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livingontheland - Re: [Livingontheland] using animals to improve the soil

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Subject: Healthy soil and sustainable growing

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  • From: Harvey Ussery <boxwood@nelsoncable.com>
  • To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] using animals to improve the soil
  • Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2007 16:53:48 -0400

(Quoting from Carrie)
I'm hoping that these two gilts will be my most excellent Johnson grass
Eradication program and garden preparation answer. . . I want to put them
into the fenced in garden area and then the larger area that I want cleared
and tilled.

A caution from the experience of a friend of mine: She put pigs on her garden over the winter, and the soil the following season was *concrete*. (She didn't mean the term metaphorically. She wrecked a neighbor's tiller trying to break it up.) She plans to try again this winter, but this time adding lots and lots of loose organic matter--spoiled hay and the like--that the porkos can turn into the soil as they're rooting, that ought to keep some "fluff" in the mix.

I have another friend who had great luck with pigs in the garden: He too was richly blessed with Johnson grass. He turned in the pigs, and said that his major entertainment after that was standing and listening to the "crunch" as the pigs bit thru the heavy stolons of the JG! But he didn't leave them on full-time, I think, or leave them a whole season like over winter.


I will be keeping the chickens away from my winter squashes though, the two roosters free-ranging have eaten into one too many. They'll be dog food soon.

No, chickens and winter squash don't mix. Guineas-and-winter squash works well for me, however (for control of squash bug). For the first time this year, the guineas did abuse the growing fruits a bit--I lost a few to determined eating, but not enough to conclude that they weren't still paying their way with the bug patrol.

As for them roos: Dawg food? Why not put those boys in the stockpot?--you'll be amazed with the broth.

Good luck at your new place.

~Harvey

--
Harvey in northern Va
www.themodernhomestead.us

"How we eat determines, to a considerable extent, how the world is used."
~Wendell Berry





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