Spring has arrived, and with it, the exciting start of new projects on our homestead! As we take the first steps in building our dreams, we’re also making important upgrades to the homestead, including constructing a new duck coop, starting seeds, and preparing the garden beds for a productive growing season.
Building a New Duck Coop
Our ducks have been a beloved part of our homestead for years, and it’s time to give them an upgraded space. We’re designing a coop that will offer better protection, more space, and easier access for cleaning and egg collection. Some key features we’re including:
- Predator-proofing: Reinforced wire and a secure nighttime enclosure to keep them safe.
- Easy maintenance: A design that allows for quick cleaning and waste management. We are going to have a larger coop so that we can get in and out of it easier than our previous coops. The new coop will have a door for us to get in and out of it, as well as a smaller door for the ducks to go frolic during the days. We also were able to score some windows cheap on Facebook Marketplace to allow sunlight in the coop, yet keep it warm in the winter months further down the road.
- Better drainage: Ducks love water, so proper drainage is crucial to keeping their living area dry and clean. Their newly fenced in area will have an already dug out pond that is at a lower part in the yard, to collect water as it rains and naturally clean/ cycle the water out. In the drier months, we will do this with a hose as well.
- Cozy nesting areas: Ensuring they have a comfortable place to lay their eggs.
Starting Seeds for the Garden
As the weather warms, we’ve been busy starting seeds indoors to get a jump on the growing season. This year, we’re focusing on a mix of vegetables, herbs, and healing plants that will benefit both our kitchen and our health. Some of the seeds we’ve started include:
- Jalapeños – Now is the perfect time to get these spicy peppers started, so we can have a bountiful harvest later in the summer.
- Calendula – A beautiful flower that not only brightens the garden but also has soothing properties for homemade salves and teas.
- Echinacea – Known for its immune-boosting benefits, this herb will be a great addition to our healing garden.
- Bee Balm – This herb attracts pollinators to the garden and is wonderful for teas and natural remedies.
In addition to these, we’re waiting to start many more flowers, as well as yellow squash and corn. The weather here in Missouri isn’t quite ready for those yet, so we’re taking our time to get the garden beds prepped and ready for them once the temperatures warm up enough.
Prepping the Garden Beds
With the growing season just around the corner, we’re hard at work getting our garden beds ready. This includes a few essential steps to ensure the soil is rich and ready to nurture our plants. Here’s what we’ve been doing:
- Amending the soil – We’re adding compost and organic matter to ensure the soil is fertile for planting. Since we’ve had ducks for quite some time, we’ve got plenty of used straw from their coop to use as compost, along with kitchen scraps. These will help enrich the soil and improve its texture.
- Getting the garden beds ready for planting – We’re prepping the beds by removing weeds and adding any necessary soil amendments to ensure a healthy, thriving garden. We’re excited to plant yellow squash and corn once the weather warms up enough.
- Planning for succession planting – We’re organizing our crops and planning to stagger planting so we can maximize harvests throughout the season.
Looking Ahead
As exciting as these projects are, they’re just the beginning of what’s shaping up to be an amazing season. Every shovel of dirt, every seed planted, and every nail hammered into the new duck coop is a step toward building the homestead we’ve always dreamed of.
I know visuals are extremely important here. Don’t fret, as things get more settled, there will be pictures and other posts for all the things we’ve got going on!
What are you working on this spring? I’d love to hear about your homesteading projects and gardening plans!