Hudson Valley NY *chat thread*

[JerseyHen]

The rain will help, but the ph my still be off. If your soil does not have the right balance plants will have a hard time absorbing available nutrients, their roots could burn, or you could have a nasty insect invasion. You always want to mix regular old dirt to a manure.

I checked my PH and it is spot on in most places. I have a few areas that are higher and a few that are lower so I adjust what I plant there or till in more top soil. I had such heavy soil 3 years ago when I started this thing and also had some practically dead "top soil" dropped in there last year to raise it up (it was flooding), that it needed extreme amending. My bedding really doesn't have much manure in it since I have poop boards, so I can really control the levels. the pine is a good balance to the manure, but it is hard to get flake to compost, so I used the fine shavings over the winter and it is practically composted when I take it out of there after 6 months. The poop board manure is mixed in a ratio depending on how much I need to change the soil metrics.

The bugs and germs I worry more about, for instance eating a raw carrot out of dirt that has fresh manure is a no no, but if you cook there is no problem.

DH shoveled out the poop board in the Nuggets' coop and tilled it directly into the garden last Thursday. We're not planting anything until May. Do you think it'll be composted by then?
The compost in the composter looks great...our 1st attempt. There's not much of it though so I'm going to mix it into the existing soil around each plant. Trying to amend the clay soil around here is a never-ending battle.

We did this last year and got the most amazing garden ever. You should get one of those soil testers though, they have some that will check all the different nutrients so you know how much to add and if you need to adjust anything. My grandparents could do it by touch, smell, history, etc, but I am not that skilled. Maybe some day after decades of playing in the dirt.

 

[LSzajko]

Quote:
I'll have to pick up a soil tester this weekend while there's still time to amend. DH expanded the garden a few years ago and tilled a huge load of top soil in but then he got some horse manure from a friend. The weeds from the hay took over. It was SO BAD. Last year we laid one of those fabric covers down which helped. The vegetables and herbs did fairly well. I don't mind having to pull some weeds but when they're higher than the tomato plants, there's a problem! think if I can get the weeds somewhat under control, the garden will be awesome. I heard laying newspapers down will help prevent weeds. Has anyone tried that?

 

[JerseyHen]

Ugh, hay seeds are a real challenge. Hopefully you pulled them all before they set seed and propagated. You can try to "cook" them or till them while seedlings. If you put black plastic down just after the seedlings emerge and let the heat from under the plastic cook the seedlings. If they don't get to set seed you interrupt the lifecycle and you should get ahead of them. I have done this with clear plastic also. I imagine you could do it in between beds too while the garden is actively growing. I don't find the landscape fabric to work too well, unless you buy the commercial type. When I set up new beds I usually try to let the seedlings emerge twice and knock them down each time to remove as many viable weed seeds as possible before planting in an area. I am impatient this year, so I am planting in the new bed. I bet I will have a lot of weeding to do.

I do use newspaper and cardboard (just don't use anything that is "shiny"). It seems to work great under zucchini to keep them from getting powdery mildew. At the end of the season you can till it under or lasagna garden (essentially composting in place). http://www.motherearthnews.com/orga...ning-zmaz99amztak.aspx?PageId=1#axzz2yONWhVL0

The hard part with the newspaper is keeping it from blowing away (just keep it damp). I also use rocks, but in a garden the size of mine, that is a lot of rocks on newspaper corners. I am trying to find a source for cheap newspaper roll. It would make covering the garden a lot easier.

I do a combo lasagna garden and traditional garden management with squarefoot planting. My new bed (50 x 50) is going to be for squash, gourds, melons, and corn. I am currently clearing the brush off of it and getting the big rocks out. I will till it once or twice to knock down the seedling weeds and then cover it with paper in the bed areas and cardboard in the paths. I will cover the cardboard paths with mulch (I just got 24 cubic yards for free from the city tree guys!). Then on top of the paper covered beds I will put rows of "hills" of topsoil/compost in which I will plant the squash, melons, and gourds. The corn will go in rows between rows of "hills". With any luck the squash and melons will take off and outgrow any weeds that try to push through the paper. At the end of the season I will dump all of the summer deep litter on top of that garden along with all the fall litter and leaves. Then in spring I will decide if I want to till it all back in or plant on top of it again. It will depend on how well that layer decomposes. I don't know if it will work, this area is full of pokeweed, honeysuckle, wild grapes, wild rose, weeds of unknown type, and other brambles, It looks terrible and is adjacent to our lawn, so it needs to be tamed. If it does, everyone can come pick pumpkins when we process our fall roosters...

Speaking of which, did anyone do meaties? I know we had discussed getting together to process. I have chicks about to hatch so I am going to have a dozen or so roosters to process in a few weeks. I think I am going to pick up some cornish x timed to be ready at the same time (my hatchlings won't be ready to process until week 15 or so, so I won't get the meaties until they are about 8 weeks old). I will have my set up out, it is nothing elaborate and I pluck by hand, but anyone who wants to come process is welcome, pm me and we can arrange a date and stuff.

 

[acire67]

Erica, chick 6 just died help him out of his shell this morning but he was so weak. I have 5 chicks all doing great!

6 still in the incubator don't think they are going to hatch. Started out with 18 eggs 4 didn't make it before lockdown. I'm on day 23. Tomorrow I'm going to clean out the bator and call it a day! I have a LG still air incubator and couldn't get the humidity up. Can't wait to see what your duckling looks like! Good luck on you hatch! I ordered Welsh Harlequin duckling, they are going to be shipping on the 21th. So excited!

Sorry to hear that chick #6 didn't make it. Your chicks are really cute! Welsh Harlequins are beautiful and supposedly you can sex them by bill color at a day or so old. How exciting! Who did you order them from?

5 of the ducklings hatched overnight. Haven't taken any pics yet, but 3 look Rouen & 2 are yellow like Pekins. Not sure how many more will hatch; this is the third group in the staggered hatch. I'm running out of room for all these babies!

 

[carousel86]

Erica, congratulations on the duckling? Please post pic's I like to see them. I think it's cool that they are mixed breed. I order my duckling from Holderread, you have to order way in advance. I think I order these in Dec and wanted them to be shipped on the 7 th. Then they sent me a letter stating that they will be shipping them on the 21 or 28. Time will tell!

 

[jzervas92]

Hello everyone! I'm located in Fort Montgomery and I just wanted to see if anyone in the hudson valley was selling laying hens. I have 17 mixed pullets that are 9 weeks old, and I also have an adult Rhode Island Red Rooster I rescued from a animal horder. I have no mature hens for him so he's all alone! I would prefer ameraucanas or any breed that lays blue to green eggs but I also like salmon faverolles, russian orloffs, welsummers, and speckled sussexs.

 

[jzervas92]

I just saw the post for the my pet chicken fest I am definitely going to that! This is a great thread I'm glad I found it!

 

[charlie14]

I spent a half hour looking for my missing hen only to find her sitting in the nest box on all today's eggs! Rooster did try to tell me, but I just ignored him.

 

[LSzajko]

I spent a half hour looking for my missing hen only to find her sitting in the nest box on all today's eggs! Rooster did try to tell me, but I just ignored him.

LOL Glad you found her!

 

[LSzajko]

Welcome jservas92