Getting Off The Grid - Sowing Seeds And A Week On The Homestead

Have you ever wondered when the garden centers bought their tomato plants from a greenhouse so that in April you can buy them? Some are small and some are in huge pots and already have baby green tomatoes.

I know the answer! Well, for the people here in Alabama - zone 7.

Now! Yes right now the greenhouses sow the seed so that everyone who buys plants will have them, ready and waiting to go in the garden. Before this homestead I never thought about it, then I decided to try this out myself.

The first time I sowed my own tomato seed I had nice lush plants when April came around, I planted them in my flower beds by the deck, I had six plants. For the garden I needed twenty five plants so I bought those from the local garden center. The results were astonishing! I got more tomatoes off my six tomato plants than I did from all twenty five of the store bought ones planted in the garden, plus mine were still producing when the freeze came, the garden plants were dead, long gone and plowed under.

I am still to this day not sure why my tomatoes did so much better.

BUT......

Last year I decided to get an extra month, so I planted a batch in December. They grew tall and loved being inside the house, even had a few tomatoes because I pollinated them but they were weak when I got them outside into the garden they did not do well.

So, going with what I know, I sowed one batch of beef steak tomato seed on January 20th. and on the 27th. they were busting through the dirt so I have babies.

I am actually waiting on the seed to arrive by mail for the big boy tomatoes, I will sow those as soon as possible. I like a variety of tomatoes.

Homestead Progress

 How was my week? Here is how far I have gotten on getting this homestead a working and money making place. 

Embrace the seasons, whether its warm and sunny or cold and windy. There is always work on the homestead and if you think about it you can always do something, even if you feel its something small, you are still moving toward your goal.

Sunday it was cold outside but there was still sunshine, after working a couple hours you really are not cold anymore. I cut down a pine tree, then cleaned the branches off, I will use the tree. I cut down more small bushes and toted them down to the pile to be burned later in the winter, after they dry. I got my first blister of the year and popped it while working.

Monday it was still cool but the temps getting a little warmer, I raked up all the chopped up blackberry bushes and leaves, cleaning the ground. I began to clean another smaller area where I have windows and the grass and blackberry vines were grown up.

Tuesday was nice outside but slightly windy so I waited for the wind to calm down since I had planned to burn the huge pile of dead, dried blackberry bushes. I had to go into town and I spotted new seed. I bought beets and eggplant seed. When I got back home just about dark the winds were calm and I burned the pile, with a water hose on near.

Wednesday - Rain a few sprinkles in the morning and then the bottom fell out, rain had set in so I took this as a day off. I actually slept and rested my body.

Thursday the rain was gone but left me with a soaked and flooded in spots homestead. Now where many would be down in the dumps about this I was not, I was actually thrilled. I could see where the water had pooled, I could see the higher areas not really seen with the naked eye. I could see the homestead in the future. The cold came in and knocked the temperature back to 45 degrees, I did about an hour of clipping down another section of the dead blackberry bushes and than I went to work for the rest of the day.

Friday - No matter what the temps were I had sunshine, so I went out and got started  in the area I am clearing I clipped using the loppers and I started me another pile, small pile of dead to burn. This area is the hardest because it has dead vines also, while I did not work but a couple hours I got something accomplished.

Saturday was a little warmer and I got the saw back out, I had this pine down but the small branches had to come off, I cleaned it and moved it out with the others to be used. I cut the lower branches off another small pine so I could clean the vines and blackberry bushes away so I can cut it down. I got another small area cut back but this area has some live blackberry bushes and they were brutal, I got slapped back and it got my hand, leaving a few thorns and a lot of blood. I got my revenge! I chopped it and raked it to the burn pile.

Sunday the temps were back up around 60 degrees. I did not work on the area I am clearing instead I worked all around the homestead. Seems there is trash no matter what I do, in the woods too. I got up a couple black bags of just plain old trash! I said out loud " How did this trash get here? I don`t remember throwing this stuff on the ground." I also put the water hose up, filled the dogs self feeding bin and straightened the shed, very little but some is better than nothing.

Do I see a difference? Heck yeah!

Each tree down, each section raked I see this becoming a money making homestead, with a variety of goods and not just what I can provide in the online store, Sunshine`s Homestead Creations.

How was your pasted week on your homestead? 

By Andria Perry

Photos By Andria Perry