Thursday, April 19, 2012

Composting



With spring returns the green grass. It seems as if mowing is a never ending job around here. Especially with lots of rainfall. Mowing produces a valuable resource for a garden in the form of grass clipping. Here in Hickery Holler we collect all of our grass clippings. We have a small grass and leaf rake that pulls behind our mower. We collect leaves in the fall to mulch our gardens and flower beds. We use these leaves and grass clippings to add to
the small animal manure produced by our animals that we grow for food. We do not grow large livestock on our farm. We prefer because of our age to stick with chickens, turkey and rabbits. They are all small and easily housed. No large expensive barns or pens are required. In most cases just a fence with a simple structure to protect them from the worst winter conditions and to protect them from predators. From time to time we will buy and raise a pig to make sausage and provide a variety. We provide straw for all these animals for bedding and that also becomes compost. 


But all that green grass makes great compost when added to manure and straw bedding.  The pile above will be mixed with the turkey pen droppings which need cleaning out. A mixture of old straw and turkey poop combined with this hot green grass will make some great compost for next spring.  No sprays or pesticides of any kind are used on our lawns,  any weed seeds a really hot compost pile should kill. Composting is a constant here on this farm. There seems to always be compost piles in one stage or another. Always limbs, straw, grass clippings, kitchen scraps, leaves or poop from one animal or another. Our preference is rabbit which doesn't require aging but we compost all chicken, turkey and pig manure.  We also get goat manure when the neighbors clean out their barns and cow manure from the other neighbors barn. It all is appreciated and composted.      

 Nothing goes to waste. I have also used a small amount of grass clippings in the past on the walkways of my vegetable gardens or around my flower gardens.  Not too deep because it can sour if it does not drain well and it can be slick when wet. 


Another project for next week is finishing cleaning the turkey pen and making compost piles. 


Do you collect and compost your grass clippings? 


Blessings from The Holler

11 comments:

  1. We don't have a lot of grass because of naturalized areas and gardens, but what we do have for grass goes directly from the mower to the base of the tomato plants. They seem to love this and do very well.

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  2. I want to, so thanks for this post, CQ! :o)

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  3. Nope! We barely mow at all.... we picket our cows all around the yard :-) Last year I think I mowed twice, maybe 3 times when the cows were in the temporary pastures. Each farm has to find what works for them - sounds like you've got a good mixture going for yourselves. We have rabbits, chickens, and cows for manure. No pigs for us. We are DOUBLING the size of our 50 X 70 garden though so we'll be ammending quite a lot. Gotta love compost!!!!

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  4. We raise goats, you can use goat berries (poop) straight in your garden as well. It does not require composting :O). I do both, if I feel I need it right away in one of my raised beds in it goes, if not then in the compost pile it goes :O). I didn't know that about rabbit poop! Good to know. Its so hot here in Texas its hard on rabbits but when we eventually retire to Ozarks in Arkansas then some rabbits I would love to have!

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    1. Thanks so much for that info. I get goat poop from a neighboring goat farm. I trade them tomatoes and green beans. I have always composted it though because I didn't know if you could use it straight.

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  5. Great post! I compost everything that I can as well!

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  6. I just started a compost pile (my very first) today. So it's quite timely that you shared this! Thanks! (And yes, we have in the past composted our grass clippings and I think now that we have a designated area to do it, we will again).

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  7. I do use grass clippings in my garden to keep the weeds at bay. Not only does it work great, but it amends the soil in more ways than one. And that is so needed here where the soil has a lot of clay.

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  8. My o my..lady you got my attention! My roots are in the deep south..South Georgia to be exact. Reading a few posts on my Like Gramma's House blog sidebars will reveal my basic "story."
    I grew up the child of a tenant farmer in 1940-50s..[get the picure?] Then from 1986-2006 we did the farm things seriously with a 170 acre farm in southeast Texas just before and shortly after retiring. We did the vegetables [acres not gardens] for selling and lived in a wonderful 100+ yr old primative dog trot farmhouse..
    But YOU lady..I am on this site for 3 minutes and I can see You are totally into the farm thing..I am prepared to be involved and AHmazed as I visit longer and revisit.

    Fun, Fun~
    Jonell

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    1. Welcome to the madness Jonell...so glad you found us : ) Just us two Georgia girls hanging out. I was born in Ellijay, in Gilmer County which is North Georgia.

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  9. I use my grass clippings to mulch my garden. I love it! It cuts way down on my weeds. Although I have to rake it by hand since we don't have any way to collect it while we're mowing. I may have to find a pull behind collector too!

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