Cheap Compost heap and Garden update March 09

[shadowfaxx1]

Love your video. You are a natural and very informative. Thank you.

[TheTruthSentry]

Are you a Master Gardener? If not you should be. Awesome video, I learned alot from you

[HomesteadProvocateur]

Hey, I applied into the master gardener program here in Co, but my references flaked out on me, and so they didn't accept me because the two guys who were supposed to vouch for me, didn't follow the instructions to send in my letters of recommendation on time. So, didn't get approved. I would consider pursuing that again sometime in the future.

[stymye]

Holy cow.. Heaps of compost AND vermiculture !...Im in heavon LOL ... are you single ?..!!

(Just kidding.............kinda)

my next goal is a worm bin, please keep updates on the worm bins and composting efforts. I actually watched this one twice..going to watch some of your others now.....you rock

[HomesteadProvocateur]

LOL!! No, I'm a taken. :)

I will keep an update, sometimes I just forget about my worm bins, but they do best with the least amount of disturbance. Oh and they LOVE manure and straw as bedding. I don't put shredded newspaper in my worms bins anymore, just moist straw. Maybe you can try some different methods to see which work best for you? I know, I saw your update with the whole compost area, it is like a whole nother story, and fun to see your trash turn to gold. Hehe

[rawutah]

SWEET Garden.... I love the raised beds! Nice to find your videos..just watched a bunch of em! Thanks for sharing with us.......your passion/spirit is contagious..

[NOSMOJEFF]

Good vidoe--you have done your homework!

[RedWhiteandBetrayed]

Oh and you need a camera man. LOL.

[HomesteadProvocateur]

I know! I have considered getting a tripod, if funds are sufficient. Thanks for all the encouragement! I will try to keep on top of everything. Spring happens fast, so it is good to think ahead...

[RedWhiteandBetrayed]

I had to toss this one on favorites. You gave me a lot of good ideas in this video. Unfortunately I dont have much of a yard so I dont have to space to do all this stuff yet. But I plan on finding a place with a big yard cause i wanna get where your at. Also I think the chicken coupe is a great idea as well please make a video when you build it. i would love to see it.

[RedWhiteandBetrayed]

Wow, nice yard. Your raised beds look great.

[1too3fore]

I do the same thing, I build a compost pile over the ground and just let it go for a few years. Sometimes it's pretty funny because I end up adding like an 8 inch layer over the orginial ground and end up digging into a paver every once in a while! Good stuff. Now I am experimenting with composting humanure.

[dumb7890]

do you ever have problems with cats

[donsevere]

What a cutie! The tip on clay soil was very helpful. Are you in the west?

[HomesteadProvocateur]

Thanks for the compliment! I do live in the west, it appears that this is where the most clay is! LOL Not to mention it gets so hot and dry here, that the sun literally bakes the ground if you don't have some sort of barrier to protect it. Straw works well because it is light in color, and reflects the light back, retains moisture and is pretty easy to get a hold of. My yard normally is just dirt, but since I mulched, I've noticed all sorts of little plants popping up!

[kiyafarm]

Hi, I'm gealous of your garden beds they look really well built. I have to live with old logs and timber I find around my property, but that works ok! I can't wait to see your bee hive, I'm just thinking about that myself, after I finish building my chicken coop! Seems like we have a few things in common with the world. Thanks for sharing your vids, really cool.

[jayandallie5]

wow you are amazing! I have learned so much from this video! thanks-allie WOW!

[stepherz76]

I began my seeds today. It's only my second year, so I'm still learning. Last year I just put the seeds into the earth in June, after the last frost. I noticed today that I have last years strawberries coming in strong! Wonder what another frost will do to them!?

I love your videos! I'm going to use all heirloom variety seeds this year so that I can seed save. Fun stuff!

[davincij15]

wow I'm impressed with what you have done.

