HugelKulture- Mound Garden

[MustangStudFarm]

The garden section is full of pot posts and not many people watching the section. So, I decided to post here. Mods can move me if they want...
I have started a couple of raised veggie beds using the hugelkulture method... I live in the woods and I have more than enough decomposing wood on my property. I have been dragging dead baby trees and stacking them. I have mostly Oak and Hickory on my property.
After I stacked the wood, I used a wood chipper to mulch leaves and branches. I would keep an eye out for mycelium and add it to my mix.
There is a compost facility close to my house. They take lawn clippings and branches from the city people and sell compost for $10 for 3cu. yards... This is what I was going to use for top soil.
I really have no idea how this is going to turn out! Does anyone have ideas on what to do? I read that decomposing wood will rob N from the soil for the first 3yrs. I imagine that compost will keep this from happening?

http://www.richsoil.com/hugelkultur/

 

[greasemonkeymann]

The garden section is full of pot posts and not many people watching the section. So, I decided to post here. Mods can move me if they want...
I have started a couple of raised veggie beds using the hugelkulture method... I live in the woods and I have more than enough decomposing wood on my property. I have been dragging dead baby trees and stacking them. I have mostly Oak and Hickory on my property.
After I stacked the wood, I used a wood chipper to mulch leaves and branches. I would keep an eye out for mycelium and add it to my mix.
There is a compost facility close to my house. They take lawn clippings and branches from the city people and sell compost for $10 for 3cu. yards... This is what I was going to use for top soil.
I really have no idea how this is going to turn out! Does anyone have ideas on what to do? I read that decomposing wood will rob N from the soil for the first 3yrs. I imagine that compost will keep this from happening?

http://www.richsoil.com/hugelkultur/

whats up brother?
I have a soft spot for any growing technique that utilizes rotting wood, so I am all eyes and ears for this one, one thing I can say though, is decomposing wood will take some of your nitrogen as it breaks down, but ya gotta remember that is only when it's relatively fresh, if it's rotten already, I doubt it'll take much from your soil.
Wood chips on the other hand, not only take a bunch of nitrogen, but it can seriously increase your compost temps, careful with wood chips...
I imagine you will have a nice tasty garden for years to come, can't wait to see what veggies you are going to grow. I'd say peppers, tomatoes, and maybe some good beans or melons?
maybe plant a cover crop of legumes for the first yr? That would help any nitrogen issues you have.. Or you could plant comfrey? Course good luck getting rid of it once you do...

 

[st0wandgrow]

The garden section is full of pot posts and not many people watching the section. So, I decided to post here. Mods can move me if they want...
I have started a couple of raised veggie beds using the hugelkulture method... I live in the woods and I have more than enough decomposing wood on my property. I have been dragging dead baby trees and stacking them. I have mostly Oak and Hickory on my property.
After I stacked the wood, I used a wood chipper to mulch leaves and branches. I would keep an eye out for mycelium and add it to my mix.
There is a compost facility close to my house. They take lawn clippings and branches from the city people and sell compost for $10 for 3cu. yards... This is what I was going to use for top soil.
I really have no idea how this is going to turn out! Does anyone have ideas on what to do? I read that decomposing wood will rob N from the soil for the first 3yrs. I imagine that compost will keep this from happening?

http://www.richsoil.com/hugelkultur/

whats up brother?
I have a soft spot for any growing technique that utilizes rotting wood, so I am all eyes and ears for this one, one thing I can say though, is decomposing wood will take some of your nitrogen as it breaks down, but ya gotta remember that is only when it's relatively fresh, if it's rotten already, I doubt it'll take much from your soil.
Wood chips on the other hand, not only take a bunch of nitrogen, but it can seriously increase your compost temps, careful with wood chips...
I imagine you will have a nice tasty garden for years to come, can't wait to see what veggies you are going to grow. I'd say peppers, tomatoes, and maybe some good beans or melons?
maybe plant a cover crop of legumes for the first yr? That would help any nitrogen issues you have.. Or you could plant comfrey? Course good luck getting rid of it once you do...

I was gonna suggest exactly what grease said. A nitrogen fixing cover crop should offset any N that is sequestered by the wood.

Looking forward to how you do with this! I've seen some impressive gardens utilizing this method. Pattahabi would be a good guy to brain pick. There are some informative threads on an organic gardening forum he belongs to.

 

[MustangStudFarm]

whats up brother?
I have a soft spot for any growing technique that utilizes rotting wood, so I am all eyes and ears for this one, one thing I can say though, is decomposing wood will take some of your nitrogen as it breaks down, but ya gotta remember that is only when it's relatively fresh, if it's rotten already, I doubt it'll take much from your soil.
Wood chips on the other hand, not only take a bunch of nitrogen, but it can seriously increase your compost temps, careful with wood chips...
I imagine you will have a nice tasty garden for years to come, can't wait to see what veggies you are going to grow. I'd say peppers, tomatoes, and maybe some good beans or melons?
maybe plant a cover crop of legumes for the first yr? That would help any nitrogen issues you have.. Or you could plant comfrey? Course good luck getting rid of it once you do...

It was you that got me looking into decomposing wood. Huglekulture is perfect for me because of poor soil quality(sandy loam) and an abundance of dead trees. I have been passing over rotting wood when I cut fire wood, so I now found a purpose for it. I can clear my land of wood debris during summer and winter.

I saw in the linked article that they suggested "lasagna layers" for topsoil. I saw that they use bone/blood meal and you dont like either.

