Cultivating a small field with more than a hoe!

[Beekissed]

Yes, they can as long as they have a small three sided shelter away from the wind and some dry bedding. Pigs are pretty good about not soiling their beds and usually will do that in one corner of the pen.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

I read up on lasagna gardening a few months ago in MaryJane's Farm Mag. It looked pretty cool and if I was on my own and desparate to start a garden real fast, with no machinery, I'd give it a try. I still might anyway.
I have a few home-made chicken tractors. If I'd want to prepare a stretch of land for a garden, I'd do away with the grass by letting my chickens do as much work as possible. If you have any kinda livestock, you can probably fence in the prospective garden site and throw your 'friends' in to help you out first. No grass/weeds....lots of free fertilizer.
After that, lasagna, all the way.....maybe layering in a raised bed, esp if you can use something that would otherwise be thrown away as your bed. I can get all the tractor tires I can use for my beds. All I have to do is trim the edges to use as planters.

 

[MyKidLuvsGreenEgz]

Yes, they can as long as they have a small three sided shelter away from the wind and some dry bedding. Pigs are pretty good about not soiling their beds and usually will do that in one corner of the pen.

I just spent 6 hours yesterday building a new chicken coop and attached 3-sided goat house. I know that pigs are pretty destructive but I'm thinking that by Fall, we'll have a mobile pig pen and a couple of piglets in a fenced half-acre field. Hmmm... bacon.

If I could do chicken tractors right now, I would but the 6 hours yesterday killed my leg. Plus I forgot to eat. I'm miserable today so I'm glad I don't have chicken tractors to move today, or to walk down the hill to feed in them.

Thanks.

 

[Denim Deb]

Somehow, you NEED to get that leg taken care of. I wish I could wave a magic wand and make you all better.

 

[MyKidLuvsGreenEgz]

Thank you, Deb. I appreciate your concern. How are you holding up, by the way?



Edited to move the other part to my journal thread. I had a mental lapse and forgot where I was!

But ... we ARE getting pigs!

 

[Denim Deb]

Much better, thanks. Have you been following my journal? I had an operation. Turned out I had a torn meniscus.

 

[Theo]

I hit up Craig's List and found a source of free horse manure!! In fact I suspect it is the $4-per-load people. When I was at their place last summer, they had -mountains- of the stuff, and I have a feeling they were getting desperate. I think I can use several truck loads for my scruffy depleted pasture, some for my lasagna beds, and some to put on the uncultivated areas to prepare for growing corn next year.

With horse manure, how much is too much? Can you pile it on, like whipped topping, or does a little go a long way?

 

[FarmerJamie]

Once you get the sod broken up with a tiller and some good compost and organic humus worked in, you could probably get away with just using a high wheel cultivator. Heres a link:

http://www.lehmans.com/store/Garden...ting___High_Wheel_Cultivator___13310214?Args=

Hey, SS, the link didn't work for me, but based on the part number embedded in the link I think that is the exact one I am picking up in February (with all the attachments) to replace the one that has been literally worn out after 50+ years of use.

 

[FarmerJamie]

Here is the link to a Mother Earth News article on lasagna gardening

Lot's of good ideas posted here. One thing to consider is trying a number of the suggestions to determine which works better in your locale. I putter around and try new variation on approaches all the time. It's better than "putting all your eggs in one basket" as it were. YMMV

 

[hqueen13]

Way to go Theo! I told you horse people would give it away Most of them have too much of it anyway and just can't use it all.