Well, it’s that time of year again, (That can be said about any time of year) more specifically spring is pending. It’s around the corner, waiting to scour off the dirty brown snow, and use its gentle warming breeze to shellac us in mud. And underneath that mud, we will find life, greenery, budding plants, shoots, and with time and effort, food. We ready ourselves to plant seeds, bulbs, erect trellises… Ah. Spring.

For those fortunate enough to already posses an established garden, last year’s pile of hay has nicely fermented and rotted, killing any seeds within the bundles that may take root and sprout. These trusty rotten bails are spread thick and heavy on flower and small vegetable garden beds alike. But what to do if there is no established garden? What if you don’t want to pull, weed, toil and till until you have blistered sacks of fluid covering the palms of your now useless hands?

 POULTRY POOP! That’s right, chicken guano is the ideal garden starter. Spreading a layer of chicken guano will burn off the shoots of whatever weeds are starting to poke their way to the surface as well as raising the temperature of the soil, so that after a week seeds may be planted. Some considerations must be taken in mind. Using chicken guano is not recommended as a frequent fertilizer as it can change the quality of soil, making it difficult for some plants to survive happily. Also, organic fertilizer is recommended, but that’s up the discretion of the user. I have never tested the difference between organic and inorganic chicken guano, and seeing how noxious the good stuff is already, I am not necessarily convinced about the merit of organic chicken guano.

Once you have burned your patch feel free to mulch liberally with your rotten hay. Many gardens start with potting soil of some kind being mixed into the soil. However it is far cheaper and considerably more sustainable to throw down old bails of hay. The hay mulch, applied year after year, will build up into a rich and delicious soil.

Alternatively, the old black plastic sheet trick will work. Large rolls of black plastic can be obtained at any farm supply store worth its salt. If you want to kill off weed growth and recycle that same growth into fertilizer cover your designated garden area with black plastic sheets and weigh the corners down with rocks. The black of the plastic will trap the heat of the sun, effectively cooking whatever weeds are growing underneath and accelerating their decomposition process.

I have used this method to great success with weeds that tower over 6 ½ feet tall. I stomped them down with the help of friends and then we rolled out the black plastic. In one month we removed the plastic and, voila! The soil underneath was rich and moist. Grass seed was thrown down, and in a matter of weeks I had a lush, green lawn.

If you enjoy low maintenance gardening and are more concerned with the vegetable yield, then feel free to cut holes in your black plastic and grow your vegetables right through the holes. I am sure you can imagine how much time and effort can be saved since weeding will become almost obsolete. Don’t forget to wear your boots and gloves as this can be messy work. Rat poison is more often than not soaked into the twine that holds hay bales together, take care not to touch them unnecessarily, and don’t let your children or pets near the strings as well. Dispose of the twine; you don’t want rat poison leaching into your budding garden.

Plant with patience and with time you shall be eating the fruits of your labor.

Good luck with your garden adventure!

Last update: April 17, 2009
03:28 pm

Published in : Research, Household hints

0 Comments