In this 227th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, Tom discusses 9 Types of Garden Fertilizers and How to Use Them. Tom has tried different methods to improve plant growth in his gardens over the years, and he shares his experience and "recipes" with you.

This is intended to be a high level discussion of different fertilizers including Miracle Grow, Mittleider Method Micro-Nutrients, Used Coffee Ground Tea, Epsom Salt Tea, Comfrey Tea, Stinging Nettle Tea, Compost Tea, Worm Casting Tea and Fish Emulsion Tea. Obviously this is just scratching the surface on garden fertilizers, and there are other products and methods that folks have used to successfully grow healthy plants and have excellent harvests. Feel free to add your methods to the conversation by sending an email to him at realsmallscalelife@gmail.com.

For links and "recipes," head on over to the Small Scale Website at https://smallscalelife.com.

In this 226th episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast Tom discusses four garden failures in the 2024 Season, why he suspects these plants are failing and how he plans to change things up to make more productive self-watering garden beds. Yes....Tom just built the garden ion June 2024, and yes, he is going to make some changes already! Listen to find out more.

For more information about Gardening and Small Scale Life, head over to our website at https://smallscalelife.com!

In this 217th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I talk about Tipping Points and Getting Back to Basics. We have seen bank collapses before, and it didn't go well for us in 2008. It is a reminder to get back to Small Scale Living and growing/canning our own food.

I have to tell you: the bank closures and bank runs remind me so much of the Lehman Brothers collapse of 2008. It made me pause as it reminded me of the anger, despair and hopelessness of the time.

Fortunately, this time is different. I recognized 2008 for what it was: a major life changing event that forever changed my mindset and direction of my life. That collapse set me on a course to where we are today: our jobs, our home in Western Wisconsin and even how I grow vegetables in my garden.

For more information and links, head over to Small Scale Life!

Hey, Lifers! Do you want to know a little secret Tom and I have figured out that is absolutely KEY to setting us up for success to meet our health and fitness goals??? Actually, beyond the 24 Hour Plan and sticking to the basics of drinking enough water, getting enough sleep and doing some kind of daily intentional movement, this is THE most important thing you can do. Yup, you guessed it (really smart of you, based on the title of the post!)....It's Meal Planning and Food Prepping!

To get useful tips and information for your Health and Fitness Journey, check out the following articles on Small Scale Life:

• Day 6: Meal Planning for Success
• Day 6: Food Prepping for Success

Feel free to join the Health and Fitness Renew You Campaign on Small Scale Life by clicking the link! Go get em, Lifers!

It's Day 3 of the Renew You Kickstart, and today's topic is Basic Nutrition. Michael Bell returns to walk us through this topic, and he gives some great advice for folks starting on their journey with the Renew You Kickstart.

As Julie and I have been saying over and over in previous podcasts and articles: this is about starting where you are. Some of us have been medicating ourselves with cheeseburgers, fries and beer (or Diet Coke) for many, many years. As we start to pay closer attention to what we are eating, we will find that there are some benefits to eating "what God made," or in other words: "real food." This food is delicious, especially when it is not buried under three gallons of dressing and cheese!

For more information, please see the show notes from the article titled "Basic Nutrition with Michael Bell" on Small Scale Life.

For the more on the Renew You Kickstart, please see the page on Small Scale Life for this campaign.

It's Day 2 of the Renew You Kickstart, and today's topic is Basic Movement. As Julie and I have been saying over and over: this is about starting where you are. Some of us live in cube farms and are keyboard warriors; we are not ready for triathalons marathons or lifting heavy weights.

To help discuss this topic, I brought in my friend Michael Bell to discuss Basic Movement. Michael is a husband, dad, urban farmer, PE teacher, competitive bodybuilder and a fitness coach. Michael has coached more than 300 people over 20 years, and he spent some time with us to discuss starting a fitness and exercise journey.

For more information on Basic Fitness, please see the post at Small Scale Life titled Day 2: Basic Movement with Michael Bell. There is more information on smallscalelife.com

In addition, if you would like to participate in the Renew You Kickstart, please click on this link!

In this episode, Julie and Tom are here to provide you with realistic and doable steps to kickstart your year and set you up to finally achieve your health and fitness goals this year. And it all starts with the 24 Hour Plan. The plan is a one-page document that allows you to plan out:

• What you are going to eat
• How you will exercise
• 3 mediation/prayers
• 3 things you are grateful for
• 3 things you want to get done during that day.
  

We complete a sheet before the day begins (night before or morning of), and we will be intentional about all of these items.

On the bottom of the plan, there is a section where you can review your day and write what worked, what didn't and what you can improve on tomorrow. Remember: don't beat yourself up! Learn from deviations from the plan and recognize patterns and trends. You will be surprised what you will find out the longer you plan and document deviations.

To get the 24 Hour Plan, go to Small Scale Life and download it before listening to this podcast. You can also follow along with the post titled "Day 1: The 24 Hour Plan - Part 1" on Small Scale Life.

Welcome to 2019! It's time to Renew You! In this 122nd Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, Julie and I discuss the holidays (including my birthday), the rebranding of Small Scale Life, rebuilding the website and the Renew You Kickstart.

Julie and I discussed the following topics during this podcast:

• Holiday Update
• Rebranding and the Website Upgrade
• Renew You Kickstart

To get more in-depth information, please see the post titled "Welcome to 2019: Time to Renew You" on Small Scale Life.

Also, sign up for the Renew You in 2019 Kickstart on Small Scale Life.

In this 121st episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, Julie and I are announcing the Renew You in 2019 Kickstart! This is a FREE 7-day event that will provide tools, tips and a community that will help get us improving our mindset, nutrition and movement in 2019.

Julie and I want want you, the Small Scale Life Community and others, to join us in starting 2019 off on the right foot. With this Kickstart, we are developing a foundation for success to be the best you (and the best us) in 2019.

We are really focusing being intentional for three key aspects of our lives:

• Mindset
• Movement
• Nutrition

Julie and I will be rolling out a way to join and get access to these tools and tips in the near future. We will have more information soon! Stay tuned to smallscalelife.com for more information!!!

In this 120th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I am had a great conversation with my friend Michael Bell about changes at Dallas Half Acre Farms. Michael has been very busy since our last interview, and we will discuss how he is changing his business from a CSA model (weekly box of a variety of products) to growing salanova salad empires in Dallas, Texas.

As we discussed recently with Drew Sample, new opportunities and reality can force change, and you have to be ready to adjust accordingly! Are your ready to change?

