This archive brings together practical, experience-led articles from The Backyard Farmer, covering gardening, DIY, indoor growing, foraging, reviews, and sustainable living. Each post is written with real-world use in mind — focusing on working with nature, building practical skills, and making sustainable choices more accessible.
Does nylon trimmer line biodegrade? It’s a question more gardeners are starting to ask — and with good reason. When you’re tidying up borders or knocking back weeds, you probably don’t think twice about what your trimmer line is made from. But as a working
Every time you fire up your strimmer to tidy up the lawn or neaten the edges, you’re likely leaving behind more than just trimmed grass. Traditional strimmer cord, especially non-biodegradable types, is made from nylon — a tough, synthetic plastic that sticks around far longer
The Spider Farmer SE5000 is a 480W bar-style LED grow light designed primarily for 4×4 flowering spaces. I installed it in my own 4×4 tent after previously using an older board-style LED, allowing me to compare its coverage, heat, noise and general usability directly. My
Introduction The WORX WG163E has become a favourite among home gardeners across the UK — and for good reason. With its 2-in-1 design, lightweight frame, and cordless convenience, it’s a handy bit of kit for keeping both lawn edges and overgrown patches in check. That
The current Spider Farmer SF4000 is a 450W board-style LED grow light designed primarily for 4×4ft indoor setups. At around £270–£290, it offers strong value for growers keeping tomatoes, chillies, peppers and other demanding crops indoors through fruiting. It is dimmable, fanless and silent, although
Spider Farmer makes capable LED grow lights and remains a credible option for UK home growers, with compact board-style fixtures through to larger multi-bar lights. I have used a 2024 Spider Farmer SF2000 Pro over multiple growing cycles, including for indoor tomatoes, so I can
Introduction A Beautiful and Bountiful Choice Are you looking for a grapevine that’s both attractive and productive? The Himrod grape vine checks both boxes. It produces honey-sweet, seedless fruit and grows quickly with a climbing habit that’s perfect for fences, trellises, and pergolas. This green
A Quietly Brilliant Choice for UK Growers Looking for a productive and elegant grape to grow in your garden? The Perlette grape vine is a seedless, white dessert variety that’s especially well-suited to UK conditions. With its pale yellow-green clusters, subtle sweetness, and impressive yields,
The Simpa 180L is an extra-large galvanised garden incinerator designed for bulky seasonal clear-ups. I have used this model while working in a client’s garden, and its main advantage is the generous capacity, although its size, lightweight construction and eventual weathering are worth considering. For
Looking for a mole windmill that actually works? This DIY wind-powered mole deterrent — sometimes called a “Mole-Mill” — is simple to build and surprisingly effective. If you’ve noticed molehills appearing overnight, soft spots in the ground, or uprooted plants, you likely have a mole
Introduction to the Flame Grapevine If you’re a UK gardener looking for a comprehensive Flame grapevine review, this guide will help you decide if this seedless variety is the right fit for your garden. With its high yields, strong disease resistance, and exceptional flavor, the
Introduction: The Complete Step-by-Step Guide to Growing Seedless Grapevines in the UK Wondering how to grow seedless grapevines in the UK? With the right variety, proper care, and a little patience, it’s completely achievable. Some hardy seedless varieties thrive outdoors, while others may need greenhouse