Mumsy's Romantic Garden Advice

[armorfirelady]

Mumsy should I put the manure down in the fall or spring? I can usually get free horse manure via Craig's list but it's not always old. I've put it in my gardens in March and April so that it can break down some & the hens love digging thru it. I don't usually see adds for it in the fall.

I figured putting heavy plastic over the screen will work over the frames to help with the greenhouse effect. I actually have wood around my original garden and I think the screens are the right size to put 2 across. All I have to do is add one more piece of wood on the north side so it's up higher to get the southern sun.

Remember I asked about growing viney things for my fence? I took pics of the area today. The blue wire and grey pipe are actually attached to the fence. Sorry its hard to tell with the muddy area behind it. We moved the firewood indoors that usually resides in that area so its a little rough looking lol

Fence runs from coop past little composter to the side of my garage. My mom will be digging up hostas this weekend so I think I will put them to the right of the composter to the rain barrel to fill it in. They will get morning sun but shade after noon. I might put a few to the left for this year so it looks a little better. I hate the dirt just setting their next to the paving stones.
I got the paving stones big trash week by driving around our town. The bricks were dug up from my yard (the previous owner apparently used the bricks for something I've found hi depress of broken pieces and a bunch of hole ones in the area around the garage) it looks so much nicer than the pallets I had down and cost my favorite price. Free

.

This is on opposite side. One fence is coming toward you(its on the left) and the other fence goes to the gate to hens foraging area. Might put a few hostas here to but rather put a viney plant that flowers. At least the fence to the right. I can put pumpkins or gourds on fence on left and to grow up lattice (which is the compost pile)

The area gets full sun. The pallet won't be there its so I don't trip in the drainage ditch. Hopefully that will be completed this weekend !!

 

[MumsyII]

Mumsy should I put the manure down in the fall or spring? I can usually get free horse manure via Craig's list but it's not always old. I've put it in my gardens in March and April so that it can break down some & the hens love digging thru it. I don't usually see adds for it in the fall.

I figured putting heavy plastic over the screen will work over the frames to help with the greenhouse effect. I actually have wood around my original garden and I think the screens are the right size to put 2 across. All I have to do is add one more piece of wood on the north side so it's up higher to get the southern sun.

Remember I asked about growing viney things for my fence? I took pics of the area today. The blue wire and grey pipe are actually attached to the fence. Sorry its hard to tell with the muddy area behind it. We moved the firewood indoors that usually resides in that area so its a little rough looking lol

Fence runs from coop past little composter to the side of my garage. My mom will be digging up hostas this weekend so I think I will put them to the right of the composter to the rain barrel to fill it in. They will get morning sun but shade after noon. I might put a few to the left for this year so it looks a little better. I hate the dirt just setting their next to the paving stones.
I got the paving stones big trash week by driving around our town. The bricks were dug up from my yard (the previous owner apparently used the bricks for something I've found hi depress of broken pieces and a bunch of hole ones in the area around the garage) it looks so much nicer than the pallets I had down and cost my favorite price. Free

.

This is on opposite side. One fence is coming toward you(its on the left) and the other fence goes to the gate to hens foraging area. Might put a few hostas here to but rather put a viney plant that flowers. At least the fence to the right. I can put pumpkins or gourds on fence on left and to grow up lattice (which is the compost pile)

The area gets full sun. The pallet won't be there its so I don't trip in the drainage ditch. Hopefully that will be completed this weekend !!

This is so interesting! I want to give this some attention but won't be able to until tomorrow. I'm dealing with my Blue Slate tom trying to kill one of the females today! Very stressful for all concerned. Waiting on the husband now to help me separate them. I'll get back to this. I promise.

 

[armorfirelady]

No worries take your time. I might look for some clearance plants if any of your suggestions are still available. Oh I forgot to mention I would like perennials. I am all about low maintenance aka easy

Hope all works out with your Tom. Kind of early for Thanksgiving

 

[armorfirelady]

Mumsy how did you make out with your Tom?

 

[MumsyII]

Mumsy how did you make out with your Tom?

He is still alive. I spend a lot of time out doors keeping eye on the female he tried to kill. I caught him in a fight with what I thought was his favorite girl. They were going at each other in a biting and neck wrestling match. As I was watching, he grabbed her by the back of the head, pushed her over in the corner where the five gallon water bucket is and shoved her head under water! If I had not run into the pen and grabbed her from him, he would have drowned her! I put her in a separate area to recover. It was touch and go for 24 hours. She was traumatized and brutalized around the face. Today she is out in the grass and soaking up some sun. She is much better and the swelling around her face is down. He is fine with the other three females but now they are all wanting to banish and punish the hurt female. I may have to butcher her early but I don't want to. They are only four months old.


The killer four month old tom. It really shook me up to wittiness this attempted assassination of a female by a tom. The folks on the turkey thread had never heard of this but think he is still too young to know how to breed and treat girls. He may have seen the big dominate female as a threat. He was trying to take her out though I think she started the fight.

