Welcome to The Backyard at Rootsy—your go-to hub for organic gardening wisdom, DIY know-how, and simple-living inspiration. Whether you’re seeking guidance on compost and seed-saving, planning cooler-season tasks, or looking to nourish your garden through natural soil-building ideas, our gardening archives offer time-tested tips and creative strategies.
Explore thoughtful articles on everything from germinating seeds on paper towels to ripening green pumpkins, all tailored to help you cultivate a thriving, eco-conscious garden. By blending practical techniques with frugal, sustainable living principles, we empower homesteaders and backyard gardeners to grow with confidence and joy.
Have you ever wondered how people in Alaska or northern Canada garden? Isn’t it cold all the time? Not quite! A cold climate garden is very possible and very rewarding. Gardeners in Zones 1, 2, 3, and 4 have all learned how to work with their climate and soil. They know how to make the …
Raising chickens, whether egg layers or meat chickens, can be a challenge at times. Predators, sick animals, cleaning out the coops, or even just being home for feeding times can make life tough which is why you need solid chicken coop plans. Add freezing weather and snow to that mix and you get a whole …
Do you think fall gardening is too much work? It doesn’t have to be. Learn how to grow food for your family in the fall in any gardening zone. Let’s be honest, fall and winter gardening can be tough. When you need to plant your fall garden, you’re probably knee deep in harvesting and putting …
Selecting seeds for your fall garden is the first step to a successful year-round garden. The growing season need not end with the Autumn harvest! With careful planning and succession sowing, a bountiful fall garden can extend harvests into winter, and planting of overwintering varieties will give you a jump start on fresh produce in the …
Raising your own vegetables for fresh home produce is a goal that every self-reliant gardener strives to achieve. You’ll have success with vegetables for the home garden when you follow these simple rules. Once you sit down with the plethora of seed catalogs received every spring, you realize that the possibilities for growing healthy food in …
Cover crops are an easy way to suppress weeds, build soil and attract beneficial insects. Learn how to grow buckwheat, Austrian peas, rye, oats, and hairy vetch to cover bare soil and use as green manure. There are times in the gardening year when the ground is bare, and the ground doesn’t like to be …
Raising your own meat birds is a wonderful way to provide some of your own food. You will also ensure that your food is raised in the manner that you see fit and is handled properly. Getting started with them can seem somewhat overwhelming but it doesn’t have to be. We are happy to have …
Even careful gardeners know that unwanted weeds will creep into their garden. It can be a challenge to control them in an environmentally safe way. How do you control weeds in the garden? This month The Rootsy Community comes together to bring their best ideas to the table. We call it CSA, Community Supported Answers! Leave …
Gardens are an amazing place. They can also be a frustrating and mysterious place. There is so much to learn and practice. Thankfully there are some great gardening books that we can carry out there with us to guide the journey. There are no shortage of gardening books and everyone has a favorite (or several). …
There is no one style of rabbit housing that is suitable for all situations, but there are certain basic rabbit housing needs that should be met regardless of the type of housing used. Raising rabbits can be a rewarding experience and one that can provide many hours of enjoyment for you and your family. Rabbits …