Chicken Poo!
I have found out the answer to my question about New Zealand Spinach. Those funny looking dragon-winged seeds were multigerm seeds, and as you can see here each of the seeds has produced a handful of seedlings. The texture of the seed leaves is quite obviously a succulent, thick leaf. I have read that they really prefer warm conditions so I won't plant them out just yet.
I've also planted out my bunches of Spring Onions White Lisbon. I sowed a group of seeds in a tiny module and my intention is to grow them, and then pick them in bunches.
Several days ago I took a chance with my Sub-Arctic Plenty tomato plants. I planted two of them outdoors in the soil with a precautionary cloche nearby. If this plant was developed to feed US Troops living in Greenland then it should stand a fair chance in Hillingdon!
Meanwhile in the greenhouse among all the other hundreds of seedlings are my Mexican tomatillos. Pricked out individually these will grow into fairly large (2ft tall) bushes laden with tomatillos. 
Finally, I am collecting chicken poo! This is a very strong nitrogen fertilizer and I don't want it to go to waste. I was wondering what would be best to do with it.A. disolve it in a bucket of water and use as a dilute liquid nitrogen feed.
B. just mix it with a new load of compost, grass clippings and horse manure.
What do you think?
posted by Matron @ 5:31 PM
10 Comments:
I am relieved to see your chicken poo is as large as ours. I was starting to think that my chickens were abnormal with the extremely huge quantities and size of the stuff I find! I can't wait to hear what you do with yours - right now ours just goes to the compost bin but a liquid fertilizer would be great! (stinky...but great!)
I mix mine. Seems to make super fast compost.
I use comfrey, nettles or the "juice" from the wormery as liquid fertiliser.
But don't listen to me your garden looks much better!
Hi Matron, do you ever have problems with blight on your tomatoes? Bob
Bob - yes, for the first time last year we had such a wet Summer most of my later tomatoes were blighted. I cleared up as much debris as I could but have to try not to grow any related plants on that spot for a while.
I used a mulch once called "chicken & chips" which was chicken poop and wood chips. I have read recently that it's actually not the best as far as soil health goes - I dunno, see what you think if you have a sec. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/pacificnw/2008680297_pacificplife01.html
I think I would go with B so the chicken manure can age a bit. I think I will give sub arctic plenty a try next year. I have the one siletz for an early tomato but it would be nice to have a second as well.
Everything's looking good Matron. If I were fortunate enough to have a bucket or more of chicken poop - it would go in one my compost piles to warm up a cold heap of mostly browns.
While we may be in different countries - I believe our growing climates are very similar.
I put it in the compost bins - it's a fantastic accelerator!
I think that's an amazing idea! You sure know how to get maximum out of your chickens:-)
It is a very prudent use, as I hear that its strong ammonia content makes it imperative that composting and dilution is done before using it.
You could do both right? mix the majority into the compost and save a bit to experiment with a tea? I wish we could have chickens in town, I would get about a half a dozen.
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