Thursday, June 7, 2012

Taking Back the Garden...

Today I finally had the chance to take back my garden.

Jim was busy baling hay, and the kids, who are home from school now, did the morning barn work.  So...I took the rototiller to the garden and waged war on the weeds.

This is what the whole garden looked like...it was being taken over by "pig weed", or "Purslane", as I found out the correct name for this tenacious weed in the comments on my last post.  The tiller took care of most of it, but I planted my two little corn rows too close together to get the tiller between them, and did this area with the hoe.  The ground worked up nice...


...and thanks to the advice of George, another blogger, I discovered that the chickens enjoy eating Purslane...



How convenient!  The garden is right next to the chicken pen, so I can just toss it over the fence!

I wonder if I'd just let them out to wander in the garden, if they'd keep it in check for me?

Hmmm...don't think I'll try that!  Give them an inch and they'll take a mile...I'd like to keep the veggies for us!

10 comments:

  1. It sounds like a good plan to toss it over the fence. The way our chickens went after lettuce and other veggies, purslane would likely be way down on the bottom of the gourmet list! :-{

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  2. Would you like me to donate some pigweed to the cause? I have some I could bring over! Your garden is looking great!

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    1. You can feed all you want to the chickens...just make sure it doesn't land in the garden! :)

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  3. They like it? Well guess what food mine will be getting too.
    I have so much of that stuff coming up everywhere. Even though it seems to like it when it is really hot here.
    Your garden looks great.

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  4. Despite the purslane, your garden looks great!

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  5. Oh I have not even put in a garden I fear I will be buying from the side of the road stands. Where does the time go? I love your garden and great idea about the chickens they look very happy. B

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  6. Who needs the gym when you have a garden! Maybe I should get some chickens. I have lot's of weeds that look like that too! :) Cheers, Jenni

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  7. Any evil end is too good for that weed. Go Chickens!

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  8. How great that the chickens took care of the purslane for you! I feed mine weeds too when they are taking over in the spring. Your garden looks much nicer now! :)

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  9. It does look like the chickens are enjoying their treat! Your garden looks great! I'm so jealous, as I don't think I'm actually going to have one at all this year.

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