- Joined
- Apr 9, 2020
- Messages
- 18
- Climate
- Sub-Tropical
When we moved into our home several years ago, there was a garden plot next to the house. I had grandiose ideas of growing as much food as possible for my family. What I didn't realize was due to the condition of the soil from how it was used for a number of years, it was completely dead! No worms, no other soil beneficial creatures, nothing. This happened because of deep tilling and constant use of only commercial fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides. Only some weeds grew in the almost one acre plot. So I decided to put in raised beds, but the cost for the soil was prohibitive for us at that time. I decided to hold off for a few years and let nature work on the ground.
One spring I asked my father-in-law if I could collect some of the hay lying in the pasture where he had fed the cattle. He reluctantly said yes and I collected a pretty good pile of wet, moldy, poo and pee filled hay. I allowed it to compost for a full year and the resultant soil was a beautiful black sweet smelling soil. I used that for a small raised bed and did pretty well, but it was shallow...I needed more!
The following spring, I once again requested the collection of left over hay and again I was given permission. This year instead of a small trailer to haul it, I used the tractor and bucket to collect a larger load. I again let this sit all year with one exception, I allowed the cattle access to the pile. They went crazy over the year with it! They stomped on it, dug through it, continued to use it as their personal restroom and again beautiful black soil. This time I shared it with my in-laws and one of my sons. They had huge success with their small beds, enough to impress my father-in-law!
So I repeated the process the next year gathering even more than previous years. That is what filled my 8x16 raised bed this spring and we are looking forward to a healthy garden. I also am in the process of collecting the hay from this past winter and making the largest compost pile yet.
The pictures show last year's finished pile and where I am at this year. I still have a large amount to collect, but we are on the way to making enough soil for future beds next year. Just thought I would share our story. Lots still to do, but much further than when we first begun this journey
One spring I asked my father-in-law if I could collect some of the hay lying in the pasture where he had fed the cattle. He reluctantly said yes and I collected a pretty good pile of wet, moldy, poo and pee filled hay. I allowed it to compost for a full year and the resultant soil was a beautiful black sweet smelling soil. I used that for a small raised bed and did pretty well, but it was shallow...I needed more!
The following spring, I once again requested the collection of left over hay and again I was given permission. This year instead of a small trailer to haul it, I used the tractor and bucket to collect a larger load. I again let this sit all year with one exception, I allowed the cattle access to the pile. They went crazy over the year with it! They stomped on it, dug through it, continued to use it as their personal restroom and again beautiful black soil. This time I shared it with my in-laws and one of my sons. They had huge success with their small beds, enough to impress my father-in-law!
So I repeated the process the next year gathering even more than previous years. That is what filled my 8x16 raised bed this spring and we are looking forward to a healthy garden. I also am in the process of collecting the hay from this past winter and making the largest compost pile yet.
The pictures show last year's finished pile and where I am at this year. I still have a large amount to collect, but we are on the way to making enough soil for future beds next year. Just thought I would share our story. Lots still to do, but much further than when we first begun this journey
