Homestead Basics

The celery in my garden turned brown and rotted to the ground. What went wrong? (answer).

From The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Can I grow watermelons in western Illinois? (answer).

From The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

In honor of National Preparedness Month we are giving away our favorite and most popular Food Rotation System, the Harvest 72″. This giveaway is worth $459.99. You are eligible for up to 4 entries as outlined below. The giveaway ends on Septembe…

Can I root a coleus cutting in water? (answer).

From The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

I’m having trouble with earwigs in my garden. Should I spray them with something? (answer).

From The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Any suggestions on growing kiwis? (answer).

From The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

My rose leaves suddenly look as if somebody has burned them on the bottom. What causes this, and is there anything I can do? (answer).

From The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

How can I keep rabbits out of my garden? (answer).

From The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

If my household water is softened with salt, will it harm my garden? (answer).

From The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Can I use sawdust from plywood as mulch in my garden? (answer).

From The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Are cities generally warmer than the more rural areas near them? (answer).

From The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

I trimmed our forsythia after it bloomed, and it has since grown approximately one and a half feet. Can I trim the new growth and still get blooms next spring? (answer).

From The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

I have voles in my backyard. How can I get rid of them? (answer).

From The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

I planted a spruce tree three years ago. It is approximately three and a half feet tall. This year, the front part of the tree began losing its needles and is starting to turn brown. Is there anything I can do to bring the tree back to health? (answer).

From The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

I want to plant bulbs this fall, but rodents always manage to find them. How can I keep the critters away? (answer).

From The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Why are strawberries called strawberries? (answer).

From The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

How do I know when onions are ready for harvesting? (answer).

From The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

What is the best time to plant hollyhock seeds? (answer).

From The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Do earwigs get in one’s ears? (answer).

From The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Fossil fuel is wrecking the one earth we’ve got. Polite suggestions won’t get us anywhere.

Where do carrot seeds come from? (answer).

From The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Can I plant lettuce in fall to come up in spring? (answer).

From The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Can you suggest some fragrant foliage plants? (answer).

From The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Can I use peanut shells as mulch in my garden? (answer).

From The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

The Alta Wind Energy Center — with plans for thousands of acres of turbines to generate electricity for 600,000 Southern California homes — officially broke ground.