Jane23 - South Eastern Montana

[Jane23]

I wish we had leaves. It’s all ponderosa Pine around me. There are a couple of cottonwoods up the road.

So far I am mostly using compost and I got done straw to decompose into the soul
A bit and protect my garlic for the winter.

 

[digitS']

I have made some very good compost with pine needles plus, etc.

My Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening list the N content of pine needles at .5%, as high as horse manure.

Something I especially like about pine needles is there ability to not easily mat down and to allow air into the pile. In a mix, they encourage quick decomposition of the material.

Steve

 

[Jane23]

I have made some very good compost with pine needles plus, etc.

My Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening list the N content of pine needles at .5%, as high as horse manure.

Something I especially like about pine needles is there ability to not easily mat down and to allow air into the pile. In a mix, they encourage quick decomposition of the material.

Steve

So, I should add them to my compost pile?

 

[meadow]

Hey, Jane!

Johnny's is having a free webinar next week on Cover Cropping!! Space is limited; registration is required.

Webinar Info and Registration

 

[heirloomgal]

Welcome from Northern Ontario @Jane23!

Living off grid! Wow! DH grew up here in the north on a self sufficient farm; it wasn't totally off grid, but they had lots of land, their own water situation and 98% of the food was homegrown and raised. I think there was some bartering for flour, sugar & salt. He never saw a grocery store until he turned 18, when he left for post secondary. (Even now because sugar was rationed he's VERY sensitive to any kind of sweetness in my baking.)

I'd love to hear about your off grid journey!

 

[flowerbug]

the worm composting i do is for fertilizer for the heaviest feeding plants. i don't use it as a whole garden amendment because it is too precious for that. as the highest N fertilizer i have i need it for the the tomato plants and onions that we grow anything left goes for the red sweet peppers.

after it's down and used for the first season by the heaviest feeding plants then i rotate plant through those areas for a few more plantings. it's a very frugal system but it works for me. recommend it for anyone who has the space to keep worms and has enough food scraps to go in there. it does give me a way to keep my hands in some dirt through the off-gardening-winter season.

 

[Jane23]

Welcome from Northern Ontario @Jane23!

He was living off grid! Wow! DH grew up here in the north on a self sufficient farm; it wasn't totally off grid, but they had lots of land, their own water situation and 98% of the food was homegrown and raised. I think there was some bartering for flour, sugar & salt. He never saw a grocery store until he turned 18, when he left for post secondary. (Even now because sugar was rationed he's VERY sensitive to any kind of sweetness in my baking.)

I'd love to hear about your off grid journey!

I will talk about it from time to time. I am just fortunate to live where I can do this. In many places it is illegal, or you are forced to tie into the grid (which is several miles away from me). It has been an experience, and I will never look back. My husband and I control our electricity (and internet) and haven't lost power since our system was set up. It is basic maintenance (and safety) to keep the system running smoothly, like regularly adding distilled water to the batteries.

The best part about it is the need to learn to do everything myself. I will no longer pay for doing simple things like an oil change or tire rotation. I am also learning how to fix my cars and extend their lives to get the most out of them and keep them running well.

The gardening became part of it all to be self-sustaining, and it is going fairly well, except we don't have the cellar in yet. I hope for larger harvests in the future. We also need to put in at least one well as we do not have running water. My husband did buy a military truck with a 3,500-gallon tank on the back, so we are set there until we can get the well put in.

 

[ducks4you]

Here you go:

Cover Cropping for Field & Garden | Johnny's Educational Webinar Series

A learning resource page for our introductory webinar on cover cropping for field and garden, presented by Johnny's Farm Operations Manager Collin Thompson.

www.johnnyseeds.com

Webinar on cover crops, October 20, 12 Noon-1:20 SMT

 

[ducks4you]

@meadow , SORRY, didn't know you already linked this.
I didn't know you were also a webinar geek!

 

[Dahlia]

Welcome to this forum! I think you will find it fun and you can learn a lot of new info!