Planting some plants for your chickens

[AZGardenFarmer]

* For a garden 5 ft by 9 ft - ya need 4 to 4 1/2 bags of Potting Soil and 2 to 3 bags of Gypsum. This is what I'm expanding from. *

 

[lazy gardener]

AZGardenFarmer: I'm not familiar with your desert gardening issues. I don't know if you have the same resources available to you that I have here, but if you do, you can save a lot of money by buying Pro Mix potting soil by the bale. It's much cheaper than the bagged mixes. Or you can buy good soil/compost/mulch from local landscaping companies by the yard. For a fee, or for a certain larger size order, they will deliver, otherwise, you'll need a truck. But, that makes for a huge savings. Also, I think that folks in arid climates would greatly benefit from lasagna gardening, or the Back to Eden approach, or the Ruth Stout permanent mulch approach.

 

[AZGardenFarmer]

AZGardenFarmer:  I'm not familiar with your desert gardening issues.  I don't know if you have the same resources available to you that I have here, but if you do, you can save a lot of money by buying Pro Mix potting soil by the bale.  It's much cheaper than the bagged mixes.  Or you can buy good soil/compost/mulch from local landscaping companies by the yard.  For a fee, or for a certain larger size order, they will deliver, otherwise, you'll need a truck.  But, that makes for a huge savings.  Also, I think that folks in arid climates would greatly benefit from lasagna gardening, or the Back to Eden approach, or the Ruth Stout permanent mulch approach.

I'll look into those. The dirt here turns into concrete from the Heat and LacK of rain. So not much stuff will work here to keep the ground hydrated. Worth a shot to research different ideas of gardening.

 

[nayeli]

AZGardenFarmer: I'm not familiar with your desert gardening issues. I don't know if you have the same resources available to you that I have here, but if you do, you can save a lot of money by buying Pro Mix potting soil by the bale. It's much cheaper than the bagged mixes. Or you can buy good soil/compost/mulch from local landscaping companies by the yard. For a fee, or for a certain larger size order, they will deliver, otherwise, you'll need a truck. But, that makes for a huge savings. Also, I think that folks in arid climates would greatly benefit from lasagna gardening, or the Back to Eden approach, or the Ruth Stout permanent mulch approach.

I have never heard of lasagna gardening...

 

[hennible]

Not sure but I think lasagna gardening is when you apply layers and layers and layers of compostable material to a site that you want to be a garden and start growing right on the top of your lasagna pile... I think you alternate layers of nitrogen rich material with layers of carbon rich material and in your first season using the site you need to put some potting soil no the top layer... It's a no dig method of starting a new garden bed...

 

[lazy gardener]

That's pretty much it. the goal is to get a bed that's 18 - 24" high. Topping of top soil or potting soil is totally optional. In your desert application, I might be tempted to trench the area where the bed is going to be, so that you start building that bed below grade.

 

[nayeli]

Not sure but I think lasagna gardening is when you apply layers and layers and layers of compostable material to a site that you want to be a garden and start growing right on the top of your lasagna pile... I think you alternate layers of nitrogen rich material with layers of carbon rich material and in your first season using the site you need to put some potting soil no the top layer... It's a no dig method of starting a new garden bed...

I'm doing that with my raised garden beds =)

 

[Highcotton]

Maybe taking a look at the attached link will give you some ideas on what are good treats for chickens:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/chicken-treat-chart-the-best-treats-for-backyard-chickens

Some of the things on the list that might work well are flowers, lettuce & greens and peas. Check out the list and see what interests you and can be grown in your area.

Some of the things we grow that we share with our girls are tomatoes, squash, peppers (they love the seeds especially), watermelon and blueberries.

Mine love watermelon and so do my wife and grandchildren so the chickens get plenty of rinds in the summer.

 

[nayeli]

Mine loved canteloupe rinds!

 

[Highcotton]

Mine loved canteloupe rinds!

Mine seem to like canteloupe but they will leave it for watermelon. There is very little left of the watermelon rind.