Farm Notes for Week Four, 2/16/11

Clearing of the bell beans for green manure: Making a compost pile. Thanks to Katy for the farm notes.

Week 4 on the Farm-

Today we built three compost piles, 6ft x 6ft, rectangular piles with straight edges.

We cleared from the garden for the compost 2 rows of broccoli and cauliflower plants to supply green nitrogen rich material and we chopped with a serrated grass cutter 4 rows of bell beans. The bell beans were within 10-25% into flower, the right time for this use, when the body of the plant is nutrient rich. At the time the bell beans go into seed production all the energy goes there and all the nitrogen and macro and micronutrients go into the soil. We chopped the bell beans leaving the roots to be tilled in later.

We layered the piles (like lasagna) with materials to create the 30 to 1 carbon to nitrogen ratio, each layer 4-6 inches. We started with a layer of fibrous green material, the fibrous material to create a base that aerates well to create the right environment for the soil microbes, and we put on nitrogen rich horse manure. Then we put on a layer of carbon material – woodchips and old funky straw. Next more green plant material all broken up in pieces not more than 2-4 inches long so not to take to long to decompose, and more horse manure. We continued staking alternating nitrogen and carbon layers until we had three handsome piles. As a grand finale on this wet day, as we finished our piles it began to hail. Piles should be wet to keep desired microorganisms, the test, about as moist as a wrung-out sponge. Compostex from Farm Tex Supply can be put over a pile in rainy weather. It allows the pile both to breathe and shed water.