Free Resources for Homesteaders & Gardeners
While our ancestors handed down the knowledge of how to grow, harvest and preserve foods from one generation to the next, the last several generations of people have lost those skills as grocery stores have replaced backyard gardens and we can purchase a tomato or cucumber, or even a tropical fruit like pineapple year round despite their inability to grow in the winter in much of the populated world. For homesteaders looking to raise animals for food sources, the same is true- what was once common knowledge and a part of everyday life for most people is now foreign and unknown to the masses. But luckily for us, the technological advances in our world have also made it easier for us to share this knowledge with each other and relearn many of those lost skills. Websites galore exist and are updated regularly that can teach you how to grow a bell pepper plant in a pot on your back porch regardless of where you live, or how to provide emergency medical care to a goat sick from bloat. Listed below you'll find some of my favorite free resources across the web that can help you grow along your journey to becoming more self sufficient and healthier.
Finding Your First and Last Frost Dates
Quite possibly the most important piece of information for any grower to know is the average first and last frost dates for your area. This information is going to dictate when it is safe to transplant seedlings from indoors to your outdoor garden and when you can direct sow other seeds. The first and last frost dates you will find online from any source will always be averages, as the weather varies from one year to the next, so keep in mind that these dates are not written in stone.
Knowing the last average frost date in Spring and first average frost date in Fall will guide you on when to watch the long-range forecast closely so you can determine when it is safest to move your tender seedlings to the garden. For many warm weather crops like tomatoes, you want to see temperatures staying at 50* or higher overnight. But keep in mind that the weather can be unpredictable, and a late Spring frost or early Fall frost is always possible, even after the long range forecast looks safe! It's always a good idea to have a way of protecting your outdoor plants from those erratic temperature swings in case your South Georgia garden were to see an overnight temperature of 35*F in the last week of April!
One very easy way to find your first and last average frost dates is to do a simple online search- type "first and last average frost dates" and either your city and state or zip code into your browser search bar. But I'm also sharing my favorite source of this information simply because it is explained so well and is a perfect jumping off spot to a wealth of other gardening information from trusted sources: The Old Farmer's Almanac.
Finding Your Plant Hardiness Zone
The plant hardiness zone, sometimes referred to as the growing zone, is something we are always told to look for as new growers or gardeners, but really this isn't nearly as important to new growers who are looking to start their first annual vegetable garden. So what's the point of having plant hardiness zones and knowing yours?
This piece of knowledge is much more relevant to perennial plants such as berry bushes, fruit trees (or any tree really), many vining fruits, most herbs and perennial or biennial vegetables such as artichokes, asparagus, rhubarb, sweet potatoes, celery, carrots, kale, and Swiss chard to name a few. These plants that live for multiple growing seasons all have a minimum temperature that they can withstand before the cold will kill them. Knowing your hardiness zone tells you what the coldest temperatures your area generally sees and helps you to determine which plants or which varieties can tolerate those coldest temperatures.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map is the standard by which gardeners and growers can determine which perennial plants are most likely to thrive at a location. The map is based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature, displayed as 10-degree F zones and 5-degree F half zones. You can follow this link to take you to the map, and then enter your zip code in the search bar at the top of the map to find your hardiness zone: 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map