Beginner Gardening: Black Cow Manure, 0 by Gymgirl

Gymgirl wrote:
There's actually a calculation on the bag. I bought one 40lb bag to make a 2" layer in a very small veggie bed that is 4.5 x 5'. Check out the calculation on the bag. Your bed sounds wonderful.

Might I suggest (if you haven't already) that you start some homemade compost (leaves, grass clippings, spent coffee grinds and used veggie peels) to add next summer (or whenever it's adequately broken down). Decide on a spot somewhere and start with a layer of shredded paper (the confetti kind works much better than the confetti strips). Use your garden hose to sprinkle the confetti shred until it's damp. Sprinkle the coffee grinds and then add alternate layers of your leaves and grass clippings. Sprinkle after each layer of leaves and grass, enough to dampen thoroughly.

Pull a trench straight down the middle and toss in your veggie peels (chopping 'em up small helps the breakdown go faster). Close up the trench so that no odors escape (animals won't bother it if they can't smell it). Now one final sprinkle over the whole pile.

Repeat the layering as you get more clippings & peels, remembering to sprinkle. Keep your compost pile moist.

I use my compost as a supplement in my veggie bed....

Here's a pic of my recently reconstructed compost pile (02-28-09). I expanded it from 3.5 x 4' to approximately 5 x 5'

Linda

This message was edited Mar 3, 2009 1:31 PM