How easy is it to raise chickens? (How to raise chickens for free)

Disclaimer: Some of the products listed below I have an affiliate link to. This does not reflect on their quality!

With backyard homesteading on the rise, chickens have become one of the most popular livestock to have! This is due to their versatility, size, and ability to produce a sustainable protein source. 

When I was first starting out, I really wondered, how easy is it to raise chickens? Well, the answer came with a shrug from my friends and family. 

We struggled to really learn how to raise chickens economically for us as a family. You see the tragic secret that is me is I hate eggs. This made chickens a hard sell when I first asked for them.

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Is it worth it to raise chickens?

The worth of raising chickens really depends on your values. If you are solely doing this as a means to save money, there are ways to do this. You will sacrifice some of the better attributes by doing so but it can be done. 

Chickens are omnivores. That is the saddest truth of the agriculture industry when you see ‘vegetarian fed’ in the stores. Chickens are not vegetarians. 

Chickens can be completely raised on free-ranging and scraps. I mean look at Miami, they have a massive chicken problem and cannot keep them contained. Nobody is feeding these chickens and yet they are thriving. 

There are not many chickens that can’t and won’t eat. I even caught ours eating an opossum carcass once!

I have my compost inside the chicken coop now. I just give them the scraps and let them go wild. I add bedding as needed. Once they are finished turning the compost and it is ready to cure, we just start over. 

The garden feeds the chickens and the chickens feed us. We all win!

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How do you raise chickens at home?

The best thing to do is build your coop first. I do not care if you buy chicks or adults. Buy your coop or build it first. This makes sure that by the time you have those cute chicks, there is somewhere they can go when they are no longer little and cute.

I make sure my coop is very well predator-proofed. I do not use chicken wire but instead a heavier grade. 

Chickens need an ample supply of water. This is crucial to their survival. They also prefer to have roosts as well.

If free-ranging, you may want to consider a rooster or goose. These will help protect your flock from predators. 

Chickens are mostly limited work if I am honest with you. We feed them, we water them, and we collect the eggs. Truthfully, I just enjoy sitting with them most of the time. 

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Do chickens need heat in the winter?

I have seen so many fires caused by people heating their chicken coops that it is ridiculous. Your chickens do not need a heater. They are fine.

That being said, they are only fine if you have the right setup. We wrap our coops in greenhouse plastic in the winter and leave one side that does not get wind open for airflow. 

I would not risk a heat lamp because they can often catch bedding on fire. If you must have heat for your chickens, a chick brooder plate works well with less risk of fire. 

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How many chickens do you need for a dozen eggs a week?

The amount you would need for a dozen is very dependent on breeds. 

Different breeds of chickens produce different amounts of eggs a day. Breeds like the Rhode Island Red produce better than a breed like a silkie. This is due to selective breeding. 

A rule I like to follow is two chickens per every member of my household (I include dogs in this number). This ensures we have eggs for breakfast and for baking. 

Though the amount and quality you feed them also play a role in how many eggs you will receive and if you are only free-ranging and feeding scraps, you may need more birds to keep up with your family’s demand. 

Purchasing seeds from True Leaf Market may be a great idea to grow your own feed. They sell plenty of varieties where you could grow a cheap garden solely to feed your flock. 

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What do I need for chickens?

The most important thing you can have is a clean source of water. Will they drink from muddy puddles? Yes. Should you leave them the option for freshwater? Yes. 

For the most part, chickens are the easiest livestock to own. You need a coop, you need feeders and waterers, but there is no need for anything fancy. 

They are pretty easy to start up and you can even just put them in an outdoor dog run with a roof on it. 

Chickens happen to be one of my favorite livestock due to their versatility and easy care needs

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7 Easiest Vegetables Anybody Can Grow! (Victory Garden Approved)

Disclaimer: Some products listed below I have an affiliate link for. This in no way sways my views on them!

When I was younger, I always struggled with growing vegetable gardens. Not sure if it was the soil, my knowledge, or if I just was not taking care of it, but my gardens forever sucked.

I remember the dying plants that filled my small corner of the backyard; they obviously died of neglect and teenage me was off showing rabbits, forgetting to water my thirsty plants. 

It wasn’t until the pandemic that I truly discovered my love for the garden. I always raised chickens for food, but in the garden, I saw no point in it. 

