Planting some plants for your chickens

[LaylaFlora]

I planted a dwarf fig tree right outside my chicken coop on the downhill side about 6 feet from my compost pile. My hope is for it to grow into the coop and they can help themselves to figs someday.

 

[Indiana feather]

decided to try forcing some bulbs inside... daffodils and tulips...think spring

 

[hennible]

It's spring it's spring it spring.... It's not spring

 

[AZGardenFarmer]

* If anything, 2 months still Planting Season. Gives me time to get what I still need to finish expanding my garden. Gotta buy more Misters and they don't come in til March. Thinking about using left over chicken wire for trellis' for my tomatoes and bell peppers. At least it doesn't get as hot in the Valley as it does out here. They really need to put an official temp gauge somewhere by me. *

 

[RichnSteph]

Ha! I know the feeling. I want so badly to get our raised beds up and filled with the expanded shale but with the weather and other things in the way we just haven't had time to get our there and get it done. My fear is that spring will get here and I'll not have any of the pumps set up or the beds elevated or even have power run out there for the timers and things and end up with a pile of seeds and seedlings sitting in the house waiting on me to get stuff done. If I had a week off and nothing else to do then I could get it all done..... too bad work doesn't think my garden is as important as I do.



RichnSteph

 

[nayeli]

I'm really hoping something grows last year. I planted last year and I had things grow up never produce anything, so for all I know it was weeds that grew!! This year I'm doing raised garden beds, sq ft gardening, and trying to do companion planting! I just wish the ground would warm up cause right now it is frozen!

 

[lazy gardener]

I don't know how much land you have to work with, but some topics you might want to read about between now and planting season: You can get a lot of these books from the library. Lasagna Gardening by Patricia Lanza, Four Season Harvest by Elliot Coleman, and anything by Ruth Stout. I think the book I have by her is titled "Gardening Without Work." Ruth Stout is the inspiration for a lot of my my lazy gardening techniques. It also might be worth while for you to get a comprehensive soil test done. They're not very expensive, and well worth it, especially if you're not getting good crops, and just getting started with gardening. An other great book, which is quite old, but a great read for anyone who is still tied to the use of a tiller in their gardening practices: Joy of Gardening by Dick Raymond.

 

[AZGardenFarmer]

* Best thing to do is dig the area ya want for a garden. It needs to be about 2 1/2 to 3 feet deep. All the dirt ya dug out, save for later. It's only good for making Mud Burms. Then dump in 1 foot or so of Sand for Drainage. Then get and mix 2 big bags of potting soil mix in 1 big bag of Gypsum. And fill up your garden hole with it & level it. Now you can either line it with pieces of aluminum sheets or chicken wire. You can get a roll of lath wire (for building stucco homes) in the commercial area of Home Depot for $50 (3ft by like 100 ft). That's what I use. Just need to leave a spot for a doorway / entry to your garden. Then take the leftover Az dirt and use that as a burm on the outside of the garden against the aluminum or chicken wire. Put it a few inches from your liner, add a little water and pack with a shovel. Then add more dirt and repeat. I do this every year and have no problem getting things to grow. Also I add a Misting System. It helps keep the ground temperature down so everything ya plant should grow. My radishes come up quick. Always remember AZ dirt is poo and Potting Soil mixed with Gypsum is plant food.

 

[AZGardenFarmer]

* Oh you can always use Gravel in place of Sand. Or small crushed rock. There's always people giving away rock on Craigslist. ;-) *

 

[AZGardenFarmer]

* Water softens up the dirt. Best time to dig is after the rain and before it hardens up. *