Hello from a little south ms farm

[MMGardens]

Hello all!

I’ve got a little 2.5 acre homestead / growing orchard + some waterfront acreage that hasn’t yet been used for anything but composting and growing weeds

Sheep are my newest endeavor, and I’m interested in milking them, and raising a few per year for meat.

We also have here chickens, pigeons, ducks, LGD’s, herding dogs, and typical pets

Working hard to build our soil from the sand pit that is south ms, and get some good fruit trees taking off and do a better job at gardening and growing food for our animals and family

 

[Mini Horses]

Welcome. With sand, I'd suggest raised beds to have better soil for garden. I'm assuming salt water. That presents special care for plants, animals & humans. And just the mist blowing in can make you use special protections. Not just sunscreen

Let us know how things are going.

 

[Baymule]

I lived on sugar sand and at least it doesn’t make gooey mud. LOL I cleaned out the sheep barn and chicken coop and dumped in the garden. In several years it went from white sand to rich black soil. I know where you are coming from!

Welcome to the forum!

 

[MMGardens]

Welcome. With sand, I'd suggest raised beds to have better soil for garden. I'm assuming salt water. That presents special care for plants, animals & humans. And just the mist blowing in can make you use special protections. Not just sunscreen

Let us know how things are going.

lol that’s very true! I’ve been working at it for four years now, and some areas I have fabulous soil, but some haven’t been worked on yet, so I’ve got more work to do. I did raised beds this year and it was my worst year yet no matter how much I amended it was just poor soil and I paid for really good soil.It’s okay though; I concocted a big wheel barrow full of worm castings, compost, good top soil from the back part of my land, sheep poop, bunny poop etc and I’m going to mix that into my raised beds. Also I planted clover crop cover and I’m about to burn all that in the beds and hope it releases all that nitrogen into the soil. Luckily my grass grows like crazy, I used to hate that and it was my nemesis.. but now that I have sheep I’m very thankful that my yard looks like a rainforest

 

[SageHill]

lol that’s very true! I’ve been working at it for four years now, and some areas I have fabulous soil, but some haven’t been worked on yet, so I’ve got more work to do. I did raised beds this year and it was my worst year yet no matter how much I amended it was just poor soil and I paid for really good soil.It’s okay though; I concocted a big wheel barrow full of worm castings, compost, good top soil from the back part of my land, sheep poop, bunny poop etc and I’m going to mix that into my raised beds. Also I planted clover crop cover and I’m about to burn all that in the beds and hope it releases all that nitrogen into the soil. Luckily my grass grows like crazy, I used to hate that and it was my nemesis.. but now that I have sheep I’m very thankful that my yard looks like a rainforest

You may want to get a soil test kit. My first year here I had raised beds had "super good soil" brought in to fill them. Soil looked good, smelled good - not a speck of nitrogen in it. Stuff I planted just stayed alive, didn't grow at all. It took 2 years of working it to get it good - now everything grows and I have to can

 

[Baymule]

Don’t burn your soil. It kills the bacteria in it. Best to cut the clover and compost in place or till it in.