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Here you will find my most recent blog posts. Tough Kraut guides you from city apartments to homesteads. Explore our categories:

Homestead Chronicles: Follow our journey. Read “A Starter’s Guide” for basics or “Life on the Land” for real stories.

Cultivate & Thrive: Grow food anywhere. Try “Homegrown Harvests” for balcony tips or “Building Soil” for yards.

Self-Sufficient Living: Learn off-grid skills. Check “Water Conservation” or “Homesteading & DIY” for practical projects.

Farm Companions: Use animals and plants smartly. Explore “Natural Pest Control” or “Foraging” for free resources.

Permie Pantry: Cook and preserve. Start with “Garden-To-Table Recipes” or “Pickle & Preserve” for easy ideas.

All Posts

Top-down view of a cluster of glossy, well-formed Acer opalus leaves showing their characteristic lobed shape.

Acer opalus (Italian Maple)

Common Name: Italian Maple Scientific Name: Acer opalus Plant Family: Sapindaceae Lifecycle: Perennial Acer opalus is a graceful Mediterranean maple known for its rounded canopy, early-spring leaf flush, and impressive resilience in hot-summer climates. Growing Acer opalus in Zone 8a offers shade potential, seasonal beauty, and strong adaptability once established. On our land, this species jumped from fragile seedling to thriving terrace anchor in just one season — a t

Nov 20

Aerial view of an Acer campestre L. with color-changing leaves, planted among tall grasses and surrounded by natural undergrowth.

Acer campestre L. (Field Maple)

Acer campestre, known as the Field Maple, is a hardy, adaptable European native perfectly suited to Mediterranean Zone 8a conditions. With its compact size, drought tolerance once established, and attractive foliage, it works beautifully in food forests, mixed orchard rows, and regenerative hedgerows. Growing Acer campestre in Zone 8a adds dependable shade, autumn color, and ecological value to your homestead.

Nov 19

Outdoor view of a tunnel-style greenhouse with translucent walls, surrounded by natural vegetation and shaded areas.

November Greenhouse Gardening for Mediterranean Winters

Our greenhouse on the second terrace, soaking up the last warm days before winter’s slow rhythm settles in. November on a Mediterranean homestead can feel like a season of contrasts. Sunlight still warms the afternoons, but nights drop fast. Air stays humid longer. Condensation gathers on greenhouse walls. Tender greens grow one moment and stall the next. This is the month where careful greenhouse management makes all the difference between strong winter crops and a disappoin

Nov 18

Ribbon plant planted next to a Mimosa tree trunk in a mulched area, surrounded by natural debris and hardy foliage plants.

Chlorophytum comosum (Spider Plant)

Chlorophytum comosum, commonly known as the Spider Plant or Ribbon Plant, is one of the easiest house and garden plants to propagate and naturalize—even in Mediterranean Zone 8a conditions. Though traditionally grown indoors, we’ve discovered it thrives outdoors in sheltered pockets where mild frosts are buffered by canopy cover. Beautiful arching leaves, air-purifying qualities, and rapid “pups” make this a perfect plant for eco-minded homesteads looking for resilient, low-m

Nov 17

Lush Empress Tree seedlings filling out a wooden seed box, with larger, serrated green leaves overlapping.

Paulownia tomentosa (Empress Tree)

Paulownia tomentosa is a famously fast-growing deciduous tree known for its massive heart-shaped leaves, lavender foxglove-like blossoms, and ability to rebound even after frost or drought damage. When grown in Mediterranean Zone 8a conditions, it becomes a biomass machine—ideal for shade, soil improvement, erosion control, and wind buffering. For Tough Kraut readers curious about growing Paulownia tomentosa in Zone 8a, this guide documents the real experience of raising them

Nov 16

MuDan wearing a beige sunhat and rubber boots planting a young tree in a grassy field, surrounded by soil and compost.

Bare-Root Trees & Perennials: November Planting for Mediterranean

November brings a rare window of opportunity to Mediterranean gardeners. The first rains soften the soil, daytime warmth lingers, and the air smells of change. This is when roots want to move. On our land, this is also when we planted our first bare-root apple and cherry trees . The soil was still warm from summer, the sky generous with drizzle, and thanks to the granite stone house’s previous life as a goat and sheep stable, we had plenty of aged manure to mix into the plan

Nov 15

Miniature Pine Tree succulent in a garden setting, with green needle-like leaves radiating from a central stem amid surrounding vegetation.