 

[MustangStudFarm]

I was gonna suggest exactly what grease said. A nitrogen fixing cover crop should offset any N that is sequestered by the wood.

Looking forward to how you do with this! I've seen some impressive gardens utilizing this method. Pattahabi would be a good guy to brain pick. There are some informative threads on an organic gardening forum he belongs to.

I have not really came across an active "organic garden" forums. Maybe, I have been looking in the wrong places?

 

[greasemonkeymann]

It was you that got me looking into decomposing wood. Huglekulture is perfect for me because of poor soil quality(sandy loam) and an abundance of dead trees. I have been passing over rotting wood when I cut fire wood, so I now found a purpose for it. I can clear my land of wood debris during summer and winter.

I saw in the linked article that they suggested "lasagna layers" for topsoil. I saw that they use bone/blood meal and you dont like either.

nooo, not a fan of slaughterhouse stuff..
Madcow freaks me out... they found another case of CFE in Canada just a lil while ago.
i'd use fish bone meal, alfalfa meal etc...
If you could find a natural feather meal that'd be ideal, but I was recently informed that the feather meal, even organic is loaded with arsenic.
For hugelkultur I would advise to use the slowest breaking down nutrients that you can find.

 

[st0wandgrow]

I have not really came across an active "organic garden" forums. Maybe, I have been looking in the wrong places?

The one I'm referring to is a marijuana forum, but it's 100% organic, and there are sections dedicated to veggie gardens and HugelKulture. There are actually 2 of those forums, both loaded with knowledgeable peeps. Drawing a blank on their names right now....

@Pattahabi

 

[st0wandgrow]

livingorganicsoil.org is one of them. You have to be invited by a current member to join that one.

The other is run by MicrobeMan. I'm a member there but I can't recall the damn site address. lol

 

[MustangStudFarm]

I am trying to get off of processed foods altogether, but I figured that this would be a good start. Since I am a veteran it is mandatory that I am paranoid about the government. So, I will start with the FDA. I think that they are just evil.

I am very interested in going to college for horticulture and focusing on sustainable crops or greenhouse degrees. I have a basic associates already, but I would need college algebra and science classes like chem and biology.
I need to start juicing veggies. I really dont know where to start, but I thought that a garden was a good idea.

 

[MustangStudFarm]

 

[MustangStudFarm]

I am getting compost today and hope to fill the beds with 12'' of compost

 

[st0wandgrow]

Nice Mustang!! Looks like it's coming along...

 

[MustangStudFarm]

These are pics from last week... I have cut the limbs sticking up with a chainsaw and tried to level it. I have also tried to get the leaf mulch to settle in the cracks, not working so well.
I will take more pics as I am working on it. I imagine that I will be shoveling for a few days! I am going to park my trailer next to the beds and shovel the compost... My dad was being lazy last year and he left the compost on the trailer for like 2wks and it lost all of its dark color, it ended up looking sandy. So, I am not going to be lazy!

 

[Pattahabi]

Love the hugel beds!!

@stowandgrow MM's site is logicalgardener. The other place I would check for info on hugel beds is permies.com.

Peace!

P-

 

[MustangStudFarm]

I have been shoveling compost most of the day. They charged $10 to fill up a 2 axle trailer. The problem is that there are larger chunks of limbs through out the whole mix. If I was to guess, I would say it was about 30% chunks of limb. I also noticed a strong manure smell, so there is probably un-composted cow manure in the mix as well... I will post some pics after dinner! I am afraid that I will not be able to use my gardens until the fall???
I have over 100gal of soil with aged espoma's biotone. I would like to just use it outside and get away from the slaughter house fertilizer.
Greasemonkey gave me a good list, but I am pretty broke. If I could make the change for around $200 I will do it, change my indoor soil.
I constructed my gardens for $110. That was $5 a piece for used railroad ties and $10 for my compost.

 

[MustangStudFarm]

I was reading my post again, it looks like I live with my dad. I live around the corner from him. I just didnt want to look lame!

 

[MustangStudFarm]

 

[MustangStudFarm]

I didnt realize that so many pics downloaded? It will not let me edit and delete any either...
Anyways, I went to my vocational rehab appointment yesterday. I was asking them to find me a job at the post office or or send me to college, right. They found me to be unemployable because of my service connected disabilities! It is bittersweet news because it will dramatically increase my disability money, but I am stuck without a job.
I did not like that the compost smelled like cow manure. I expected it to be lawn compost. I thought about it and lawn compost could be worse? Fertilizers and poisions! It seems like everything I do is wrong lately! I am thinking about just using a rotor tiller to plant straight in the ground.

 

[MustangStudFarm]

Maybe I can plant some ornamentals or something in the beds?

 

[greasemonkeymann]

I didnt realize that so many pics downloaded? It will not let me edit and delete any either...
Anyways, I went to my vocational rehab appointment yesterday. I was asking them to find me a job at the post office or or send me to college, right. They found me to be unemployable because of my service connected disabilities! It is bittersweet news because it will dramatically increase my disability money, but I am stuck without a job.
I did not like that the compost smelled like cow manure. I expected it to be lawn compost. I thought about it and lawn compost could be worse? Fertilizers and poisions! It seems like everything I do is wrong lately! I am thinking about just using a rotor tiller to plant straight in the ground.

don't beat yourself up man, you did alright, i'd add something to that mix to lighten it up a lil, it's gonna be some strong stuff.
I'd let it chill for a bit though, in case it's a lil hot still, do you feel any heat coming off the soil?
I bet it'll work just fine, a lil extra nitrogen can't hurt much when you have chunks of wood to help utilize it a bit