How does your garden grow?
9 01 2007
With muck, muck and more muck! I spent much of today finishing the final muck box and then shifting muck from one box to the next. The first box, which the Big Lad is enthusiastically pointing out, has been rotting down for two years now and once we’d removed the top quarter of unrotted material, we found we’d hit the pay dirt.
As the box is a cubic metre in capacity, we’re talking about three-quarters of a tonne of well-rotted muck to be dug out and incoporated into the vegetable beds (I’ve already taken the unrotted quarter tonne off the top). And we have four more muck boxes to go. However, they’ve haven’t been full for as long so the amount will be less but even so we’re probably looking at a total of two tonnes of useable, well-rotted muck to go on the beds and another two tonnes to be turned and left to rot further.
I was a little concerned at the amount of straw compared to the amount of pig muck, chicken manure, grass and wood ash, but it’s rotted well to create a rich, friable compost. Due to the climate up here, this is more like cold composting and so needs longer to rot - hence the two-year wait - but it’s well worth it. Now I just have to move all four tonnes of the stuff!
I think I’d give your wheelbarrow a service first. It will need to be in top condition to move that lot about.
It’s funny that you should mention that. We’ve already worn out one wheelbarrow (left here by the previous owners) and just had to repair the front wheel on the second one.
I’m thinking about building a wooden muck/straw barrow - like a wheelbarrow but with a vertical front wall and removeable, slatted sides.
I think I’m also going to need a good overhaul before moving that lot.
Looks like good stuff Stonehead ! Having also moved here from slightly warmer climes, I’ve also found that we need to compost for two years to get straw to break down properly.
Glad to hear you’re on the mend !
I’m not really on the mend - I’ve improved just enough that I can grit my teeth and get on with the work. I’m not one for staying in bed feeling sorry for myself, anyway.
I once dug out an old stable yard that had been neglected, the muck was a metre deep. We thought we would have to raise the roof height at first but then found out it was not the floor we were standing on. My back still aches thinking about it.
Don’t forget the grease for the axle on the wheelbarrow, certainly makes the pushing much easier. I have just serviced our two barrows (wow, a two barrow family) and the difference is quite noticeable. Then again I like to oil and grease all tools as they last longer and perform better and more safely.
For your health have a good dose of Vegemite on toast mate!