For TONS of more information and links, check out the show notes for this episode at Small Scale Life. Click the link for the post titled "Bellcast: Growing Salanova Salad Empire in Dallas, Texas."

This is the 119th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, and in this podcast, we are going to talk with Drew Sample about how he is pivoting business strategies at his urban farm Capital City Greens, the Sample Hour Podcast and his other interests/opportunities.

Whether it’s your dreams, your business, your football team or your Army, you need to be ready to change and adapt as the “battlefield” changes in front of you. Some opportunities present themselves, others fade. Are you ready to take advantage of those opportunities?

This is critical for our businesses. We have to start pivoting business strategies to make sure we take advantage of those opportunities.

For more information, please see the post and podcast titled "Pivoting Business Strategies in 614" on Small Scale Life.

Happy Thanksgiving, Lifers! I hope you have a great Thanksgiving planned. If you have been to Small Scale Life this week, you know Julie and I have been busy trying to get recipes posted up on the website to help you with your Thanksgiving preparations.

Check out the blog at smallscalelife.com for the following recipes:

• A super quick/super good cheesy au gratin potatoes recipe,
• How to cook a turkey and
• How to cook a ham

Thanksgiving should be a lot of fun and bring people together, so we are helping you get ready and get the dinner on the table. It doesn't have to be overwhelming; we are here to help!

As you finish up your prep and cooking, I also give a little advice on how to facilitate your family, friends and other guests who arrive at your house. It's life lessons we have learned from experience. I have been there, done that and gotten the t-shirt with some of this!

For more tips and photos, check out the post titled "Happy Thanksgiving from Small Scale Life" using the link!

Happy Thanksgiving, all! Bon appetit!

Do you feel stressed out? Does it seem that there is too much noise and information out there? How do you sort through what is important and what is not? In today’s fast paced world, there are incredible demands on our most precious resources: our time, our energy and our money. How do you prioritize your time commitments and focus on what is real and what is important?

In this episode, Julie and I discuss how to minimize time commitments while maximizing life. We talk about the following topics:

• Move-Ember
• Upcoming Small Scale Life Health Challenge
• Reviewing the 5 Steps to Building a Simple and Intentional Life
• Time Committments - Introduction
• Dealing with Family Obligations
• 4 Steps to Minimizing Time Committments and Maximizing Life
• Slow down and enjoy the eagles; have your eagle moment

The photo that is the cover for this episode was taken on County Highway A in Burnett County, Wisconsin. We rounded the curve and there they were: a dozen eagles taking flight right in front of us. If we had not taken the time and been in a hurry, we would have never appreciated the eagles and the moment.

For more information and pictures associated with this podcast, go over to the the article titled "Minimizing Time Commitments while Maximizing Life" at Small Scale Life.

In this 216th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I continue the conversation with my friend Adam Rapier from Colorado. We are going to discuss Starting a Beekeeping Business including different small business niches in the Beekeeping world.

Now, I know many of you are not beekeepers and will never be beekeepers, but I hope you hold on and stay tuned to this episode. Like walking through a garden, each small business story can inspire you to start something of your own or teach you something new. After all, every gardener or homesteader might have an abundance of tomatoes, green beans, zucchini, eggs or milk that you can give the surplus away or sell to a local customer base.

For more about Adam, check out Small Scale Life Podcast Episodes 214 and 215 where we talk about his homesteading journety, gardening and taking care of animals (rabbits, quail, chickens and ducks).

To connect Adam, see the show notes for Episode 216 at https://smallscalelife.com!

Do you feel stressed out? Does it seem that there is too much noise and information out there? How do you sort through what is important and what is not? In today’s fast paced world, there are incredible demands on our most precious resources: our time, our energy and our money. As we go through life, we seem to collect more and more stuff. We have closets, basements, garages and storage lockers full of stuff! Do we need it all? How can you decide what to keep and what to give away?

In this episode of Small Scale Life, Julie and I work through a number of Decluttering Questions and Answers from our own experience in the trenches of our garage, basement, kitchens and utility drawers. Got junk? Well, its time to embrace that chaos and make some decisions!

This podcast will help you on your own path to living a simple and intentional life.

For more information and tips on HOW to declutter, please see the corresponding article on Small Scale Life titled "Minimalism: Decluttering Questions and Answers."

Happy Halloween 2018! There is nothing like Halloween: the cool weather, the decorations, the pumpkins, the costumes and all the fun associated with this holiday. We have had a lot of fun on Halloween over the years, especially when the boys were younger and when we participated in some haunted houses in Illinois. For the 115th episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I am going to talk about some favorite memories from years gone by and give some tips to creating a cool Halloween scene or haunted house.

For more on this episode and some pictures from this year's pumpkin carving and some pictures of us in haunted house costumes, check out the post titled "Happy Halloween 2018: Memories and Stories" on Small Scale Life!

Welcome to Fall 2018 where the snow flies and water freezes before the leaves drop! Such is life here in the north country this year. Last week was a tough week: I was physically and mentally exhausted. Adding to the exhaustion was disappointment after my plans to head to Hogtoberfest 2018 fell apart on Tuesday. I needed a change or pace and a change of environment. In this podcast, I talk about my October doldrums, how I spent the week recuperating and retooling on a number of fronts and overcoming October blues.

For more on this story and to see pictures from this podcast, check out the article titles Overcoming October Blues on Small Scale Life!

Fall is here! October is here! Where did the time go? While I love this time of year, it is time to say goodbye to my plants and old, tired garden beds. Like summer hitting early before Memorial Day this year, winter seems to be bearing down on Minnesota and Wisconsin (some areas of Minnesota got a snow already)! In this podcast, I am going to talk about how the First Frost was the End of My 2018 Garden Season.

For more about the first frost, pictures and a video, check out the blog post on Small Scale Life titled "First Frost: End of My 2018 Garden Season."

Have you ever had a Hell Week where everything just was a disaster? You are under pressure with deadlines looming and little time to regroup and attack the next project or issue. How did you handle it? Last week was my own version of Hell Week. I can summarize last week with one simple word:

Exhausting

Last week, a lot happened at work and in the basement that took me away from Small Scale Life. I simply did not have the time or energy to post podcasts, videos or blog posts. Now that I have put some distance between today and Hell Week, I can develop some thoughts about how I will deal with future projects, obligations and events. In retrospect, it was a good reminder that I need to continue to focus on develop methods and systems to help me live a simple life.

