ChookaPete
Songster
- Dec 7, 2024
- 411
- 744
- 196
I live in a semi-arid area, where it is very dry for most of the year. Before I had chooks, my yards were a dry barren wasteland throughout most of the year. Then when the rain did hit, lots of weeds would shoot up. So at first it was a big battle getting rid of them. I have to still keep a look out for any invasive species.
My yards also had lot of palm trees - the stupid tall skinny ones that provided no shade at all, but lots of those annoying big seeds. I got rid of them, then a year later had the stumps ground down as much as possible.
I wanted to plant lots of vegetables, herbs, and spices, but first I am trying to get some decent shade for the yard, and for my house. So I have planted some fruit trees and a pine tree. I also have planted some rosemary shrubs which fortunately have grown huge! They provide good shade for the chooks, who also love hanging around the pine tree.
Since getting chickens and installing a basic irrigation system, the yard has stayed green all year round. The chooks basically fertilise it very well!
The soil itself seems variable - some are very sandy, not very fertile, while others are fairly clay-rich loams and quite rocky as well. It gets rockier below a couple of feet.
Before I bought the house, there were some garden beds set up.
During the first year the chooks loved dust-bathing in it.
Strangely nothing much has grown there, not even weeds. I have though had a pumpkin vine spring up late last year that grew like mad, and grew big pumpkins too. The chooks have now slaughtered it, but that's okay. I might plant some vegetables there but will need to screen them off with some firm plastic netting. And of course I need to get my compost going again before I start planting anything!
I don't have much problem at all with bugs - the chooks seem to manage that well on their own.
My yards also had lot of palm trees - the stupid tall skinny ones that provided no shade at all, but lots of those annoying big seeds. I got rid of them, then a year later had the stumps ground down as much as possible.
I wanted to plant lots of vegetables, herbs, and spices, but first I am trying to get some decent shade for the yard, and for my house. So I have planted some fruit trees and a pine tree. I also have planted some rosemary shrubs which fortunately have grown huge! They provide good shade for the chooks, who also love hanging around the pine tree.
Since getting chickens and installing a basic irrigation system, the yard has stayed green all year round. The chooks basically fertilise it very well!
The soil itself seems variable - some are very sandy, not very fertile, while others are fairly clay-rich loams and quite rocky as well. It gets rockier below a couple of feet.
Before I bought the house, there were some garden beds set up.
During the first year the chooks loved dust-bathing in it.
Strangely nothing much has grown there, not even weeds. I have though had a pumpkin vine spring up late last year that grew like mad, and grew big pumpkins too. The chooks have now slaughtered it, but that's okay. I might plant some vegetables there but will need to screen them off with some firm plastic netting. And of course I need to get my compost going again before I start planting anything!
I don't have much problem at all with bugs - the chooks seem to manage that well on their own.
