Backyard Poultry Forum

Hello folks
at Grabby's suggestion I am providing a potted (ha ha ) review of my Sunday with Kim and co, in Heathmont Melbourne http://www.veryediblegardens.com/
Kim is on 3/4 acre with a permaculturally sculpted vegie garden, herbs and orchard and chooks (and until recent inattentive husband duties, pekin ducks).

I learnt about:

Attracting good pests to eat the nasty pests (let your parsley go to seed and grow borage, lavender, alyssum and nasturtiums) instead of spraying with gunk (though white cabbage moth can be zapped organically with Dipel)

Building a no dig vegie garden is easy using layers of straw, manure and newspaper (who knew bad news could be put to such good use?) with each layer well watered and a pocket of potting mix for each seedling planted.

Creating compost both wet and dry (or cold and hot). Learnt I was trying to do both at once in the same bin and that two different types of worms are in compost cf to our garden soil and the two don't mix that much. If you have a compost bin do NOT spend $100 on worms from Bunnings - it is a waste. Only if you have a worm farm do you buy worms. Worm farms are cool (literally, they should not be kept in a sunny area or the worms cook) Don't overfeed and make sure there is drainage for their worm poo-tea which is very nutritious for plants.

Hmmm apart from a load of chook stuff I already knew they were the highlights.

Interestingly one participant on the workshop - a woman from Brighton - was very seriously telling me that the tiniest bit of avocado would make my chooks drop dead ( I had just given old sangers with avo on them for brekkie to my Jappies and they were still standing when I left the house *rofl*?) I am afraid I had to confess this as it is the first time I have dared give avo to the chooks because of this OWT.

Then she told me rhubarb is also deadly and again, had to disabuse her of this notion as the birds who got into the vegie patch last week and scoffed R leaves are all still standing also.

What is it with these old wives tales (OWTs? )? I did mention the one about tomatoes stopping chooks laying and the Brighton lady quickly said it was a myth...

so I am now completely convinced it is completely true !

It was a good workshop (and great morning tea - drop scones made with home grown eggs and marmalade and home baked bread and eggs - yum-oh!)

I would recommend ...I got lovely yarrow and Warragul Spinach cuttings to take home to boot.

http://www.veryediblegardens.com/

Sounds like you had a fun day out TookTook , i love gardening workshops, so much to learn and try out - we have an organic gardening club nearby, once a month they get together, share ideas, food , seeds and cuttings - so enjoyable spending time with other like minded peoples
Must get some more borage in too, your post has reminded me

cheers

i like when there is delicous food to accompany intetesting conversations. do you have any tips Took Took about the hot & cold composting differences?

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whomever lives longest wins

Hot requires labour (turning with a big specially designed compost fork) and cold is the lazy version (no turning)

BUT cold is a 3 mth approx. wait and hot a 6 week wait...!!

so ...are you a patient type Grabby or keen for quick results?


Hot also requires 3 open bays as per the VEG website and cold the various $$ thangs $$ you get from Bunnings so it is potentially a space/cost useage issue as well.

i guess i am the patient type - who woulda known. bloke does our composting and has either 5 or 6 of those bins collected up from various places.

one day, i would like the bay setup too.
so hot compost has no water added to it at all? do worms work it over or is it enzymes or what for a 3 month turnaround?

_________________
whomever lives longest wins