For more on my Hell Week and some suggestions to deal with deadlines and obligations, check out the article posted on Small Scale Life!

Midweek Motivation is a weekly episode featuring the wisdom and stories of host Tommy Cakes. In this episode, Tommy discusses Going Full Throttle on life, projects and major efforts.  It is up to you: if you want to have success, you have to go full throttle!

Live on the Small Scale Life Podcast, it is Midweek Motivation featuring Tommy Cakes.

Hey, how are you?  I am Tommy Cakes.  Who am I?  I'm a guy from someplace, friends with some people and doing some things.  Don't worry about it!

What I can tell you is that I am in the import and export business.

• I import knowledge
• I export that information at premium prices!

I will give you a little coastal cosmopolitan insight and motivation weekly on Small Scale Life.

My sincere apologies that I have been noticeably absent from the series of Small Scale Life Podcasts of late.  Believe it or not, it has been since July 26th since my last Midweek Motivation Podcast, and that is a long time.  I have been a busy boy doing a little bit of this and a little bit of that, traveling around the country taking care of business.  In my own life, I have been roaring and going at full throttle, and I need to budget more time for these kind of podcast, because I do like being social with you.

Speaking of social, it’s time for a little drinky drink!  It is time for a social.  Are you ready for our first sip?  Count it down with me and raise a glass….3….2….1…Social!

Delicious!  That is really good!

For show notes, pictures and more information, head on over to the article titled Midweek Motivation: Go Full Throttle on Small Scale Life!

As I have stated on several occasions on the Small Scale Life Podcast, there are a whole universe of other platforms, media and social media out there for us.  Occasionally when you speak to the vast universe, it speaks back to you!  In this case, that part of the universe was Terrance Layhew from The Intellectual Agrarian.

In January, Terrance interviewed Scott Hebert, and somehow he found me.  He reached out to me, and after working out our schedules in a busy July, we found a way to connect and complete the interview.  In our interview, Terrance and I discussed what lead me to start my small scale life journey, gardening tips and ideas, how and why communities are important and so much more.

For show notes, pictures and more information, head on over to the article titled Starting Small Scale Life - The Intellectual Agrarian Podcast on Small Scale Life!

This is a [late] podcast and post about Minnesota Traditions on Labor Day 2018. These traditions include the Exodus to Lake County and the Minnesota State Fair. I had the opportunity to spend four days at the State Fair in a booth, so I had a different experience than many who went as spectators. I will also talk about my Weekend 3 Things and give you an update on Operation Outreach as well. Stay tuned, there is a lot to talk about as I head south in the Mobil Small Scale Life Podcast Studio!

For show notes, pictures and more information, head on over to the article titled Minnesota Traditions - Labor Day 2018 on Small Scale Life!

Special Note:
I have to apologize to all the listeners out there: I did not intend to publish this podcast and post without any content! Yikes! As an aside, it is interesting that some folks shared this without any content….hmmm….Anyway, thank you for your patience!

As we roll into September, I have to ask: how is your garden doing? It has been a while since our last tour of the Small Scale Life Garden, so I figured it was time to post a Late August Garden Update and discuss my Fall Planting strategy. With cooler temperatures this week, it is a constant reminder that winter is coming, and I need to get my rear end moving to take advantage of the remaining garden season.

For more information, pictures, links and a whole lot more on the Weekend Three Things, Garden Update, and Fall Planting Strategy, please see the article at Small Scale Life!

This week, Greg Burns, my friend Jay and I finish Homesteading for Beginners by discussing the Definition of Homesteading.  This is the last part of a 2-1/2 hour conversation that focused on the start of our own individual homesteading journeys.  This is a philosophical discussion about the definition of homesteading, how to build experiences and how to cultivate people while building community.

If you are new to Small Scale Life or missed Part 1 of the Homesteading for Beginners podcast, I recommend that you take a listen.  In that podcast, Captain Lumbersquatch Greg Burns, my friend Jay and I discuss starting our own Homesteading journeys by asking why.

For more links, photos and extensive show notes, please go to Small Scale Life to get more information!

In this 215th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I continue the conversation with my friend Adam Rapier from Colorado. We are going to dive into gardening and beekeeping in this episode. We discuss some fantastic garden beds they built at Adam's parent's house, and we discuss the start of their beekeeping journey.

If you want to find The Rapier Ranch or High Desert Hives, there are links to Adam and Kathleen's social media and website in the show notes on https://smallscalelife.com. Also, I have some photos of those awesome gardens too, so check them out!

This truly is a verbal potpourri episode, so grab a cocktail or your coffee, settle in and enjoy the ride.  This is a comfy little podcast full of stories and tales.  The point of this podcast is to stay grounded using the Weekend Three Things threads, have some adventures on the weekend and of course learn, do and grow!

In this episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I am discussing the new weekly post in the Small Scale Life Facebook Group called my "weekend three things."  I also include a summary of the Zac Brown Band Concert in Minneapolis,  Julie's first triathlon and much, much more! 

For more information, pictures and the awesome show notes, head over to Small Scale Life for more on this podcast!

As I drove through southern Minnesota this week, I saw a lot of great farms and homesteads on my journey.  Some of these folks lived on Century Farms (100-year old family farms) while others were just starting to homestead.

My friend Jay and I can relate to those new homesteaders: we both purchased properties in 2018.  We want to create new homesteads on our respective properties, and we figured it would be great to talk with someone who actually had a homestead and was further down the rabbit hole on this journey.

Fortunately, I know a few people who do some great things due to this little podcast and blog!  I called on my friend Captain Lumbersquatch Greg Burns, and he agreed to bring his contrarian perspective (and jar full of fermented goodness) to the discussion.

For more information, show notes and links to other podcasts and information, check out the post on Small Scale Life!

In this episode, I am on the road and talking about building community.  Humans are social creatures.  We are not meant to live in this world alone.  Sometimes we do need to “have a little help from our friends.”

My questions to you are:

• Do you have some friends that have your back?
• Have you spent some time building community around you?

Unfortunately in modern Western Civilization, the answer is probably no.  I have to admit: I need to work on this as well.  We are going to make some changes to Small Scale Life to help you build community around you, where ever you are. 

For more on that, please head over to Small Scale Life to read the post that has more thoughts, information and links.

Canning is a method of saving that nutritious food for later seasons. You fill your own jars and know what exactly you are eating. That is so critical these days where we seem to have a food advisory, recall notice or flat out parasite infestation (hello McDonald's, Trader Joe’s, Krogers and Walgreens) almost daily.

