Root Simple Redesign

November 5, 2012

Events

...me big improvements to our website. Roman Jaster, the designer of our book Making It (seen at the console in the picture above taking some last minute refinements from Mrs. Homegrown), is just about to pull the switch on the new design. We’re switching from Blogger to WordPress. Our new website design will feature: improved search functions an easier to navigate interface improved comment moderation better graphic design podcasts videos All of the...

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Fruit Tree Maintenance Calendars

Mr. Homegrown

December 19, 2013

Fruit Trees, Gardening

1 Comment

...est issues on fruit trees. The University of California has a very helpful page of fruit tree maintenance calendars for us backyard orchard enthusiasts. The calendars cover everything from when to water, fertilize, paint the trunks and many other tasks. You can also find them in one big handy set of charts in UC’s book The Home Orchard. The permaculturalist in me likes our low-maintenance pomegranate and prickly pear cactus. But I also like my app...

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Three California Natives that Double as Culinary Herbs

Mr. Homegrown

January 16, 2017

Gardening

5 Comments

...hbor has one that made it through our multi-year drought without a drop of water. When you grow it in a garden it’s best to prune it back every year to prevent it from getting rangy looking. You can use the cuttings as smudge sticks or dry them for use in the kitchen. White sage is over-harvested in the wild for the crystal shop smudge stick market which is another reason you should grow this one in your garden. Black sage (Salvia melifera) Our bl...

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How To Capture a Bee Swarm With Kirk Anderson

Mr. Homegrown

March 4, 2013

Animals, Bees

2 Comments

...To capture a swarm you: Spray the swarm with a mixture of white sugar and water–this keeps them busy cleaning themselves while you . . . Knock them in a nuc box (a cardboard box that holds five frames–get one at your local beekeeping supply shop). Take the nuc box home and let them settle in for a few weeks. Then you can transfer the frames to a permanent hive box. That’s just about it. Bees tend not to be aggressive when they swarm (they have no...

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Steal this Book!

Mr. Homegrown

May 28, 2008

Thoughtstylings

7 Comments

...or you can get an autographed copy from us over on the right side of this page. Tell your friends and family! Blog, twitter, friend, digg and yell! From the press release: The Urban Homestead is the essential handbook for a burgeoning new movement: urbanites are becoming farmers. By growing their own food and harnessing natural energy, city dwellers are reconnecting with their land while planting seeds for the future for our cities. Whether you’d...

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