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.
Improving soil with chicken litter is an organic method for feeding your garden and a way to use your used livestock bedding. One of the perks of homesteading is that you can use waste from one area to enhance or grow another area. We are excited to have Erica of Living Life in Rural Iowa …
Wondering where to get heirloom, organic, non-GMO seeds? At Rootsy, we’re sharing our favorite seed companies, their catalogs, and why we like them. Like many gardeners, I have a seed issue….I’m somewhat addicted to seed catalogs, saving seeds, collecting seeds, reading about seeds, dreaming about seeds, and ultimately planting seeds. Over the years I’ve developed …
Adorable baby bunnies and fluffy little chicks can sure be tempting. It may seem like a good idea to bring them home as the perfect present for an Easter basket. Here are 5 things to think about before giving a bunny as a gift. This is a Guest Post from Kathryn Robles of Farming My …
Raising backyard chickens for beginners. We asked The Rootsy Community what they thought a beginner needs to know to be successful. We call it CSA, Community Supported Answers! The Rootsy Community is awesome! This month’s Community Supported Answer (CSA) is about backyard chickens. We know it can seem overwhelming when you are just getting started …
A yearly garden journal is one of the most effective tools any gardener can keep. Properly maintained a garden diary, keeps track of frost dates, harvests, weather patterns and more that are unique to each garden and help with planning and improvement year after year. A beginning gardener tends to experiment a lot as they …
Learn what all beginner beekeepers need to know before getting bees. How to set up the apiary, what beekeeping supplies are needed, and other beekeeping questions are answered in this beekeeping 101 guide. Keeping bees is one of the most beneficial things you can do for your garden and yet many people are intimidated by …
Making money from the homestead is possible and raising chickens for eggs can be a good stream of income. Learn how to raise chickens for eggs, what are the best chickens for eggs, how to find customers for your egg farm, and much more in this egg selling guide. Updated by Rootsy, August 2020 By …
Looking for a way to make additional money on the homestead? Growing mushrooms for profit may be the answer. Start with one of these four reliable varieties and explore the possibilities. Most of us know the basic principles behind growing vegetables. A little soil, light and water and most people can convince a tomato plant …
As backyard chicken keepers, we all daydream of our ideal chicken setup. An acreage with plenty of space for the flock to free-range (and it is predator-free). A variety of chicken breeds so the egg basket will display a natural rainbow of colors. And for the comfort of the flock, a palatial chicken coop with …
Gardening can be an expensive hobby, fun, but expensive. If you hope to raise enough food for your family it can be difficult to find space suitable for growing large quantities of vegetables. Use these ideas to turn your upcycle items into garden pots. You’ll be surprised how much can be grown if you think …