farm?

~Gardening Tips~

~marisa

Crazy for Catnip

Did you know that I'm an herbalist? 

The reason I became an herbalist was so that I could help educate others on alternatives to western medication. Don't get me wrong, I think modern medicine is great, but sometimes you just need an alternative,  an alternative without side effects, something that is all natural. I have failed you guys, F-A-I-L-E-D!!!  I haven't done any articles educating about herbs.

(Raising my right hand) I vow that I will be better about sharing different herbs. I promise to occasionally featuring an herb or essential oil.

For starters I will choose catnip. You may be saying to yourself, "seriously, catnip? you mean the  Mary Jane,  wacky tobacky, bud, grass, pot, herb, indo, killaz, Smoke, dankity dank, diggety dank, purple kush, purp slurp, white widow, white rhino, cannabis, canny banny, left handed tobacco, sativa, blueberry yum-yum,  the drug for cats?"

Catnip is a stimulant for cats, and you can find some really funny videos of cats and catnip on youtube. For humans, it is actually a relaxant. It is a mild sedative, and a cup of catnip tea could help you get a restful nights sleep, it is safe for children as well. In our family we use it mostly for the digestive system (tummy aches). It is a natural antacid, so it is good for acid reflux and stomach distress. Catnip and fennel combined are a great combo for colicy babies.

When I have an upset stomach, I just pick a few leaves off my plant, chew them a little and swallow. Warning: It does not taste good!  I had a friend over, she had an upset stomach, so I gave her a few leaves to eat,  soon after I found her practically throwing up in the garbage (she was expecting it to taste good). Since then, I have harvested and dried the catnip leaves to put into capsules. We make a catnip tincture for the kids, the glycerin makes it taste good to them, and it is easier for them to swallow than the capsules.  Catnip should be avoided when pregnant.

I have a catnip plant growing like crazy in my window. It is super easy to grow and to harvest.  So go ahead, next time you have a stomach ache, instead of looking in the medicine cabinet, try a little catnip.

~marisa