Fertilizer Factory

Here are the components of my vegetable garden:

4' x 6' x 1' high untreated cedar raised beds:  They are made by Greenes and were extremely easy to join the corners and look quite handsome.

Compost from my kitchen scraps, grass clippings, and leaves: I used black plastic 33 gallon garbage pails, then drilled 3/8th inch holes all around the cylinder. Rolling it every few days produces a dark loamy soil in a few weeks. I combined this to some bought topsoil with additional compost and mixed it with my existing sandy soil.

Manual labor: The grass was removed first and I dug down another foot to allow for deep roots.Then I added the compost mixture to the height of the raised bed and mixed the soil again. This technique is sometimes referred to as "double dug" or French Intensive style. The layout is measured in 1 foot units on a grid. I strung twine to make the squares and stapled it to the wood. The plant spacing is very dense. This technique discourages weed growth and pests, helps retain moisture, and produces a high yield in a small space.

Seeds and seedlings: Currently, I am growing four types of tomatoes, two basil varieties, green beans, mustard greens, lettuces, and Seminole pumpkins. The plants differ depending on the temperature of the growing season.  

Mr. Bunnypants: Yup. My Florida White rabbit is the CFO, chief fertilizer officer that is, of my garden. Due to his steady deposits and diligence, production and profits have flourished. Rabbit droppings have the highest nitrogen content compared to chicken, cow, horse, and pig manure. They also contain phosphorus, have no odor, no mess, and can be added fresh to the soil. The droppings are little time released fertilizer capsules that I add to the soil before planting and top dress around the plants every week. Droppings go in, juicy, organic, and delicious vegetables come out.