As you can see from my uber fancy twine and dowel divided sections, I'm using the basic principles from Square Foot Gardening. To match my fancy twine, I added strips cut from a milk jug for my plant identifiers. I know, it doesn't get any more uptown than this, does it? I will spare no expense for my garden.
I especially like the circle one from the round indent on the side of the jug. Always wondered what this was for. Now I know.
I've been wanting to start composting since we started chicken farming, as my father-in-law calls it. I figure we really should do something with all this chicken poop, other than just tossing it in the field. I tried just dumping it in a pile with some grass clippings, but that turned out to be a bad idea. The chickens thought I put it there for them to scratch through to dig for worms so it just ended up spread out instead of the rotting pile I intended it to be. So much for that lazy plan. I think I may just be one of the laziest people I know and this occasionally works for me....but not this time.
I've thought about different ways to make a compost bin, from wire fencing, pallets, 55 gallon drum and even checked out the $100 plastic ones. Well OK, I didn't actually consider buying one of those things. They look nice and no offense to anyone who has one...but c'mon a hundred bucks for a plastic barrel? I don't think so.
I finally decided last night on using a trash can. This morning I took a trash can from the garage we were using for wood scraps and drew circles with a marker all over it where I wanted the holes. My son, Trenton, used a drill and 1" hole bit to make the holes and wa-la, a compost bin was born. Thanks Trent!
I filled the bottom foot or so with chicken poop, brown dried grass clippings, mulched leaves, a bit of water and stirred it up with a small pitchforky thing I bought at a yard sale last year. I'm always picking up unusual things at yard sales that I just know I'm gonna use some day (gotta love those yard sales) and I'm so happy when they actually prove to be needed. I did need to add a handle but luckily I was able to find one that I think came off a paint roller. One little screw and I was in business. I decided to put it by the pine tree near the chicken coop.
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I think I'll use a coffee can until I can find a cute container to leave on the counter for the veggie material, coffee grounds, tea bags, eggs shells and such. Hopefully I can train everyone in the house (including myself) to remember to put their compostable garbage in the can and if I can remember to take it out with me when I go out to the coop every day, this might just work.
Got some plants and seeds in the garden - made a composter - planted 24 crowns of asparagus and 3 rhubarb roots - then chicken and homemade noodles for dinner topped off with a piece of toast spread with dandelion jelly and sprinkled with cinnamon for desert. Hmmm....I think the day went quite well.
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