If there is anything we usually have an abundance of it is weeds. But we have found a good solution, carpet. Yes carpet, old used carpet. We cut it in strips as long and as wide as the space between our rows. It keeps moisture, mud off your shoes, and does not let the weeds grow. You can usually get some from the dumpster of anywhere that sells carpet or floor coverings. Always asking first is a good practice. Don’t bother with the pad, it will crumble. If your garden spot has not been prepared by a horse or some other hardworking animal then you can get that carpet and before you cut it up spread out in your soon to be garden. It will block the sun that will be here sooner or later and keep those weeds from germinating. And it is a great way to recycle J.
Tags: planning, planting, raised beds, weeds
Category planning, planting, weeds |
We put careful planning in our rows. Our area is on a slight slope and the rows are deigned to go down hill. We do that for a reason. We shouldn’t have to water a garden around here but with the last couple years being a drought we have learned to improvise. Another reason we chose the spot we did is that there is a nice creek right beside it. That is another reason that the rows have a trench down the middle. We have a small submersible pump, ( $60 at your local hardware store ) that we use about 200 feet of extension cord with and drop it in the shallow creek, plug OUT of the water, with a huge rock keeping it that way. The pump connects to about 200 feet of garden hose whose end is placed at the top of a row. Since it is going up hill it moves slow and slowly drenches the row, taking it’s sweet ole time for a good soak. The pump will not last forever using this way but we can get 2-3 seasons out of it. Worth it for us and better than toting buckets.
Tags: garden rows, planting, raised beds
Category planning, planting |
When we first started our garden spot is was really bad soil. But it was a good spot. I figured it was easier to improve the soil than to move the sun or the hill so that is what we have been working n for 4 years. It is now really good. But we still do things the way we used to. For the most part we use the Ford 4000 tractor to turn the soil a bit and put in rows. All we have is a box blade so this requires a little ingenuity but it works. Then we use all of that lovely compost to put on top of each row. We do wide rows with a shallow trench down the middle.
Tags: compost, planting, raised beds
Category compost, planting |
All of this lovely mess will be used initially when we first plant the garden, but we will also keep compost piles going for later. You don’t usually want to put the compost directly on the plants until it is well aged but there is another way to use it that can even work for house plants. Manure tea. Does that sound disgusting or what? Make sure to keep it in an outside dirty bucket so no one gets confused. Ok the recipe. You take a 5 bucket and fill about ¼ full of that lovely aged manure, the results of your compost pile. Then add water, warm water is best, stir well. Let sit for a day or so then use the water to water your plants. It works great!
Tags: compost, fertilizer, manure tea
Category compost, planning |
Your compost piles will cook faster if you turn then occasionally. The point being that fire needs oxygen. Now you don’t want a real flame but you do want it to generate heat. That is what turns it from manure to fertilizer. When it is cooked, it is nearly sterile. No germs. Amazing how God creates isn’t it?
Sow how do you turn it? Well if it is layered loosely and it should be you can just lift up some sections with a pitch fork, or you could actually shovel it to a new spot so that the top is now on the bottom.
Tags: composting, fertilizer, manure
Category compost, planning |
There are all kinds of fancy composting machines out there and you could spend hundreds of dollars on “cooking” you manure. Or you could just do it like we do. We might waste a little but hey, around here manure is something we have plenty of. We simply pile it up in heaps. When the barn is cleaned out or the stallions pens are cleaned out it is piled in one corner of the garden. It is best to layer manure then leaves or grass clippings or whatever. If you have rabbit manure or chicken droppings and those are probably both mixed with some sort of bedding also, it is best to layer with the horse manure. Your compost pile should be away from any buildings. It will actually cook, heat up, and could spontaneously combust.
Tags: composting
Category compost, planning |
When composting your manure you can also add in other plant waste products. Other plant waste products would be potatoes peels, fruit peels, egg shells, coffee grounds, and all those thousands of pounds of leaves your youngins raked up and jumped in and re-raked. If you happen to be getting your horse manure from a barn and it has shavings in it then that is all the better. Horse manure mixed with shavings is the best there is. If you don’t have horses I would be happy to sell you one J just kidding. But usually a local barn will give you manure and used shavings. You load.
Tags: compost, manure
Category compost, planning |
That is not really a subject most folks like to talk about but for gardens it is essential. Sorry to tell you city folks but it is where fertilizer comes from and part of God’s big plan in the eco-cycle of the grand ole food chain. To have good veggies you have to have manure. Gross I know. But only manure from vegetarian animals. Cow manure is good, rabbit and chicken manure is good but too “hot” meaning high in nitrogen so it must be aged. Horse manure is probably the best there is. It all works well when composted together.
Tags: composting, fertilizer, manure
Category compost, planning |
When you live in the country, you can’t live for the season, you always have to be planning for the next season. So as I look outside at the bleak nothingness I start thinking garden. Our garden was really good last year so let m tell you what has worked in the past. We have a very big garden, with 2 sides to it. each side is about 200 x 200 feet. It is fenced. In the winter we keep a big horse or several ponies in it. They eat all the weeds and remaining plants, and keep the ground worked and fertilize it also.
Tags: garden, planning
Category planning |
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Category Uncategorized |
