Rabbits, Apple Trees and Squashes

It's apple-pruning time of year, and rabbits are notorious pests in orchards where they strip the bark off the trees. However, I'm using this predilection for fruit twigs to my advantage to make valuable compost for this year's squash plants.

All the winter prunings from my apple trees are saved and given to my daughter's pet rabbits and guinea pigs. This reduces the amount of hay they eat which ekes out the feed bill, and keeps their teeth in excellent condition which reduces the vet's bill! In return, they process the woody twigs in to organic matter far more quickly and efficiently than I could compost them in a heap. It also occupies them during the rather long winter days in the shed while there's no grass for them to eat and it's too cold, wet and muddy to even let them out for a breath of fresh air in their run.

So, I now have empty bedding and compost sacks full of hemp, shavings and rabbit poop which will have matured nicely by the time I need somewhere rich to plant the squash plants. I put them directly in to the top of the bag and place crushed eggshells around to deter slugs and then train them up the bike shelter so that they don't swamp my limited vegetable patch. The spent contents of the bags then do go on to the flower beds or the compost heap having nourished the squashes. The rabbits eat the skins of the squash and the hens eat the seeds....

It's the most beautiful circle. If you don't keep rabbits or guinea pigs yourself, offer them to a neighbour or friend - their pets will thank you!