By growing and preserving your own food, you will have the satisfaction of knowing just what hands have handled your food and what is in your jars.

To learn more about canning, go to [Small Scale Life](www.smallscalelife.com) for more.

Today’s podcast, post and YouTube videos are particularly timely.  In the Small Scale Life Facebook Group, our friend and new gardener Alex has a great question:

“My tomatoes are so out of control and are completely shading my peppers. I have at least 10 peppers that have stopped growing and those are my favorite.  Can I cut back the tomatoes? Can I attempt transplanting the peppers? At this rate the peppers are not going to grow so these are my only two options besides just pulling them.” – Alex from Illinois.

There is no need to pull the peppers!  I think we can figure out a way to aggressively prune tomatoes and get more sunlight to those peppers.

Be advised: by aggressively pruning, you will get more tomatoes from your plants!  I think you can handle it though.

For more information about How to Prune Tomatoes, head over to Small Scale Life ([smallscalelife.com](www.smallscalelife.com)) for the post, videos, pictures and more!

It has been a while since I have been on the Small Scale Life Podcast. I have been a busy boy doing a little bit of this and a little bit of that, traveling around the country taking care of business. I look forward to staying home and getting some of my own projects done. I want to have a level of success getting those projects done too!
One thing that I have been finding is that a lot of us (myself included) can get bogged down and struggle to get things done. It can just be overwhelming at times with a long to do list. I don’t know about you, but when my list gets too long, none of it gets done. I punt on the whole list and just shut down, and then nothing gets done. This creates conflict with others including your boss, your partner, your spouse and all the other people who depend on you?

How do you get through that shut down mindset, get things done and achieve some level of success?

To read more, please go to the article on [Small Scale Life](www.smallscalelife.com) titled Midweek Motivation Lesson – 3P’s of Success

We have hit Mid-July, and we are well beyond that old farm saying “knee high by the 4th of July” for corn.  We are on the back half of Stage 2 of the 2018 Garden Season, and it is time for another Garden Update.  There is a lot happening in the garden, and I can really see a difference in my plants due to soil treatments and plants I grew in 2017.  There is a lot to see in this Mid-July Garden Update including a discussion about the main garden, new fence, vertical garden, the patio herb garden, and perennial plants.  Keep in mind that August is just around the corner, and it is going to get very busy as we start preserving our harvest!

For more on this podcast and lots of pictures and videos of the garden, head over the [Small Scale Life](www.smallscalelife.com) and see more!

I find myself traveling more and more these days for work and for life.  As I travel, I see things that capture my eye and interest as I roll over the back roads and explore towns of all shapes and sizes.  In an effort to capture some of my thoughts, observations and adventures on the road, I am going to start recording and posting "On the Road" podcasts.  This podcast is focused on my observations and thoughts as I explored in the areas around Tomah, Wisconsin.

Recently, I went to Tomah, Wisconsin, and spent a few days in the area.  I had the opportunity to explore a number of towns in Monroe County.  I had such a great trip to that part of Wisconsin that just recharged my batteries and took me back to my roots.  Driving home, I had time to reflect about the trip, our house in Minneapolis and the future.

For pictures and thougths about my trip to Tomah, please go to the article at Small Scale Life!

Last week during the garden update, I discussed my new vertical garden planters made from two vinyl gutters.  After I posted the article and podcast, I realized that it had been a while since I discussed this topic, and I have never discussed how to build vertical gardens on fences before. In this post and episode, I will discuss the following topics:

• What is a vertical garden?
• Benefits and challenges of a vertical garden planters
• Materials needed to build a vertical garden planters
• Step-by-step guide for building vertical garden planters

Vertical gardens are growing techniques that take advantage of unused vertical space to grow vegetables, herbs or flowers. There are several types of vertical gardening techniques that can be used effectively in any garden:

• Trellises - Making use of trellises for certain plants such as tomatoes, cucumbers, pole beans, sugar snap peas, grapes, squashes and gourds, etc.
• Hanging Planters – Using elevated planters that put plants in the air and specifically grow in used vertical space.

I have used both techniques effectively over the years. I am a huge fan of trellis gardening, and I use trellises exclusively for a number of plants in my garden. I will have another article that discusses my trellis and technique.

Hanging planters are another way to let plants grow in the air and maximize unused space. I discussed vertical gardens before in the following articles and podcasts here on [Small Scale Life](www.smallscalelife.com):

Vertical Garden 101: Introduction to Vertical Gardening
Vertical Garden 102: How to Build a Vertical Garden
Vertical Gardening with the Plant Charmer Part 1
Vertical Gardening with the Plant Charmer Part 2_

There has been a lot of change since those articles and podcasts! The Plant Charmer has expanded his farming operation using vertical gardening techniques exclusively, and I have relocated from St. Louis Park to the current homestead in Minneapolis.

For more about How to Build Vertical Garden Planters on Fences including a step-by-step guide and material list for building a vertical garden, check out Small Scale Life!

We are rapidly rolling through June, and by now your plants should be really starting to grow.  In this episode, it is time for another Garden Update, and while our gardens might be growing, our plants are under siege from common garden pests of all shapes and sizes.  I am dealing with some common garden pests here in my small raised beds, and I wanted to give you a head’s up about some common, and one unusual, pest before too many of you lose productive plants.

In addition, I expanded my garden space by adding two vinyl gutters two weeks ago!  I have discussed these kind of gardens before in the Vertical Garden 101: Introduction to Vertical Gardening and Vertical Garden 102: How to Build a Vertical Garden posts.  I provide some thoughts about these type of gardens in this podcast in this environment.

How are your plants doing so far this season?  We are  moving into a point of no return for the 2018 season.  What do I mean?  With us getting into late June, there is a point where plants like tomatoes, peppers, squash or zucchini cannot be replaced and still generate a decent harvest this season.  The bottom line is that if you lose a plant any later in the season, it will be difficult to replace it.

This is why pests are so difficult when they show up in the garden.  I am sure pests have their place in the world; however, they do not have a place in my gardens where I have been working hard to create healthy and happy plants and produce to feed my family.

Without much ado, I am going to discuss how the garden is doing and some of the common garden pests I am dealing with this season.  Some of these pests have been more destructive than others, but regardless, you have to check your garden daily and make sure that you address and dispatch each pest quickly.

For more information, please see the article on Small Scale Life.

