Tips to Homesteading

Winter is in full swing!

As winter marches on and on and temperatures drop deep this season, we hope to keep the tips coming to keep your homestead humming!

Around the Home – Check Foundations:
Rake away all debris and edible vegetation from the foundation of your home.
Seal up entry points to keep small animals from crawling under the house.
Tuck-point or seal foundation cracks. Mice can slip through space as thin as a dime.
Inspect sill plates for dry rot or pest infestation.
Secure crawlspace entrances.

Around the Garden – Time to Mulch:
Apply winter mulch to perennials where winter temperatures generally fall below minus 10 degrees F.
Simply lay lightweight cover of organic mulch, such as shredded autumn leaves, pine needles or straw, over beds to protect plants from winter’s extremes.
Avoid more compact mulches and whole leaves (which can mat), since they can suffocate plants. This leaves slimy ground and is not a good cover.

For the Animals – Extra Comfort:
Lay down extra bedding so that animals can rest in warmth and comfort.
Straw, tree bark or wood shavings provide a soft surface to sleep on as well as additional insulation.
Don’t use rugs or rags–they can absorb liquids and freeze. Those are not comfortable when wet!

So….now that you’ve braved the weather to check around the homestead…go grab some hot cocoa and snuggle by that fireplace! Take care of yourself too!

Best Blessings!
The Millers

Donna Miller is an author, teacher and entrepreneur. Her favorite roles are that of wife and mother to three home-school graduates. The Millers own and operate Millers Grain House which offers Chemical Free and Organic Grains, Grain Mills, Bread Machines, Grain buckets, Bosch Mixers, the NutriMill, instructional tutorials, recipes and more.

Technorati Tags: animals, garden, home, homestead, house, mulch, vegetation, warm, winter

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

The animals need tending, the fence is down and it is a high of 18 degrees today! What is a homesteader to do?

Stay warm.

Sound’s stupid or simple as far as advice goes, but the tip is just to not ignore the need to stay warm.

Tips on HOW to stay warm are….

• Wear layers! Lots of layers!
• Double up the socks. If you don’t have water proof shoes wear grocery bags between sock layers.
• Cover your head and neck. Hats and scarves are a must!
• Good weather-proof gloves are important. These are worth the investment.
• Timing is everything. Go out mid-day if possible and in dry weather if possible to tend to outdoor chores.
• Go in short stints rather than long haul.
• Learn the signs of frost bite.
• Rest. Working in the cold weather can really take a lot out of you physically, so rest.

Now, don’t ignore the most important ‘tool’ you have on the homestead – YOU!

Until next time – Best Blessings!

The Millers

Donna Miller is an author, teacher and entrepreneur. Her favorite roles are that of wife and mother to three home-school graduates. The Millers own and operate Millers Grain House which offers Organic and Chemical-free Whole Grains, Bosch Mixers, the NutriMill, instructional tutorials, recipes and more.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

In this Wednesday’s Winterizing Tips to Homesteading we will go up, under and around to keep the winter chill at bay!

For the home, go up and Inspect Roof, Gutters and Downspouts!

• If your weather temperature will fall below 32 degrees in the winter, adding extra insulation to the attic will prevent warm air from settling inside through your roof. If you have ceiling vents, this will decrease the cold draft coming in from them as well.
• Replace worn roof shingles or tiles to avoid icy build up.
• Clean out the gutters and use a hose to spray water down the downspouts to clear away leaves and debris. If it is rainy and the debris holds water, gutters will get heavy and potentially damaged with ice.
• Consider installing leaf guards on the gutters and extensions on the downspouts to direct water away from the home to avoid icy build up close to doors and pathways.

Around the Garden, it’s time to go underground!

• Dig up any tender bulbs. Cannas, tuberous begonias, gladiolus, dahlias and most other summer-blooming bulbs don’t survive winters in USDA Zone 9 or colder. Store freshly dug up bulbs in vermiculite in a paper bag in a cool (65 degrees F  or cooler), dry spot.

