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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

Curving paths on a dry, lightly forested hillside with young trees, grasses, and log edging.

Mediterranean Shrubs, Trees & Perennials to Plant in September

September is the month when Mediterranean gardens begin to shift gears. While vegetable beds slow down, it’s the shrubs, trees, and...

Sep 5

Greenhouse aisle showing vegetables, trays, and hoses while micro-sprayers run.

Polytunnel Planting Guide for September in Zone 8

Our first polytunnel was nothing fancy — just a 2×3 m tunnel tucked against the southern wall of our stone house. I tried to anchor it...

Sep 4

Single orange blossom of Pot marigold with a red center surrounded by low green foliage.

Flower and Herb Planting for Autumn Gardens

September is kind to gardeners in Zone 8a. Days stay warm, and nights cool the soil just enough. Flower and Herb Planting in September...

Sep 3

Irrigated planting rows with red emitters running across a prepared plot, next to an olive tree and a plastic-covered tunnel.

Vegetable Planting in September: Zone 8a Mediterranean Focus

September in Zone 8a is a month of transition. The blazing summer sun starts to ease, nights cool just enough, and the soil still holds...

Sep 2

Garden workspace with seed tray and hand tool beside organic seed packets labeled cauliflower “Bola de Neve,” carrot “Nantes,” arugula, and salad mix.

What to Plant in September: Mediterranean Zone 8a Guide

September is the pivot month in a Mediterranean Zone 8a garden. Summer’s heat is finally loosening its grip, tomatoes and peppers are slowing down, and supermarket shelves are filling up with overpriced “fresh” produce that tastes like cardboard. This is the moment to step in with resilience. With the right choices now, your garden can keep producing food, medicine, and color long into autumn and even through winter. Kale, carrots, and cauliflower bring cool-season abundance.

Sep 1

Close-up of a Yellow Jacaranda (Tipuana tipu) compound leaf showing many oval leaflets arranged along a central stem, sunlit with fine venation visible.

Tipuana tipu (Yellow Jacaranda)

Tipuana tipu, often misleadingly sold as “Yellow Jacaranda,” is a fast-growing shade tree native to South America. In Mediterranean and Zone 8a climates, it is admired for its bright yellow blooms, nitrogen-fixing roots, and ability to create canopy cover. While young trees may struggle with frost dieback, they rebound vigorously each spring — making them a lesson in patience and ecological succession.

Aug 31

Detail of several mature yellow seed pods of Koelreuteria paniculata showing papery texture and brown edges.

Koelreuteria paniculata (Golden Rain Tree)

The Golden Rain Tree (Koelreuteria paniculata) is a hardy ornamental tree, well-suited for Mediterranean and Zone 8a climates. Known for its brilliant clusters of yellow flowers in summer and lantern-like papery seed pods in autumn, this species is as much a conversation piece as it is a shade provider. Its tolerance for urban conditions and poor soils makes it a resilient choice for diverse homesteads.

Aug 30

Close-up of a freshly laid white egg being lifted by Herman Kraut from a wooden nest lined with straw and other eggs.

Backyard Egg Empire: Why Chicken Coops Are 2025’s Hottest Investment

Egg prices aren’t just creeping up—they’ve been sprinting for five years straight. In the United States, costs have more than tripled...

Aug 29

Newly planted ‘Gupton’ southern highbush blueberry in a scrubby bed under pines, surrounded by straw and nearby opuntia pads.

Vaccinium corymbosum 'Gupton' (Southern Highbush Blueberry)

The Gupton blueberry is a Southern Highbush variety bred for early ripening, reliable productivity, and strong adaptability to warmer climates. When growing Vaccinium corymbosum 'Gupton' in Zone 8a, its sweet, medium-sized berries are an early-season treat, and the plant itself doubles as a pollinator-friendly shrub. While it requires acidic soil and consistent moisture, it rewards with resilience and flavor fit for both fresh eating and preserving.

Aug 28

Detail of Vaccinium corymbosum ‘Legacy’ fruit set—immature berries on a twig—with soft bokeh of wildflowers and trees in the background.

Vaccinium corymbosum 'Legacy' (Highbush Blueberry)

The Legacy Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum 'Legacy') is officially a Northern Highbush cultivar, though its hybrid background with Vaccinium darrowii gives it Southern Highbush adaptability. That means it keeps Northern sweetness while tolerating warmer climates like Zone 8a. Our plant joined “Blueberry Alley” below the old pine tree in March 2023, but not without a twist — the nursery tag mislabeled it as Viccinium myrtilium (likely a garbled Vaccinium myrtillus), with only

Aug 27

Fire fighting aircraft flying overhead near a bright sunburst in central Portugal, scattered clouds and leafy branches visible along the edges.

