Manure Pile Squash In Your Garden
A while back, when we were fencing off the 50 acre lot for some end of the season grazing, we stumbled on a huge cache of squash. Sometimes in the winter months, when the snows “rump deep to a tall Indian”, we have to make manure piles instead of spreading them on the fields. On the remains of one such pile we found squash vines as big as my arms(says more about my arms than the vines) growing all over. As we dug around we found huge green turbins. We hauled a bunch home and left some for the wild critters. Best squash we had all year, in fact thats what we cooked on Thanksgiving. This has inspired a new idea for the squash garden spot. Last year we grew the cukes and summer squash on layers of composted hay, and it worked well. Winter squash are real N eaters and thats why they do so well in manure piles. This fall, better be quick before we get a bunch of snow, I’m going to haul up some half composted manure from one of last years piles and spread it in a row. It will be as wide as the spreader spreads it and a foot thick or so. Then I’m going to cover it with mulch hay, probably unroll a round bale right on top of it. Then I can plant the winter squash right in the half composted manure and free up more space in the regular garden spot. I figure ever 2nd year or so I’ll put more manure on it and cover with another layer of hay or straw. I find myself doing more and more variations of the “layered compost-heavy mulch” method of gardening. It is a quick way of expanding the garden and I’ve never been disappointed in the yeilds. I suppose you could just make it really easy and plant on the manure piles themselves. Our piles are all over timbucktwo and the wild critters would eat more than we would and in a dry year watering them would be a real pain, so I’m moving the piles closer to home.
December 21st, 2006 at 11:43 am
Hello, all. We turn our hens’ manure, along with the pine shavings, under a mound every week and the squash loves it. We’ve had adventitious squash vines growing on the mound, too.
By the way, we’re up to our wattles in battles for our longheld property right of keeping chickens in the city. We’re activated, trying to conciliate and educate public and politican alike. I am amazed, for instance, that no one seems to know that roosters are not necessary for egg production, and they assume people who keep chickens must have roosters and are thus a noise nuisance. I listen to blasting stereos, barking dogs, C-17s, and coyotes, but that doesn’t seem to disturb people who just like to vent without fuel.
We don’t like upheaval, but we don’t like forfeiture, either. God knows his purpose: either we will be forced to give up our birds, or he means to urge us to move on from Tacoma (Washington).
We covet your prayers for a gainful resolution for all concerned.
We’ve set up a new blog, Up To Our Wattles, that includes correspondence, articles, and resources to help others and to which others can add their help.
God keep you.