Built my first Hugelkultur bed - Page 2

jtjmartin · October 2, 2016

Heavy Virginia clay soil.
Lots of downed trees.
Dry summers.

I decided to try hugelkulture this past fall. It's essentially composting with buried wood. It worked great. Of all the tomatoes I planted, the only ones still alive and producing are the ones in the hugel beds. I'm sold!

Digging more today.

[tried to attach pic but it was upside down]

Gerardo · October 2, 2016

I'm doing this. We've got alluvial soil for the most part.

Replacing a fuel line on my chainsaw and then it's off to dig graves.

jtjmartin · October 2, 2016

Here are some pics of a new 24 foot bed. (Sorry - the pictures need to be rotated)

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IMG_4867.JPG

IMG_4865.JPG

These beds used to have a row of tomatoes in the back. The only tomatoes left are in the hugel beds. The vines are about 10 feet long with the leaves removed except at the top.

IMG_4866.JPG

PaddyMc · October 4, 2016

That worked VERY well! The biggest, healthiest, squash vines I've ever grown.

For reference, thus was taken July 23rd. This is a single Zapallo Macre plant, planted June 1

The squash were big too-

I'm making a bunch more Hugel beds next year.

jtjmartin · October 4, 2016

Wow! That is a big squash?!

A number of people worry about decaying wood robbing the soil of nitrogen. I've noticed that my beds certainly haven't required any additional nitrogen and have needed a lot less water.

Yours need more nitrogen?

Worth1 · October 4, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by jtjmartin

Wow! That is a big squash?!

A number of people worry about decaying wood robbing the soil of nitrogen. I've noticed that my beds certainly haven't required any additional nitrogen and have needed a lot less water.

Yours need more nitrogen?

If the wood decays in a slow manner naturally and critters and fungi break it down it doesn't rob the soil of nitrogen as much from what I can tell.
It is when you want to hot compost it is when this happens big time.
This is just from my own observations.

Worth

jtjmartin · October 4, 2016

That makes a lot of sense. Thank you.

greenthumbomaha · October 4, 2016

Good stuff. I threw in what ever branches I could find on the bottom of my raised beds two years ago when they were filled They are 18 inches deep, and I don't see too much difference in them. I thought the branches take several years to break down in my climate so something to look forward to.

- Lisa

PaddyMc · October 4, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by jtjmartin

Wow! That is a big squash?!

A number of people worry about decaying wood robbing the soil of nitrogen. I've noticed that my beds certainly haven't required any additional nitrogen and have needed a lot less water.

Yours need more nitrogen?

Not beyond the initial cup of blood meal I threw in the mix when I was filling the hole. I'll be interested to see how that bed does next year.

IdahoTee · April 14, 2017

Paddy-

In the process of beginning my first Hugel. Because of the river rock soil, I opted to peel the sod up, dig a shallow bed and lay in cut Aspen logs from last year. I am jealous of your soil - looks fairly rock free. I am just down the street towards the Big Wood.

One concern I have is the logs are still too green, but I have a lot of wood this year so figured it was worth the attempt. The less rotted wood may impact the mound in the first year but hopefully added nitrogen sources will offset.

On top and in between the log layer I plan on layering hot chicken manure/litter to provide a nitrogen source, some kitchen scraps and the sod I pulled. Then aspen and willow branches, leaf mulch, sod, scraps, branches, compost and soil.

It will be more of a mound but looking forward to it slowly breaking down over the next few years and improving. Planning on doing a squash as well.

PaddyMc · April 17, 2017

I used pretty green logs last year (cut up from a big branch that cracked off the tree under snow load). I think you should be fine. I'm putting in two more Hugel's this year.
PM me and let's talk specifics.
Also - welcome to tomatoville!

Rockporter · April 17, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by pondgardener

I had a similar idea when I was digging out one of the ponds by the garden. As the saying goes...the look on my wife's face was "priceless".

Divorce the next day would be on my first take out the trash from the garden list if my husband ever did anything like this. That is sick man, I wouldn't trust him again.

IdahoTee · April 17, 2017

Quote:

I used pretty green logs last year (cut up from a big branch that cracked off the tree under snow load). I think you should be fine. I'm putting in two more Hugel's this year.
PM me and let's talk specifics.
Also - welcome to tomatoville!

