9-9-09

In my area we haven't had a "real" summer where it gets hot.  August had a few warmer days after a summer of hail and constant rain.  We got nickel size hail here.  Further south they had it golf ball and hard ball size, so I feel mildly fortunate.  It still does a number on the garden.  It is too late for tomatoes to  ripen in my garden.  I have been cleaning up the plants by removing the dried up damaged parts and composting it.  The composting process is finally working on time for me.  I have a third batch almost ready to harvest.  Since I built two new square beds, they are getting most of it. I use some for top dressing heavy feeders and beds that need a boost before replanting them after the storm.  The spinach bed and lettuce bed were replanted.  I put in some late carrots and beans, too.

We compost the droppings from the chicken coop with other things.  I like to add some fresh cut grass to it to heat it up.

I find, the more manure I put into the ComposTumbler, the more I need to tumble it.  This keeps it broken up and decomposing faster.  So, I sometimes turn the tumbler 4-5 times each day.  In the third week of the process I open the lid and check for doneness.  When it is fully done you will not smell any uric acid from the manures or ammonia from the grass.

We are now discussing the best way to cover our garden to protect it from the summer hail and excessive rains.  Tomatoes do not like rain!

Our chickens are eating good this summer!