HomeHugelkultur Bed
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Hugelkultur Bed
by ooptec May 16th 2014, 11:50 am
Seen a reference to this so followed the thread. Quite interesting as have a large garden that is gumbo and gets hard like cement
Could use the front end loader to peel off the 6-8 inches of top soil. Even use those railway ties if need to build up
Applicable on a variety of sites, hugelkultur is particularly well
suited for areas that present a challenge to gardeners. Urban lots
with compacted soils,
http://permaculturenews.org/2010/08/03/the-art-and-science-of-making-a-hugelkultur-bed-transforming-woody-debris-into-a-garden-resource/
Got lots of horse shit if we go around and collect it
Could use the front end loader to peel off the 6-8 inches of top soil. Even use those railway ties if need to build up
Applicable on a variety of sites, hugelkultur is particularly well
suited for areas that present a challenge to gardeners. Urban lots
with compacted soils,
http://permaculturenews.org/2010/08/03/the-art-and-science-of-making-a-hugelkultur-bed-transforming-woody-debris-into-a-garden-resource/
Got lots of horse shit if we go around and collect it
ooptec- Old Timer
- Posts : 142
Join date : 2014-02-12
Location : Hafford, SK
Re: Hugelkultur Bed
by Fowler May 16th 2014, 1:08 pm
Had one going last year. Made a second so we have two now. May make more. Going to take a few years to really assess but the concept makes sense and I have no complaint about the performance last year. Cabbages and tomatoes did well. Carrots not so much but pretty sure I need to fertilize as there was one little spot where the carrots were great.
Posted the pictures elsewhere before so here is the link.
http://wcps.canadian-forum.com/t7889-my-attempt-at-huglekultur
Posted the pictures elsewhere before so here is the link.
http://wcps.canadian-forum.com/t7889-my-attempt-at-huglekultur
Fowler- Old Timer
- Posts : 122
Join date : 2014-03-06
Re: Hugelkultur Bed
by Davinci May 16th 2014, 1:14 pm
I built a hugelbate, or as I call it, burial mound.
I think this needs to be on a bigger scale than mine was though. Water runs OFF a mounded structure, so you need enough of a flat spot on top that water can sit for a while and soak downward, not run off. To get that up top flat spot, your pile needs to be of a certain size. Mine was way too small.
My problem here with my garden built where scrub used to be, roots come creeping in and upward into my soil, choking out everything growing, taking all the water and nutrients. If you can get enough dead wood under your pile to keep your soil OFF the ground, you might delay root entanglement.
My burial mound was lengths (6, 5 and 4 feet long) of dead willow trunk and branches. On top of this base I piled the straw and hay that had been forked up last winter, but had not completely rotted. IT was just soggy and gooey and takes forever to break down in the manure pile. I put a layer of that over the wood base. Smushed it down into place by whacking it with a shovel. Then over that, soil. But the pile was small and pointed on top, water ran off, it was too small to work.
I have since made a 2nd one, it is lower so water actually soaks in better, and it remains fairly free of creeping roots.
If you have the room and the rotting wood to use, go for it! They are essentially a raised bed without a structure around them. Once the base rots to nothing, you still have soil that you can use on a rebuilt hugelbate. However if your ties have been treated with creosote, that may or may not have an effect on plants. Check that out before hand. Let us know what you do!
I think this needs to be on a bigger scale than mine was though. Water runs OFF a mounded structure, so you need enough of a flat spot on top that water can sit for a while and soak downward, not run off. To get that up top flat spot, your pile needs to be of a certain size. Mine was way too small.
My problem here with my garden built where scrub used to be, roots come creeping in and upward into my soil, choking out everything growing, taking all the water and nutrients. If you can get enough dead wood under your pile to keep your soil OFF the ground, you might delay root entanglement.
My burial mound was lengths (6, 5 and 4 feet long) of dead willow trunk and branches. On top of this base I piled the straw and hay that had been forked up last winter, but had not completely rotted. IT was just soggy and gooey and takes forever to break down in the manure pile. I put a layer of that over the wood base. Smushed it down into place by whacking it with a shovel. Then over that, soil. But the pile was small and pointed on top, water ran off, it was too small to work.
I have since made a 2nd one, it is lower so water actually soaks in better, and it remains fairly free of creeping roots.
If you have the room and the rotting wood to use, go for it! They are essentially a raised bed without a structure around them. Once the base rots to nothing, you still have soil that you can use on a rebuilt hugelbate. However if your ties have been treated with creosote, that may or may not have an effect on plants. Check that out before hand. Let us know what you do!
Davinci- Old Timer
- Posts : 139
Join date : 2014-02-11
Re: Hugelkultur Bed
by DieterD January 12th 2015, 7:38 am
This summer we will be spending most of our time on landscaping and finishing the yard. Our present garden is made up of a series of raised beds. I will be moving the garden to another area of the yard. Because we have an overabundance of dead poplars, I may give this a try.
DieterD- Settling in
- Posts : 16
Join date : 2014-07-20
Age : 72
Location : East of Winnipeg
Re: Hugelkultur Bed
by niglefritz January 12th 2015, 12:36 pm
I wondered about the runoff issue. Davinci's observations make sense. We will have to keep this in mind.
We are collecting some of the deadfall around us already. It gives us something to do in winter that hopefully cuts our work in spring.
Our chickens are over our old garden, so that is not garden worthy now...so we are planning to put our bed right beside where we want our fire pit. We are hoping that this helps cut the wind a bit and gives us nice veggies beside it.
We plan to plant some fruit trees not all that far away as well. I am afraid that if we plant them into the ends that they will steal too much of of the goodness...what do you think? I have heard that fruit is sweeter if planted on the ends.
BTW, DieterD, you had asked about the homesteader/self reliance group...there has been renewed interest in it. We just grew by 3 members thus past week and it all has to do with permaculture.
We are collecting some of the deadfall around us already. It gives us something to do in winter that hopefully cuts our work in spring.
Our chickens are over our old garden, so that is not garden worthy now...so we are planning to put our bed right beside where we want our fire pit. We are hoping that this helps cut the wind a bit and gives us nice veggies beside it.
We plan to plant some fruit trees not all that far away as well. I am afraid that if we plant them into the ends that they will steal too much of of the goodness...what do you think? I have heard that fruit is sweeter if planted on the ends.
BTW, DieterD, you had asked about the homesteader/self reliance group...there has been renewed interest in it. We just grew by 3 members thus past week and it all has to do with permaculture.
niglefritz- Straight up Addicted
- Posts : 216
Join date : 2014-03-07
Location : SW MB
Re: Hugelkultur Bed
by Fowler January 12th 2015, 1:21 pm
I suppose it depends on where you are with regards to runoff. Here, in the east, you pretty much need it to be able to drain.
Fowler- Old Timer
- Posts : 122
Join date : 2014-03-06
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