Goat Manure
Things just keep pilling up around here, but that’s not a bad thing. These piles are like garden gold, and they are my new weapon against weeds. Instead of weeding the garden, I’ve been piling manure on the weeds. I’m hoping the lack of light will turn these pests into more bio-mass.
The pile above is Goat Manure, one of the best sources of vitamins for a garden I’ve seen, and has PH characteristics of Horse Manure. The real benefit of this not so smelly stuff is the lack of seeds. I’ve been using it to side-dress the winter squashes, as the composted rabbit manure wasn’t giving the plants the kick I was looking for. They are growing pretty fast, but this should really get them going.
I have decided to pile up the manure in and around the garden this year, as it’s just too much work to wheel it across the valley. If I don’t use it all to side dress the plants, I can spread it out in the fall.
Grape Vines
I’ve spent a few hours fertilizing all of the grapes, and many of the trees in my side orchard. I hope to spread this growing additive to all of the plants in my larger “perennial” garden. I’ve started with a small amount, in case it is too “hot”. If the plants show green growth, I’ll add lots more.
As a side note, I’ve been dosing the piles with water, hoping it will cause them to “cook” faster. It seems to be working, as each pile will steam when the sun goes down. This means the piles are very warm inside, which should encourage all the little bugs and such to grow faster, and convert that manure into rich black dirt.