Thanks for the welcome - I am excited to be here and be a part of so much fantastic grow knowledge. I must admit already stalking (in a good way) some of your previous posts.

Will PM you.

geotek · April 30, 2017

I've found that in the SE, wood decays so rapidly that some nitrogen needs to be added to help get the tomato plant established. My hugels are built with semi to well rotted wood. I build little walls out the clay to create terraces to hold topsoil in place on top of the log. (The soil out of my front yard could pass for adobe once it dries out.)
My hugels are in the front yard as well and still mystify the neighbors.

jtjmartin · May 1, 2017

Geotek:

I would love to see some pictures if you get a chance.

I add nitrogen to my huglebeds too since they are just a couple years old. They heat up quicker in the spring and take a lot less water than my other raised beds. A huge success in Virginia clay!

October 2, 2016	#16
jtjmartin Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2016 Location: Williamsburg VA Zone 7b Posts: 1,110	Hugel success Heavy Virginia clay soil. Lots of downed trees. Dry summers. I decided to try hugelkulture this past fall. It's essentially composting with buried wood. It worked great. Of all the tomatoes I planted, the only ones still alive and producing are the ones in the hugel beds. I'm sold! Digging more today. [tried to attach pic but it was upside down]

October 4, 2016	#20
jtjmartin Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2016 Location: Williamsburg VA Zone 7b Posts: 1,110	Hugel Wow! That is a big squash?! A number of people worry about decaying wood robbing the soil of nitrogen. I've noticed that my beds certainly haven't required any additional nitrogen and have needed a lot less water. Yours need more nitrogen?

October 2, 2016	#17
Gerardo Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: San Diego-Tijuana Posts: 2,598	I'm doing this. We've got alluvial soil for the most part. Replacing a fuel line on my chainsaw and then it's off to dig graves.

October 4, 2016	#19
PaddyMc Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Idaho Posts: 241	That worked VERY well! The biggest, healthiest, squash vines I've ever grown. For reference, thus was taken July 23rd. This is a single Zapallo Macre plant, planted June 1 The squash were big too- I'm making a bunch more Hugel beds next year.

October 4, 2016	#23
greenthumbomaha Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Omaha Zone 5 Posts: 2,514	Good stuff. I threw in what ever branches I could find on the bottom of my raised beds two years ago when they were filled They are 18 inches deep, and I don't see too much difference in them. I thought the branches take several years to break down in my climate so something to look forward to. - Lisa

April 14, 2017	#25
IdahoTee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Zone 4 Idaho Posts: 17	Paddy- In the process of beginning my first Hugel. Because of the river rock soil, I opted to peel the sod up, dig a shallow bed and lay in cut Aspen logs from last year. I am jealous of your soil - looks fairly rock free. I am just down the street towards the Big Wood. One concern I have is the logs are still too green, but I have a lot of wood this year so figured it was worth the attempt. The less rotted wood may impact the mound in the first year but hopefully added nitrogen sources will offset. On top and in between the log layer I plan on layering hot chicken manure/litter to provide a nitrogen source, some kitchen scraps and the sod I pulled. Then aspen and willow branches, leaf mulch, sod, scraps, branches, compost and soil. It will be more of a mound but looking forward to it slowly breaking down over the next few years and improving. Planning on doing a squash as well.

April 17, 2017	#26
PaddyMc Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Idaho Posts: 241	I used pretty green logs last year (cut up from a big branch that cracked off the tree under snow load). I think you should be fine. I'm putting in two more Hugel's this year. PM me and let's talk specifics. Also - welcome to tomatoville!

April 30, 2017	#29
geotek Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2017 Location: NE Georgia Posts: 14	I've found that in the SE, wood decays so rapidly that some nitrogen needs to be added to help get the tomato plant established. My hugels are built with semi to well rotted wood. I build little walls out the clay to create terraces to hold topsoil in place on top of the log. (The soil out of my front yard could pass for adobe once it dries out.) My hugels are in the front yard as well and still mystify the neighbors.

May 1, 2017	#30
jtjmartin Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2016 Location: Williamsburg VA Zone 7b Posts: 1,110	Geotek: I would love to see some pictures if you get a chance. I add nitrogen to my huglebeds too since they are just a couple years old. They heat up quicker in the spring and take a lot less water than my other raised beds. A huge success in Virginia clay!