In Small Scale Life Podcast Episode 214, I talk with my friend Adam about his family's journey to starting High Desert Hives and Homestead in Colorado. How does a successful guy decide to walk away from the hustle and bustle of city life and a fast paced corporate job and move to the country to start a garden, grow a thriving beekeeping business and raise boys in a world of freedom and wonder?

Listen to Small Scale Life Episode 214 to listen and be inspired by Adam's story. You can find all the show notes at https;//smallscalelife.com.

Midweek Motivation is a weekly episode featuring the wisdom and stories of host Tommy Cakes. This week, Tommy is on the road in Central Wisconsin and up to his neck in cranberry bogs. In this episode, Tommy discusses his busy life on the road and how he is trying to adjust to it.

For more information about this episode, please read more on [Small Scale Life](www.smallscalelife.com).

June is moving right along, and I hope you are doing well! A while back, I had a great conversation about Homesteading in Ohio with Daniel Bokros. Daniel is one of the Ohio Get Stuff Done Crew, and he has his own homestead called the Red Dog Ranch. In this podcast, we discuss his journey from the Marine Corps to the homestead in the Ohio countryside including real community, land, Joel Salatin, building soil, bees, pressure canning, chicken pigs and cows. That is a lot to pack into an hour!

Check out more and get more detail on [Small Scale Life](www.smallscalelife.com)e!

In this episode of [Small Scale Life](smallscalelife.com), Michael Bell and Scott Hebert return to discuss urban farming advice and best practices. Topics discussed during this podcast includes their farms, their markets, typical yields, watering crops, harvesting product, successfully marketing products and potentially expanding their operations.

For those of you don’t know who these gentlemen are, Scott Hebert owns and operates Flavourful Farm in Chilliwack, British Columbia.  Michael Bell owns and operates Half Acre Farm in Dallas, Texas. Both have uniquely different operations, but they are facing some of the same issues.  Both have been great guests on Small Scale Life, and I am thrilled to have them back on the show.

If you are currently an urban farmer or are considering starting a small business, you might want to grab a drink, a pad of paper and a writing utensil.  There is a lot of good information and advice in this podcast.  Michael and Scott have tried a lot of things and found out what does and does not work on their farms and in their markets.

As part of the discussion, Michael Bell, Scott Hebert and I provided some thoughts about a new type of urban farming and marketing recently discussed on Larry Hall's YouTube Channel.  Each of us had some comments (pros and cons) about this kind of small business, and there are some logistical and price point questions that will need to be explored.  As Michael Bell puts it, "It hasn't been done like this before, so why not give it a try?"

You can view the video and get all the show notes on [Small Scale Life](smallscalelife.com)

Midweek Motivation is a weekly episode featuring the wisdom and stories of host Tommy Cakes. This week, Tommy is back and broadcasting outside a lounge somewhere in the Minneapolis, Minnesota.  In this episode, Tommy discusses feeling overwhelmed and how to eat an elephant.

In case you are having trouble understanding the audio file, the following is a translation of the audio file from host Tommy Cakes.

Live on the Small Scale Life Podcast, it is Midweek Motivation featuring Tommy Cakes.

Hey, how are you?  I am Tommy Cakes.  Who am I?  I'm a guy from someplace, friends with some people and doing some things.  Don't worry about it!

What I can tell you is that I am in the import and export business.

• I import knowledge
• I export that information at premium prices!

I will give you a little coastal cosmopolitan insight and motivation weekly on Small Scale Life.

As many of you know, I have been on the road a lot recently.  When you are gone from your home and family, things start to pile up.  Sure, you might be meeting excellent people and doing great things on the road, but life feels out of control.  Things break, the lawn grows, and business needs attention.

These things start to weigh on your mind and bog you down.  Returning home, you suddenly have a lot to do before you reload and head out again.  As that to do list grows and the tasks get more complex, so does that feeling of panic and dread.

You can easily feel overwhelmed by the demands of family, work and life.  That feeling can wash over you, and if you are not careful, you will get nothing done because you feel paralyzed by the amount of work on your plate.

That is how I am feeling as we roll into this weekend.  How are you doing?

To read more about how to Remedy Feeling Overwhelmed, head on over to read the rest of the story on Small Scale Life!

Midweek Motivation is a weekly episode featuring the wisdom and stories of host Tommy Cakes. This week, Tommy is on the road and is broadcasting from somewhere near the Front Range in Colorado.  In this episode, Tommy is going to discuss how you should always stop distractions and focus on the people and places around you. Consider this a little public service/community service on Tommy Cakes' part, if you know what I mean!

In case you are having trouble understanding the audio file, the following is a translation of the audio file from host Tommy Cakes.

Live on the Small Scale Life Podcast, it is Midweek Motivation featuring Tommy Cakes.

Hey, how are you?  I am Tommy Cakes.  Who am I?  I'm a guy from someplace, friends with some people and doing some things.  Don't worry about it!

What I can tell you is that I am in the import and export business.

• I import knowledge
• I export that information at premium prices!

I will give you a little coastal cosmopolitan insight and motivation weekly on Small Scale Life.

If you look at modern Western Civilization today, and we have never been more distracted in our lives.

Don’t believe me?

Look around you: there are people who are tuning out of reality around them and completely tuning into the computer in their hands.

A great example of our distracted lives plays out every day on our nation’s roadways.  According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 3,450 people died in 2016 due to distracted driving.  391,000 were injured in motor vehicles crashes involving distracted drivers in 2015.

Many of those injuries and deaths are from talking or texting on your phone, eating and drinking, talking to people in your vehicle, or fiddling with the stereo, entertainment or navigation system. On a given day during daylight hours, the NHTSA states that more than 481,000 people are using their cell phones while driving.

You have seen these people, haven’t you?  They weave and bob in their lanes, correcting radically when they realize they are drifting into other lanes. The sad reality is: at 55 mph, texting on your cell phone for 5 seconds is like driving the length of a football field with your eyes closed.  That is alarming!

Midweek Motivation Lesson - Stop Distractions: Focus!

Compared to our parents and grandparents, we live our lives at an incredibly hectic pace.  We are constantly on the go between work, school, activities, and kids’ activities (especially 24/7/365 sports).  Western Civilization has embraced and promoted multitasking and “on-the-go” hectic lifestyles in this modern age.  We push the limits to find one extra minute to send a text or make a phone call.

How often are you eating a meal in the car “on-the-go” to another event or obligation? What are we really accomplishing and are we really happy with this lifestyle?

There is no reason we need to live like this.  We can take some time, feel the sunshine, walk in the hills and mountains and breathe some fresh air.  Stop distractions by slowing down and focusing on the people and things in your surroundings.

