How to get rid of Morning Glory aka Bindweed

There is nothing glorious about morning glory. In this video, I will show you how to get rid of Morning Glory, also known as Bindweed. That vile hateful weed that is the bane of gardens and lawns everywhere.

Morning glory is called Bindweed because it wraps its tentacles around other plants and chokes them out, stealing their water and nutrients. If you see this sold as packets in the garden center, do not buy it. It's a trap!

The best way to get rid of bindweed is to go to your local farm store, or some garden centers and get the product 2,4-D. It is a great weed killer that is deadly to all broad-leaf plants including morning glory and dandelions.

What 2,4-D does is inhibit the protein in the plants that tell it to stop growing and to start setting seed.

So the way you use it is to spray on the 2,4-D and then after it dries, you water your lawn/garden as normal. Yes, that's right. You want the morning glory to grow. Because, it will grow and grow until it burns its roots right out, and eventually it will die. If you do not water it, then it will possibly go dormant, and then you will have the problem next year.

Watch the above video to see how we get rid of morning glory on the backyard farm.

Staking and Pruning Tomatoes

Taking proper care of your tomatoes is essential to having a great harvest. By taking  good care of your tomatoes you can greatly increase the amount of fruit you get.

The first tep is to make sure your plant gets plenty of air. You do this by stringing it up in rows. Do not use the metal tomato cages ad they just compact the tomato and don't let it grow very well. The best way is to put metal posts in the row every eight feet or so. Then get some good string, or better yet, baling twine and weave it in and out between the plants. See the video to the left for a better demonstration on how to do this.

To prune your plants you need to realize that a tomato plant wants to grow large and fast, but if you don't keep the growth in check, you  will have a beautiful green tomato plant with few tomatoes.

So what you want to do is look in your plant and when you see a "V" where the two stems shoot off from each other, you want to pinch off any part of the plant that is growing there. This way you will encourage your tomato plant to set fruit rather than set foliage. Watch the video above for a better visual on how to do this.

How to plant raspberries on the urban homestead

How to plant raspberries is one of the most common questions that people ask when looking to increase the production on the urban homestead. Here is a video I created that will help clear up some of the confusion.

Basically, you soak your bare root plants in water and a rooting agent for at least two hours.

Then plant your raspberries in good fertile ground. Using a soaker hose or drip irrigation, water your starts overnight for the first week, to allow them to develop roots and grow.

Then water every couple of days until new growth appears. Before long, your raspberries will be bursting with fruit, and you will be enjoying the fruits of your labor.

Secrets of the Salmon Bake. Best Salmon recipe ever!

Here is my how-to on doing a Salmon Bake. Which is the best method to cook salmon. We used to do this every year for hundreds of people. This was taught to me by my Dad who learned it decades ago in Alaska.

Best Salmon Recipe - Secrets of the Salmon Bake

Ingredients:

Whole or halved Salmon
1/2 Stick butter
1/2 Lemon
1 Tbsp Sea Salt (Kosher works too)
Fresh Ground Pepper

Make a large sheet of foil, by taking two layers tin foil of equal length. Place one on top of the other, and then fold one long edge three or four times. Open the two halves, and place salmon on seam.

Squeeze lemon all over the salmon. slice the butter and put on salmon. Sprinkle salt and pepper.

Bring edges up and seal together like the previous edge. until it is tight on the salmon. Fold up the ends to make an air tight seal.

Allow to marinate in fridge for at least one hour up to a day.

When ready to cook prepare a bed of hot charcoal. When white and ashy, place salmon on top and let cook for about 15-20 minutes. Carefully flip salmon over and cook on other side for an additional 10-20 minutes depending on thickness.

Enjoy!

Homemade DIY Chicken Waterer - Urban Homestead - Backyard Chickens

You can watch my newest YouTube video here, on building a Homemade DIY Chicken Waterer for your Urban Homestead or backyard farm for your backyard chickens.

Get a backup pair of glasses before it is too late!

There is an old preparedness adage that says "One is none, and Two is One." Being prepared means you have at least one back up, and preferably two or more just in case.

If you don't have at least one extra pair of glasses in your 72 hour kit, or somewhere safe, then you could be in for some trouble if you lose your only pair in an earthquake, evacuation or other emergency. But luckily The Glasses Shop is having a great sale. They have several prescription glasses and frames that are only $1, and shipping starts at $5.95.

Just go to the Glasses Shop choose your glasses type in your prescription (you need to get this from your optometrist) and apply the code "OneDollar" at checkout, and you can get these for a great price. But hurry, as this price will not last long.

If that is too rich for your blood, you can head over to Coastal.com and get your first pair of glasses FREE! by using the code: FIRSTPAIRFREE at checkout.

If you would like more frames to choose from, you can try Zenni Optical, which I have used with great success. They have over 200 glasses starting from $6.95.

Yes, these are cheap, but they are for an emergency, not a fashion statement, so go get an extra pair. You never know when you may need it.

Harvest Time

It's that time of the year again, when the days start getting shorter, and the fruits (and vegetables) of your labor finish ripening and are ready to harvest. Part of living providently and being self-sufficient is keeping food on the table throughout the winter and spring. There is no better way to do this than to can your food so you can enjoy it all throughout the year. It is a great source of comfort to see all the beautiful jars of fruits and vegetables lining your shelves, knowing that you will have food in times of want.

Even if you have never canned before, you will find it is easy and cheap. Here is a list of some great websites compiled by The Kitchn Blog that will give you  the information and recipes you need, and get you going on the right foot:

1) National Center for Home Food Preservation is a wonderful first resource as it's exhaustive in its coverage of so many elements of preservation (freezing, fermenting, drying, pickling, and storing). They offer a list of publications and fact sheets on canning along with an informative FAQ and Links page. If you're looking for sensuous photos, you won't find that here. But rock-solid canning information and inspiration to get started? Yes, indeed.
2) Food in Jars is one of the first canning blogs I started reading because they don't just focus on recipes. You'll find everything from book reviews to profiles of great canners to "Canning 101" posts that deal with a lot of preservation basics. And when you are just seeking out a wonderful recipe, Food in Jars delves far beyond the expected with recipes including Honey-Sweetend Skillet Stonefruit Jam and Yellow Tomato and Basil Jam.

3) Punk Domestics is unique in that you can contribute content and recipes! Once you register with the site, you can submit recipes that you've come to love. They also have a searchable "Topics" list so you can learn more about specific elements of canning you're curious about (pickling, home brewing, cheese making). Since September is National Honey Month, Punk Domestics is featuring a great line-up of recipes for honey and using honey.
4) Canning Across America (CAA) is put together by a group of chefs, gardeners, and food lovers who enjoy canning and putting up food the old-fashioned way. In their words, "our goal is to promote safe food preservation and the joys of community building through food." They feature events on the site that are region specific or open to anyone nation-wide and a wide range of recipes split into the categories "Fruit" and "Vegetable." I think the true strength of this website is its resources page, with information on books, blogs, and videos that deal with canning. Oh, and songs to can to!
5) Well Preserved is a website devoted to food, cooking, and design with a definite focus on preserving. The element that I admire about this site is they don't just deal with making jam or simple canning; this duo sets out to tackle dehydrating watermelons . Informative, well-designed, and approachable.