I will say that no matter what, there were always a few vegetables that I could grow no matter what. These were the easiest vegetables that really anybody, including teenage me, could grow!

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What vegetables are easy to grow?

This is the question of the hour, I remember really asking myself what would grow in my yard of death. I needed plants that would thrive with no water, occasional dogs trotting through them, and, well, the chickens. 

Over the years of growing everything under the sun, I really have it down on what will grow when neglected!

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Beans

Beans for me have always been foolproof. This can be true for both pole and bush beans and I always have a great harvest. Every year, I grew beans in our garden and we ate those even as everything else died. 

Now, I love to pickle the beans and grow many varieties to change up our colors. Purple beans are one of my favorites to feed to the kids! 

There are a few considerations to be had before growing beans. While they are more hardy and resistant than plants like tomatoes, knowing if they are pole or bush is important. 

Pole beans grow up and bush beans bush out. If you have a pole bean variety, you will need to trellis them. Bush beans can produce the entire season too, and will only produce more as you harvest!

If you are feeling adventurous, try planting them with corn. Corn will shade bush beans and help keep them from getting burnt by the sun. Indigenous peoples started this practice and now many of us like to plant corn, pole beans, and squash like pumpkin. This is called Three Sisters Garden.

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Lettuce 

Lettuce is a great cool weather plant that is so easy to plant! It can be harvested and continuously grown throughout the season as well!

I personally have had lettuce come back from the dead on multiple occasions. It is a very forgiving vegetable. 

Lettuce can be grown hydroponically as well; this makes them easy to grow indoors for year-round salads! 

There are so many varieties of lettuce that can make wonderful plants in an edible landscape. They come in a variety of colors and flavors, so the possibilities are endless for the amount you can try!

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Cucumbers

I love making refrigerator pickles! This makes growing cucumbers important for my family! 

I also just love snacking on these and so, I learned quickly to grow them. They trellis but I just grow them along a fence.

The biggest problem I have run into is cabbage worms. I spray neem oil on my plants and use Diatomaceous earth to help stop them from boring into my cukes!

Cucumbers just grow like crazy for me so I love growing them!

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Squash

I grew like fifteen butternut squash from one plant during the pandemic. We ate so much butternut that my family begged me to never grow them again!

Like cucumbers, squash has some pest issues, but I proactively treat ‌them and thus, always have a decent harvest!

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Microgreens

Places like True Leaf make growing microgreens super easy! I love their seeds for more than just microgreens though. 

This company is one of my absolute favorite seed resources. Plus with my link you will get free shipping!

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What vegetables are harder to grow? 

Don’t come for me, but I find tomatoes and bell peppers incredibly hard to grow. It is hard to start from seed and even harder to keep alive!

Every tomato plant I own is mauled by hornworms. The bell peppers are always excessively small. They just aren’t easy for me to grow. 

I will say, my favorite part of gardening is the freedom it gives me. I can grow whatever I want and really, it doesn’t matter if it is not perfect!

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How Do You Make a Permaculture Farm?

Disclaimer: Some links below I have an affiliate link. This means I make a small commission on purchases bought through my link! It holds no representation of how I feel about these products.

I was sixteen when I discovered permaculture. I was a major agriculture nerd, but I felt a severe disconnect from what class was teaching me. I saw the pig farms with crowded animals and the various other issues in agriculture and I began to wonder, how do we fix this?

It was then that I realized that my longing for a natural farm was intertwined with permaculture.

Permaculture has since called to me in every aspect of my life. When my father passed I swore I would start the homestead we planned together. 

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What are the 12 principles of permaculture?

I think the main appeal of permaculture for me was the fact that instead of being about making money, it was a philosophy of life. I always felt as though this commercial agriculture that my classes taught us was more about growing food for now rather than sustaining ourselves for the future. 

These 12 principles of permaculture speak to my soul and feed me in knowledge rather than just sustain my need for food.

  1. Observe and interact

I find peace within my garden and chicken coop. By watching the way the ecosystem interacts with one another, I find myself also interacting within my garden and farm systems. Rather than working against these forces, I work with them.

  1. Catch and store energy

This is one that I have yet to fully work on. It is a plan for the future when I am on my permanent homestead. Though the idea of being able to use solar to run my home really appeals to me considering our electric bill was over $300 last month!