For the Animals and Livestock protection is just around the corner.

• Add at least one solid wall around the pen if there isn’t one already. This will provide a wind break. Ideally one wall should be on the north side to block the bitterest wind.

 Now go inside and Warm UP!!!

.

Best Blessings!

The Millers

Donna Miller is an author, teacher and entrepreneur. Her favorite roles are that of wife and mother to three home-school graduates. The Millers own and operate Millers Grain House which offers Chemical Free and Organic Grains, Grain Mills, Bread Machines, Grain buckets, Bosch Mixers, the NutriMill, instructional tutorials, recipes and more.

.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

This Wednesday’s Winterizing Tips cover fireplaces, flowers and feed. 

Clean and cozy!

Around the home, check your fireplace and set up:

• Cap or screen the top of the chimney to keep out rodents and birds.
• If the chimney hasn’t been cleaned for a while, call a chimney sweep to remove soot and creosote.
• Store firewood in a dry place away from the exterior of your home.
• Inspect the fireplace damper for proper opening and closing.
• Check the mortar between bricks and tuck-point, if necessary

Around the yard, flowerbeds and perennials need tending:

• Pull up any annual flowers or vegetables felled by frost. Dispose of these in the compost heap; if you suspect disease, throw them in the garbage.
• Cut back almost to the ground any perennials whose foliage has become unsightly. The seed heads and dried foliage of some perennials add interest during the winter months, while others just look plain old messy.
• Weed. This action prevents weeds from getting a head start next spring, saving you work in the long run. If they are hardy enough to last through the first frost, they will be big pests if left alone until spring.

For the Animals, Winterizing Feed is important

• Feed your animals more than usual in the winter. Animals exposed to harsh winter weather need extra calories and body fat for warmth.
• Make sure the storage of the feed is good and there is no condensation or icy build-up.
• Check on the water trough every day. The water supply should be designed in a way that prevents freezing in the line, which could cut off the animals’ access to water. Hydration is very important to all live creatures in the winter. Us too!

Donna Miller is an author, teacher and entrepreneur. Her favorite roles are that of wife and mother to three home-school graduates. The Millers own and operate Millers Grain House which offers Chemical Free and Organic Grains, Grain Mills, Bread Machines, Grain buckets, Bosch Mixers, the NutriMill, instructional tutorials, recipes and more.

Technorati Tags: feed, fireplace, flower, homestead, winter, winterize

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

More tips to winterize around your homestead…

Inside the home:
Specific to your Furnace…

• Call an HVAC professional to inspect your furnace and clean ducts.
  Stock up on furnace filters and change them monthly.
  Consider switching out your thermostat for a programmable thermostat.
  Remove all flammable material from the area surrounding your furnace.

Outside the home:

• Trim trees if branches hang too close to the house or electrical wires.
  Ask a gardener when your trees should be pruned to prevent winter injury.
  Plant spring flower bulbs and lift bulbs that cannot winter over such as dahlias in areas where the ground freezes.
  Seal driveways, brick patios and wood decks.
  Don’t automatically remove dead vegetation from gardens, as some provide attractive scenery in an otherwise dreary, snow-drenched yard.
  Move sensitive potted plants indoors or to a sheltered area.

In the Garden:

• It’s time to rake leaves and dispose of them, preferably in a compost heap. Failing to rake leaves can result in a dying or diseased lawn and garden.

For the Animals:

• Clean the floor of the pen daily or design it in such a way that it drains properly.
  Consider using translucent fiberglass roofing to allow maximum heat retention, if your budget allows.

Until next tip –
Best Blessings!
The Millers

Donna Miller is an author, teacher and entrepreneur. Her favorite roles are that of wife and mother to three home-school graduates. The Millers own and operate Millers Grain House which offers Chemical Free and Organic Grains, Grain Mills, Bread Machines, Grain buckets, Bosch Mixers, the NutriMill, instructional tutorials, recipes and more.

Technorati Tags: animals, furnace, garden, homestead, indoors, livestock, outdoors, plans, winter, winterize

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!