Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 16 Entries. Sunday, January 12 View Page First Bioassay results to test manure based compost for residual herbicide. JC stands for the source(Johnson County Topsoil). Peas look vigorous and leaves are not cupped. I’ll be proceeding with using it. Also of note, JC Soil + Alfalfa did poorly. Also had a few other things growing in there since I had the seeds laying around.   Saturday, February 22 View Page Chip drop finally made it. Took about 2mo from when I requested it. ~14 yrds and hoping for lots more. I hope to try static aerated method(exhaust air flow). I want to use the heat/CO2 in the mini-greenhouses this spring.   Saturday, February 22 View Page Chip Pile   Saturday, February 22 View Page Did a bioassay on the latest batch of compost. It was very cheap($20yrd delivered, got 15 yrds) and mentioned Limed Manure as base/source. The two scrawny pots on the left are the manure pots, the two better pots are the control. Not sure what the issue is but added 50lbs of Naturesafe 12-2-6 (Meals + Ammonium Sulfate) and 100lbs of sulfur to the area of the garden that got that batch of manure.   Sunday, March 2 View Page Cleared garden area and built compost piles (2 x 10yrds) using mini skid and ripped down about 15” using mini ex.   Sunday, March 2 View Page Cover crop(peas,oats,vetch) planted then covered with alfalfa/orchard grass hay.   Monday, March 3 View Page Static aerated compost piles hitting 140F+   Tuesday, March 4 View Page Reverse flow on the compost fan pulls out 86F CO2 rich air, and a bit of compost tea also runs out.   Sunday, March 23 View Page Family helped out building the wood chip path/border around garden and digging trench for some drain pipe.   Saturday, March 29 View Page Installed two 60’ drain pipes/french drains.   Sunday, March 30 View Page Seed line up for six plants this year. Left is primary/ right are backups.   Sunday, March 30 View Page Started seeds 3/30. 1gal pots warmed up 80F. Seeds soaked in rain water for 4 hrs. Soil was 80% Sunshine Mix 4 + 20% MG moisture control and included Azos, Mycos, BioCoat Gold, Promote, Naturesafe 12-2-6, + Kelp Meal.   Sunday, April 6 View Page 4’ x 4’ x 2’ planting holes w/heating cable 12” deep covered in sand. Backfilled soil was amended with 3 cu ft of the seed starting mix blend from earlier in season and 5 cu ft of loam soil. Only 3 holes had heating cables, but all 6 got amended.   Monday, April 7 View Page Excavated planting holes   Monday, April 7 View Page Huts constructed   Tuesday, April 8 View Page 12 of 14 germinated. Wasn’t able to get 2147 Marshall and 2731 Stelts to sprout.