  1. Obtain a yield

The yield for me has been the happiness and joy the garden brings me, but also, being able to feed my family diverse and healthier food options. 

It is the happiness that my garden brings that keeps me going. Because, as my husband often points out, bell peppers are 50 cents in the store.

  1. Apply self-regulation and feedback

I began trying to reduce my family’s waste through cloth diapers when I had my first son! Now we compost and recycle. 

Slowly, I am learning to reduce my impulse shopping and other factors that draw me into consumerism! 

  1. Use and value of renewables

As I said previously, we really began researching solar energy! I have tried to switch to other renewable energy sources like a rain barrel. However, this is not our permanent homestead so I do not want to continue

  1. Produce no waste

Aside from cloth diapers, we use reusable products like menstrual cups, reusable zip lock bags, and other sustainable products.

Honestly, switching from tampons has saved us at least $200 a year. These cups have been a great investment overall!

  1. Design from patterns of detail

I love the way ‌natural shapes look in the garden! I find that it brings me far more joy than bricked-out beds do. 

While I do have square raised beds, I try to position them in more natural ways to help add to the eye!

  1. Integrate don’t segregate 

When my father was still alive, my garden drove him insane. He always told me I had no real order and I always told him it was the natural order. 

I still live by this. Let the garden thrive in neglect. These plants are in their own ecosystem and are flourishing in whatever way I have them going.

  1. Use small, slow solutions

This was always a struggle. I have always gone massive in life. But lately, I really have stopped to smell the roses, you could say. 

As much as I want to start a massive at-home dairy and goat yoga studio, I think a nice garden is a step – for now.

  1. Use and value diversity

Diversity for me looks AMAZING when it comes to gardening. I truly value my ability to grow foods we do not see in the grocery stores. 

I mean – purple carrots, blue eggs, and the weirdest of the weird. I think it is all beautiful! I also love the way my plants work together to stay healthy!

  1. Use edges and value marginal

I have been expanding the garden this year. I want to trellis onto the chainlink fence all my cucumbers and other vine vegetables. 

Yeah, the deer might get some, but I am using space that otherwise just sits there. 

  1. Creatively use and respond to change

This has been the biggest change in my life. When my father passed, it was a devastating blow since he was my partner in gardening. 

Now, I plant this year’s garden without him for the first time in 5 years and it saddens me. But I relish in those years we did have and use it as fuel for my future goals!

I use permaculture and you do too in far more aspects of your life than just homesteading! It is an amazing philosophy to view.

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How much land do I need for permaculture?

This is a question I hear all the time – rather than a statement telling me why someone can’t grow food using permaculture. 

Any amount of space works! Whether you place a hydroponic salad grower in the corner of the kitchen of your studio apartment or have multiple acres, permaculture can be done!

The only thing that is holding us back from growing is ourselves. Keep reading about that until you realize that it is the excuses that hold us back from greatness.

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How is permaculture different from organic gardening?

Organic gardening is by the USDA’s standards, but permaculture is a philosophy. 

The USDA states, “These methods integrate cultural, biological, and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity. Synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, irradiation, and genetic engineering may not be used.” This is mainly a marketing technique. 

While a lot of permaculture is organic, it is grown in a way that benefits the ecosystem as a whole and changes the grower’s life. 

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What are the benefits of permaculture?

At this point, you may be wondering, “Well, what are the benefits?” And well, there’s a good few

The list really just goes on, but the main benefit is to our environment. 

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What’s wrong with permaculture?

Permaculture sounds like a dream, but there are disadvantages!

  • A lot of work!
  • It takes time and money
  • Can be rather messy. 

This being said, most of these issues are with impatience. Learning patience can help remedy situations.

As for money, there are ways to garden with no money!

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Books I recommend on the topic of Permaculture!

  1. Gaia’s Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture, 2nd Edition
  2. Farming the Woods: An Integrated Permaculture Approach to Growing Food and Medicinals in Temperate Forests
  3. Restoration Agriculture: Real-World Permaculture for Farmers
  4. Permaculture Design: A Step-by-Step Guide

Homesteading: Where to Start

With the uncertainty of the world, many of us are turning to self-sufficiency to help ensure the security of our families’ food. This can seem like such a daunting task when you first begin to look at doing homesteading. 

