After many years of gardening, there are a few vegetable garden problems that I have come to expect or look out for which if caught early can be easily treated if not prevented all together.

This article will illustrate 5 common vegetable problems that you could face this year and how to properly treat them.

1. Powdery Mildew

Powdery mildew spreads by fungus spores being transmitted and carried through the air where it will then settle onto other plants. You can identify powdery mildew because the fungus gives the appearance that plants have been dusted with flour.  The white mildew sits on top of the plant leaves. In addition, once damage sets in, the leaves will start to turn yellow.

In order to treat, you can either use an organic fungalcide which can be found at local garden centers, or you can make a DIY version.  The DIY bicarbonate solution is easy to make and only takes four common ingredients: baking soda, vegetable oil, dish soap, and water.  This DIY recipe was taken from MIgardener with a few adjustments to make a smaller batch for my needs.

Mix 1 teaspoon baking soda in 1 quart of water.

Add 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil to help it stick to the leaves

Add 1-2 drops of dish soap.

Mix together and add to a spray bottle.

Spray infected plant, thoughroughly coating the leaves.

This is a great job for kids! Kids love spray bottles and because this such a safe formula, I usually just whip up a batch and let my kids go at it.

Cabbage worms is a blanket term for several different types of caterpillars/worms that are attracted to brassicas.  Cabbage worms and cabbage loopers typically refer to diamondback moth larvae and zebra caterpillars. The first indication that you have a cabbage worm problem is the appearance of small holes in the leaves.

The best way to deal with cabbage worms is to prevent it all together.  This can be achieved in several ways:

1) Utilize row cover over your broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, etc.  These plants do not need pollination so covering them to avoid the moths laying their eggs to start, is a really great option.

2) After watering, sprinkle cornmeal onto the infested plants.  The worms will eat the cornmeal and die.

3) Use a store bought pesticide like Bt or Sevin.

For more information about battling cabbage worms, check out the very helpful article: The Old Farmer’s Almanac – Cabbage Worm Treatment

3. Leggy Plants

When a plant becomes “leggy” it refers to the plants growth.  Typically a leggy plant will have grown tall and have large spaces between leaf sets.  Initially it may look healthy because it has experienced rapid growth, but it is actually a sign that something in the care is lacking.

The majority of the time a plant will become leggy with it is not getting enough sunlight.  This forces the plant to reach in a direction to get the sunlight it needs. An easy way to treat and prevent this is to ensure that the plant is recieving enough direct sunlight. Move the plant to a sunnier spot in the garden or window sill.

Another possible cause of legginess is that the plant has been planted in soil which is too hign in nitrogen.  Nitrogen high enviornment can over promote leaf and greenry growth of the plant.  This will cause the plant to have increased growth of the greenery before the roots have had a chance to really be established, resulting in a leggy plant.

For new plants, make sure you are planting in soil sufficient with potassium, or upon observance of legginess, add potassium to the soil.

Another great treatment to legginess is proper pruning.  I experience this with my mint and basil almost every year.  The plant becomes leggy but after a good, proper pruning, the plant will fill out and start developing a more bushy apperance.

4. Blossom End Rot

Blossom end rot results in a fruit forming but due to some reason, the plant is unable to continue the growth of the fruit and it starts to rot on the blossom end.  The fruit will stop growing and will turn yellow, brown, or black and begin to rot.

There are two common causes of blossom end rot:

1) Calcium deficiency in the soil

2) Inconsistent watering (Check out this helpful article on how to water properly)

Both of these can be treated but are also easily prevented.

In my experience, blossom end rot occurs because I do not water consistently.  In past years, I may not water for a few days and then blast the plants with a large dose of water or a large rainstorm will come through.  The easiest way to prevent this is to water frequently and consistently.

If a calcium deficiency is the cause of the blossom end rot, you can add calcium tablets and egg shells to the soil or add a calcium rich fertilizer either prior to planting in the spring or once you notice the issue.

You do not want to eat fruit that have blossom end rot but many times, it will only be a portion of the fruit that is produced, not every one.

5. Bacterial Leaf Spots

Many times bacterial in the soil is splashed onto the leaves of the plant during watering.

Bacterial leaf spot causes black or brown spotting on the leaves and will eventually cause yellowing.

If caught early, a copper fungicide is a great treatment for killing the bacteria, however prevention is the best way to combat it.

I have come to realize after several years of gardening that I can expect certain issues to arise.  Learning what problems you are most likely to face only comes from experience.

This best advice for a new gardener is to take plenty of notes on the problems that you may face so that you can learn to properly treat it and then work on methods to prevent it for the next year.

Eventually you will gain plenty of knowledge on the topic of vegetable garden problems and issues that you can be one step ahead of them.

While dealing with these types of issues can be frustrating and dissapointing, the energy put into growing a garden that produces fresh food for your family is well worth it.

It is funny to be how some people believe that homesteading requires you to buy a farm, move to the mountains of Tennessee and live off the grid.  While that is one form of homesteading, and sounds pretty awesome to me, this is not what homesteading looks like for many people.  In fact, there are so many motivating factors and reasons to start homesteading, they really are different for each person.

The awesome thing about homesteading is that you can incorporate practices of homesteading  to whatever degree you want to.  Homesteading is not all or nothing.  You can live a busy life and still take time to start living a more simple life.

What Homesteading Looks Like to Us

We consider homesteading to refer to a lifestyle where we incorporate time honored practices and skills into our daily lives in an effort to marry simple living with modern advances.  We are not planning on going all in and moving to a remote ranch with no electricity.  Instead, we are working to be self-sufficient in several areas of our lives.

