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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

Close-up of a ground-hugging stonecrop succulent with pale green leaves and a damaged base in a dry garden bed.

Seasonal Strategies: Establishing Drought-Tolerant Plants for Long-Term Success

When I first landed on our little patch of land in Portugal, I thought the fastest path to a thriving food forest was to plant more...

Sep 25

Citrus unshiu 'Okitsu' (Mandarine)

The Tangerina Okitsu is a prized satsuma mandarin variety, known for its seedless, sweet, and early-ripening fruit. Growing Citrus unshiu 'Okitsu' in Zone 8a offers homesteaders a reliable citrus that tolerates light frost better than many oranges, making it an excellent choice for Mediterranean-style food forests. While patience is required in the early years, Okitsu tangerines shine in flavor and ease of peeling.

Sep 24

Small Dom Joao orange sapling in a weedy, sun-dried patch of ground, surrounded by wild vegetation.

Citrus sinensis 'Dom João' (Valencia Orange)

The Citrus sinensis 'Dom João' is a Portuguese Valencia-type orange known for its sweet, juicy fruit and extended harvest season. While still young and unproductive on our homestead, this cultivar is well-suited for Mediterranean climates and Zone 8a growers seeking resilient, sun-loving citrus. It’s a slow starter, but once established, it can become a cornerstone for both fresh eating and juicing.

Sep 23

Side view of a Remodelado Lisbon trams with overhead wires and Martini advertising along the carriage.

The Homesteading Land-Buying Checklist for Portugal: 15 Critical Factors Before You Purchase

When my wife and I first started looking for land in Portugal, I pictured orange trees, stone walls, and enough space to finally grow...

Sep 22

Small Citrus sinensis 'Newhall' fruit tree planted in brown grass and brush, its bright foliage standing out against the arid ground.

Citrus sinensis 'Newhall' (Orange)

The Newhall navel orange is an early-ripening cultivar developed in California, closely related to the Washington navel. Known for its sweet, seedless fruit and deep orange rind, it performs well in Mediterranean climates. For those growing Citrus sinensis 'Newhall' in Zone 8a, patience is essential—young trees focus on root and canopy growth before flowering and fruiting, often taking 3–4 years to settle in.

Sep 21

Japanese plum sapling with dense top growth standing among grasses and young plantings, photographed on a bright, cloudless day.

Prunus salicina 'Angeleno' (Plum)

The Angeleno plum is a late-season cultivar bred in California and widely grown in Mediterranean climates. Its firm, sweet-tart fruits have excellent storage ability and ship well, which is why it dominates late-season plum markets worldwide. While many nurseries list the scientific name as Prunus salicina (Japanese plum), some catalogs and horticultural systems still label it as Prunus domestica. The consensus, however, leans strongly toward P. salicina due to its breeding l

Sep 20

Rough timber planter under construction, showing clods and branches inside, set in a meadow with yellow wildflowers.

Raised Garden Beds in Fall: 7 Steps for Winter Preparation

By the time autumn rolls in, many gardens are winding down. But for those with raised beds, fall isn’t the end — it’s the perfect time to...

Sep 19

Sunlit garden corner showing a slender tea tree next to deck railings and posts, surrounded by mixed containers and dry groundcover.

Melaleuca alternifolia (Tea Tree)

The Australian tea tree, Melaleuca alternifolia, is cherished for its aromatic oils and medicinal leaves. While naturally suited to wetter, subtropical regions, growing Melaleuca alternifolia in Zone 8a Mediterranean gardens is possible with thoughtful soil improvement, mulch, and microclimate care. This evergreen adds both resilience and a natural apothecary to the homestead.

Sep 18

Macro of a purple Lycianthes rantonnetii bloom with crinkled petals and a yellow eye, with buds and green leaves in the background.

Lycianthes rantonnetii (Blue Potato Bush)

The Blue Potato Bush is a striking ornamental from South America, prized for its violet-blue flowers with bright yellow centers. On our Mediterranean homestead in Zone 8a, it reliably dies back each winter after the first frosts—only to surprise us with vigorous regrowth each late spring. Its fast growth and long blooming season make it a vibrant accent for fences, porches, or informal hedges.

Sep 17

Interior airtightness work: taped membrane fitted between roof beams and sealed around a multi-pane window.