Make the time by taking the time. You cannot change Western Civilization, but you can change how you act and behave in it!

Sources for today’s Midweek Motivation include:

Statistics and cover photo courtesy of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Special Thanks from Tommy Cakes

I would like to thank Greg Burns from Natures Image Farm and Doneil Freeman from Freeman Family Farms for the INSPIRATION to do this Midweek Motivation Podcast.  You two ARE the wind beneath my wings!

Also I would like to thank Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) for the "Kool Kats" theme music. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/.

Badda boom, badda bing!  Dat's how we do it!

This past month has been ridiculously busy, but Julie and I took some time last week to work in the garden. This podcast is all about starting my 2018 vegetable gardening season, and if you think that everything is rainbows and unicorns, you are wrong. I had immediate trouble including rotting raised beds, dead plants and rabbits. Can anyone relate to this?

Even when there are troubles and challenges, there is no place I would rather be. Digging in the dirt and planting new seedlings is therapeutic and relaxing, and these small setbacks are easily overcome. A rabbit eating a zucchini and some peppers are easily replaced with new seedlings or geraniums, and fences and raised beds can and will be replaced.

To read more, please see smallscalelife.com.

Midweek Motivation is a weekly episode featuring the wisdom and stories of host Tommy Cakes. This episode is all about taking a break by turning off social media and getting away from the noise.  Gary Vee recently said that the cell phone is the remote control of today’s society, and your activity on Social Media is nothing more than the reality shows of our current year.  Why not turn off social media, put the cell phone away and enjoy people and nature instead?

Please go to Small Scale Life for links, more information and the text of the podcast,

Welcome to Spring 2018, everyone!  I hope your plants are growing and things are greening up in your neck of the woods.  It is almost time to get into the garden!  Before we start talking about that, I want to revisit Earth Day 2018, which occurred on April 22, 2018. That seems like a lifetime ago, doesn't it?  During the week leading up to Earth Day, students hear a lot about recycling and green technology and love for the planet.  A few years ago, I started going to schools to teach students about plants and gardening during Earth Day Week and Arbor Day Week.  I wanted students to see gardening in a different light and get excited about growing their own plants!

This podcast is quite a bit different than other podcasts because you get to be part of the crowd of kindergarten students as I teach them about gardening! As part of Earth Day Week, I wanted to make a real impact on students' lives.  A few years ago, I decided the best thing to do is to teach gardening and let students get their hands dirty and grow some plants.  This year, I went to a local elementary school and presented about the three basic elements needed for gardening: light, water and soil. For those of you who want to make a difference in a student’s life while helping the planet, my Earth Day Tip: Teach Gardening.

To find out more or get a copy of the presentation, please visit Small Scale Life.

Are you stressed out about money? On a given Sunday night, do you dread going into the work the next day? If you are, you are not alone. A recent study created by mobile-banking company Varo Money reported that out of 1000 Americans polled, “a whopping 85 percent say they "sometimes" feel stressed about money, and a full 30 percent say they're "constantly" stressed about their finances.” That is really amazing!

What can you do about this? How about generating some additional income through a lifestyle business online? It is May Day, and in a celebration of capitalism, I am thrilled to have Kevin Geary as my guest today for a second time on Small Scale Life. This time, Kevin Geary and I discuss how to start a lifestyle business that allows you to put some of that stress at ease by earning extra income while charting your own destiny from almost anywhere on this planet. Kevin has started various online businesses over the years, and he has learned some critical techniques to target your niche audience and ultimately sell more of your products and/or services.

For more information, links and the show notes, please see Small Scale Life
Kevin Geary can be found at Six Figure Grind and Rebooted Body

If you would like to join the Make It Stick Master Class and support Small Scale Life, please use the following link: https://academy.rebootedbody.com/makeitstick/?affiliate=smallscalelife

This morning I received a message on Instagram from Scott Hebert asking me when Michael Bell from Half Acre Farm was going to be back on the podcast.  It has been a while since the first BellCast (Season 3 Episode 5) in January, and a lot has happened!  Fortunately for all of us, Micheal Bell returns to the Small Scale Life Podcast to discuss progress at his urban farm in Dallas, Texas. Michael and I discuss a number of topics including the great weather in Texas right now (and the crappy weather in Minnesota), what he has planted and some of his profitable urban farming strategies.

Michael is using some really interesting and simple marketing techniques to develop business opportunities and increase his urban farming operation.  As you will hear, he is employing techniques with great success! Michael feels that there are a lot of growth opportunities for profitable urban farming in the future, and he provides some positive encouragement to those who might be considering an urban farm as a side business.

Micheal Bell and I discussed the following topics in this podcast:

Welcome Back to the Show

Texas weather
Minnesota weather

What’s Growing on the Farm?
Tomato varieties
Peppers
Squash and zucchini
Greens
Onions
Radish
Beets

Tomato Tips
Septoria Leaf Spot
Pruning Tomatoes
Watering - low and slow
Marketing and Customers for Profitable Urban Farming

Instagram Strategy
Telling the story
How to sell a superior product
Vegan Body Builder - YouTube Video
Try to get restaurants for the Summer
Start Profitable Urban Farming: 100 families = $100,000

Community Building
Other farms are starting in the area, but there is a big market
Rose Creek Farm
Singing Frogs Farm
Scott Hebert at Flavourful Farms
Opportunities to collaborate and work together
Diego Footer's Farm Small; Farm Smart Podcast
Connect with Michael Bell on Instagram

As Michael stated, you can start profitable urban farming using simple techniques: connecting with people who are looking for great tasting, fresh produce in your area using Instagram.

By starting small, you can focus on your client’s needs and share you story as you sell your produce.  As Curtis Stone has said on many occasions, your customers want to share your story with others, and once you sell your produce, customers will share their experience with others.  Michael experienced that very thing with the ladies who spent time at the farm and essentially sold his product to the whole office!

You can do this, and there are people out there that can help!  We will continue to explore these topics with Michael in future BellCasts!

In this 213th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I am talking with my friend Maria the Intuitive Energy Healer about How to Set Your 2023 Guiding Words and Mantras. This is building on last week's Small Scale Life Podcast where I discussed 10 Goal Setting and Self Inventory Questions to Start 2023, so if you haven't listened to that one, you should (it's not required, but you should). Working with these questions lays the foundation for setting your 2023 Guiding Word and Mantras. By work I mean thinking hard about your answers and being honest with where you have been, where you are, and where you would like to be.