Crassula tetragona (Miniature Pine Tree)

Crassula tetragona — affectionately called the Miniature Pine Tree Succulent — adds a touch of structured greenery to Mediterranean gardens. With its upright, pine-like stems and ease of propagation, it’s a perfect choice for drought-resistant beds, containers, or small-space landscapes in USDA Zone 8a. This South African native thrives on neglect, rewards patience, and turns even a broken stem into a new life.

Nov 14

Low-growing cluster of Deltoid-Leaved Dewplants surrounded by grasses and other garden plants in a partially shaded area.

Oscularia deltoides (Deltoid-Leaved Dewplant)Common Name: Deltoid-Leaved DewplantScientific Name: Oscularia deltoidesPlant Family: AizoaceaeLifecycle: PerennialA sculptural succulent native to

A sculptural succulent native to South Africa’s Cape region, Oscularia deltoides thrives in full sun, poor soil, and minimal water—making it a standout for Mediterranean and Zone 8a gardens. Its triangular, toothed leaves and springtime pink flowers make it an excellent choice for rock gardens, greenhouse edges, or cascading over low walls. Fast-rooting and forgiving, it’s a gardener’s dream for low-maintenance, drought-resilient design.

Nov 13

Multiple Macrolepiota procera mushrooms arranged in a woven basket, with a mix of upturned caps revealing gills and intact rounded tops.

Parasol Mushroom (Macrolepiota procera) Foraging Guide: Identification, Lookalikes, Season, and Schnitzel-Style Uses

A basket full of autumn’s treasure — parasol mushrooms gathered from our meadows after the first November rains. Every cap tells a story of patient soil and clean air. The first winter on our land (2022–2023) brought a quiet surprise — tall, umbrella-like mushrooms rising from the meadow like something out of a fairy tale. Their caps stretched wider than a hand, textured like cracked leather, and their stems carried a snakeskin pattern so distinct it begged a closer look. Tho

Nov 12

Ground-level view of a Curio talinoides subsp. cylindricus succulent, showing upright, smooth, pencil-like leaves with a powdery blue tint.

Curio talinoides subsp. cylindricus (Narrow-Leaf Chalk Sticks)

Native to South Africa’s dry coastal regions, Curio talinoides subsp. cylindricus—commonly called narrow-leaf chalk sticks—is a striking, low-maintenance succulent that thrives in full sun and sandy soils. Its powdery blue-green stems bring structure and contrast to Mediterranean-style plantings, while its drought tolerance makes it ideal for Zone 8a and water-wise gardens.

Nov 11

Close-up of a healthy Sedum palmeri plant in soil, with tightly arranged leaf rosettes and subtle red tinges on the edges of some leaves.

Sedum palmeri (Palmer’s Sedum)

A cheerful, sun-loving succulent native to Mexico, Sedum palmeri thrives where other plants surrender to heat, wind, and neglect. With its rosettes of lime-green leaves and blush of pink in cool weather, it adds year-round color and texture to dry gardens. Perfect for growing in Zone 8a Mediterranean conditions, this low-water groundcover roots readily from cuttings, making it a favorite for sharing and expansion.

Nov 10

Open-roof room under renovation, featuring wall-to-wall rebar mesh for upcoming concrete work and exposed stone walls.

Granite House Renovation: Slab Preparation, Ring Beams, and Off-Grid Utilities

When we first stepped into our old granite house, the floors felt like a mountain range and the ceilings more like cave roofs. Leveling it wasn’t just about comfort — it was about making the structure safe, efficient, and ready for decades of off-grid living. So, we rolled up our sleeves, dug down about 85 cm (33 inches) inside the stone shell, and built a reinforced concrete slab that now hides every pipe, wire, and water line our future home will need. Along the way, we p

Nov 9

Macro shot of a succulent stem from the Sedum ‘Blue Spruce’, showing rosette-forming, waxy leaves with visible water droplets.

Sedum rupestre ‘Blue Spruce’ (Stonecrop)

A compact, evergreen succulent with needle-like, glaucous leaves reminiscent of spruce needles, Sedum rupestre ‘Blue Spruce’ earns its place as a backbone of Mediterranean and Zone 8a gardens. Valued for its drought tolerance, cascading habit, and brilliant yellow summer blooms, this resilient groundcover thrives in shallow soils, rock walls, and pots alike — perfect for off-grid landscapes that favor beauty with minimal input.