Like you, I once wondered where to start when it came to ‌homesteading.

Homesteading can be relatively simple with the right planning and resources. Here we will discuss resources to help simplify the process of becoming more self-sufficient.

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How do I start a homesteading garden?

There are a few things to think about when you start to decide how you want to go about growing food. The main one is planning out your garden. A well-planned garden can help simplify your growing season and thus help amplify your overall yield. 

I am a big fan of Jess from Roots and Refuge. Last year she wrote The First Time Gardener: Growing Vegetables and honestly, it is amazing! She goes over in-depth on starting gardens and is a valuable resource for every beginner. 

Deciding what your family eats can go a long way when you are planning your garden. Why would you want to take up valuable space with beets if you do not eat them? 

Ensuring the area you begin planning out is ideal is equally as important. Water sources, nothing in the way, and easy access are important to ‌success.

The closer your garden is to your house, the more likely you are to visit your garden. Frequent visits are key to making sure your garden stays healthy!

There are ways to make your garden inexpensive and even free! Look into your resources to help make your garden as cost-effective as possible!

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How do you transition to homesteading?

Transitioning to homesteading was probably the hardest part for my family. We love our sleep! But, the fresh food made it worth it.

  • Set alarms
  • Start small
  • Don’t quit your day job!

With these three tips, your transition will be much easier!

Setting alarms before you have a cow to milk and chickens to feed can help you adapt to the lifestyle well before you are in it. This can help the transition into the lifestyle since you will not have the exact responsibilities of homesteading!

Please start small. I see it every day where someone goes all out. You can burn yourself out and overall, set yourself up for failure. Many people will try and expand faster than they are ready. Start out with a few chickens before moving on to a flock of a thousand. 

Some may be tempted to quit their job and follow the calling of homesteading. While for some this is a valid thing to do, it may not be feasible for everyone. 

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Where is the easiest place to Homestead?

Homesteading can be done anywhere that you want. This question can be slightly overthought when many ask me this. 

There are considerations that need to be thought of when deciding where you want to homestead and many of which have to do with legality. 

  • Goals on your homestead
  • Zoning laws
  • Cost of living
  • Climate

These all should play a factor in where you decide to permanently settle down. Some states have laws in regards to living off-grid and some counties do not allow certain animals. If these are important for you considerations should be made when deciding where to live. 

Other things like the cost of living should always be considered when settling down. These are factors that affect our everyday lives. 

Your goals should be first above all. Deciding where to homestead is somewhat permanent and shouldn’t be taken lightly! Climate is another factor because if you are wanting to grow things like citrus then Alaska is not the place for you!

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Does homesteading save money?

Homesteading can save money. This is only if done correctly. 

Having a budget in place is important to help you and your family save money when growing your own food. This and careful planning are on the front lines to success.

Having the option to grow your own food and saving seeds can create an environment where you are entirely self-sufficient. Without the upfront cost of seeds when saving, you can save money by not purchasing seeds!

Starting & Saving Seeds: Grow the Perfect Vegetables, Fruits, Herbs, and Flowers for Your Garden is a wonderful resource on learning how to save seeds!

By saving your own seeds, you are also creating a plant that is better suited to your environment. Contrary to popular belief, you do not need to grow heirlooms to save the seeds. 

Heirloom seeds just mean the plant has been grown and passed down for years. Hybrids are just plants that have been crossed, and occasionally in our gardens, we accidentally grow hybrids!

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3 Ways to Compost

Disclaimer: Some products listed below I have an affiliate link for. This does not change my opinion of them! 

Composting is important for not only improving soil quality but for saving the environment. This is important for the biodiversity of our ecosystem. 

Regardless of whether you live in an apartment or a farm, composting is able to be done. 

Here I will show you how to compost in any situation you may have!

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What is the best way to compost at home?

This is very dependent on where you live and the lifestyle you live. Living somewhere like a homeowners association may make composting impossible due to the rules and regulations around it. Services like Kaimuki Compost Collective can make this doable for you. 

For me, I like to use the compost bin I built myself. It allows me the freedom to easily compost. Many people do hot composting; however, this can be more complicated.

A compost bin can make this simple for just about anyone. Whether you purchase or build one, these make composting a breeze. 

Hot composting is a science and you should research it. This method makes composting quicker than regular. 

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What is the easiest way to compost?