Pressing Forward!

This week's guest is Maria the Intuitive Energy Healer, and we are talking about How to Set Your 2023 Guiding Words and Mantras. We will discuss our Guiding Words from last year and how they served us and how things worked out. Then, we will dive into our 2023 Guiding Words and Mantras. Finally, Maria takes command of the show by telling us How to Set Your 2023 Guiding Words and providing some examples of Guiding Words. Maybe one of those words will resonate with you!

Please head over to https://smallscalelife.com to see links to Maria's website and social media, as well as links to other times Maria has been a guest on the Small Scale Life Podcast.

Midweek Motivation is a weekly episode featuring the wisdom and stories of host Tommy Cakes. Here is a question for you to ponder: would you be ready to drop everything and go if opportunity knocks?  If you are, you might have an opportunity of a lifetime.  This episode is all about the lessons learned from a local accountant turned Superman for the Chicago Blackhawks.  Those lessons are the following:

• Learn as much as you can.
• Get busy working on your passions.
• Grow your skills.  Connect with others.
• Always be ready to jump on opportunities.
• When you get your shot, perform like you mean it and have some fun to get it done!

In case you are having trouble understanding the audio file, the following is a translation of the audio file from host Tommy Cakes.

Live on the Small Scale Life Podcast, it is Midweek Motivation featuring Tommy Cakes.

Hey, how are you?  I am Tommy Cakes.  Who am I?  I'm a guy from someplace, friends with some people and doing some things.  Don't worry about it!

What I can tell you is that I am in the import and export business.

I import knowledge
I export that information at premium prices!
I will give you a little coastal cosmopolitan insight and motivation weekly on Small Scale Life.

Sorry for last week; I was called out on business and had to get some things done.  The good thing is: we have a great story this week that should inspire you and push you forward.  Before we begin, here is a question for you to ponder:

Would you be ready to drop everything and go if opportunity knocks? 

Somewhere in Middle America, an ordinary guy found himself under the lights of a big game in front of thousands of fans and the press.  The pressure was on: the game seemed to be in hand since the home team was ahead by four points.  However, the backup to the starting player had just developed cramps and had the leave the game. It was up to our hero to finish the game and help his time to a win.

The hero of this story is an accountant by day; he is not a professional player at all.  In fact, years ago he played college hockey, and now he plays as goalie in a recreation league at night. Like some other local backup goalies, our hero usually sat near the press box, eating free food and waiting “on-call” as an emergency backup in case the professionals couldn’t finish a game.  It was unlikely that the accountant would be called in to play.  It was an easy gig: eat food, watch the game, root for his home team.  What’s not to love?

As he was a block away from the arena, our hero was alerted that he might have to be ready to play.  If something happened, it was up to our everyday accounting hero to come off the bench, put on his helmet and finish the game.

On this night, however, the starts, sun and moon aligned.  The starting goalie was out with an injury, and the backup left the game with cramps.  The head coach leaned over and told accountant Scott Foster, “Put your helmet on; you’re in.”

The accountant Scott Foster played fourteen and a half minutes as a Blackhawk goalie against the Jets. He blocked shots, and he won the love of Blackhawks fans.  At the end of the game, he helped secure the victory, was celebrated by fan and player alike, and entered his name into the storied Chicago Blackhawk history and lore.

Life takes unforeseen twists and turns sometimes. If you aren’t ready, you can miss opportunities when they present yourself.  Always remember:

• Learn as much as you can.
• Get busy working on your passions.
• Grow your skills.  Connect with others.
• Always be ready to jump on opportunities.
• When you get your shot, perform like you mean it and have some fun to get it done!

After all, you never know when someone will turn to you and say, “Ready Player One?  Put on your helmet; you’re in!” Always be ready!

That’s all I got this week.  This is Tommy Cakes, and I’ll see you next week!  Bada boom, bada bing!

Sources
The source of this story was theathletic.com and the source of the cover art Dennis Wierzbiki and USA Today Sports.

Special Thanks from Tommy Cakes

I would like to thank Greg Burns from Natures Image Farm and Doneil Freeman from Freeman Family Farms for the INSPIRATION to do this Midweek Motivation Podcast.  You two ARE the wind beneath my wings!

Also I would like to thank Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) for the "Kool Kats" theme music. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/.

Badda boom, badda bing!  Dat's how we do it!

In Season 3, Episode 14, we had a very special guest for our 80th episode: my wife Julie. We had a great discussion about the 5 Steps to Developing a Simple and Intentional Life, and you, the listeners, responded!  We had 1000 downloads of this podcast, and we had a lot of engagement from the audience.  Julie wanted to come back to build on that podcast, and in this episode, we are coming back to discuss one of the 5 steps in more detail.  We are going to discuss how to declutter to make a simple and intentional life.

Julie and I discussed the following topics on this episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast.

Julie is back on the show!

• 5 Steps to Developing a Simple and Intentional Life
• Hey Mom and Dad, we don’t want your stuff
• Four generations are practicing Minimalism in the current year: Greatest Generation, Boomers, GenX and Millennials
• “Right-Sizing,” Trendies and Millennial Nomads Dave Ramsey and the 2008 Collapse
• “Working very hard to earn money to pay for houses we can’t afford and impress people we don’t like”
• Expectations, time preference and delayed satisfaction
• Learning from the Crash of 2008 Julie’s Work to Declutter the Basement
• Declutter the basement over the weekend
• Clear it out and start fresh before you begin more projects 5 Steps to Declutter
• Determine your timeline and formulate your strategy
• Create 4 bins to sort items as you purge
• For items in the “Give” bin, take them immediately to your car
• For items in the “Keep” bin, ask yourself two questions
• Does it serve a purpose?
• Does it bring you joy?
• For items in your “Undecided” bin, keep 1 month and revisit the bin.
• Make sure you keep the bin visible for the entire time.  IF you haven’t used or thought of the items in the bin, get rid of it!

Once Decluttering is Complete....

• Restock the shelves and drawers in an organized manner. Julie’s tip; “USE LABELS!”

Question from the Audience

• "What was the biggest benefit you saw from the Minimalist Lifestyle Change?" - Jay Dolan
• Members of the Small Scale Life Facebook Group had a number of great questions, but they came in after the show was recorded. We will record a new show where we answer these questions, so if you have questions, please add them to the thread in the Small Scale Life Facebook Group or add them as a comment to this show on smallscalelife.com.

