Home Garden - Food Forest
A collection of stories from our urban homestead in Portland Oregon.
Our Home Garden Food Forest Stories
Tools
Tools for an Urban Homestead Urban homesteads can get a lot done with a few select hand tools. My essential tool shortlist includes a shovel, wheelbarrow, hoe, and pitchfork. There are lots of additional specialized tools that make one specific job easier. However,...
Compost
Compost for Backyard Gardeners Compost is the most important amendment to an organic garden. Urban homesteaders can make their own compost or buy it by the yard. While buying may be a necessity at the start of building new garden beds. Over time it is wise to...
Gardening without Land Access
Gardening without Land Access Gardening without land is very doable. With this in mind, patios and balcony's are great places to garden. Specifically residing in a condo or apartments does not mean you can not have a viable garden space. Using containers for...
Planting Fruit Trees
Planting Fruit Trees for a Backyard Orchard Planting fruit trees for an urban homestead orchard is rewarding. A fruit tree takes several years to begin bearing fruit. However, once established it provides an abundance of delicious food year after year. As a result,...
Mulching
Mulching Options for Urban Homesteaders Mulching fruit trees, shrubs, and garden beds serve several purposes. First, it protects the bare soil from the sun drying it out quickly. This keeps the moisture in and maximizes all of your watering efforts. Second, mulch...
Building Garden Beds
Building Garden Beds in the Backyard The drive to create a sustainable urban homestead is often centered on the desire to build a beautiful place with garden beds. Consequently, the vegetable garden is often the first step towards self-reliance that individuals focus...
In-Ground Garden Beds
Building Garden Beds: In-Ground Garden Beds Building in-ground garden beds are as simple as it gets when setting up your urban homestead garden. Due to this fact, there is no reason to wait to gather the resources and time for wooden raised beds. This is especially...
Trellising Marionberry Vines
A simple system for trellising our marionberry vines to keep them off the ground to avoid plants rooting in the ground. Marionberries grow on second-year vines. It is important to remove the previous vines and manage the growth for the production of future fruit. A little management goes a long way for fruit production.
Propogating Marionberry Plants
Marionberry plants are super simple to propagate, even a toddler can help out.