Soil Under/After Chickens
12 years ago
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- 12 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 12 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
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Soil impaction, horse manure, chicken manure
Comments (5)Many garden centers sell inexpensive pH test kits. They're fun, and simplify all that pH stuff. Your manure and organic matter (and the life forms they support) will nudge it toward neutral over time, and it can be interesting to watch. Fall is the best time for serious liming. Permanent pathways provide habitat for earthworms, ground beetles, etc, and give you some access regardless of the weather. For temporary access to some areas, you also can lay boards on the ground and stand on the boards. If you planned to use your wheat as a cover crop, you'll need to take it down 2-3 weeks before you need the space, or you can pull it up and let it dry into mulch, or compost it. In mild winter climates, actively growing wheat does not go down without a little bit of a fight. Back to the permanent pathways. You can sow them with legumes and well-behaved grasses, and mow them to make mulch for the beds or rows next to them. It's a cool system. Picture it -- next year, a ribbon of crimson clover laced with blue bachelor buttons leads you to your beautiful [fill in blank] and you feel so happy! Here is a link that might be useful: my website...See MoreMaking soil with chicken grit
Comments (6)Chicken scratch is normally edible, whole grains to give them something to pick at, not necessarily as their main feed. A grit intended for chickens can be suitable for mixing with your soil but it may be too fine and it may contain limestone. For a large outdoor bed you should be looking for a quarter inch or half inch grade, a mix of grits is OK. Any limestone or shells in their aren't the end of the world but may cause some plants to be unhappy. You don't need to wash chicken grit or any other grit unless you have reason to think it includes salt. Taste it, you know what salt tastes like. For a pot you might want to wash or sieve away any fines but it won't matter in your bed. Simply mix it with a reasonable non-clay loam. If your own garden soil is heavy clay then buy in some topsoil. Play with your soil in a big pot and see that water runs through quickly and that it doesn't become soggy. Add more grit, the plants will spread their roots in a big bed to find even tiny amounts of water. Last thing, remove the bottom from your container and stand on a surface where water can drain away. Or at the very least put holes in at and then raise it so that water can drain away from the holes quickly....See MoreSoil/Health consideration for garden in old Chicken/rabbit area
Comments (3)When did animal raising activities end? This type of animal waste breaks down quickly into fabulous organic soil. If it were my job I would excavate 6" of soil from the spots where decks will be constructed, backfill with poor soil or gravel, and add this manna from heaven to the gardening areas. By the time all is finished and mulched there should be no danger to customers. I suspect the soil test will indicate a rich soil. If there was a board fence around the plot which will remain I would suggest power washing it, and the exterior of the building, with a clorox/detergent mix before painting or using....See MoreShould I remove chicken wire covering/protecting soil/plants?
Comments (8)Poodles are such great dogs! Our current dog is a miniature poodle that failed out of Dog Guides at the end of the foster puppy period due to 'resource guarding' issues. 'Mr Bossy Boots' is one of his nicknames :-). He's not a digger fortunately; his 'crime' in the garden is that he thinks golden forestgrass is candy for his pleasure! 'Leave it!' works if I see him eyeing it but, like your dog, he sometimes has unsupervised access and forgets his manners! He'll be 5 this summer and has definitely matured and settled down a fair bit. Hopefully yours will also learn to 'Leave it!'. But the sharp ends of wire mesh can give nasty puncture wounds so I'd still take up the wire - or build a wooden frame for it, covering the wire ends completely, and put that down where you need to if training - and maturity - doesn't completely stop the digging. My BIL's first Airedale was a digger - they had sandy soil and Hughie could excavate a 3' deep/wide hole in an instant! After about 3 years old he was content to restrict his digging to one area and only one hole a year :-). Is yours still a young dog? If so, time and training are probably your best friends...!...See More- 12 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 12 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 12 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 12 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 12 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 12 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 12 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 12 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 12 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 12 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 12 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 12 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 12 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
- 12 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
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