Aussie Flame Weeders – My friend Mick at Aussie Flame Weeders is offering flame weeders to reduce your non-revenue producing workload. If you want to eliminate weeds from your garden beds, a flame weeder is an efficient way to do it.  I mean, who doesn’t want to burn pesky weeds with fire?  Mick’s flame weeders are perfect for 30 inch (80 cm) garden beds and feature five stainless steel burners, 16” wheels and an ergonomic design that carries a propane tank so you don’t have to.  Even if you don’t purchase a flame weeder, sign up on the Aussie Flame Weeder e-mail list to get access to videos and information.

Gnarled Knot Design - From the Land of Illinois, our good friends Phil and Jen love to create furniture and home décor items to make your house feel like a cozy home. Since they were running out of space in their own home, they decided to share our items with others. So, if you are looking for customized and personalized furniture, signs or other items, connect with Phil and Jen at Gnarled Knot Design on Facebook, Instragram or Etsy. Connect with Phil and Jen today!

Houston, we have a problem! We have spindly, weak leggy seedlings that are barely strong enough to hold themselves up! This will result in fragile plants that are susceptible to disease. Luckily, Houston Control has a simple solution. The cure for leggy seedlings is direct, long and low light, and the best way to achieve those conditions are introducing grow lights for indoor plants.

This week I have been fielding some questions in various Facebook Groups about Starting Seeds Indoors, and some folks are having some trouble with leggy seedlings and wondering how to fix the problem. In this post, video and podcast, I will discuss how I set up grow lights for indoor plants and starting seeds indoors. The stand that supports my grow lights is simple, very stable and costs under $15.
What are Leggy Seedlings?

The picture above was from a failed experiment that I conducted in 2016. I germinated this group of tomato seedlings by putting a black tray on top of the tray with the soil, and after four days added light. While I had good initial germination, you can see how "leggy" these seedlings were on Day 4.
Is is a problem because long, spindly ("leggy") seedlings are more fragile than their stocky counterparts. The do not hold up in windy conditions, and if you let them grow too tall, they will flop over under the weight of their own leaves.

Leggy seedlings are created by a lack of light. The plants accelerate growth in order to reach the light, any light, in their growing area. This can occur when a gardener plants seedlings and sets the container near a window or if the container is too crowded, and the seedlings are competing for light.
This is a common problem for gardeners who are trying to start seeds indoors. You can correct this problem by adding an oscillating fan (tricking the plant by simulating wind) or adding grow lights for indoors plants.

I recommend gardeners use grow lights for indoor plants unless you have a greenhouse that gets fantastic sun for 14-16 hours a day (which is one of my goals)!

As I mentioned in other articles, I use inexpensive grow lights from Menards. In Menards-speak, they call these T12's "aquarium lights," but technically they are Sylvania 40-watt T12 Gro-Lux Fluorescent Light Bulbs, and you can find them in the Electrical Department.

The lights cost around $10 per bulb, and I put them in inexpensive shop lights (the lowest cost ones I can find). All in all, two bulbs and one shop light will cost you around $30, and that will be more than enough for two plug trays (or 188 plants if you use the plug trays I am using this year).

In the past I used the brackets of the shelving units to hang the grow lights for indoor plants. Moving to the wider workbench eliminated that possibility. While I have used PVC pipes and fittings to build grow light stands in the past, I found that unless you cemented them together, they fell apart. It is not ideal when your grow lights crash down on your tender seedlings!

I decided to use lessons learned from gardening in St. Louis Park when I hung the grow lights from the shelves. I fabricated brackets that plugged into the pre-drilled holes in the shelving units, and then used PVC pipes with eye hooks to hang the lights over the seedlings with chains. That simple system allowed me to adjust the height of the lights as the plants grew taller.

I knew I had some wood in the garage, so I went foraging. I found the 1" PVC pipes with the eye hook holes from St. Louis Park (yay for not throwing these away)! That was a win. I also found a 4' long 2x4 and a 2' long 1x3. I decided to make the base out of these boards.

Using these pieces of wood, I made the following parts using a skill saw and my trusty drill:

• 2 - 12" base boards made out of 1x3's
• 2 - 18" vertical boards made out of 2x4's
• 2 - 14" horizontal boards made out of 2x4's

Using screws I had on had, I put the two "sideways goalposts" together. I added a "L" bracket to the 12" base to give the stand more stability. As you can see in the video, the grow light stand is very stable.
I added the two PVC pipes to the stand by using metal strapping typically used in plumbing projects. I cut 4 6" pieces and screwed them to the top of the stand. Sliding the PVC pipes in, the whole stand got that much more stable.

The beauty of this system is that it is easy to construct, is inexpensive and can easily be moved if we have a project that requires using the workbench.

The final stand - March 2018Gardeners get excited to start planting seeds in the Spring, especially after a long winter. Sometimes we get ahead of ourselves and plant the seeds before we are ready. This can result in seeds popping through the soil and growing before we have adequate light for them. The result are leggy seedlings that could collapse under their own weight!

To avoid leggy seedlings, you must do the following:

1. Add an oscillating fan to simulate wind and trigger the plants to thinken their stems
2. Add grow lights for indoor plants to provide direct, long and low light to your tender seedlings.

I have successfully used inexpensive Sylvania 40-watt T12 Gro-Lux Fluorescent Light Bulbs from Menards and have had excellent results. I will have to try LED Grow Lights some day when I have some extra dollars in the budget, but this is working for me now.

To support the grow lights and shop light housing I constructed a simple stand consisting of PVC pipes, scrap wood, straps, some screws, eye hooks and two L brackets. The grow light stand is stable, inexpensive and mobile.

If you are looking for a solution for your leggy seedlings, forage in your garage and head on over to a nearby big box store.

You can get very creative and provide ample light for indoors plants! If you want to see a video of this stand and the seedlings, go to the smallscalelife.com for pictures or see the video at the Small Scale Life YouTube Channel for more information.

Let me know what you design and build. I am really curious what designs you develop for your plants!

Thank You
That’s about all for this post and podcast. I hope you found that reviewing top seed sources was useful and helpful. If you have comments or questions, please leave them as a comment to this post on Small Scale Life, use the Contact Us page, or send me an e-mail at realsmallscalelife at gmail dot com.
Thank you again for listening to the Small Scale Life Podcast and visiting smallscalelife.com. We appreciate you and your time. Our wish for you is that you remove some of that stress in your life and live simply this week. This is Tom from Small Scale Life, and we’ll see you next time! Take care, everyone!