Diane Schips

Yes, but there are recommendations that increase the chances the spawn will grow fast enough to prevent contamination.

Thank you.

But how much should I make to inoculate 5 pound and 3 pound sawdust bags?  I'm thinking it;s easier to use an entire jar of grain spawn per sawdust spawn bag.

I currently use 5 pound bags of sawdust spawn, but I'm thinking of switching to 3 pound bags.  I'm starting to make my own grain spawn.  How much soaked rye by weight should I use for the 3 pound sawdust bags?  The 5 pounds?

I'll be using mason jars for the grain spawn.  If you know what size mason jars to use, that would also be appreciated.

So should I raise the pH a bit?  6.2 is low.  

The iron levels concern me the most.  Though the pH is a bit low as well.  And too much aluminum?

I'm making as much compost as I can, and I can get some decent local compost.  I'm reading I shouldn't use manure, so composted manure is a no no?  Just plant based compost?

I'm collecting leaves for leaf mold but it will take time to decompose.

I have beds with too much of the following nutrients.  The normal ranges are in ()

Potassium: 187 (100-130)
Calcium: 1449 (> 1000) - I'm not sure if this is too high?
Iron: 86.3 (2.4-10.6)
Sulfur: 22.0 (5-17)
Zinc: 4.7 (0.4-3.2)
Aluminum: 202 (8-107)

Other info-
soil pH: 6.2
Soil Organic Matter %: 5.5
CEC, meq/100g: 11.0
Soil tests were done through the UVM Extension

I'm in southern Vermont, zone 5b
The area was lawn until 2 years ago when we built a high tunnel for chickens.  The chickens have been moved and I'm planning on taking the high tunnel down and putting in garden beds.  I'd like to get the ground tilled and amended before the winter if possible.

What do I do with this soil?

I mixed up the beds in one set of results.  I'm enclosing the soil test results for these two beds and some new ones I'm putting in.

I had both knees replaced over the winter, so I wasn't able to do much before.  I could do more in the spring, but not a lot.  Now I can do the work and I'm anxious to get the beds going.

The Nov 2023 set was taken after the first season I tried to grow in them with mixed results.   It was my first time growing in them since purchasing the property.  I don't know how it was cared for before.  At this point I added some lime.  I added more lime this past May, along with gypsum and some 10-10-10 fertilizer.  I was able to grow more veggies this summer.  Corn, and greens grew well, squash, cukes and onion grew ok, tomatoes not so well.  

The combined soil tests for the new beds actually totals 400 S/F of area, not 200.

I haven't done anything this fall yet, other than to till for the new beds.  I enclosed test results for them as well.  As you can see, the unammended soil pH on my property is very low.  I was going to try to amend and plant next spring and build raised beds in the fall, but I'm rethinking that now.  Would it make sense to remove the soil from raised beds left and right, replace it with purchased soil, spread the removed soil over the new beds, till it in, then add compost, composted manure and mulch before planting in the spring?  I'm thinking this would even out the nutrients in the new beds, while letting me start over with the current raised beds.

I was going to try to take a couple of years to try to fix this, but after the election I really feel the need to be able to grow enough food to meet my family's needs ASAP.  I didn't want to have to purchase soil and compost for the new beds, but I can if it makes sense.  Replacing the soil in the raised beds and using it to partially fill the new beds may make sense.

I have two raised beds that I'm asking about here.  For both beds, I had the soil tested in Nov 2023, May 2024, and again now.  I don't understand why my soil is doing what it's doing.  All testing was done at the same place, University of Vermont Extension .

Bed 1 Nov 2023 results: Phosphorus - 16.5; Potassium - 110; Magnesium - 234
          May 2024 results: Phosphorus - 15.0; Potassium - 78; Magnesium - 188
          Nov 2024 results: Phosphorus - 29.8; Potassium - 157; Magnesium - 220
         
          In addition, calcium went from 2060 to 1949 to 2821 and Sulfur went from 3.0 to 4.0 to 443

Bed 2 Nov 2023 results: Phosphorus - 6.0; Potassium - 102; Magnesium - 160
          May 2024 results: Phosphorus - 17.1; Potassium - 94; Magnesium - 223
          Nov 2024 results: Phosphorus - 33.2; Potassium - 170; Magnesium - 302
         
         In addition, calcium went from 1453 to 1949 to 2580 and Sulfur went from 4.0 to 3.0 to 123.0

I don't understand what's going on here, or what to do about it.  Adding nutrients is straight forward, but removing them?  some of these are off the charts.

I'm a new beekeeper, and I know we have bear in the area.

I'll be electrifying a chain-link fence with electric fence tape. I'm using the tape because it's in common use here, and many bear already know to avoid it. I'm using T-posts to install the fence, with the proper insulating clips.

My problem is grounding. It's not possible here to install the grounding rod 6'-8' deep. I've been checking online, particularly YouTube videos. It looks like I have two options. I can bury the grounding rod horizontally 1' deep. Though one video wondered if the rod would still work in frozen ground. That's a concern as I'm in southern Vermont, zone 5b.  Or I can alternate hot and ground tape/wire strands on the fence.

Are either of these valid options? If I bury the grounding rod, how do I attach it to the rest of the system? If I alternate between hot and ground strands, I've seen I can use a grounding rod installed 2' deep. Is that right? Can I use the tape for both the hot and ground strands, or do I need to get wire for the ground strands?

And then there's the charger. How many joules of storage do I need? I've seen I need 0.7.  The company I bought my hives from sell a charger with 0.5 joules.  Which is right?  And how much voltage do I need? I've seen 3000, 6000, and 10,000 volts recommended for bear.  We have black bear here.

Electric fences are new to me and I'm trying to learn what I need to know. I would appreciate all the help I can get!

Most vegetables like slightly acidic soil.  Beans, corn, squash and carrots like 6.0-6.8, There are several that can also grow in neutral to slightly alkaline.  

Thank you for pointing out that many of the vegetable also like neutral to slightly alkaline soil.  I was too focused on how much acidity the plants could handle.  I was looking at ht low end of their preferred range.  I can leave a couple of the beds alone,  But I still should get the pH down to 6.8 in a couple of the beds if I can.  A pH of 6.6 would be better.  How doable would that be?