Sunny days soothe the soul

Well the sun finally decided to deliver some beautiful spring weather today so I took the opportunity to move the rest of the compost and grade the new grow space. I have yet to turn the soil in last year's garden, but tomorrow is supposed to be a repeat of today if not better.

David installed the rain barrel today. The barrel sits on two cinder blocks dug level into the dirt. I read online that a full barrel can weigh up to 400 pounds (though I'm sure we'll be using the water often enough for it to hardly stay full), so making sure it rests on a solid base is an important consideration.


The downspout is cut with a hacksaw (though if you have them I'd recommend using tin snips) so that it feeds into the screened pot.



Top: The old compost pile (overflowing)
Bottom: Where the new heap will go


The new compost heap. To make the decomposition go faster, it helps to cover the heap with black plastic or an old tarp you have lying around. This will allow it to achieve a higher temperature faster. Just make sure you leave a little space at the bottom to allow some airflow. If you're able you'll want to turn the heap once a week to also speed along the process.

Bugs-eye view of the newly-graded grow space.