What did you do in the garden today?

[Sally PB]

This is the biggest compost pile I've had to start the season. It's also earliest I've turned a pile too. Moving it from the collection bin -- far right, not in the picture -- to the middle bin -- right side of picture -- doesn't count as turning the pile.

It's very wet and very smelly! There's lot of poop in there. Also lots of leaves, and I added a layer of dried grass in the middle. I think it needs aeration to "heat up."

I'll turn it again, but probably not for a few days. My wrist aches this morning.

I need to remember that the first turning is the most difficult. It took about 25 minutes, but that includes some prep work.

 

[Acre4Me]

View attachment 3773457
This is the biggest compost pile I've had to start the season. It's also earliest I've turned a pile too. Moving it from the collection bin -- far right, not in the picture -- to the middle bin -- right side of picture -- doesn't count as turning the pile.

It's very wet and very smelly! There's lot of poop in there. Also lots of leaves, and I added a layer of dried grass in the middle. I think it needs aeration to "heat up."

I'll turn it again, but probably not for a few days. My wrist aches this morning.

I need to remember that the first turning is the most difficult. It took about 25 minutes, but that includes some prep work.

Nice!! Ours gets smelly sometimes too. I think it is not supposed to smell and when it does, adding browns is supposed to help. But, honestly, in our areas, it’s likely going to smell some when it’s super soggy due to spring rains, and thawing/freezing, so the bugs can’t work as well. I’m looking forward to getting out turned too!

 

[igorsMistress]

Hoping everyone is safe after all the storms!

 

[NanaK]

Your Camellias are lovely. My one Camellia is winding down, it's just about finished blooming for the year.

Thank you! The whites seem to bloom later than the dark pinks. Yours has been beautiful too! Such a nice start to spring.

I'll turn it again, but probably not for a few days. My wrist aches this morning.

Nice hill of compost! I turned mine yesterday too. I feel your pain! I'll just be tending chickens and doing some watering today. We were suppose to get a shower late yesterday. It missed us. We only got a sprinkle.

 

[Sally PB]

I think it is not supposed to smell and when it does, adding browns is supposed to help.

That's why I added a layer of dried grass, to help with the smell. Honestly, as much poop as I collected over the winter, and as sodden as that pile is, I'd be surprised if it didn't smell. Turning it should help.

I might buy some "compost starter" to add to it. I've never used that stuff, figuring everything the pile needs is in the soil. But I've never tried to "start" a pile this early!

 

[Sueby]

Oh no! Yikes! We're falling apart in this group!

LOL, ain't that the truth!

Meat birds: you can use a smaller space. But, they do poop a lot. We have them completely under cover, with rain protection on sides, and shade covers (they get hot easily. We usually put about 18 in a 60sq ft area, and they have plenty of room -we could comfortable go up to 24 max in the space. A few things to note with smaller spaces for meaties: you will want to toss around the bedding more frequently bc they poop a lot. You will be giving them lots of water, so put it closer to the door. Feed- not as often or as much as water, but make it convenient. Since they are meat birds, you don’t want them to freak out, or injure themselves while trying to get away from the human (your meat will be bruised). So I slowly move to the water and feed and talk to them as I am in their enclosure, and this seems to work well to keep them from injury. Hang everything or at least avoid any uneven surfaces for them to walk in- at a large size they might tip over and die bc the weight prevents them from being able to breathe much while on their back.

CX are a different experience-but a very fast means to a nice sized carcass.

Thank you, exactly what I was looking for. Just trying to get an idea of how many I'll be able to do in my upper pen. It's in the shade so they should be ok. I found a farm that does classes on processing so I'm so excited. Of course I won't be in town for her spring one, I have to wait till fall. That's ok, I just want to get comfortable with it before I retire so I have time, waiting till next year won't hurt.

They're out here too, in a neighbor's pond. We're going to have some below freezing nights; wonder how they'll fare?

They do fine here when we freeze back up. I'm thinking they just go a little deeper under cover when the swamp/stream freeze back up. But boy do I love that sound!

That's why I added a layer of dried grass, to help with the smell. Honestly, as much poop as I collected over the winter, and as sodden as that pile is, I'd be surprised if it didn't smell. Turning it should help.

I might buy some "compost starter" to add to it. I've never used that stuff, figuring everything the pile needs is in the soil. But I've never tried to "start" a pile this early!

I tried a compost starter once, didn't find that it did much. I have just accepted that my compost takes a little longer to happen because of our cold & I'm ok with it. I let mine cook a full year so I'm on a good cycle. I also just dump what I have in it, I don't measure browns & greens too, so I'm sure that's why it takes longer too. DH turned both the ready compost & the cooking compost for me last weekend. I used a bucket full today actually!

Speaking of...I got my garlic planted! I wasn't able to get it in in the fall but didn't want to lose it, it's so well adapted to me as I've had it for 7 years now. So google said I could put it in the fridge for 3 weeks & then plant. Even if it just survives I'll be happy. I added some compost & DH dropped the bulbs in. I added some mulch & then squirrel guard (hardware cloth). Hopefully we'll get some rain (can't believe I'm hoping for more rain, lol).

I love working in the garden, I missed it so much last year. It is my peaceful place. I'm so excited for this years garden & the changes I have coming.

 

[Minanora]

That's why I added a layer of dried grass, to help with the smell. Honestly, as much poop as I collected over the winter, and as sodden as that pile is, I'd be surprised if it didn't smell. Turning it should help.

I might buy some "compost starter" to add to it. I've never used that stuff, figuring everything the pile needs is in the soil. But I've never tried to "start" a pile this early!

I started adding a watered down mixture of my sourdough starter. My compost seems to be benefiting from it. It gets hotter faster, less smelly even though I'm a bit heavy on greens, and seems to mature more quickly. I've only just started doing it in January so we'll see what it does in the summer. Though I think it's a good add regardless.

ETA: I feed my compost the discard maybe once every three weeks. I try to add it any time I need to water the compost.

 

[Minanora]

I try to be as organic as possible. I usually hand pick, but last summer when fire ants moved into my bedroom and inside my clothes I applied the Texas Two-step method of bait and poison in the yard. It got the insanity under control.

Yeah I hit fire ants with the non organic stuff. I'm really good at disturbing colonies on accident while wearing flip flops and shorts when I work in the orchard. They come out of nowhere and send me stomping and cursing all the way to the garden shed. I get the roll of extra wire fence to keep the chickens away and treat every active hole.

 

[Sueby]

That is one thing I'm so glad we don't have here - fire ants! Yikes, they sound like big, painful jerks.

 

[WthrLady]

I spent 3 hours this morning putting my sewing room back together and putting everything into organized totes. Now if the mice come back in, I just have to wipe down a tote and vacuum, not wash a million yards of fabric.
It feels souless, but it needs to be enclosed. I could stand to purge the storage side too, but not today. Maybe next week
My yellow top totes don't fit on my sewing shelves, which is annoying, but I think they fit on the the larger storage shelves on the utility side.
Bait is now everywhere. Also, just the way it's going to be.
========
Having lunch and then out I go for another afternoon of hacking at invasive cedar trees.
8 hours of that yesterday.
Sigh.
April 1st is when I put seeds to soil.