[demensha23]

Spring is sprung! I'm making the soil nice too! Got to sow if you want to harvest! I have clay soil too! It takes a couple of seasons to get it conditioned.

[HomesteadProvocateur]

Cool Demensha!! Isn't it exciting? :) How do you amend your soil?

[thegeneraltenn]

Good video, and your preparation WILL meet opportunuity! Enjoy the harvest from your efforts!

[evcrawfish]

awesome job , well done. thanks for sharing your garden with us...

have you seen my free chicken coop and free chickens?

[NWforager]

Woe ! Monica , you are not playing around . Such an awesome Set up you have . Yep , craigslist 'free' rules. Just saw 20 bee bins free on there . Youre totally inspiring us all , setting a fine example .

[radicaldanzero]

Great work friend.

[Carlstens]

Be proud of your work girl... Watch out for freeze nights to still come (cover those flowers

[MichaelJacebson]

Homestead,

Do you have a cat?

I'm using Feline Pine cat litter in my cat litter box, and then using the used litter as fertilizer, mixed with used coffee grounds. It's wierd but it works. I found a place by the way. I'm in the process of buying a home in a rural section of California.

[HomesteadProvocateur]

I do have a cat Michael, but he was originally a stray who choose to live with me, and he doesn't really use the litter box! He goes outside in my neighbors yard. LOL. I tried that pine litter with my last cat and she hated it and started peeing all over the house when I introduced it. You may want to be cautious using cat dung, because they do have parasites like tapeworm and round worm, so make sure you compost it for a while before you use it, HOT PILE style to kill pathogens. Congrats!

[sarah2007hood]

Hey! I always heard that cats using your plants will kill the plants. I have seen it happen to a couple of mine...but i have plenty of cat business and coffee grounds, and you're saying it's working good? How long have you been doing it? I know my cat will be in the garden doing his thing, What plants/veggies are you putting it on? Composting it 1st?

[hivemindanarchist]

Sexy compost pile. I have mice in mine :(

[HomesteadProvocateur]

I had a rat in mine!!! LOL, that thing was huge. But it scurried off when I watered the thing, so maybe if you temporarily saturate the pile, hose it down, they might leave or drown.. I personally don't have a problem with the mice, I just would want to heat the pile up to kill pathogens before using it again, mix it with some fresh materials and turn it often..

[Signzit]

nice grow beds dude. Do you brew any teas?

Research a company called, "Soil Secrets" they even have YT vids.

Mycorriahizal Fungi will also till soil (bugs are the key)

LOL, Damn expecting snow lol. You go girl.

The 2009 Monsanto Food Safety Act can kiss our asses!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and much much more! I have multiple things they can kiss!

Last year I had no time to watch anyones garden, I am going to enjoy your's this year for sure!

Thanks Home

[HomesteadProvocateur]

Yes, I inoculate my beds with mycorriahizal fungi and I make actively aerated compost tea as outlined in the book "Teeming with Microbes" .. I will be posting updates, now that spring is here, I have rekindled my purpose for life! LOL. I also like watching your garden too, we will have to compare and contrast this year!! :)

[billybbob18]

The best carbon to nitrogen ratio for compost

is about 25 to 30 parts carbon to one part nitrogen. If there is too much carbon (brown material) in the pile, decomposition will be slowed. If there is too much nitrogen (green material), nitrogen may be lost, and the pile may smell like ammonia. The best thing to do is to layer high-nitrogen materials, high-carbon materials, and thin layers of native soil.

[HomesteadProvocateur]

Yes, I have quite a bit of carbon material and being that it has been winter, haven't really been able to get my hands on any nitrogen rich material. The ammonia apparently doesn't bog the worms, so I am just going to leave that heap alone and let them do what they do soo well. My other heap I plan to actively turn at least initially to get the microbial process started. Eventually it may become a slow pile and once I've used all the other compost in my other pile, I will start over on that side

[desire4liberation]

awesome garden girl!!!!!!

i am proud of you too:)

[HomesteadProvocateur]

THanks Desire, I am proud of myself too.. This is honestly the more satisfying type of work I've ever done, but I like gardening. Lots of people were forced to week gardens when they were children so they can't stand it. I was gardening alongside my grandpa when I was probably 5 years old or so. It is a passion of mine.