Personally, I like just tossing everything into a bin. But, the correct way is to make sure you have an adequate mixture to reduce any potential smells and to have a good balance. 

There are a few methods, but having a turning bin can make it easiest for most. Your compost should be turned at least once a week!

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What household items can be composted?

Composting can seem daunting and many really wonder what can be composted. With regular everyday composting, the list is pretty basic. 

  • Food scraps except those that are animal products
  • Paper products such as non-glossy cardboard and plain paper
  • Eggshells
  • Coffee grounds
  • Yard waste

There are other composting methods that allow you to compost animal products such as meat. This is called Bokashi. This method uses fermentation to make breaking down bones and meat quicker.

You can purchase a Bokashi composting bin and get started with it to help lessen your food waste even more. 

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Can you compost when you live in an apartment?

Composting inside an apartment can add extra work to the composter. It is doable, however. Bokashi composting or finding a composting service would be the best method for you. 

Finding a compost drop-off can be easily done. Litterless has a comprehensive list online of sites that accept compost items. 

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Conclusion

Composting can be a great way to reduce your environmental impact. Taking your food waste and turning it into nutrient-rich soil is important as our earth is in a soil crisis. 

Composting can be done in a variety of ways, from Bokashi to just a plain bin. Regardless of your method, it is the best way to help reduce your environmental impact!

Happy Planting!

3 Garden Must-haves!

With spring coming, I would like to share my opinion on various garden items. These are my Amazon must-haves!

I find these to be a must-have for every gardener!

Disclaimer: Some of these items below I have an affiliate link to. This means if you order I get a small fee, but that is no reflection of my opinion of these items!

  1. Grow Your Own Seed Box by Garden Pack – 100 Varieties of Flower, Herb, Vegetable Seeds

I bought this for Christmas and the price and every other thing about it have made it my favorite! I use these seeds for everything and have found I love the germination rate and variety given!

It is a cheaper alternative than buying a ton of seeds at once. This can be great for someone just starting out!

  1. 10 Pack Seed Starter Kit, 72 Cell Seedling Trays 

These have been the most economical trays I have found since starting my gardening journey! Most of the ones at Walmart are much more expensive!

I had to buy these because of how much my garden is growing this year. It has been fantastic for growing a lot of plants at once!

  1. Neptune’s Harvest Organic Hydrolized Fish & Seaweed Fertilizer 

I have been trying to move away from commercial fertilizers because. . . well, I am concerned with our soil crisis. Every year, my plants thrive on this fertilizer!

Careful though, this stuff stinks. Do not use it before leaving the house!

Soil Crisis: A Growing Problem

Disclaimer: Products listed below I may have an affiliate link to them, under no circumstance is this a reflection on the quality of produce. I only endorse items I love myself!

In the sustainability and environmental community, many discuss the effects our trash has on the global warming crisis. The real issue, nobody is talking about is the soil crisis

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What is the soil crisis?

Soil erosion has been a decimate to the agriculture industry. Iowa was once filled with rich dark topsoil, fantastic for farming. Now, due to erosion, the soil is only a foot or a little deeper. This means eventually our fertile lands will be nothing more than a desert.

The soil is lacking in nutrients. In an article written by National Geographic, they touch on the deficiency of phosphorus in our soil. Phosphorus is important for DNA replication. The problem with obtaining it is commercial fertilizers, which allow for better absorption, also cause water pollution.

Healthy soil is a delicate balance of microorganisms, nutrients, and broken-down organic matter. Modern farming has over-plowed and over-used the healthy rich soil. Many people worry about the future implications this may have for the growing food crisis.

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Solutions to the soil crisis

Many have provided solutions to the soil crisis. Some methods seem to be common sense, while others are more far-fetched.

Regenerative agriculture

Regenerative agriculture is the idea of maintaining the ecosystem surrounding the growth of food. This combines organic agriculture with ecological practices. Some focuses are:

  • Composting
  • Crop rotation
  • Biodiversity
  • Organic farming
  • No-till

Along with these, they have an impact on the treatment of livestock. Livestock is treated humanely and ethically. Farmers integrate animals into the regeneration processes.

Some of my favorite books on regenerative agriculture:

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Human composting

Recompose is a company specializing in human composting. It is a fantastic alternative to modern practices. Useful land is being taken up to bury our dead, cremation releases emissions and burns fossil fuels.

