What did you do in your garden today?

[LaurenRitz]

Pigs will consume most of the hay but, you will have some they've used for bedding. It will be pretty much in tact. Chickens will scratch hay & leaves and break down into composted matter, with added fertilizer.

I have chickens, but I don't let them into the garden areas for a number of reasons. They have just recently realized that they can dig, but they pretty much ignore areas that don't have bare soil. The areas I am working with are thick with perennial grasses which they seem to completely ignore. I suppose if I put 800 hens out there with no additional food they'd have it cleared out pretty quickly.

 

[Mini Horses]

My chickens will eat some grasses but won't eliminate unless penned. I was referring to hay/leaves in a penned run and coop. Free range, won't work. Pigs will root & eat the grass, roots, etc

ETA...with what you describe, I'd say raised beds would be worthwhile for veggies.

 

[LaurenRitz]

My goal is to grow as much of my food as possible. No way I can do 1/4 acre of boxes. I simply don't have the resources. On the other hand, I now know how to grow dry beans and corn here. Watermelon does great in the woodchips, as do sweet potatoes. I'll try amaranth in the dry garden next year (chicken feed) and try tomatoes and other melons in the woodchips. Flax is reseeding itself wildly and I have a better schedule for starting cover crops. I plan to add mustard to the overseeding for the chickens.

I did a small test of potatoes in the woodchips and got beautiful plants but no roots. So I try again next year. It's all a learning process.

 

[Hinotori]

I grew potatoes in an old, holey, wheelbarrow one year. They did pretty well. Mixing soil with straw did well.

 

[CrealCritter]

My goal is to grow as much of my food as possible. No way I can do 1/4 acre of boxes. I simply don't have the resources. On the other hand, I now know how to grow dry beans and corn here. Watermelon does great in the woodchips, as do sweet potatoes. I'll try amaranth in the dry garden next year (chicken feed) and try tomatoes and other melons in the woodchips. Flax is reseeding itself wildly and I have a better schedule for starting cover crops. I plan to add mustard to the overseeding for the chickens.

I did a small test of potatoes in the woodchips and got beautiful plants but no roots. So I try again next year. It's all a learning process.

Mustard grows well here, almost to well, hope it does for you also. This was several years ago but I started off with one 25 foot row and the next spring it was sending up volunteers like 20 foot away in all directions from where I planted it. Only thing I could think of is birds or animals must have scattered the seeds. I don't think wind alone would scatter the seeds in all directions like that.

Jesus is Lord and Christ

 

[CrealCritter]

I grew potatoes in an old, holey, wheelbarrow one year. They did pretty well. Mixing soil with straw did well.

We have kids rubber mud boots from the granddaughters that they have grown out of over the years. I was thinking about drilling a few holes in the soles and fastening them to the garden fence and filling them with dirt. Just to see what FB and the granddaughters plant in them. I may need to explain too much love to my youngest granddaughter though abecause I know she'll want to water whatever it is atleast twice a day.

Jesus is Lord and Christ

 

[LaurenRitz]

Sorry, couldn't resist. Tune of "Merry Christmas to You"


Leaves are steaming in a compost pile
Chickens scratching at the dirt
As for piggies, we are done for a while,
And apples pressed begin to spurt.

Everybody knows the smell of homestead Christmas time
Cider, ham and fire-light
Scent of pine as we put up the tree,
Then sorting seeds half through the night.

We know that spring is on its way
When all the fun of planting starts again
But for now, we put the plans away,
To spend this time just thinking --oops! Sick hen!

And so I struggle with this simple phrase
The words don't come but I must rhyme.
My homestead Christmas, it will pass in a daze.
Merry Christmas to you.

 

[R2elk]

Only thing I could think of is birds or animals must have scattered the seeds. I don't think wind alone would scatter the seeds in all directions like that.

We have a number of different mustard plants here that are native weeds. The seeds scatter quite well with the wind, especially the Tumble Mustard which blows around like tumbleweeds scattering the seeds everywhere. The mustards here are xeric and do quite well with our limited rainfall.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

We have kids rubber mud boots from the granddaughters that they have grown out of over the years. I was thinking about drilling a few holes in the soles and fastening them to the garden fence and filling them with dirt. Just to see what FB and the granddaughters plant in them.

What a cute idea!

 

[Mini Horses]

My goal is to grow as much of my food as possible. No way I can do 1/4 acre of boxes.

I can sure agree with that! Really, just thinking you could add one or two areas a season. Mainly for most desired plants to know you'll get a crop. Some heavy bearing, nutrition dense -- tomatoes, peppers, beans, etc. Even dig a ditch to refill with improved soil, leaves, etc, as @FarmerJamie had mentioned. A little at a time

Another thing that may help, straw bale garden. Some plants are very productive with that. And bales can eventually compost into great soil. You'll get about 2 yrs of use before that happens. Just thoughts as you describe your dirt issues.

I have about 1/4 acre for veggies, then another section for animal stuff. That varies with my mood & time. Every year I "intend" to grow more animal feed. One yr I may surprise myself! My job gets in the way often. Planting & busiest seasonal work collide.