After doing 2 lasagne beds (lucernce, compost, chook poo, sugar cane mulch layers), and reading a bit on BLF, I decided to try a Hugelkultur one for my 3rd bed. This was actual really just a process of consolidating my broken branches and sticks pile with my old grass clippings, ends of old flower pots and pulled-out weeds pile.
I started with layering down some cardboard to minimise weeds (probably don't need this in traditional Hugelkultur but figured can't hurt.
Then I piled the branches and twigs (don't have logs, should just been it will decompose quicker?)
Heaped with grass clippings, compost and chook poo
Covered with sugar cane mulch. Voila, woman-made turkey mound... let's see how it goes. I guess it's really more of a heaped compost heap though theoretically not turning it?
Does this even count as hugelkultur?
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I did this in an old pond when I was trying to fill it. Filled it with anything I could lay my hands on - old compost stuff, branches, bags of poo or soil, and like Andy some fresh cuttings. Brunfelsia to be exact. Rotten stuff sprouted all over the place but I kept cutting it back and eventually won.
I planted bananas in there and they did well for some years until dying off for some unknown reason. Have another variety of narnie growing in there now quite happily.
What did you eventually plant on your mound Sophie and is it doing well?
If it looks hugel and smells hugel, it is hugel. Nice job. I made the mistake of using fresh cuttings for one. It's like planting a million cuttings all at once. Even if only 1% started to grow, I was in trouble. You won't have that problem.
I've just removed an old pond and was left with a hole in the ground so inspired by your work, I filled it with cardboard, paper and branches up to and above the rim.
Then covered it with soil I mined from the chook pen. Shoved a irrigator clay pot in the middle (my signature move), carpeted it with grass clippings..and voila!
Planted a purple sweet potato slip.
Snakes are ever-present especially in warm weather. Just don't put your hand down any holes!
What a fabulous idea, the start of your Hugelkultur bed looks great. Our Vegi Garden started out very much like this and I am very pleased with the outcome. Only to have more land to work on, but I guess I shouldn't complain, I have been adding to my gardens for over 30 years and our original clay base can't be found in any of our gardens now.
It must be great to be starting a fresh and seeing things happening. There are so many alternative ways to make beds now and we do what works well for each of us. Have fun Sophie I am sure it will be a success.
That'l work, buffer the plants with a bit of growing medium, if surrounds are still raw/maturing.
I love the bale garden idea, and have an order for 20 sugarcane mulch bales from Mark Braz, some to be used just for that purpose.
The 2 links at the bottom of post show results from my first Hugelkultur pit. I normally could not easily dig down 1 Metre, at my place, but this is a pit inside a pile of 20 cubic meters decomposed granite + small amount of clay (free fill delivered 5 years ago).
The ingredients in your pile are almost identical to whats in the bottom of my pit. The logs, had a diameter of 10cm, plenty of sticks, old straw and leaf litter.
I could be wrong here, but in a deep pit at least (where there is no access for air), it's best to keep the nitrogen (animal manure) low.
Having said that, I laid horse manure over the top of the ingredients above & left for 6 months. I re-worked the section just before planting, leaving the Hugelkultur ingredients at the base but diluting the horse manure/compost with crusher dust, sand and deco, added a sprinkle of volcanic rock dust and a small amount of EM inoculated soil.
The results were amazing. I watered the plants with nitrate fish tank water every 2nd to 3rd day (a very, very dilute charlie carp mix would be the equivalent)
Always add photos using the "From my computer" option, even if you are on a mobile phone or other device.
Added by Doug Hanning
Added by Doug Hanning
Added by Doug Hanning
Vetiver grass helps to stabilise soil and protects it against erosion. It can protect against pests and weeds. Vetiver is also used as animal feed. (Wiki.)
GrowVetiver is a plant nursery run by Dave & Keir Riley that harvests and grows Vetiver grass for local community applications and use. It is based in Beachmere, just north of Brisbane, Australia.
Talk to Andy on 0422 022 961. You can Pay on this link
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