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  • SamfromWA SamfromWA:
    Sounds like its worth fixing if you need the extra space, maybe your dad might be able to help. I estimate under ideal conditions it takes about 20 by 20 meters to grow enough food to be self sufficient when things are done well, though this would balloon to more than 40 by 40 meters if done poorly. I'm about half way with my warm season plantings. If a person can plant as many pumpkin, watermelon, mangle beets, and sweet potato slips as they can and have chooks then then that will get them a lot of the way there.
  • Mandy Onderwater Mandy Onderwater:
    Naa, dad got injured before they got here. Literally 5 days before geting on the plane he had a bad motorcycle crash, so he's all bruised up. Thankfully he wore good gear, so he's basically unscathed except for severe bruising.
  • SamfromWA SamfromWA:
    Hope everyone's recovering out there then
  • Mandy Onderwater Mandy Onderwater:
    Haha, yeah he's a tough nut to crack. He won't stop, so I'm ensuring he doesn't do too much, haha.
  • M mccojust:
    First time poster here, so I apologize if I get anything wrong here. Out of curiosity, I am wondering if anyone else is doing something similar to what my mother is dong. She has some raised garden beds with flowers in them (she doesn't grow fruit of vegetables), where the soil has started slumping. As she doesn't want to go out to buy any commercial soil or compost mixes to build the soil back up, she has started to put kitchen scrapes into the paper supermarket shopping bags and once full, place another supermarket paper shopping bag over it inverted, to make it harder for birds and animals to get into the scrapes, then puts it onto the raised garden bed without burying it.
  • M mccojust:
    Sorry, posted too soon. At some stage after putting the bags of kitchen scrapes in the garden, they get covered with used kitty litter made from paper and lawn mowing clippings. Then she moves on to the next raised garden bed. Once she has finished doing this to the row of raised garden beds, she returns to the first one.
  • M mccojust:
    Juat wondering if anyone else has done something similar?
  • Mandy Onderwater Mandy Onderwater:
    I've never owned a cat, so I'm not familiar with that. I do know that people dislike cat pee as it's too acidic and will literally kill plants to my knowledge.
  • Mandy Onderwater Mandy Onderwater:
    @mccojust would you be able to start a thread and maybe share some pictures? That way we might be able to see what is going on.
  • Mandy Onderwater Mandy Onderwater:
    If you need a hand with that, don't be afraid to message me :)
  • M mccojust:
    Unfortunately, I've got stuffed knees, so going to take a photo is a bit hard for me and my mother is unsure of all the features on her phone. As for cat pee being acidic, it's my understanding that the kitty litter is layered between kitchen scapes and lawn clippings, so that may provide a counter.
  • D daveb:
    Cat pee direct on plants can burn plants, composting actually with the bacteria in the soil and what is refered to as Nitrifying cycle the ammonia in the pee is turned into nitrite then nitrates by bacteria an is then usable by plants, but pathogens from cats that have deseases or disorders can carry over in the kitty liter. I would suggest if possible do the same process in a compost pile or composting drum in this way the temperatures you should monitor is atleast to the 165 F range this will destroy or break down pathogens if any in the kitty liter, make sure the cat litter does not have chemical additives, clay, or fragrances added to it.
  • D daveb:
    the dig in method is fine for papers - grass clipping - vegetable scraps - and leafs, but even now where a process of spreading chicken manure over a garden was common place over the years they are warning against it because of various bird and animal deseases that can carry over health organizations recommend to compost any manures or animal waste
  • Mandy Onderwater Mandy Onderwater:
    Two videos in a row! One showcasing a gorgeous garden in the UK, and the other showcasing an issue with his SIMRAD unit on his boat. Don't forget to check them out :D
  • Mandy Onderwater Mandy Onderwater:
    I'm still feeling a bit clumsy at it, but I've been trying to change how I type out the videos here on the forum. I don't know if that's more preferred to people, or to keep it short and sweet.
  • Mandy Onderwater Mandy Onderwater:
    I'm experimenting as I go, seeing what might be liked and/or how I can improve :D
  • Mandy Onderwater Mandy Onderwater:
    The weekend is well and truly here for us. Do you have any plans for this weekend?
  • Mandy Onderwater Mandy Onderwater:
    I think my partner and myself might've caught something 😷
  • Mandy Onderwater Mandy Onderwater:
    A short on Mark's bees!

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