[ohio1998]

You can also sell extra worms to bait shops!

[HomesteadProvocateur]

I'm getting some chickens too! My neighbor had to move his goats, but they were stinky!! I didn't mind, plus, I saved those goats from starvation and suffocation sooo many times, he was very negligent. I didn't report him though, not my business. Someone else did. I am going to conceal my chickens as best I can, from the predators of course.

[frgtmygld]

Oh no, not goat police! I had a freind who lived in Phoenix who was put on "chicken probation". It's definitely tougher to get along in the city. I'm glad you guys post to show it can be done. good luck

[vention4wh]

Excellent work, I'm very impressed! Great idea putting your compost partly below ground level. Awesome cold frame too. You are one very impressive young woman!

[frgtmygld]

If the government denied my right to the RAIN that fell on my land I think I'd feel honour bound to break the law, and do it with a smile! Good Video

[HomesteadProvocateur]

DITTO! Sheesh, they are pissing me off lately with all their rules and regulations...

[HomesteadProvocateur]

Ah don't be jealous!!! Impressed is ok though! LOL, Considering last spring I just stopped going to my college classes and immersed myself in gardening and learning as much as I could, much of that through youtube if you can believe it! Haven't gone back since and I'm so much happier, and now I feel this information is much more valuable than learning anything in a classroom! Seriously. The best way to learn is to try, that is how gardening works, trial and error, check out my gardening playli

[0urGaia]

clay ha, nuclear bombs wouldn't dint the clay where I live, thanks for the tip on how to combat it. You have a great garden.

[HomesteadProvocateur]

Dang, are you in the desert or something? Seriously, if you can get your hands on some leaves, some grass clippings, straw whatever, and just put in the spot you like, water it religiously and you will be surprised, you can even go so far as to stick a tarp over it in between watering, or spread sheet mulch (cardboard) over the organic material with a soaker hose beneath it. That might do the job. Are you going to garden this year?

[0urGaia]

HP, no I'm in a city in australia (melbourne) just hard clay where I am, but have sold house to get rid all debt and moving to my sisters this friday until I can find something that is safe and not to far from the city (I don't want be in the metro in case things get real bad here). So when I  find another house, I want try do garden like yours as a priority, hopefully this year. Your my inspiration :)

[HomesteadProvocateur]

I've learned about this too, not a bad idea. Just need to make sure it composts long enough to kill pathogens and use it on either trees or non-edible plants to be safe?

[HomesteadProvocateur]

You know what Velkoze? Just make a catchment system and keep it well disguised. I mean, I'm going to build my own greywater system, no one will know, and I'm going to reuse my bathwater! LOL..

[NOweWONT]

I'm envious of your raised beds. Nice job.

[HomesteadProvocateur]

You know what NOweWONT, If I could do it over again, I probably would ditch the raised beds and plant directly in the ground. They are expensive and you can just double dig to get the depth needed. Seriously, no need to be jealous.. Thanks for the encouragement.

[JosiahsBackpack]

Good job lady. Keep up the good work.

[HomesteadProvocateur]

Thanks Josiah! You TOO! LOL

[HomesteadProvocateur]

AMEN to that !!!!! One pro- you can garden early! But the cons are that we really need the water for the garden, last year if I went one day without watering, the plants all wilted. I'm also in the Denver area so I know what you mean.

[mike29571]

You've been busy! Great example of urban farming. Thanks for the video and detailed description. Nice little ecosystem you have going on there. Best of luck with the chickens, bees, and this years crop. :)

[HomesteadProvocateur]

YES I HAVE!!! Thanks for the encouragement, I will be keeping everyone updated you can count on that!