Okay.

I know the fallen leaves of ashe juniper limit growth of anything in their
vicinity. What about the tree itself? Can I use trunks of these trees for
soil retention walls?

Native trees on my land are strictly ashe juniper, and live oak. I hate to
cut down any live oaks.

I do have some utility poles the local electrical coop left their some 20
years ago. They look like pull-ups and replace types, not something they
pulled off the truck and dumped.

The fallow side, I was going to get some bagged topsoil I can get rather
inexpensively, and go from there. I can get refuse from a local grocery
store from their produce department along with the chicken feces. I can get
some bagged sand from the local hardware store as an drainage aid. Won't
need much.

--
Dave

My vote in this primary was for the lesser
of many evils...
"symplastless" wrote in message
. ..
Dave


Good questions. Don't have the answer. Your environment is very
different than this one in South Eastern PA (USA). If we were to make a
raised bed garden I would start with a boundary for raising the bed, I
would try to get some black locust logs. I would surely not consider
using railroad ties or any other type of treated wood with attention on
the chemicals in treated wood leaching in your garden. Black locust as it
dies or as parenchyma cells die (symplast) the nitrogen based substances
move out. So in order for common fungi to break down the wood, such as a
post in the ground, Some people ask me if I have a PhD, yes, I have
several post hole diggers somewhere. Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia)
was named after the first arborist. The first arborist's name was
pronounced "row-bin"(sic)? I was taught the tree was named after him,
i.e., from a reliable source. Then I would go get a dump truck load of
Certified Organic Mushroom soil from Mother Earth Organic Mushrooms.
[http://www.organic.com/] I then would (Land lord makes final decisions)
would add about a dump truck load (7 commercial yards) of screened top
soil. Together by mixing the both I would hope to end up with good soil.
Defined as a substance made up of sands, silts, clays, decaying organic
matter, air, water and an enormous number of living organisms. I myself
like zucchini and it grows well with little if any so-called pest. I
think we are going to close this garden in. A late client and his wife
had a organic garden - WOW! They wrote some sections for me
http://home.ccil.org/~treeman/bradley/index.html. My father has an
organic garden and he is going to start some plants for me. I would get a
load of leaf compost from somewhere. Its great when its just been
screened. I would mulch the plants with leaf compost to keep down 99% of
undesired plants (so-called weeds). It would be serving multi functions
like feeding the soil micros and retaining moisture. I hope we get one
together. Good luck with yours. What are some of the native trees in
your area? Does anyone have a suggestion related to keeping the leaf
compost off the stems of the plants. On those plants I would put the leaf
up to the plants. Chicken manure would be best if composted for a year or
more. The people I have gardened with don't use products like preen.
Don't require it. Why waste the money on something not required to have
healthy plants? Leaves are great. I would make an attempt at adding some
composted wood chips to feed the soil cellulose. As long as they are
composted and symplastless I would think they would be fine. Any
thoughts?


--
Sincerely,
John A. Keslick, Jr.
Consulting Forester & Tree Expert
http://home.ccil.org/~treeman
and www.treedictionary.com
Beware of so-called tree experts who do not understand tree biology.
Storms, fires, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions keep reminding
us that we are not the boss.


"Dioclese" NONE wrote in message
...
Have last year's raised garden overrun with Bermuda grass. Couldn't keep
up with it for weeding. I remember the chicken coop and fenced in area
around it many years ago growing up. The chickens kept everything
preened, no green could grow. My plan is to spread that soil out some
and put a chicken coop and fenced open area for the chickens. Adjacent
to it, I plan to start another raised area with store bought soil with
chicken feces and green kitchen refuse to lay for a year or 2.

Central TX. High alkaline soil (mostly, if not all, limestone rocks and
caliche). Poor rainfall. High summer temps bleeding over to fall.
Native ashe juniper leaf-fall affects all plant growth rate from rain
run-off.

My intent is to eventually create a self sustaining adjacent garden to
feed the chickens and me. Rotating every 3 years, garden for chicken
area. Possibly, the coop on skids to ease the move.

Best grain to plant to support the chickens with least square footage
impact?

I can create shade if needed over the fallow field. Should I use a
soaker hose or just water it down once in awhile?

Please, no oil-based fertilizer suggestions.
--
Dave