What did you do in the garden today?

[TJAnonymous]

mowed on the giant mower for 3.5 hours.
It was mostly to mow down the tall weeds and sweet clover before it all goes to seed. The lawn is dead. The pasture is dead and almost gone.
The hayfield is short and thin.
The biting flies are insane.
I watered the garden via the underground drip lines, but that's it.
Over 90 again for week 2.
3 years of drought. This has GOT to stop.
Something got the butternut squash at the ground, so it's gone.

Our pasture is dying too... After I just spent $600 reseeding it.

 

[TJAnonymous]

Thanks for all the responses I received on my question about what to do with a bread bag full of empty eggshells.



That's what I was doing, but I read an article that although those darn eggshells might "disappear" into the soil, they actually don't release any calcium for many, many years. Basically, the author was saying that added cracked eggshells into your compost is adding no value.



Yeah, I've got a bag of powered calcium that I have been using in my calcium feeder.



All my chickens are egg laying hens, but I, too, was thinking that adding additional egg shells to their main feed might be overloading their system.



I bought a food processor from the thrift store for just such a job. However, in the article that I was reading, it said that it did not matter if you crushed or processed your eggshells into powder, the calcium would not be released in the compost in your lifetime.

I saw a YouTube video where they were soaking the eggshells in some kind of vinegar solution. In that process, they stated that the calcium was released from the eggshell in a chemical process. Looked like a lot of complicated work to me.

I'm wondering, if the chickens eat some powered eggshells, would their digestive tract extract the calcium, which would later get passed in their poo, and thereby released into the compost?

Anyways, here is YouTube link on the eggshell situation and that composting eggshells does not really add anything of value to the mix. It was new information to me, but there is a lot of stuff I don't know about.

So, if the eggshells "disappear" into the soil, then what happens to the nutrients? The physical shell is no longer there which would lead one to believe that it has broken down into it's base elements. Those elements will bind with other elements (soil, water, etc). So I'm not understanding why those elements can't be taken up by a plant any differently than other elements available in the soil? I'd like to understand the science behind their claim. I'm not saying they are right or wrong. I'm just questioning what science supports their claim.

 

[kbroom]

For those who don't have a cat, try contacting your local animal shelters and rescues. They probably have lots of these jugs. The larger square containers make handy totes and nesting boxes. I have one by my outside faucet to use for spot watering.
View attachment 3525265
(not my boxes)

That IS a great idea. Certainly less expensive than the laying boxes I've seen on Amazon!

 

[kbroom]

Our pasture is dying too... After I just spent $600 reseeding it.

I AM envious! I only have 3 dogs, 4 cats and 7 chickens! I'm trying to talk my husband into a couple of milk goats....wish me luck....

 

[TJAnonymous]

That IS a great idea. Certainly less expensive than the laying boxes I've seen on Amazon!

I tried using them for laying boxes. Didn't work well for my large, heavy breed chickens. My Silkies loved them though....

I also use them for container gardening.

 

[TJAnonymous]

I AM envious! I only have 3 dogs, 4 cats and 7 chickens! I'm trying to talk my husband into a couple of milk goats....wish me luck....

Careful... Chicken math applies to goats too.

 

[WthrLady]

worse....goats throw twins LOL

 

[TJAnonymous]

worse....goats throw twins LOL

But they are so darn cute.... My "twins" born on May 10th

 

[karenerwin]

So what kind of grubs are these? I’m getting them by the 100’s out of a 2 ft by 6ft by 2 ft deep raised bed that I filled with compost this spring. But didn’t see a single earthworm in the bed.
The chickens loved the snack I brought them.

 

[WthrLady]

Mmmmmmm Yummy
could be any beetle, but best guess is Japanese beetle