What did you do in the garden today?

[gtaus]

Emptied the compost bin to top dress the the garden. Only the bottom third was ready so all the rest got a good mixing.

Since you have chickens, have you consider using them to make your compost? I used to make compost in pallet wood bins, but it always took me forever because I did not turn the bins. Now that I have chickens, I just toss all the compost stuff into the chicken run and the chickens will turn it into compost in a couple of months.

Well, they eat almost all the kitchen scraps I toss into the run and what does not get eaten by them turns into worm food. Then the chickens scratch and peck the compost litter looking for juicy worms or tasty bugs to eat. Saves me a lot of feed money in the summers. All that scratching and pecking breaks down the litter into compost faster than a compost bin.

Composting chickens are the best. But I like to hear how people make compost for their needs. The more I get into composting, the more I enjoy it. There is just something special about taking waste products and turning the stuff into Black Gold compost, in whatever method you chose.

 

[gtaus]

Potting Soil Math

So, I was in Menards the other day and found an 8-quart bag of potting soil on sale for $4.88. That sounded like a good deal. But then I found I could get the same brand and potting soil mix for regular price of $10.99 for a 2 cubic foot bag.

Why are the smaller bags measured in quarts, but the larger bags are measured in cubic feet? Seems like they don't want you know something about the price comparison.

I'm an old guy, but it sure seemed to me that the larger bag of potting soil at the everyday regular price was probably a better deal than the smaller bag of potting soil on sale. So, I bought the larger bag. Well, I suspected it was a better price per unit, and I needed more than one small bag for my planned seed starts.

Back at home, I used my computer to ask MS Copilot AI to compare the different quantities and prices of those bags of potting soil and give me price per common unit so I could see the real cost. I mean, why not let AI do all the work for you? As I suspected, the larger bag at the regular price was a much better deal than the smaller bag even on sale.

For those who are interested in the math, here is the response I got from the AI query..

*******************
To compare the price per unit for both bags, we need to convert the volume measurements into the same unit. Let's use cubic feet (ft³), as the larger bag is already measured that way.

Conversions:​

• 1 cubic foot = 25.71 quarts (approximate conversion factor).

Calculations:​

1. Small Bag:
   • Volume: 8 quarts ÷ 25.71 quarts per cubic foot ≈ 0.311 ft³.
   • Price per cubic foot: $4.88 ÷ 0.311 ft³ ≈ $15.69 per cubic foot.
2. Large Bag:
   • Volume: 2 cubic feet (no conversion needed).
   • Price per cubic foot: $10.99 ÷ 2 ft³ ≈ $5.50 per cubic foot.

Comparison:​

• Small Bag: $15.69 per cubic foot.
• Large Bag: $5.50 per cubic foot.

The larger bag offers significantly better value for your money. Let me know if you'd like me to help with any other comparisons!

 

[Nym]

I saw that... But sadly they are out of stock of the ONE tree I actually want right now.... A Bubblegum (Toka) Plum.

Bubblegum Plum .... what a fantastic name!

 

[Sally PB]

https://www.fallcreeknursery.com/home-gardeners/blueberries-demystified

But it NEVER FLOWERS.

You may not have enough "chill hours."

 

[igorsMistress]

All over the world drought and not enough water for irrigation.
And where I am they are planting houses on beautiful black soils that rarely need irrigation. Crazy

We are in a serious drought and more houses keep going up I’m ready to get out of here.

 

[igorsMistress]

G’morning all. It’s nice and cool outside right now so I’m headed out to turn the compost into a new bin and get soil mixed for the raised bed in the shade garden. Gotta get DH out there to help me put up the support for the shade too. Looking forward to more seasonal temps next week.

 

[Justagalwithchicks]

Since you have chickens, have you consider using them to make your compost? I used to make compost in pallet wood bins, but it always took me forever because I did not turn the bins. Now that I have chickens, I just toss all the compost stuff into the chicken run and the chickens will turn it into compost in a couple of months.

Well, they eat almost all the kitchen scraps I toss into the run and what does not get eaten by them turns into worm food. Then the chickens scratch and peck the compost litter looking for juicy worms or tasty bugs to eat. Saves me a lot of feed money in the summers. All that scratching and pecking breaks down the litter into compost faster than a compost bin.

Composting chickens are the best. But I like to hear how people make compost for their needs. The more I get into composting, the more I enjoy it. There is just something special about taking waste products and turning the stuff into Black Gold compost, in whatever method you chose.

I do let them get into the compost pile/bin. They love it . I live in town so am not able to let them roam all the time and don't really have a good way to put the scraps in their run. But I love the idea!!

 

[jerryse]

We had rain. Dark dreary day and more rain coming. No outdoor work today. My wild eastern columbine seed came. Already stratifying it. Reused some potting mix and Lupine are coming up from last year. Nothing yet on what seed I planted in there. Tried out my new weed burner and it has an igniter. Old one had no igniter.

 

[TJAnonymous]

Potting Soil Math

So, I was in Menards the other day and found an 8-quart bag of potting soil on sale for $4.88. That sounded like a good deal. But then I found I could get the same brand and potting soil mix for regular price of $10.99 for a 2 cubic foot bag.

View attachment 4083170

View attachment 4083169

Why are the smaller bags measured in quarts, but the larger bags are measured in cubic feet? Seems like they don't want you know something about the price comparison.

I'm an old guy, but it sure seemed to me that the larger bag of potting soil at the everyday regular price was probably a better deal than the smaller bag of potting soil on sale. So, I bought the larger bag. Well, I suspected it was a better price per unit, and I needed more than one small bag for my planned seed starts.

Back at home, I used my computer to ask MS Copilot AI to compare the different quantities and prices of those bags of potting soil and give me price per common unit so I could see the real cost. I mean, why not let AI do all the work for you? As I suspected, the larger bag at the regular price was a much better deal than the smaller bag even on sale.

For those who are interested in the math, here is the response I got from the AI query..

*******************
To compare the price per unit for both bags, we need to convert the volume measurements into the same unit. Let's use cubic feet (ft³), as the larger bag is already measured that way.

Conversions:​

• 1 cubic foot = 25.71 quarts (approximate conversion factor).

Calculations:​

1. Small Bag:
   • Volume: 8 quarts ÷ 25.71 quarts per cubic foot ≈ 0.311 ft³.
   • Price per cubic foot: $4.88 ÷ 0.311 ft³ ≈ $15.69 per cubic foot.
2. Large Bag:
   • Volume: 2 cubic feet (no conversion needed).
   • Price per cubic foot: $10.99 ÷ 2 ft³ ≈ $5.50 per cubic foot.

Comparison:​

• Small Bag: $15.69 per cubic foot.
• Large Bag: $5.50 per cubic foot.

The larger bag offers significantly better value for your money. Let me know if you'd like me to help with any other comparisons!

And all that seems ridiculously overpriced when you can pick up a load of garden soil from your local landscaping company for much less. I get a load here that fills up the entire bed of my pick-up truck (Dodge Ram 2500) for $50.

 

[TJAnonymous]

https://www.fallcreeknursery.com/home-gardeners/blueberries-demystified

You may not have enough "chill hours."

I was careful to buy varieties that do well in the south with less chill hours....although I concede that it is possible this could be the root cause. It's just frustrating it see it so big and lush and green and yet produce hardly any flowers at all.