Let chickens build fertile garden soil for you! скачать в хорошем качестве

Let chickens build fertile garden soil for you!

Apart from laying eggs, chickens can be very valuable to the gardener, by eating bugs, scratching and turning soil over, and by adding manure. On the floor of my chicken run I put cheap wood mulch and ramial wood chip. Ramial wood chip is great for soil enrichment because its relatively high ratio of cambium to cellulose is high in minerals and other soil nutrients and therefore it promotes the growth of beneficial soil fungi and builds a spongy, fertile soil. But ramial wood chip will not release its nitrogen for months, until it has completely decomposed. The chickens add their poop. Chicken manure is exceptionally rich compared to other animal manures, with lots of phosphorus and potassium and a huge amount of Nitrogen and Calcium. Nitrogen and magnesium together are needed to produce chlorophyll which makes leaves green and transforms energy from the sun into energy for the plant to grow. Phosphorus is needed for healthy roots, and Potassium to form flowers and fruits. Calcium is needed to make strong cell walls and it protects the plant from attacks by insects, fungus and rot. Plants use Sulphur to make amino acids and vitamins. The high levels of nitrogen in chicken poop are too strong to put directly onto a garden bed but it’s just the thing to encourage composting of the wood chips, while the break-down of the mulch and ramial wood chip consumes the excess nitrogen in the chook poo. Over time, it all turns into compost-rich soil, without me ever having to do any measuring or balancing or turning a compost heap. And although it hasn't been hot composted, there's no chance of it growing any weeds because the chickens have done a great job of removing any stray seeds that might have been there. So in a nearly circular system - cheap wood mulch and ramial wood chips make a soft, well-draining base for the chicken run, and the chickens turn it over and add their poop, so it all rots down to a fine tilth of fertile garden soil, which I use to top up my garden beds as I harvest vegetables, some of which go back to the chickens. And all of this with almost no effort from me. For more fascinating facts, hints and tips about caring for your chickens, and the sheer pleasure of chickens, subscribe to my channel: Chickens in my garden - New Zealand    / chickensinmygarden   Catch up with me on Facebook   / chickensinmygarden   Or if you are more interested in gardens than chickens, you can follow my garden page   / myplentifulgarden