How-To Deep Dives
Full-length companion articles for every how-to guide on the site, expanding the printable card into a complete read.
Propagation & Seedlings
Direct Sowing Basics: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers direct sowing basics, rated an easy task, typically taking 10–15 min/bed.
Grafting Basics: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers grafting basics, rated a moderate to hard task, typically taking 10–20 min.
Hardening Off Seedlings: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers hardening off seedlings, rated an easy task, typically taking 7–10 days.
Saving Seeds: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers saving seeds, rated a moderate task, typically taking varies by crop.
Starting Seeds Indoors: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers starting seeds indoors, rated an easy task, typically taking 15–20 min/tray.
Taking Cuttings: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers taking cuttings, rated an easy to moderate task, typically taking 15–30 min.
Soil & Compost
Building Healthy Soil: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers building healthy soil, rated a moderate task, typically taking ongoing.
Cold & Slow Composting: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers cold & slow composting, rated an easy task, typically taking 6–12 months.
Compost Tea: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers compost tea, rated an easy task, typically taking 24–48 hrs.
Green Manures & Cover Crops: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers green manures & cover crops, rated an easy task, typically taking 6–12 weeks.
Hot Composting: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers hot composting, rated a moderate task, typically taking 3–8 weeks.
Mulching: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers mulching, rated an easy task, typically taking 20–40 min/bed.
Worm Farming (Vermicomposting): The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers worm farming (vermicomposting), rated an easy task, typically taking 2–3 months.
Water
Drip Irrigation Setup: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers drip irrigation setup, rated an easy to moderate task, typically taking half a day.
Greywater Systems: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers greywater systems, rated a moderate to hard task, typically taking 1–3 days setup.
Rainwater Harvesting & Tank Sizing: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers rainwater harvesting & tank sizing, rated a moderate task, typically taking 1–2 days setup.
Pest & Disease
Beneficial Insects: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers beneficial insects, rated an easy task, typically taking ongoing.
Companion Planting Principles: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers companion planting principles, rated an easy task, typically taking planning only.
Crop Rotation Planning: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers crop rotation planning, rated a moderate task, typically taking 1–2 hrs planning.
Organic Pest Control: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers organic pest control, rated an easy to moderate task, typically taking varies.
Preserving & Storage
Canning & Bottling: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers canning & bottling, rated a moderate task, typically taking 2–4 hrs/batch.
Dehydrating: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers dehydrating, rated an easy task, typically taking 4–24 hrs/batch.
Fermenting: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers fermenting, rated an easy to moderate task, typically taking 1–4 weeks.
Freezing Produce: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers freezing produce, rated an easy task, typically taking 30–60 min/batch.
Root Cellaring: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers root cellaring, rated an easy to moderate task, typically taking setup: 1 day.
Garden Systems & Structures
Building a Chicken Coop: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers building a chicken coop, rated a moderate task, typically taking 1–7 days.
Fencing Basics: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers fencing basics, rated a moderate task, typically taking 1–7 days.
No-Dig Gardening: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers no-dig gardening, rated an easy task, typically taking half a day/bed.
Pruning Basics: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers pruning basics, rated a moderate task, typically taking varies.
Raised Bed Building: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers raised bed building, rated an easy to moderate task, typically taking 1 day/bed.
Alternative Energy
Backup Generators: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers backup generators, rated an easy to moderate task, typically taking setup: a few hours.
Biogas Digesters: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers biogas digesters, rated a moderate to hard task, typically taking build: 1–2 days.
Micro-Hydro Power Basics: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers micro-hydro power basics, rated a hard task, typically taking assessment + install.
Wind Power Basics: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers wind power basics, rated a hard task, typically taking assessment + install.
Meat Processing & Butchery
Butchering Lamb & Goat: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers butchering lamb & goat, rated a moderate to hard task, typically taking 1–2 hrs.
Butchering Pork: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers butchering pork, rated a moderate to hard task, typically taking 1.5–3 hrs.
Curing & Smoking Meat: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers curing & smoking meat, rated a moderate task, typically taking days–weeks.
Home Slaughter — Process & Regulations: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers home slaughter — process & regulations, rated a hard task, typically taking half a day.
Making Sausages & Small Goods: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers making sausages & small goods, rated a moderate task, typically taking 2–4 hrs/batch.
Processing a Chicken: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers processing a chicken, rated a moderate task, typically taking 20–30 min.
Dairy & Animal Products
Beeswax & Candle Making: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers beeswax & candle making, rated an easy task, typically taking 2–3 hrs.
Butter & Cream: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers butter & cream, rated an easy task, typically taking 20–40 min.
Cheesemaking Basics: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers cheesemaking basics, rated a moderate task, typically taking hours–months.
Milking Sheep & Goats: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers milking sheep & goats, rated a moderate task, typically taking 10–20 min/animal.
Rendering Fat (Tallow & Lard): The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers rendering fat (tallow & lard), rated an easy task, typically taking 2–4 hrs.
Wool — From Fleece to Usable Yarn: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers wool — from fleece to usable yarn, rated a moderate task, typically taking many hours total.
Yoghurt & Cultured Dairy: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers yoghurt & cultured dairy, rated an easy task, typically taking 6–12 hrs.
Land & Property Infrastructure
Bore Water Basics: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers bore water basics, rated a hard task, typically taking days–weeks.
Bushfire Preparedness & Firebreaks: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers bushfire preparedness & firebreaks, rated a moderate task, typically taking ongoing.
Farm Dams for Water Storage: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers farm dams for water storage, rated a hard task, typically taking days of earthworks.
Heavy-Duty Livestock Fencing: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers heavy-duty livestock fencing, rated a moderate to hard task, typically taking days–weeks.
Off-Grid Septic & Wastewater: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers off-grid septic & wastewater, rated a hard task, typically taking days (professional install).
Tool Maintenance & Sharpening: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers tool maintenance & sharpening, rated an easy task, typically taking 10–20 min/tool.
Land Management
Erosion Control: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers erosion control, rated a moderate task, typically taking days–weeks.
Non-Chemical Weed Control: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers non-chemical weed control, rated an easy to moderate task, typically taking varies.
Rotational Grazing at Property Scale: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers rotational grazing at property scale, rated a moderate task, typically taking ongoing.
Windbreaks & Shelterbelts: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers windbreaks & shelterbelts, rated a moderate task, typically taking years to mature.