Your 2024 Garden

[Nomadicus]

Once a couple dozen roosters are securely staying at freezer camp I can focus on the garden more. I got the tilling started today by throwing our a couple of gallons of scratch over the block I want to plant early green in. Putting those ladies to work..

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Ordered my composter yesterday. Should be here around New Years

 

[Nomadicus]

I scatter my coop waste on the garden areas and till it in shallow as a way to let it return to the soil that it came from a year before the area will be planted. Also spread some granular lime with it.

 

[Nomadicus]

One thing we will do this year is after planting the seed, those that don't get used will be bagged in a plastic bag and then those bags put in a vacuum seal bag for storage until next year. I hope that will keep the germination % up for another year.

 

[Coolbreeze89]

Some of the hottest compost I had was when I brought home egg shells and coffee grounds from my workplace (McDonald's). Wow, it got can't-touch-it hot! I'd dump the morning's waste on top of the pile, then cover with dry leaves, straw, hay. It was more of a lasagna method.

I’ve been afraid to add my coffee grounds to my compost as my chickens get into it and I know caffeine is toxic. Have you had any issues? Do chickens not like the taste so they don’t eat it?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I’ve been afraid to add my coffee grounds to my compost as my chickens get into it and I know caffeine is toxic. Have you had any issues? Do chickens not like the taste so they don’t eat it?

I'm pretty sure(definitely look into it more though) that a bit of caffeine is okay for adult chickens rarely. It's baby chicks that are absolutely at risk because they're so small. Like giving a newborn a 20 ounce of caffine

 

[Sally PB]

Double check me one this, but I think the amount of caffeine in USED coffee grounds is negligible.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

So excited for my last batch of seeds to come. I have all sorts of weird things coming to play with. Normal stuff too like a summer squash, beef steak tomatoes, wax beans, but I also have fun cucumbers, melons, Jelly Fruit, white asparagus, bitter melons....

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Double check me one this, but I think the amount of caffeine in USED coffee grounds is negligible.

I know there was a lot of people losing chicks after getting that special coffee grounds bedding. That's all I know though. Our birds don't have access to caffeine at all so I've never looked into it

 

[JacinLarkwell]

So on composting straw and hay, I assume nasty stuff unfit for eating is okay? Like stuff with poop or feathers stuck to it?