Growin' Your Own

05/30/2026

I think my quail are happy!😄
They like to chill.
These are pics from all three levels. I have 13 birds total.
6 are grow outs.
My four hens laid 32 eggs in 9 days😊

05/26/2026

A single long planter 24 inches long and 8 inches deep can produce a continuous supply of fresh herbs, edible flowers, and salad ingredients from one sunny windowsill, table, or balcony rail.

This is the tabletop garden — the fastest-growing micro-gardening format in America in 2026. Google searches for "tabletop garden" just hit a 15-year high this spring.

The combination that maximises both beauty and productivity in one planter:

Nasturtiums at each end — trailing, vivid, completely edible flowers and leaves with a peppery flavour. They also repel aphids from the other plants.

Basil in the centre-left — the highest-value herb per square inch of space available.

Dwarf cherry tomato in the centre — choose Tumbling Tom or Tiny Tim — bred specifically for small containers. Produces continuously from June through October.

Spring onions on one side — ready in 3 weeks from seed, harvest cut-and-come-again.

Trailing thyme and oregano on the edges — drape beautifully, need almost no care, and provide kitchen herbs year-round. 🌿

05/23/2026

Store food all winter without electricity. Learn more here -> https://www.ecosnippets.com/self-sufficient-backyard/

05/23/2026

Good info!😀

Eggshell changes can tell you a lot about what’s happening in the flock.

Thin, rough, pale, or cracked shells are worth paying attention to.

05/21/2026

I'm growing out the two sex-link hens from the Quail Guy for a few more weeks on 30% before I add them the adult females. I'm also looking for a good roo out the seven for a breeder. They're living on the bottom floor in the bachelor pad. I was kinda shocked one crowed, they're only three weeks old.😆 But overall I have noticed the sex-link chicks seem calmer than my first run with regular jumbos. I plan on keeping four hens and a roo for eggs. I'll process the roos at 49 days for meat.

05/21/2026

I got my first jumbo eggs today at exactly 8 weeks😀
I'm so happy! However, one quail laid a yolk. 🫤
I'm separating my 4 hens to chose the two best layers to pair with my 2 sex-link hens.
God is good!

05/21/2026

Most people plant tomatoes upright. Professional growers plant them on their side — and the yield difference is significant.

This is called trench planting. It works because of a unique biological property that tomatoes share with almost no other vegetable: every node along the buried stem develops into roots. Lay a 12-inch tomato stem horizontally underground and within two weeks you have a root system three to four times larger than an upright-planted transplant.

A larger root system means the plant accesses more water during drought, reaches nutrients across a wider soil volume, and withstands heat and wind stress far better than a shallowly planted tomato.

How to do it:

Dig a trench 6 inches deep. Pinch off all leaves from the lower two-thirds of the stem. Lay the plant flat with only the top 4 to 6 inches of stem angled upward out of the soil. Cover the horizontal section completely and water thoroughly.

The tip turns upright within 24 to 48 hours, responding to light. New roots appear at every buried node within one week. 🍅

05/19/2026

My first 8-piece southern fried quail.
It was delicious!🤤

05/19/2026

If you want fresh herbs without a big setup, this is a lovely place to start 🌱 A simple glass of water can do more than you think.