Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I made a mulch out of the rabbit pellets, rat poop, and dropped feed. It works real good and is good looking. I'm glad I don't have to throw it out any more....

DeMak

Mulch

,

Its a jungle out there.........
It seems to be a free and effective remedy to cultivate a variety of greenery. To bad free stuff doesn't work that good all the time...........

my mothers been using the bedding from my animal cages in her garden and she produced some zuccini that have got to be almost 3' long.. LOL.. these things look like legs of small children!..

i got a pic of it.. ill have to upload it when i get a chance.

That is a great looking garden! I was ashamed of my pitifull garden this year BEFORE I saw your pics, now I am really ashamed of it!

I have a few questions though~
1. Do you live in close proximity to any neighbors?
2. Have you noted any trouble with flies and odor? (Your garden is about the size of my entire yard, so my garden is very close to my house and my nieghbors homes.........you know how the flies are in the Southern California heat, do you think it will be bad enough to be an issue?)
3. I have EXTREMLY poor soil nutrient and drainage~ Have you noted any drainage issues with this mulch?
4. I mix pine shavings with the rabbit pellets as bedding, I don't think this will be an issue in a mulch~ what is your opinion?
5. Do you dig the litter directly into the garden soil, lay it over the top to retain moisture and as a weed barrier, or make a mulch pile and turn for a few months before adding to the garden?

Thanks.
And again, great garden. I think I saw the Great Pumpkin!!

>>1. Do you live in close proximity to any neighbors?

Yes, looking out my window, I'm about 12' from my nieghbors house.

>>2. Have you noted any trouble with flies and odor? (Your garden is about the size of my entire yard, so my garden is very close to my house and my nieghbors homes.........you know how the flies are in the Southern California heat, do you think it will be bad enough to be an issue?)

I've been wetting it and letting it mush together in a 66 Qt. tub. As it 'ages' it attracts flies and gets quite rank, so I keep a lid on it and that works well. I dry it a little at a time ( 1" or less in a 32 Qt. tub uncovered) to keep the smell reasonable. Once dry, it doesn't smell bad. Perhaps I'm getting it wetter than it needs to be. It smells worse mushed up than it does when it comes out of the cages. I don't really know much about compost.

>>3. I have EXTREMLY poor soil nutrient and drainage~ Have you noted any drainage issues with this mulch?

Judging by the pumpkins, nutrition is greatly improved. That area was under a concrete slab till two years ago. It hasn't hurt drainage.

>>4. I mix pine shavings with the rabbit pellets as bedding, I don't think this will be an issue in a mulch~ what is your opinion?

Pine shavings may make it more acidic? I could have that backwards.

>>5. Do you dig the litter directly into the garden soil, lay it over the top to retain moisture and as a weed barrier, or make a mulch pile and turn for a few months before adding to the garden?

I lay it on top after it has been mushed up and dried out. It is an attractive top dressing/weed barrier.

The garden looks like it does because of my wife! She's the best!
The neighbors call our house 'The House with the Roses'.

DeMak

,

Do you pile it somewhere to compost a bit or do you just lay it out in the rows? I used to use my rabbit litter and dropping and know that they can be spread out fresh and will never burn. Is the same true with the rodent litter? I don't have rabbits anymore and since the soil up here in central So. Dakota is mostly hardpan clay I would love to have some organic stuff to add to the soil.

Thanks!

Marcia

Marcia

I don't have enough room for a mulch pile. I put it in a tub with water and mush it up till it's a little firmer than oatmeal. Then I let it sit for a week or so. I keep a lid on it so maggots don't get in it and the smell doesn't cause a divorce. It is rank. Then I dry it out, about 1" or less at a time. It comes out sort of like giant chicken crumbles. If I had room, I'd compost it with lawn clippings, leaves and garden trimmings. It would probably smell a lot less. I don't really know how 'hot' it is, but I haven't had any problems. It's probably 75% alfalfa so it's not like straight manure.

DeMak