Timothy Norton

I've found that using an unlined bucket involves frequent cleaning/washing out and unpleasant odors. Where I live, I can get ahold of a near unlimited supply of kraft paper shopping bags for free and these have been my answer.

I have found that these bags fit perfectly in a 7 gallon recycling container. I will rip up a couple other bags into pieces to layer the bottom of the bag to absorb residual liquids from the compostable that will go in. In the spring/summer months, I will change the bag frequently to avoid pest issues but I can let it fill up more in the fall/winter.

When it is time, I just put the filled bag into the core of my compost and cover it up. It all processes down. Occasionally I may have to use a pitchfork to break up some larger remaining kraft chunks but generally it isn't an issue. I get frequent enough rain that the saturated material processes down fast enough.

I intentionally grow comfrey for chop and drop fertilizing on my homestead. I grew millet this year and found the chunky stalks to be a good candidate for chop and drop. They snap easy enough and are made quick work of with a sharp machete. I have a stack of sunflower stalks that I need to shred up before the snow sets in.

I've recently read about making a soil amendment through a process utilizing bones and wood ash. You end up layering wood ash and bones in a vessel (bucket) and then introducing some moisture in order to release the lye. Over some time (did not give specific timeframe), the bones will then be easily broken up and spread on growing spaces.

I'm going to try this out on a small scale the next opportunity I get.

Echoing what others have said, adding compost to your soil is generally always a good idea. It helps improve the majority of soils in texture and nutrients.

There are some ways for new gardeners to get better acquainted with the soil they are working with such as doing a jar soil test. This will allow you to generally understand the different textures of your soil (Sand/Clay/Silt). I'd then recommend to look up other people's experiences growing in your soil type and climate.

There are folks onsight year round doing projects. I don't think you will have to worry about not having something to learn. It would be prime time to utilize the rocket mass heaters to keep warm there.

I find 'free' amendments to be seasonally available so it is important to take advantage when they appear.

Fall leaves is the first to come to mind. Some folks are even kind enough to bag them up so they are convenient to pick up! They can be turned into leaf mould or applied as a mulch as-is.

Diners/coffee shops sometimes are willing to put aside compostable scraps as long as you can reliably pick them up on a schedule. I know of a local diner that has 'pig buckets' that are filled with prep items from the day. The person picks them up and leaves clean buckets. I really like used coffee grounds as a nice nitrogen rich compost ingredient.

If I see arborists around, I try my best to get them to drop off loads of woodchips. I'm a big fan of deep mulch gardening and can always use chips.

This weekends random project was to aggressively thin my forsythia hedge. I annually thin my forsythia for biomass and have realised that I have become rather proficient in the process over the years. While I usually take around the oldest third of the hedge, this year I took closer to two thirds in order to address some burrows that exist close to the base of the plants. In previous posts I have mentioned that I have adopted a dachshund and she has shown her willingness to explore these holes. Now, if she decides to explore, I can at least get to her without being poke and prodded by a bunch of branches.

After thinning, I take the time to hand process the branches to make sure that they are straight pieces without other branches coming off. By pre-sorting the branches into a pile, I can put them through a small chipper to turn them into mulch. Small branches and branches too big for the chipper end up in a separate pile to be burned. This will be turned into ash and/or biochar for other projects.

Have you looked at the Wheaton Labs Bootcamp Program?

It is out in Montana but you could learn a lot hands-on while living the Permie lifestyle.

Here is a thread from current bootcamp member Esteban so you might get an idea of what goes on from day to day.

[applepoll]

Biochar is simply amazing. Do you make your own to improve your soils? I've found biochar production to be the answer to the neverending piles of brush on my homestead.

I'm curious to see what everyone says.

[applepoll]

According to the Oxford Languages Dictionary

Coppice - an area of woodland in which the trees or shrubs are, or formerly were, periodically cut back to ground level to stimulate growth and provide firewood or timber.

Pollard - cut off the top and branches of (a tree) to encourage new growth at the top.