View Single Post
Old May 9, 2017   #23
JRinPA
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: SE PA
Posts: 960
Default

I have put a lot of carp in the garden over the years. Most are 3-10 lb ea. Generally, I'll turn up trenches where the upcoming tomato rows will be, about 12" deep. Any deeper and it gets annoying with backsliding fill. Then, lay in the carp end to end so there are overlaps but no gaps. I don't gut them or anything except try to cut them in two with the shovel when they are in the trench. Then I sprinkle with lime, backfill the dirt, and mark the rows so I can plant right over it come time. Some years I do this a couple months ahead, some years I do it in Sept/Oct. Never had a problem with animals. I trench my tomatoes, so I don't dig down to the fish when I plant. The plants take right off, of course. About the only evidence found when I turn an area over again are big scales and the big gill plate bones.

I would not be afraid to put panfish heads or guts right in a planting hole - it should help the plant throughout the season. However, it does sound like a risk to do it in May right under a transplant if you have a lot of critters traversing your yard.
JRinPA is offline   Reply With Quote