Bathtub Organizer

by

miles trench

I drove past a paddock one day and noticed an old bathtub sitting there that the farmer was once used to water his stock. It was evidently a relic, with thistles growing out of the ground near one end. So I hunted and asked if I could be true and as a farmer he said, "Sure, it's yours, it will cost $ 5.00 ... That's how I am became the proud owner of my very own bath time. How it home, of course, was something else. Fortunately, my good neighbor came to my rescue, and with the help of his trusty trailer we were soon able to carry it home so I can put it to good use.

I had a steel support old rainwater tank that was doing nothing for years, so I recycled and it is near the back kitchen door. Then I put my new (old) bath on it so it sat at a comfortable height on the ground. This will keep out of reach of rabbits who come looking for ferreting flow easier - and it is also the right height so I do not need to bend too much.

Then I began to fill. Being a practitioner wishing No-Dig (Thanks again to the inspiration of Mary Esther Horsfall and deans), I used layers of organic matter rather than fill it with earth. So the first thing was to ensure he would have good drainage. Be a bath, it is obvious that she still had the drain hole, but I put a patch of shade cloth material thick on that to avoid falling behind. Can I put a layer of gravel from the old, about 2 cm thick is on the bottom as a base, then a thick layer of old newspapers, and wet with a hose, and I added a pinch of organic fertilizer pellets on top. Then came the first layer of organic matter.

It was a good thick layer of compost made my home *, then a layer of straw, wet: then a layer of manure resilient. I have access at any special mix actually, Thanks to Dean and Jenny Jade Farm (a home for abandoned children and rescued animals, they have put in place just out of Minlaton on Yorke Peninsula) - one Contributors to this special blend is (normal) horses (miniature) horses, a donkey, ducks, chickens and even a camel!

Then came another layer of compost - and, finally, a good layer of compost and garden soil mixed as the top layer of 'land'. I use pea straw as mulch, and algae - the straw breaks down and peas add nitrogen, and algae deposits tiny particles of organic matter and adds essential trace elements such as iodine in the soil mix well.

I now use my No-Dig garden tub for several seasons. After each plant I just scrape aside what remains of mulch, ready to bring it back when I re-planted. Can I recharge the bed with a new layer of compost and manure well-weathered and I never need the fork on the floor - I just leave the stems and roots of the previous crop to decompose and return their nutrients and minerals in the soil mix (even plants recycle), and I have to plant new seeds or plants around them as I go. In this way, the biota and soil micro-organisms are not disturbed and continue to do their job of maintaining the composition of the soil rich and soft.

I found my garden tub excellent for growing herbs and spring onions (especially since it's so close to the kitchen.). It also makes it easy to water as well. And it is also ideal for salad vegetables such as lettuce leaf. If you cut lettuce off the base at maturity, new leaves push rod, so that you can pick and choose again. My fabulous garden tub is also very useful for growing vegetables like green Asian Bok Choy / Pak, and Chinese cabbage. In fact, because I Alway.