Live a more sustainable lifestyle
Historically referred to as a government program for revitalizing undesirable living areas, "homesteading" today has come to mean the pursuit of a self-sufficient lifestyle. Homesteading can include everything from keeping bees, growing vegetables, and composting to installing solar panels, creating a rain barrel, and canning your own food,--plus much more.
Backyard Homesteading All-in-One For Dummies has a little bit of everything for the homesteader in all of us. It walks you through the basics of creating your own sustainable homestead and offers expert tips and tricks for making it as easy and successful as possible.
* Raise chickens
* Keep bees
* Compost
* Can and preserve
This book gives you everything you need to embark on your own homesteading adventure.
Autorentext
Todd Brock is a television writer and producer whose work includes PBS's Growing a Greener World, DIY Network's Fresh From the Garden, and HGTV's Ground Breakers. He is the coauthor of Building Chicken Coops For Dummies.
Klappentext
Start your homesteading adventure!
Knowing where your food comes from. Taking a hands-on role in providing for your family. Living more earth-friendly. Being more self-sufficient. Sound exciting? If you're ready to roll up your sleeves and move beyond a simple plot of vegetables, here's your comprehensive guide to backyard homesteading. Learn how to make the most of your resources, which tools and techniques you'll need for success, and what problems to watch out for. Get step-by-step guidance, expert tips, detailed building plans, proven recipes, and a lot more!
5 Books Inside
- Creating a Garden
- Preserving the Harvest
- Making Your Own
- Raising Animals
- Building It Yourself
Zusammenfassung
Live a more sustainable lifestyle
Historically referred to as a government program for revitalizing undesirable living areas, "homesteading" today has come to mean the pursuit of a self-sufficient lifestyle. Homesteading can include everything from keeping bees, growing vegetables, and composting to installing solar panels, creating a rain barrel, and canning your own food,plus much more.
Backyard Homesteading All-in-One For Dummies has a little bit of everything for the homesteader in all of us. It walks you through the basics of creating your own sustainable homestead and offers expert tips and tricks for making it as easy and successful as possible.
- Raise chickens
- Keep bees
- Compost
- Can and preserve
This book gives you everything you need to embark on your own homesteading adventure.
Inhalt
Introduction 1
About This Book 1
Foolish Assumptions 2
Icons Used in This Book 2
Beyond the Book 3
Where to Go from Here 3
Book 1: Creating a Garden 5
Chapter 1: Planning Your Garden 7
Determining Location and Size 8
Deciding On a Layout 15
Thinking Outside the Garden Bed 19
Keeping Critters Out 26
Assembling Tools 33
Chapter 2: Deciding What to Grow 41
Understanding Veggie Varieties 41
Deciding How Much to Grow 43
Succeeding with Vegetables 45
Planting Other Small-Scale Crops 58
Growing Herbs for and in the Kitchen 62
Chapter 3: Preparing to Plant 65
Razing Your Garden Spot 66
Analyzing and Improving Your Soil 69
Turning Your Soil 77
Looking Ahead at Watering Options 79
Fencing It In 86
Planning for Pathways 94
Chapter 4: Planting 95
Timing Your Planting Wisely 96
Choosing Seeds or Transplants 102
Deciding on Your Seeding Method and Decoding a Seed Packet 103
Starting Seeds Indoors 104
Transplanting Indoor Seedlings and Starter Plants 112
Sowing Seeds Directly in Your Garden 116
Planting Guidelines 120
Chapter 5: Growing Your Garden 125
Introducing Your Inner Gardener to the Watering Basics 126
Digging Into Composting 128
Fertilizing Your Vegetable Garden 135
Keeping Your Plants Cozy and Weed Free with Mulch 140
Surveying Some Cool Farmer Techniques 145
Knowing When to Harvest 151
Chapter 6: Dealing with Weeds and Pests 155
Fighting Weed Wars 156
Keeping Good Bugs Nearby 158
Battling Bad Bugs 159
More Methods of Attack 164
Chapter 7: Extending Your Season 171
Covering Your Rows 172
Using Cold Frames 173
Going with Greenhouses 175
Getting Your Feet Wet with Hydroponics, Aquaponics, and Aeroponics 178
Book 2: Preserving the Harvest 181
Chapter 1: Canning Basics 183
Starting Successful Canning 183
Gathering Your Canning Gear 185
Putting Safety First 191
Chapter 2: Water-Bath Canning 197
Water-Bath Canning in a Nutshell 197
Gearing Up for Water-Bath Canning 198
Water-Bath Canning Step-by-Step 200
Adjusting Your Processing Times at High Altitudes 206
Canning Fresh Fruit (Yes, That Includes Tomatoes) 207
Fresh Fruit Canning Recipes 211
Jam, Chutney, Relish, and Salsa Recipes 223
Chapter 3: Pressure Canning 231
Understanding the Fuss about Low-Acid Foods 232
Choosing a Pressure Canner 232
Pressure Canning Step-by-Step 238
Pressure Canning at Higher Altitudes 242
Canning Vegetables 243
Vegetable Canning Recipes 246
Chapter 4: Pickling 269
Perusing Pickling Ingredients 269
Brining Education 272
Adding Crunch to Your Food 274
Pickling Equipment and Utensils 275
Pickled Vegetable Recipes 275
Chapter 5: Freezing 291
Focusing on Freezing 291
Giving Fruit the Freeze 295
Frozen Fruit Recipes 298
Blanching Perfect Vegetables 303
Frozen Vegetable Recipes 304
Freezing Fresh Herbs 316
Chapter 6: Drying 319
Opening the Door to Success...