Chicken Food Tower

[Phaedra Geiermann]

08.14 Finished Chicken Food Tower No.6

Tower No.6 is located in a more tricky place (i should not have placed it here ), one side faces the 3M high hedge, and the rest might get a short time morning sunlight. Most of the time, it has indirect sky light.

Anyway, same old procedure, besides the mixed veggies and grass seeds, I sowed a lot of alfalfa and red clover seeds here.

On the top of Tower No.6, i planted 3 mints that I got from a local gardening center for 50% off. They don't look well, but we know mints are monsters, just give them some rest, they will grow back very well. So, choloate mint, pineapple mint and strawberry mint are official residents in tower no.6 now.

Besides mints, I also burried some wild galics on the top. Both can adapt and tolerate such a shaded condition well.

*Improvement this time:
Whenever I pile up a layer and sow some seeds in the outer ring area, I will directly water that area, too (only the area with seeds). This is to help them germinated, as there won't be rain in coming few days.

Update from Tower No.3: mint on the top grows crazily!
This mint is propagated from mint cuttings and transplanted on August 2nd. That's how they look like then.

After 12 days, they are absolutely expanding their territory.

So, to encourage them growing further, let's harvest the top again. A handfull amount, not bad at all.

I used some of them to make the friut ice cubes for the chickens, now in the freezer. Lower part for strawberries, blueberries, banana; upper part mint and Chamomile tea.

Chamomile tea: just put the tea bag in the cold water, the reason i don't use hot water is ---> I will plant the tea bag inside chicken food tower later, yeah, no waste.

Some photos of other towers today:

Tower No.5

Top of tower No.5

Vertical Planter V1 (in my vegetable garden, not for chicken) also has a good progress.

Vertical Planted V2 will be built soon, this green-color wire is perfect for both vertical planter (can easily insert the seedlings from the holes) and I also made a much bigger one to accomodate leaf mold for coming fall.

Huuu~one simple idea, but so much fun!

 

[Phaedra Geiermann]

08.15 Following Sowing on a Chicken Food Tower

Smaller seeds, this time red clover and alfalfa are chosen, as they can much easier pass the syringes (without needle). Soak the seeds with some water.

Let's go!

Few days later~tons of micro greens appear!

 

[N F C]

Cool idea to use a syringe for the micro greens

 

[Phaedra Geiermann]

They already found the micro-greens!

 

[N F C]

They already found the micro-greens!

View attachment 2800348

That was fast

 

[Phaedra Geiermann]

That was fast

They are much smarter and do really pay attention to whatever is happening in their terrirtory!

 

[Phaedra Geiermann]

08.17 Update for Vertical Planter No.1

Yesterday there is a nice rain in the evening, soft but last for hours. This morning all the plants in the garden look happy.

Vegetable seedlings in VP-1 are the same. In fact now is already the right time to harvest the outer leaves and also the pea shoots, so they will grow more in the coming days.

I guess our summer is already leaving, 10 degree C now, not a happy summer for melon, tomatoes, egg plants, all okra have even no chance to flower. Well, that's life.

At least most of the flowers enjoy such cool summer.

 

[Phaedra Geiermann]

08.17 Vertical Planter No.2

Improved from the VP-1, I started making VP-2 this week.

As I didn't have available support at hand , I used a lower outer tower to stablize the taller, inner one. Because after VP-1 is 80% filled, it will lean a bit as our garden is located in a slope, not so even ground.

Compared with VP-1, VP-2 will have an additional horizontal planting surface besides the top. Also this horizontal surface will let water go inside the middle and lower part of the planter easier.

As I take this planter just as another form of raised bed, dedicated in short term leafy greens, I filled it basically according to what people will fill in their raised beds. They won't need to produce in the winter, so my expectation is only leafy greens before the winter becomes too harsh.

In other words, i don't expect or need the soil inside to be super fertile, especially now. As long as it can support short term leafy greens, that's an A.

For the upper part of the inner tower, originally I want to repurpose this PVC pipe to bring water in, but I have changed my mind to use a hose, will update when I finalize it.

 

[N F C]

@Phaedra Geiermann your lilies are lovely (that's one of my favorite flowers).

 

[Phaedra Geiermann]

08.19 Update for Tower No.5

Although Tower No.5 has mainly grass on the side, big girls still like it.

Update for VP-1

First harvest of VP-1, which all seedlings are transplanted on August 3rd. As brassicas are much like salat greens, they can be harvested from outer leaves and the new ones will keep growing, also peas need to be pinched for generating more shoots.

Not bad at all, about 110g, nice amount for adding into a noodle soup, or fried rice.