What did you do in the garden today?

[NewBoots]

Yeah the compost tea that I make uses plants that are supposed to be good for that purpose, borage and comfrey at first but now I use clover too (we have 4 or 5 varieties on the property). And I top the bucket off with whatever foliage I've pulled if it's something I don't give to the rabbits or chickens.

Made a grocery run and absolutely did not go to the nursery and buy 2 tarragon and 1 Australian spinach. Pulled the rest of the red hard necked garlic and planted more of the tomato starts. It got down to 48 last night so I've been afraid to plant the peppers and okra in the raised beds. I still need to build the arch and plant the cucumbers at the base plus a whole bunch of flower seeds arrived the other day that some crazy person must have ordered so those need to be started too.

 

[Fishychix]

They call it manure tea. I've never done it. I imagine it works though. Chicken manure is hot - a lot of nitrogen. So I would imagine a little goes a long way. I watched a YouTube video in which they mix chicken manure with water and use that as a mother if you will, and dilute some of it in a watering can with fresh water to feed their garden plants.

Also, if your rabbits are in cages above the ground can you suspend some fabric or mesh material that would catch the poop but let urine pass through. This way you could use all that great rabbit poop which can go directly on the soil around your plants. Rabbit poop its not nearly as hot as chicken.

I was trying to think of something like that. I did find window screening but im using it on the freshly seeded kiddie pool. I will likely put that under their cages. If i remember
I wonder what ratio for the manure tea to water?

 

[Fishychix]

Some garden work today. Slow progress. But, have many other things going on, in addition to getting better, so getting the work in as I can.

Strawberries are looking great! Lots of nice strawberries coming along (still green of course). Wondering if I need to work on excluding raccoons or just leave it be. I think some strawberries got taken by coons last year.

My tomato bed got carrots, onions, and marigolds added. Since I didn't crowd the bed with too many tomatoes, it should work out ok.

tomorrow I hope to get more planted.



A few reasons to compost chicken poop:

1. Its hot! So, diluting it will make it better for the plants.

2. It may carry pathogens that can make humans sick. So, even if you use it diluted, it can make people sick, if they eat unwashed fruit/veg from the garden. So, that is a prime reason to compost chicken poop.

3. It might be mixed in with pine shavings. if so, they won't be composted enough if just taken out of the run. But in a tea, that won't matter.

I do the deep litter method in my run and was going to get a scoop from the bottom ish area and put that into the bucket. How long should it compost? The run has been up only since fall.

 

[chickinlittles]

Doing clean up in the gardens. Thats what it has come to now. Thinking I might plant the corn that i germinated from seed and carried in and out everyday as it grew into very nice little plants. I dont know if ill have room for a corn crop. I will be taking many of the tomatoes squash, egg plants cucs and melons with me in pots. No matter where we end up i will have a garden! Ive worked too hard to get these plants grown to just leave them behind. I have so much fruit I won’t get to harvest but if I can
beat the birds to these cherries ill get to enjoy them for the first and last time.
its amazing how many of you have experienced moving under direst. Thank you for your thoughts and kind words.

 

[Acre4Me]

I do the deep litter method in my run and was going to get a scoop from the bottom ish area and put that into the bucket. How long should it compost? The run has been up only since fall.

To remove the pathogens, usually needs to be hot composted or old (so, long composted). You are in a warmer climate, so it might be nice ok, but I’m not sure for your situation.

 

[NewBoots]

So before I could prep the beds this year the stumps had to come out. I was dreading it as they can take a LOT of dirt with them, the roots go on for feet and it's just generally a struggle. But it needed done. NOPE, easy as PIE. The small roots had composted over winter in place and the stumps came out with no effort at all. My new preferred method. LOL.

That is awesome! I am for sure doing the same at the end of this season, that will be a huge time saver!

Today is the first day without drizzle

Please send some our way, I can't believe how dry it's become here.

Doing clean up in the gardens. Thats what it has come to now. Thinking I might plant the corn that i germinated from seed and carried in and out everyday as it grew into very nice little plants. I dont know if ill have room for a corn crop. I will be taking many of the tomatoes squash, egg plants cucs and melons with me in pots. No matter where we end up i will have a garden! Ive worked too hard to get these plants grown to just leave them behind. I have so much fruit I won’t get to harvest but if I can
beat the birds to these cherries ill get to enjoy them for the first and last time.
its amazing how many of you have experienced moving under direst. Thank you for your thoughts and kind words.

I am so terribly sorry, that would just be so hard. But potting and taking with you will at least give you some carry through.

Oh and DP flipped over a pot in the yard and found a huge black widow living in it!

 

[pennyJo1960]

So have this large plastic tray Son had that with chicken manure. Like 4 years old and it rained.. I tipped the tray then watered the plants.. So that is the tea huh

 

[BReeder!]

I planned extra pumpkin and squash starts in a wide bed of mulch on the side of the house. It gets plenty of afternoon- evening sun as it is the West side. Hoping they do alright. I doesn't want to toss them in the compost since I grew then from seed and up potted twice already. I just didn't have room in the garden for them. I also have 4 extra watermelon plants. I'd like to find a place for them tomorrow. I don't want them growing into the lawn, and there's not much space left in the garden, so it's a bit of a challenge. I am already letting two watermelon plants grow over a walking path in the garden. If I block another path is going to get difficult to get around the beds to work in them.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I have those that will travel at the garden fence want to train them to go up and along

 

[Elyrian1]

@Acre4Me could you enlighten me a bit? I'm having a hard time finding risk data on using fresh chicken manure. I'm seeing e coli get thrown around a bit, but nothing concrete beyond the risk of handling it.