 

[MumsyII]

Mumsy should I put the manure down in the fall or spring? I can usually get free horse manure via Craig's list but it's not always old. I've put it in my gardens in March and April so that it can break down some & the hens love digging thru it. I don't usually see adds for it in the fall.

I figured putting heavy plastic over the screen will work over the frames to help with the greenhouse effect. I actually have wood around my original garden and I think the screens are the right size to put 2 across. All I have to do is add one more piece of wood on the north side so it's up higher to get the southern sun.

Remember I asked about growing viney things for my fence? I took pics of the area today. The blue wire and grey pipe are actually attached to the fence. Sorry its hard to tell with the muddy area behind it. We moved the firewood indoors that usually resides in that area so its a little rough looking lol

Fence runs from coop past little composter to the side of my garage. My mom will be digging up hostas this weekend so I think I will put them to the right of the composter to the rain barrel to fill it in. They will get morning sun but shade after noon. I might put a few to the left for this year so it looks a little better. I hate the dirt just setting their next to the paving stones.
I got the paving stones big trash week by driving around our town. The bricks were dug up from my yard (the previous owner apparently used the bricks for something I've found hi depress of broken pieces and a bunch of hole ones in the area around the garage) it looks so much nicer than the pallets I had down and cost my favorite price. Free

.

This is on opposite side. One fence is coming toward you(its on the left) and the other fence goes to the gate to hens foraging area. Might put a few hostas here to but rather put a viney plant that flowers. At least the fence to the right. I can put pumpkins or gourds on fence on left and to grow up lattice (which is the compost pile)

The area gets full sun. The pallet won't be there its so I don't trip in the drainage ditch. Hopefully that will be completed this weekend !!

I can now come to this interesting project.
In answer to your question: Both Spring and Fall is when I spread manure. I top off or make new raised beds with the DL I clean out if Fall so the winter rains, freezing and thawing break it down. In the Spring I fill the bottom half of new seed beds so it can warm up the top layer faster to help germination.

I love the hosta idea. And I love the pavers. Those things come in handy for so many things. I use them as flooring in my green house.

Free is best of all! Can't wait to see finished pictures.

 

[armorfirelady]

I love the hosta idea. And I love the pavers. Those things come in handy for so many things. I use them as flooring in my green house.

Free is best of all! Can't wait to see finished pictures.

Are the suggestions you made for plants for this area still good for full sun? Its clay soil but there is about 4 inches of DL from last spring sitting on top so it will get roto tilled in. But with the clay soil its doesnt seem to dry out as much. This is a natural low area but since I added the drainage ditch it no longer has standing water except for a small area that I plan to fix this fall.


I am glad to hear your hen is doing better. That Tom looks awfully large for only 4 months.

 

[MumsyII]

Are the suggestions you made for plants for this area still good for full sun? Its clay soil but there is about 4 inches of DL from last spring sitting on top so it will get roto tilled in. But with the clay soil its doesnt seem to dry out as much. This is a natural low area but since I added the drainage ditch it no longer has standing water except for a small area that I plan to fix this fall.


I am glad to hear your hen is doing better. That Tom looks awfully large for only 4 months.

Yep. All the annual and perennial vines and plants that love sun will thrive here. Good drainage is key.

I just caught the injured banished female fighting through the fence with the tom and three females! They clearly are having serious issues. They are huge. I feed Fermented turkey/gamebird grower and they free range. I want to process them in December.


Fighting through the fence. Her face is a mess. The tom ripped her to shreads. I can't believe she is antagonizing them through the wire.


Her face is still swollen and she has dropped wings and tail and keeps a ruffled appearance so I know she is hurting.

On the gardening front.....The weather here has a nip in the air in the mornings. Very sunny and nice today. 150 tulip bulbs need to be planted!

 

[Sally8]

Mumsy - Those slates are gorgeous! I frequent the turkey thread to see all the pictures. It really makes me miss mine but not the fighting. I never had that trouble with my first 2 years of turkeys but this past year was awful. Life is so much easier with a couple doz chickens. Thanks for sharing the pictures. sue

Just my comment on spreading manure on the garden. This is the first year I'll use my own. Last spring when I cleaned the coops out I threw it all over on the edge of the property. DH would fork it over whenever he was going fishing and it was full of worms. Sadly, I wasn't able to do much with a beautiful garden this year as I spent most of my time at the hospital. So much went to waste before I knew it was ripe. My son took some home for his family and the raccoon harvested most of the corn. Next year........ This past week I've been pulling every thing up by the roots and throwing it in the chickens pen. What happy little birds they are. Back to the manure, I'm excited to see what happens next growing season.

 

[armorfirelady]

So this is garden related.......anyone have any good canning recipes for green tomatoes they would like to share? Another frost predicted tonight and the tomatoes just arent ripening well in these cool temps. I plan on trying hanging a few inside but I have almost 20 plants so I cant hang them all.

You can always PM it to me
Thanks
Jenn