The bodies are turned into rich compost in 60 days. The cost is $5,500 and the compost can either be donated, picked up by family, or a combination of both.

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Honorable mentions

Some other commonly known ways to help our soil crisis include:

  • Recycling
  • Stopping deforestation
  • Composting at home
  • Better crop management

This is an everyone problem. No single change is too small.

Why should this matter to me?

Our planet should matter to everyone. You specifically should be concerned due to the fact you consume agricultural products. By being a consumer you are directly impacted by the soil crisis. Food security and cost directly impact every person on this planet.

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How to Make a Sustainable Garden

In these more recent times, the idea of having your own sustainable garden is seemingly more and more appealing every day. For some, this can seem like such a daunting task. 

Many of my friends are really starting to ask me often, “How to make a sustainable garden.”

Honestly, there are many easy and free ways to make a garden.

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What is a sustainable garden? 

Well, this question is sort of loaded depending on who you ask. By definition alone, a sustainable garden. . . well sustains itself. This means, if you did not touch it, it could in theory thrive. 

Personally, I view sustainability as a way of living and therefore, a sustainable garden does not interfere with the nature around it. I try to work with everything into my garden in a way that is a sort of permaculture. 

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What does a sustainable garden look like? 

There are a few features that almost every garden can have to make it far more sustainable than what we view in our everyday lives. 

  • Biodiversity
  • No chemical pesticides or herbicides 

We here love a biodiverse garden where we use companion planting as a means to prevent pests in our plants. Some of these plants are marigold and dill. A lush and diverse garden to me has always been appealing. 

Not using chemicals has become my latest wish since having kids. Watching my children put everything into their mouths really concerned me since we used a lot of chemical disinfectants. So naturally, I do not use any of these in our garden.

I also compost and try to use reclaimed materials as much as possible. This helps us not only save money but reduce our waste in the long run.

This method also helps us reduce the amount of waste going into landfills!

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Why is a sustainable garden important?

A sustainable garden is important because it focuses on not making a negative impact on our planet. Instead of working against the earth, you are working in sync with it in a way that makes a positive impact. 

The produce from your garden can also taste better, be free of pesticides which in turn benefit you. Pesticides and herbicides run into our water supplies and cause major problems in the local environment. 

Some pesticides even harm bees. Bees are important for gardeners as they help pollinate our fruits. 

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What are the benefits of a sustainable garden? 

The benefits of sustainable gardening outweigh any of the disadvantages many can think of. 

  • Saving money
  • Building a better ecosystem in your soil
  • Healthier and fresher foods
  • Biodiversity 

These in turn help grow you and your family into more rounded people. Your children can learn from the environment around them and gardening is shown to be a fantastic stress relief. 

Methods of sustainable gardening

There are many different teachings to choose from when picking what is right for you and your land. Here are just a few: 

  • No-till
  • Permaculture
  • Hugelkulture 

These are all three fantastic methods but each has its own traits.

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No-till

Also known as ‘lasagna gardening’ this method involves not tilling the earth or disturbing the ground too much. You continue to layer organic matter and let things decay. This can be a wonderful method for the busiest of people. 

However, it comes with its own issues such as the soil needing to be amended more. This though can also be a good thing. Every year your soil will only get better the more you plant!

Permaculture

This is often paired with farm animals so it can be more difficult to do if you do not have any. However, if you are able to have livestock this method is amazing as everything lives in a sort of symbiotic relationship. 

Everything you grow benefits from one another and in turn helps reduce your waste tremendously and thus, is far more sustainable!

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Hugelkulture 

This method is very interesting and cost-effective. It works well if you have really poor soil that you just do not feel comfortable using no-till. 

This method involves building raised beds and then filling the majority of them up with sticks and logs and then topping them with soil. This overtime will break down and feed your garden.

This helps save money because you won’t have to fill the entire bed with soil and won’t need to purchase most soil amendments once the sticks begin breaking down. It is also a very sustainable method since you are using items most people commonly discard. 

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Conclusion

Overall, many people do not think about the waste their garden may produce when they choose to do so. Developing a biodiverse and sustainable garden is important to the overall health of your plants. 

This can be mutually beneficial to both you and the environment around you. Sustainability does not have to be expensive either. 

Happy planting!