The Weekly Wire Hi friend, There’s a moment every spring when it feels like winter is finally behind us. A few warm days. The soil starts to soften. Your seedlings are growing well. And it’s incredibly tempting to start planting everything out at once. But this is where the last frost date quietly sneaks in. That “average last frost date” you see on charts isn’t a guarantee. It’s more like a guideline, a rough marker that tells you when the risk usually starts to fade. Some years it comes...
14 days ago • 1 min read
The Weekly Wire Hi friend, One day your seedlings look perfect. Tiny green leaves, standing tall, everything on track. The next morning, one of them is lying flat against the soil like it simply gave up overnight. If you’ve ever had that happen, you’ve likely run into something called dampening off. It’s one of the most common issues people face when starting seeds indoors, and it can feel incredibly discouraging when you don’t know what caused it. The tricky part is that dampening off often...
28 days ago • 1 min read
The Weekly Wire Hi friend, Last week we talked about preparing the right soil for container gardening and how starting with a good mix gives your plants a huge advantage from day one. This week, we move on to the moment that always feels a little magical. Seed starting. There’s something about planting a tiny seed and watching it push up through the soil that never really gets old. It’s quiet work, often done at the kitchen table or under grow lights in a spare corner, but it’s where the...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
The Weekly Wire What's happening around the homestead Hello Friend, Over the last couple of weeks we’ve been talking about soil. First about waiting until it’s ready… and then about giving it what it needs before planting. But what if you’re growing in containers? Containers play by slightly different rules. When you’re planting in garden beds, the soil ecosystem already exists. Earthworms, microbes, organic matter, years of life working underground. Containers start with a blank slate....
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
The Weekly Wire Hi friend, Last week we talked about something that’s easy to forget when spring fever hits… letting your soil decide when it’s ready to plant. Once your beds finally reach that sweet spot, crumbly instead of soggy and workable instead of cold, the next question becomes: What does your soil need before you plant? This step is easy to skip when you’re eager to get seeds in the ground. But a little attention now can make a big difference later in the season. Most garden beds...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
The Weekly Wire What's happening around the homestead Hi friend, This is the time of year when the temptation kicks in. The sun comes out for a few days, the air softens just a bit, and suddenly you’re ready to grab a shovel and start planting everything. I get it. I feel it too. I'm itching to get my onions and celery outside. But the truth is, your soil sets the pace. Not the calendar. Not the seed packet. Not your enthusiasm. Planting into soil that isn’t ready can undo weeks of careful...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
The Weekly Wire What's happening around the homestead Hi friend, Even if there’s still frost in the mornings or rain in the forecast, this is the season when gardens are born. Not in the soil.On paper. Now is the perfect time to start planning your garden. Sketch out your beds. Flip through seed catalogs. Make that hopeful list of everything you want to grow. There’s something quietly powerful about putting pen to paper and deciding what this year will look like. Not a complicated,...
2 months ago • 1 min read
The Weekly Wire What's happening around the homestead Hello Friend, It’s been one of those steady, satisfying weeks here on the homestead. The kind where you fall into bed tired in the best possible way with a few sore muscles. The garden space has been completely cleared at last. Every stump pulled. Only 1 tree left that won't be moved until next fall/winter. There’s something deeply satisfying about starting with a clean slate. I'll be posting a video on YouTube this next week to show how...
2 months ago • 1 min read
The Weekly Wire What's happening around the homestead Hello Friends, I wanted to pop into your inbox and let you know I’ve been busy over on the blog, and at the homestead, dirt under my nails and all. I’ve just published a few new posts on Wired Homestead that I think you’ll really enjoy, especially if you’re planning, planting, or simply daydreaming about your garden right now. Now is the time to start winter sowing. In my newests posts, learn what winter sowing is and how it can give you...
3 months ago • 1 min read
