The Unc-tanical Gardens

[unclefishstick]

i run 600 watts of lamps for them in winter...i have at least a half dozen that could fill the front window by themselves,my split leaf philodendron is over 7 feet wide at this point,the creeping charlie is up on a bar stool on a 2 foot high shelf and it still trails to the floor...the angel wing begonia is over 6 feet tall and popping new stems once a month....by the time they all come inside i expect i will be hanging lamps in the dining room as well...and building lots of shelves....

 

[Biosynthesis]

Some people say I have an obsessive compulsive dissorder when it comes to gardening. Looks like you are having a full blown manic episode! LMAO

 

[unclefishstick]

i dont even really know how it happened,18 months ago there wasnt a single plant in the place or outside,now i just do whatever my photosynthetic overlords tell me to do....tending the pot garden is actually the least part of my daily rounds and yet it supports all of the rest,and provides an endless supply of rootballs to amend the local sand....

 

[Biosynthesis]

Yes thats how I grow my TPMs as well.

 

[unclefishstick]

what are TPM's?

 

[Biosynthesis]

Total Panty Melters. Roses, flowers and such.

 

[unclefishstick]

lol,i should have known! the neighbor ladies all love it,they never used to talk to me before,of course i wasnt in the yard pulling weeds and watering every morning before either...plus its mostly homeowners around me so they must appreciate the curb appeal being added.plus i have two neighbors contributing grass clippings now and since the green layers were always my choke points before in composting,brown shit i got plenty of...fresh and green,not so much...

 

[Biosynthesis]

Total chick magnets!

 

[unclefishstick]

im trying to slowly acclimate the neighbors to the idea a bit at a time,first a truckload of compost,next i get a smaller load of manure from the dairy farms,they have 2-3-4 year aged for sale by the ton so get the 4 year stuff so it doesnt smell too bad and try and get new beds prepped and turned in right away and get cover crops...next year chickens....if they get used to the urban farm idea then there wont be any fuss...

 

[Biosynthesis]

I love the urban farms. Im surprised at how much you can pack into small spaces. Urban farmers can grow vertical for utilizing space, Put shade food crops under fruit trees Chickens in tunnel runs between rows. Endless space efficient strategies to come up with.

 

[unclefishstick]

what i really need to be farming is photons...i have two roofs just screaming for solar panels,i could easily zero my bill out here with one roofs worth...

 

[Biosynthesis]

Sure your neighbors wont mind mulch piles when you start turning out farm fresh eggs

I wanna farm photons.

Heres just the coolest artcle I run across in a magazine. The picture illustrates chicken tunnels and cages incorporated in the garden. Thought it was a fantastic idea.

View image in gallery​

 

[unclefishstick]

if i could get some geese that ate bermuda grass that would be great! i already have 8 foot chainlink fence around that part of the yard the garden is in anyway and the porch will be screened off so they would be able to roam around,theres a good coop spot on the north side of the workshop away from the neighbors.

 

[wildgrow]

Sure your neighbors wont mind mulch piles when you start turning out farm fresh eggs

I wanna farm photons.



Heres just the coolest artcle I run across in a magazine. The picture illustrates chicken tunnels and cages incorporated in the garden. Thought it was a fantastic idea.

View Image​

View image in gallery​

That is cool bio! The chickens fertilize next years beds. I wonder what the trade off is between chicken shit vs. worm castings. I guess just not letting them out after a rain would save a lot of the worms a poultry death.

EDIT: Geese crap tons, maybe too much. They'll pull up whatevers been freshly planted. I don't think they'll tangle with a cactus though.

 

[greenmatter]

do you have a feed store there unc? alfalfa pellets are a really good "green" for a compost pile. don't know what they cost in your area ...... could be scary

 

[Biosynthesis]

Alfalfa pellets are bomb, but they cost no matter where you are cuz, .....well its farmed animal feed. Some of their 3-4 year old composted steer manure should be more bang for your buck. Chickens are going to help a bunch.

 

[Biosynthesis]

Your soil looks super sandy. Great for drainage. Once you add goods to the soil I bet your golden.

Edit; oh and geese/ducks are rather noisy compared to hens. Just a thought. Doves are quiet as well, have a pleasant sound and most importantly crap for our plants.

 

[unclefishstick]

Your soil looks super sandy. Great for drainage. Once you add goods to the soil I bet your golden.

Edit; oh and geese/ducks are rather noisy compared to hens. Just a thought. Doves are quiet as well, have a pleasant sound and most importantly crap for our plants.

it would almost be worth it to rud myself of the bermuda grass!

once i get the surface broken up the ground does drain well,and a few rootballs really loosen an area up....all the planted areas are heavily mulched so they have been retaining moisture very well..

That is cool bio! The chickens fertilize next years beds. I wonder what the trade off is between chicken shit vs. worm castings. I guess just not letting them out after a rain would save a lot of the worms a poultry death.

EDIT: Geese crap tons, maybe too much. They'll pull up whatevers been freshly planted. I don't think they'll tangle with a cactus though.

maybe someone has a geese mowing servce...ah,well,unless they dig bermuda is next to impossible to get rid of..

do you have a feed store there unc? alfalfa pellets are a really good "green" for a compost pile. don't know what they cost in your area ...... could be scary

grass clippings are free,and i dont have to haul them...

 

[Biosynthesis]

Worms and chickens

Worms and chickens

That is cool bio! The chickens fertilize next years beds. I wonder what the trade off is between chicken shit vs. worm castings. I guess just not letting them out after a rain would save a lot of the worms a poultry death.

EDIT: Geese crap tons, maybe too much. They'll pull up whatevers been freshly planted. I don't think they'll tangle with a cactus though.

I wondered about the trade off myself. Was thinking the same as you, that the chickens would decimate the worm population. Although, here is the conclusion I have drawn to what actually goes on. The chickens actually create the habitat for worms with lots of fresh organic waste. Worms are afraid of the light so they only come out at night when chickens are roosting. If I dig down in the ground in the coop I run into red wigglers in super rich composted soil. More so in the coop. So im under the impression "more worms where chickens live". Not exactly a controlled scientific experiment but definately an increase in biodiversity in the chicken pen or anywhere they have been penned up.

Uncle- Chickens will turn anyplace they are penned up weed and grass free in a short time. If you had a chicken in a cage it could certainly be placed where you want bare earth, while adding biodiversity to the ground. Of course you know this already, just saying.

 

[unclefishstick]

im in no huge rush,pretty sure the planet will be here next year....

and the more i read about my local soils and the local plants is all that much amending isnt really needed,to soil is very mineral rich,it simply lacks moisture....aside from a tree or two out front the rest of the planted areas will be buffalo and gramma grass with a scattering of native wildflowers and i think im going to get an occotillo as well,and one or two native bushes that provide wildlife food and cover...one more trip to the desert to gather rocks and after that i will have to bite the bullet and buy a pallet of flagstone and a few cubic yards of pea gravel,and a yard or two of round cobbles...gonna try and work the slopes so all the rain that falls on the yard stays in the yard,probably dig out a few strategically placed pits and back fill them with gravel so i end up with moisture sumps where it can get deep away from the sun,give the tree roots something to chase after...