Biomass

I seem to have much more to put in the garden compost pile. I still use the garden compost pile- to keep the dogs out of more tasty things..and then take the mounds over and put in the garden pile once well rotted.

I salvage very flower we pick , every eggs shell, all the coffee grounds....I think everything that can be used to up our hummus level does not belong in the dump. I pile up the goat manure ( the guineas are fertilizing as they go) and still have chicken manure mixed in. that goes on newly cleared beds; or mixed with some compost to keep the humus level up where things are growing.

I have green beans coming, by the handful..so I pick the handfuls, when they are perfect, and rinse them and put them in the crisper wrapped in a paper towel ( paper towels go in the compost too) I highly suggest picking all of your storage veggies, whether frozen or canned, as they are ready. put on the pot to blanch  them or can them while you cook dinner. so it;s only a package or two, or can or two, at a time. don;t you deserve perfect produce? and not overheating the kitchen trying to do everything in one day?

another thing i have noticed- I have amped the soil to frenzy, and I have to make sure water levels keep up. hasn;t been much of a problem, but i want to keep the lovely lettuce and carrots and tomatoes and beans and pumpkins going full tilt.the worms need the water as much as the plants.

it's also meant using a lot of cardboard to keep the lanes clear. the weeds are also happy- but in such loose soil, easy to pull.uses up cardboard instead of it going to the dump. yippee!

 I do have to keep up with lime and a mixed organic mineral blend- not 100 percent sure we are up to  par on that yet.But we are obviously getting close ( not on the lime- with this acid soil, that will be a constant...)

so the word that sums it all up is- biomass. treating the garden as a jungle, with mixed species, total soil coverage, and watching the massive amounts of leaves and fruits produced. all of this will further deepen the soil, so whether leaving it to rot, or moving it to the compost pile, we'll keep that lovely solar energy produced goodness for another year.,

Biomass, if you don;t have it yet, import it. use the lasagna technique, cardboard, compost, minerals, leaves, paper, straw, manure- build it to 18 inches thick. plant lightly until it is all eaten in the soil- then plant heavy., Mix it up, move plants around, Mix in flowers. Mix veggies into flower beds! get pots going( more controlled soil- for the stuff you think you can't grow- potatoes, carrots, etc). put something else in- flowers? herbs? to fill up the pots and protect the soil.

it becomes a feast for the eyes as well as the table, a home to insects to keep things in check ( the japanese beetles found the beans...I need to get some wet and feed to the guineas.) add some form of animal life to your garden. toad houses, bird feeders, bat houses, chickens,. goats......"borrow" the manure from a horse farm.

And when the biomass gets to the right point, like a forest or jungle, your garden will thrive, it will be like-nature did it all and you get to wander through and pick your herbs and flowers and veggies with almost no work.,.