Laziest Gardener on this Forum!! yuk, yuk

[ducks4you]

Tell me what you think I should do--Here's the situation:

Okay, after trying to make a go out of 2 gardens, I gave up on the 55 x 65 ft fenced in area last summer, in perfect time to properly use it as a horse training area. (All horse people here are gonna wonder why I didn't think of this before! **duck knocks head against the wall a few times to show agreement**)
I doubled my 10 x 20 ft garden to 10 x 40 ft, AND I plant the north side of my garage, AND I plant around my cistern, AND I have areas by my fencing all over the property--POINT IS, I have Plenty to use. LAST YEAR, I tried the "organic, don't use any chemicals" on my 10 x 20 plot, and had A LOT of weeds. The other adjoining 10 x 20 plot was a new planting area, and I dug holes for my tomatoes, and tried to cover the old grass with grass clippings to kill the grass, and help cut down on weeds--it worked in most , but not all of it.
SSOOOOOO, I've been cleaning my stalls and covering the garden with wheelbarrow-full loads of a combination of:
--manure
--pine shavings
--wheat straw
--(small amounts of) diatomaceous earth
(Periodically, I feed, and my horses pass, oats. Mostly, though, their grain is pelleted with no seeds.)
It's convenient to NOT have to push a wheelbarrow through mud when it's wet, too. I'm pretty sure that these piles will break down, in time and they'll kill any plants growing below.

Here are possible plans for my 10 x 40 ft garden for the Spring:
1) Dig aged manure and transport (from turnout) 3 inches or more to cover stall leavings, plant above this
2) Rake up all stall leavings, transport FROM garden to new manure pile, till the garden and plant
3) Plant directly on top of stall leavings

I have seen how the shavings AND the straw, when compacted won't break down. I have burned piles in the past, in order to till where the piles were.

SSOOOOOO, knowing now how LAZY I am, what would YOU do? I'm interested in your expertise.

 

[boggybranch]

Last year, I put in a 1300 sq ft kitchen garden. I removed all the grass, by hand, using only a "Garden Claw". Next, using 'the claw', I mixed in 1 1/2 tons of homemade compost and about 1/2 ton of aged horse manure....don't use commercial fertilizers. Then, I covered the entire area with hay mulch...about 8-10 inches thick. (Did all this in November and December to let everything settle and age over the winter).
When planting time came, just pulled back the mulch, which had 'settled to about 4 or 5 inches, planted the seeds or transplants and when they got big enough, I pulled the mulch up around them and, basically, had only the harvesting to worry about........and a few pests and fireants.....but weeds and grass were, almost, non-existent, with the exception of that demon weed.....nutgrass.
If a weed or two pops up through the mulch, you can , either, pull it up (which is easy as the soil is NEVER compacted or sunbaked) or just throw an armful of hay on top of them and smother em out (the lazy way).
And, except in VERY extreme conditions, you don't have to worry about watering.
You wouldn't believe how many gardening chores I didn't have to do.....I almost felt guilty....not. LOL
While most gardeners were toiling away in their gardens...I found myself, MANY times, standing in my garden trying to think of something to do in it...but would just end up going back into the air-conditioned house. (Thank you, Ms. Ruth Stout, for the BEST gardening system in the world....may you rest in peace)

 

[4grandbabies]

You are very fortunate to have all those "ingredients "available, I love the concept -maybe on a smaller scale for me.

 

[boggybranch]

Yea...I live in an agriculture/rural community and am quite fortunate to have an abundance of "material" available.....and glad of it. Have plans to expand the garden each year, a little at the time........next, in the plan, is to make a space to grow melons. Takes too much room in a garden my size.

 

[ducks4you]

Last year, I put in a 1300 sq ft kitchen garden. I removed all the grass, by hand, using only a "Garden Claw". Next, using 'the claw', I mixed in 1 1/2 tons of homemade compost and about 1/2 ton of aged horse manure....don't use commercial fertilizers. Then, I covered the entire area with hay mulch...about 8-10 inches thick. (Did all this in November and December to let everything settle and age over the winter).
When planting time came, just pulled back the mulch, which had 'settled to about 4 or 5 inches, planted the seeds or transplants and when they got big enough, I pulled the mulch up around them and, basically, had only the harvesting to worry about........and a few pests and fireants.....but weeds and grass were, almost, non-existent, with the exception of that demon weed.....nutgrass.
If a weed or two pops up through the mulch, you can , either, pull it up (which is easy as the soil is NEVER compacted or sunbaked) or just throw an armful of hay on top of them and smother em out (the lazy way).
And, except in VERY extreme conditions, you don't have to worry about watering.
You wouldn't believe how many gardening chores I didn't have to do.....I almost felt guilty....not. LOL
While most gardeners were toiling away in their gardens...I found myself, MANY times, standing in my garden trying to think of something to do in it...but would just end up going back into the air-conditioned house. (Thank you, Ms. Ruth Stout, for the BEST gardening system in the world....may you rest in peace)

Ok, let me understand this--You're suggesting that I put aged manure on top of my stall litter, then, maybe some used straw from my critters on TOP of this? Sounds lazy enough for me!! (Please clarify--I have a basement to clean this winter, herbs to start in January, early garden starts later--I GOT A LOT OF STUFF TO DO!!!!

 

[boggybranch]

Well, don't see any reason you can't use stall litter as long as it will be "aged" enough not to 'burn' tender seedlings. I know that I would give it "a whirl" if I had access to some....but I would most likely compost it for a few months before adding to the garden.

When I add aged manure and compost, now, I just spread it on top of the mulch that is already down and let gravity and rain take it to the soil.

Just gotta be careful that the urine and manure in the litter is not fresh enough to burn.

There is a 3 part video on youTube of Ruth Stout talking (and showing) about this method of gardening. She also wrote a book about it...."The Ruth Stout NO-WORK GARDEN BOOK".
It is out of print, in high demand and copies can be quite pricey. They can be bought on eBay and can run anywhere from $20 to $60 (That's where I got my copy).....but, WELL worth it.(ESPECIALLY in the $20 range)

 

[beavis]

I just picked up my copy of Stout's book off ebay for $18 shipped!

 

[boggybranch]

That is a really good price and a book purchase that will change the way you garden, for ever......you'll be able to throw away that tube of muscle-ache creme. LOL
Just be prepared to have a LOT of spare time on your hands during the season........guess you can always take up whittling.
Check out her vids on youTube...she was really a remarkable lady.

Oh yea......you'll be able to put that hoe you been using in your garden in with the rest of your garage sale stuff.......I know...."bummer"

 

[beavis]

Maybe I can build an extension on the chicken coop with all my whittled down sticks...

 

[boggybranch]

Maybe I can build an extension on the chicken coop with all my whittled down sticks...

Ain't nothing like a gardener with a plan. LOL