Tree spinach, also known as Chaya or Mayan Miracle plant is one of the most low-maintenance sources of continual leafy green vegetables you can grow in the tropics. If you’re looking for an easy plant to start on your homestead, plant some chaya. Growing Chaya...
You’ve started your homestead and finally, the first crops are coming in! If you are growing your own produce for the first time, this can be a pretty amazing feeling. However, if you’re living off-grid you may face challenges to how to preserve all of...
Edible vines are incredibly beneficial to any homestead: they take up less growing space in a garden because they grow vertically, and can be used as a natural screen – perhaps covering an unsightly shed that stores your rainwater tank. Also, as the name...
If you’ve planted several large trees around your homestead, you may have a shady patch begging for something to be done with it. While plants do need sunlight, there are plenty of edible plants to grow in the shade. Here are 10 edible plants to grow in the...
It seems like there are solar solutions for everything: water heaters, televisions, and even ovens. The question is though, how effective are the solar options – like a solar cooker – compared to traditional ovens? Basically – do solar cookers...
Today we are talking about toilets. Glamorous, no. Practical and essential? Yes. If you’re living off-grid, you’re going to need some sort of toilet solution. Here are my picks for the best off-grid toilet options that don’t smell, and some that...
When starting a garden, orchard, or fruit forest, you need to be aware of genetics. Yes, plant genetics matter. How a plant propagates plays a role in the quality and variety of fruit you’ll harvest later on. So, which fruits grow true to seed? Here in Hawaii,...
If you’re establishing a homestead in the tropics, then you may have discovered that some of the most popular greens (like lettuce or spinach) don’t do so well in the heat. However, if you take a look around and learn a bit about the traditional...
There are a lot of heat-tolerant edible plants that thrive here in the tropics, but after years of growing a lot of them, I found a few that I like the best. Heat-tolerant edible plants should be the priority foods for any tropical homestead. They will thrive in your...
There are some vegetables that thrive in temperate climates and need cooler weather to row best – like brussels sprouts and artichokes. But what about another cool-weather vegetable; asparagus? Can you grow asparagus in the tropics? While asparagus usually...