Nov 8

Single Mesembryanthemum cordifolium bloom with vibrant pink petals and a yellow center, emerging from a leafy green stem on a sandy surface.

Mesembryanthemum cordifolium (Heart-leaf Ice Plant)

A sun-loving, drought-tolerant succulent, Mesembryanthemum cordifolium brings a bright splash of pink-red blooms and glossy heart-shaped leaves to Mediterranean gardens. Perfect for groundcover, rockeries, and living mulch, this South African native thrives in Zone 8a microclimates—especially when sheltered from frost. Growing Mesembryanthemum cordifolium in Zone 8a proves how resilience often hides in the smallest, most unassuming plants.

Nov 7

Rural Portuguese village scene featuring historic buildings, overhead power lines, and a golden-leaved tree as the central focal point.

November planting guide for Zones 8–11: Your Last 3 Weeks to Plant 35+ Crops Before Winter Slows Growth

Short days. Cold nights. Empty beds. November can feel like the end of the road. In Mediterranean Zones 8–11, it is the opposite. You have about three weeks to lock in spinach, roots, alliums, favas, and even bare-root trees while the soil is still warm. Do this now and winter works for you. Skip it and growth stalls until spring. I have made both choices. The “plant now” choice wins every time. Golden autumn in the hills – Portugal’s quiet villages glow before winter settles

Nov 6

Small agave plant with broad, slightly wavy leaves, situated in a patch of dry, grassy vegetation.

Agave americana L. (Century Plant)

Agave americana, also known as the Century Plant, is a dramatic and architectural succulent native to Mexico but perfectly suited to Mediterranean and Zone 8a climates. Its blue-grey rosette and bold silhouette make it a striking drought-resistant feature for homesteads, dry gardens, and rock terraces. Growing Agave americana in Zone 8a proves that resilience doesn’t need irrigation—this plant thrives where others surrender to the summer sun.

Nov 5

Variegated agave plant with yellow-edged green leaves growing on a forest slope, with a small pup developing at its base.

Agave americana ‘Marginata’ (Variegated Century Plant)

The variegated form of Agave americana—striped in creamy yellow and green—brings instant architecture to dry landscapes. Thriving under full sun and neglect, Agave americana ‘Marginata’ is a tough, drought-loving survivor ideal for Mediterranean gardens and Zone 8a permaculture systems. Besides its sculptural presence, it stabilizes slopes, deters grazing animals, and needs no irrigation once established.

Nov 4

Close-up of Italian flat-leaf parsley with vibrant green, lobed leaves growing among grass and natural debris.

What to Plant in November: Complete Mediterranean Cool-Zone Planting Guide

Our Mediterranean garden rests and regenerates — November’s planting rhythm in full swing. November may sound like a time for rest, but in a Mediterranean garden it’s the quiet builder of next spring’s success. Soil still carries the last whispers of summer warmth, rains return in earnest, and every small task — from sowing hardy greens to protecting brassicas — adds resilience for the months ahead. On our own Portuguese hillside (Zone 8a), November is when the rhythm slows j

Nov 3

Prunus cerasus sapling with multiple upright branches and healthy green leaves, planted in a dry, slightly sloped garden area with other shrubs and a cactus.

Prunus cerasus (Sour Cherry)

The Prunus cerasus, or sour cherry, brings tart flavor and spring beauty to Mediterranean gardens. While famous for pies and preserves, this tree also supports pollinators and adds a splash of seasonal charm. Growing Prunus cerasus in Zone 8a means balancing full sun with protection from summer stress—a rewarding challenge for patient homesteaders.

Nov 2

Low-growing Spanish Dagger plant with arching sword-shaped leaves in a woodland setting, surrounded by leaf litter and shaded tree trunks.

Yucca gloriosa (Spanish Dagger)

Native to the sandy coastal regions of the southeastern United States, Yucca gloriosa has found a perfect second home in Mediterranean climates like Portugal’s Zone 8a. Its bold, evergreen form and towering flower spikes make it a standout choice for drought-tolerant, low-maintenance landscapes. Growing Yucca gloriosa in Zone 8a combines architectural drama with pure resilience—no pampering required.

Nov 1

Guides, tips, stories or recipes directly from our off-grid homestead. From newbie tips to pro hacks, our posts help you grow smarter, not harder.