[Homestead] Moats?
eureka at hctc.net
eureka at hctc.net
Thu Jul 3 16:46:48 EDT 2008
Sounds like the moats in this case are drainage ditches
sometimes filled with water during a rainy season?
Not only do we keep seven large compost bins (also from
pallets) full but the mulch you see on the paths between
our beds is also chicken manured shreaded bedding
composting in place on top of a layer of carboard and
newspaper we would otherwise recycle. At the end of season
it is also added to the nearest raised bed and the process
begins again. We tend to plant things close together to
discourage weeds, although most of our weeds are actually
wildflowers that end up helping attracting the polinators.
Weeds that are not poisonous are tossed over the fence to
the sheep as salad. We would add their manure back except
we fsupplemental eed coastal bermuda hay (the only kind
available here) and being invasive we don't want to spread
it any more than it does on it's own. The beds do dry out
faster raised, but the drip keeps the plants hydrated.
There's not much of a drainage problem in our paths
because there's not much rain. The widths between our beds
is wide enough for a wheel barrow, and the path splitting
the garden in half is wide enough for our tractor.
We got 1/4 inch of rain yesterday and went out and took a
walk in it just to remember what it feels like.
--Sage
On Thu, 3 Jul 2008 11:16:52 -0700 (PDT)
bob ford <bobford79 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Below is some "copy and paste" from Toni's raised bed
>print-out. If the moats are dry, why would a disabled
>person delete the moats in their garden design to make it
>more accesible to a wheelchair or scooter?
> .....bobford
>
>
> - Good drainage: In the wet Kentucky Springtime, these
>beds have drainage with surrounding moats keep our new
>root systems from being waterlogged.
>
>
> - Keeps good soil in place: The heavy covering of paper
>and organic mulches keep all the soil in place - even
>thru the now counted on deluges of rain! At the end of
>the season, any topsoil that has filled into the moats
>get quickly shoveled atop the beds before covering for
>the season.
>
>
> - Mostly weed-free planting areas: Very few weeds come
>up on these beds. Those that do, are weak and can be
>pulled out with two fingers, if needed.
>
>
>
> - Economy in irrigation: During times of drought,
>raised beds can dry out much too fast. This thick bed
>covering keeps plantings far moister than raised beds
>unmulched. Very little watering is needed thruout the
>season.
>
>
> - Ease of maintenance: As we grow older and our bodies
>weary in bending Each year the soil becomes more the
>object of my thanks with this method. If one is a
>disabled gardener, the moats could be deleted in the
>garden design, allowing a scoot-along seat or wheelchair
>to be used with plant heights being quite accessible (
>not considering such as Pole Beans or Heirloom Maters!)
>
>
>
> --- On Thu, 7/3/08, Warren <mogrits at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> From: Warren <mogrits at gmail.com>
>> Subject: Re: [Homestead] Moats?
>> To: homestead at lists.ibiblio.org
>> Date: Thursday, July 3, 2008, 12:02 PM
>> I think as used on this list, a moat is just a spatial
>> barrier. If I recall
>> correctly, Gene's "chicken moat" is just
>> double fencing your garden allowing
>> chickens to patrol the perimeter. The "chicken
>> moat" keeps the bugs out.
>>
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>
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