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  • From: <eureka AT hctc.net>
  • To: bobford79 AT yahoo.com, homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] Moats?
  • Date: Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:46:48 -0500

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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