For one, we are working to garden and preserve our own vegetables.  We have been growing vegetable gardens for a few years now and will hopefully increase our output to producing the majority of our own vegetables.  We would eat fresh and preserve the rest for use throughout the year.

Another area is learning self-sufficient skills so that we can do many of the jobs that we would otherwise pay someone else to do.

A common misperception of homesteading is that you need a large farm, tons of land, and plenty of free time to homestead.  This is completely not true!

There is a growing movement of people embracing urban homesteading, which means homesteading in apartments or with very small amount of land.

It is amazing what you can do and grow on a 1/10 acre lot!

Don’t get me wrong, there are many aspects of homesteading that are not easy and are time consuming but this doesn’t not mean that a busy mom who works full time can’t start homesteading.

With a little planning and organizing, you can start homesteading easily.

Why would you want to homestead?

The reasons are actually endless, there are SO many awesome benefits to homesteading and learning the skills that go with it.  Read on for more reasons to start homesteading today!

1) Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs

Obviously, being able to walk outside and pick your own vegetables is a huge benefit to homesteading.  Gardening can be hard work but it is probably easier than you think.

Growing your vegetables not only brings healty eating practices to your family but knowing where your vegetables are grown and how they were grown is so important for awareness and health.

Knowing what chemicals were used on them is important.  Also growing your own vegetables is extremely satisfying.

Imagine growing your own tomatoes, being able to enjoy them during the summer while they are fresh and then preserving them to use in sauces or dishes through out the year.  Being able to feed your family by growing your own food means you will always be able to provide for them because you have this skill and knowledge.

2) Teaches your Kids Important Values

Homesteading has SO many benefits for children. This is the main reason we decided to start homesteading.  We have two small boys and it is our goal and responsibility to make sure that we mold them into confident, responsible, and knowledgeable humans.  For us, we really believe this can be done through homesteading.

Homesteading teaching kids so many values and life lessons. I have a hard time thinking of any other project or lifestyle that will help shape all of these interpersonal skills like homesteading can.

The awareness of where your food comes from and how it is processed also encourages gratitude.  Being able to work on a project with such a satisfying outcome as feeding your family helps build confidence and resourcefulness.

One of my previous articles discussed some awesome reasons to garden with your children, the benefits really are endless: insert article link: 17 Essential Reasons to Teach your Children How to Garden

3) Make your Own Home and Personal Products

Eliminating harsh chemicals and replacing them will all-natural, simple ingredients by making your own products is surprisingly simple! 

By making your own home products you can not only save a lot of money but you also know exactly what you are making and using in your home.

You can make all-natural alternatives to cleaning products, cosmetics, personal care, pest control, weed killer, laundry detergents, anything you buy at the store!

When I used to clean, I use to want to use harsh chemicals.  Really get in there and make sure the bathroom is scrubbed and super clean.  However, since  transitioning to more homemade products, I am finding that they are just as good and effective!

4) Save Money and Live Frugally

Saving money is also a large motivator for us.  While the cost to homestead is initially more than we expected, we needed to do some work to our yard and property, in the end the ability to produce our own food should save us a good amount of money each year.

Making your own products is also a great way to save money. While the initial cost of purchasing raw ingredients will be a little expense, the amount of cleaners and products you can make with it far outweighs the initial investment.

Living simply also encourages a frugal mindset that will transfer to all areas of your household operations.  Reusing, repurposing, and creating your own products will save you money and will encourage a lifestyle of being frugal and thoughtful of how your family spends money.

5) Learn Time-Honored Skills

I have always, since I was really little, loved learning about how life was in pioneer times. I went to a Living History Camp at a local farm museum several years and I absolutely adored it. 

We learned to make butter, candles, they had all of the old outbuildings so we learned about preserving food and taking care of animals. It was just awesome.

While this simpler way of life (if you can even call it that)it  is not by any means easier, to me it always had a certain romance and appeal to it.

I am excited to take time to learn how to do these time-honored tasks, not only for fun, but also for self-reliance.  My family will be prepared and will know how to live in the event that we can no longer buy our food or consumer goods from the store.  Essentially, we will never starve or not be able to take care of ourselves.  That reality is absolutely what we are chasing.

It is important that we do not let these traditional ways of living life fall by the wasteside. They absolutely have a place in our modern society.

We are striving to incorporate them when necessary to find a balance to living a happier, and more simple life.

6) Build a Strong Family Unit

One of my dreams for my family is for them to be a strong family unit.  I believe that one way to do that is to have all members of the family contribute to a higher goal, which in our case is taking care of and providing for our family.

Everyone will have their responsibilities and duties but we will be working to as a team to make it all come together.  We are just in the beginning stages of this, but our boys are young.  If we enforce these values and encourage these behaviors, we can raise them to be responsible, hard working, and respectful human beings. 

The positive reasons for homesteading really are endless.

By taking own a homesteading lifestyle, we are introducing a certain level of extra work and effort that may seem unecessary to some in today’s world. 

For us, it isn’t necessarily about giving up modern technologies and advances but embracing traditional, proven methods to providing your family with thier necessesities. The ability to be self-sufficient and take care of your family extends beyond bringing home money to pay for these necesitties. 

It really comes down to self-reliance and passing these skills down to our children to ensure they are well-rounded, grateful, thirsty for knowledge, and confident to do all of these things for thier family.

From impacting your family dynamic, your health, your finances, your outlook on life, we have faith that homesteading will bring our dreams to life.