Planning an Energy Class A+ Renovation for Long-Term Durability

Renovating an old granite house to meet modern energy standards is no small feat. Granite keeps cool in summer and stores heat, but on...

Sep 16

Close view of a small Citrus limon ‘Rosso’ tree growing in a field, straw mulch at the base and brown grasses around, mountains in the background.

Citrus limon ‘Rosso’ (Red Lemon)

Citrus limon ‘Rosso’ is a rare red-skinned lemon cultivar that turns heads in both gardens and kitchens. Known variously as Limão Vermelho in Portugal, Limone Rosso in Italy, and even marketed as Mulled Wine Lemon or Blood Lemon, it blends ornamental beauty with citrus utility. Purple-tinged blossoms, evergreen foliage, and fruit with a reddish-orange rind make this tree a standout in Mediterranean orchards. Growing Citrus limon Rosso in Zone 8a means playing the long game: p

Sep 15

Compact multi-stem Corylus avellana bush in fresh spring leaf on a field, with a greenhouse and house behind under overcast sky.

Corylus avellana (Hazelnut)

The common hazelnut is a versatile shrub producing nutritious nuts, dense greenery, and habitat value. Growing Corylus avellana in Zone 8a Mediterranean conditions means balancing drought resilience with regular establishment care. Its bushy form provides shade for younger plants, while nuts and coppiced wood offer long-term food and fuel.

Sep 14

Close-up of deteriorated roof showing broken tiles and warped battens against a clear sky.

Granite Stone House Renovation: Why We’re Restoring Off-Grid in Portugal

Ever stood inside a crumbling granite house in rural Portugal and wondered, “Is this even worth saving?” We did. The granite walls still...

Sep 13

Branches of a small almond tree carrying clusters of green, unripe almonds against a soft meadow backdrop.

Prunus dulcis ‘Ferraduel’ (Almond)

The Ferraduel almond is a late-blooming French cultivar prized for its large, hard-shelled nuts with sweet kernels. Perfectly adapted to Mediterranean Zone 8a climates, it avoids many spring frost issues and produces reliable yields when paired with compatible pollinators. Beyond its delicious nuts, the almond tree provides pollinator forage in early spring and a graceful presence in any food forest or orchard system.

Sep 12

Potted ‘Triple Crown’ blackberry start with fresh leaves and tag, photographed in the hand of Herman Kraut against deck boards.

Rubus fruticosus 'Triple Crown' (Blackberry)

Triple Crown is a thornless, semi-erect blackberry cultivar celebrated for its large, sweet berries and vigorous growth. Well-suited to Mediterranean and USDA Zone 8a conditions, it thrives with trellis support and regular summer watering. Its fruits are excellent for fresh eating, jams, and freezing, while its resilience and productivity make it a homestead favorite.

Sep 11

Fresh harvest of tomatoes, cucumbers, and basil on a wooden table — an example of succession planting variety.

The Complete Succession Planting Guide: Continuous Harvests All Season

Ever planted a dozen zucchinis at once, only to drown in green torpedoes you couldn’t give away fast enough? In my Year 2 garden, that’s...

Sep 10

Close-up of a Casuarina branch with small brown, cone-like seed pods amid fine, needle-like branchlets.

Casuarina equisetifolia (Australian pine)

Casuarina equisetifolia is a vigorous, evergreen tree native to Australia and Southeast Asia but naturalized worldwide. Known for its needle-like branchlets and cone-like fruits, it’s a top choice for windbreaks in Mediterranean and Zone 8a gardens. This tough pioneer thrives in sandy or poor soils, fixes nitrogen through actinorhizal root nodules, and offers ecological services ranging from erosion control to shade.

Sep 9

Detail of milkflower cotoneaster fruiting spurs showing downy leaves and tight clusters of immature berries.

Cotoneaster lacteus (Milkflower Cotoneaster)

Cotoneaster lacteus is a wildlife friendly evergreen with foamy white flower clusters and heavy red berry trusses that hold into winter. For growing Milkflower Cotoneaster in Zone 8a, it shines in Mediterranean conditions where summers are dry and winters are mild, serving as a hardy screen, shelterbelt element, and reliable pollinator resource.

Sep 8