Wildfire Resilience in Portugal: Causes, Patterns, and Protecting Your Homestead

Here in central Portugal, we don’t need a calendar to know when fire season has begun. The signal is unmistakable: the roar of...

Aug 26

Young Vaccinium corymbosum ‘Star’ blueberry bush with green leaves growing among dry grass and mulch.

Vaccinium corymbosum 'Star' (Southern Highbush Blueberry)

The 'Star' blueberry is a Southern Highbush variety prized for its early ripening, large firm berries, and adaptability to warmer climates like Zone 8a. On our land, it’s showing promise even in full sun and without deliberate soil acidification, though canopy shade from maturing trees may improve long-term yields. Beyond fresh eating, blueberries like 'Star' bring pollinator value and a touch of forest-edge beauty to a Mediterranean homestead.

Aug 25

Bushy blueberry plant showing fresh green growth in a wild garden setting, with surrounding brown grasses and nearby cacti.

Vaccinium corymbosum 'Biloxi' (Highbush Blueberry)

The Biloxi Blueberry, a cultivar of the Highbush Blueberry, is prized for thriving in warmer climates where traditional northern blueberries struggle. When growing Vaccinium corymbosum 'Biloxi' in Zone 8a, you benefit from its low chilling-hour requirement and early harvests. These berries are sweet, antioxidant-rich, and make an excellent addition to food forests, berry hedges, or container gardens.

Aug 24

Makeshift off-grid station using pallets and a small roof, with foldable Bluetti solar panel, a Bluetti EB240 solar generator, and storage tanks scattered across dry grass.

Choosing the Best Solar Generator for Off-Grid Living: 2025 Buyer's Guide & Setup Tips

When the summer heat pushes grids to the breaking point and storms knock out power for days, you quickly realize how fragile our energy...

Aug 23

Detail of a narrow-leaved mock privet twig showing lance-shaped foliage and several ripening fruits along the stems.

Phillyrea angustifolia (Narrow-Leaved Mock Privet)

Phillyrea angustifolia is a tough evergreen shrub native to the Mediterranean region, making it well-suited for Zone 8a gardens with hot, dry summers. Its narrow, leathery leaves and dense growth habit provide excellent windbreaks, privacy screens, or hedgerows, while its small, nectar-rich flowers attract pollinators. This plant is valued in drought-tolerant designs for its resilience and ecological role.

Aug 22

Aucuba japonica shrub with glossy, variegated foliage growing at the base of a wooden structure, surrounded by leaf litter and straw mulch.

Aucuba japonica (Japanese Laurel)

The Japanese Laurel (Aucuba japonica) is a hardy evergreen shrub that thrives in shaded corners where other plants often fail. With glossy, leathery green leaves (sometimes speckled in gold depending on variety), this ornamental plant is valued for its resilience and low-maintenance nature. Growing Aucuba japonica in Zone 8a is especially rewarding, as it tolerates Mediterranean summers when kept out of harsh sun and adds year-round greenery to food forest understories and ho

Aug 21

Variegated agave with yellow-edged, arching leaves growing among rocks and logs in a dry garden bed; small prickly-pear pads and a tall yucca-like clump nearby, with a water tank visible in the distance.

Designing with Texture: Succulents and Perennials for Striking Dry Gardens

A lot of dry gardens look… well, dry. Rows of gravel, a few spiky plants, and not much else to keep the eye interested. But texture...

Aug 20

Close-up of a grapevine tag showing the name “Moscatel Hamburgo” and an image of clustered blue-black grapes.

Vitis vinifera 'Muscat Hamburg' (Grape)

The Black Muscat is a table grape renowned for its rich aroma and sweet, musky flavor. While traditionally grown in Mediterranean climates, growing Vitis vinifera 'Muscat Hamburg' in Zone 8a requires careful placement, frost protection, and trellising support. It is highly valued not only as a fresh eating grape but also for dessert wines and juice.

Aug 19

Mixed plantings in a dry landscape—tall feathery Chamaecytisus proliferus in the middle with grasses and shrubs around it, farm containers visible behind.

Chamaecytisus proliferus (Tree Lucerne)

Tree Lucerne (Chamaecytisus proliferus) is a hardy leguminous tree well-suited for Mediterranean and Zone 8a climates. Known for its fast growth, nitrogen-fixing abilities, and deep-rooted drought resilience, this species thrives as a pioneer in food forests. Beyond soil regeneration, it offers biomass, fodder for animals, and ecological stability for long-term homestead development.

Aug 18

Close-up of clumps of red wiggler compostworms clustered in moist, dark compost mixed with small food scraps.

Compost & Soil Health for Seed Crops: Start Strong for Better Seeds

Ever saved seeds from a crop that looked healthy… only to find out the next season’s seedlings were weak, slow, or didn’t sprout at all?...

Aug 17

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.