Hmmm...this triggered a thought! I wonder what would be the results and would there be benefits, to inoculating a new compost pile with aerobic compost tea? Compost tea is on my list to use this year, after learning of it last year, thanks to cat daddy.
Would this hasten the process? Would it significantly boost the level of bacterial and fungal microbes? Would the addition of dried molasses to the pile be beneficial? Seems to me that regardless of anticipated benefits, it couldn't be a "bad thing". That is often one of my criteria for gardening experiments....as long as it does no harm, what is the harm. ;-)
Sugar in any form will feed the critters and inspire them to greater productivity. Microbes do well with the carrot form of management method. Sadly, larger organisms seem to accept the stick form of management.
I'm just getting back to this, it's been a busy week traveling back and forth to Maine, building the chicken coop and poking only a bit around the gardens - at least they're all cleaned up now.
Absolutely!
Hidden chickens - there are many out there doing just that, two, three or four fit in a small coop and hardly draw any notice - I'd go for it!
That's too bad.
I'm always whining about heat, I hate it. But I do like rain, something that once again has dried up around here. Every spring we go through this now, it seems. Ah well...
Excellant! I'll get some up too. I'm waiting for the right day for what could be an intersting picture, a kind of death begets life thing. :-)
Indeed! Nothing beats 'em. They will have access to bugs and grass and all that good stuff that makes 'em so good, I assume.
I think I *am* going to go for this. Wifey is not overly enthused about this, *but*....chicks are so interesting and cute and I am *sure* the grands would enjoy watching and caring for two or three chicks. This is a good part of their education! As it has been said, "Forgiveness is easier to receive than permission!" ;-)
BUT......just we went out and watched several dozen honeys in the apricot tree and she started rethinking things, perhaps not this year but another. Last year there were *no* honeys on the blossoms, that we could ever see.
She was wondering. Is one hive viable? And she asked, can you keep only one hive as a home for them only, without having to remove honey and feed them and all that? Just provide a safe haven for a colony and as benefit for the garden? I obviously haven't researched much more since the original plan was nixed and I though was a done deal.
Me too, I hate hot weather and we get a lot, with humidity that is killer. I too like rain, fall rains in particular. And serious thunderstorms...even though the outcome can be.... bad.
If you leave them enough honey, the only feeding you need to do is when they're first getting established. Bees store far more honey than is needed, which is why we can 'rob' them. The upkeep isn't so bad, one thing you would have to do is deal with the mites, although if you can find bees from a good breeder you may not have many problems with them. We put in Miteaway II in the fall, it's formic acid, which is a natural byproduct of the hive, that knocked the mites down and the bees made it well through the winter, building up strong this spring. It's not a lot of work at all, and the rewards are precious! Sitting near the hives around sunset on a warm summer night watching them all stream home is beautiful, they glisten in the sunlight, and it's amazing how many of them are out and about.
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