HugelKultur Advice

Discussion in 'Members' Systems' started by RussHealesville, Jun 26, 2012.

  1. RussHealesville

    RussHealesville Junior Member

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    I'm sure there's already a thread on this so moderators please feel free to merge.
    I'm having 2 big radiata pines removed this spring and will have a lot of pine chips and branches at my disposal. I'm hoping to use them to create a Hugelkultur. Is pine ok to do this with. My soil is predominantly clay and my hill faces ENE. I'm only just beginning to map out my beds and remove the blackberries. Any advice on such a system would be great.
     
  2. Pakanohida

    Pakanohida Junior Member

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    It's my experience to make a deadwood swale on top of clay, not starting partially buried. It works out better in the long run.
     
  3. NJNative

    NJNative Junior Member

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    From my understanding of it, pine has a lot of compounds that make it not great for using in hugelkulture. The reason is because the compounds discourage seed germination, and overall, the wood takes a lot longer to break down, which means it takes longer to get things established well. For this reason, I would personally use that wood only for edging, path mulch, fence construction, etc.

    HOWEVER: If the pines are native to your local ecology, then I would look at the plants that naturally grow around them, and try growing those in a hugel bed with that wood. If they are used to growing in that sort of a substrate, then they should be fine. If the trees are not native to your area, or you don't see any viable guilds in the vicinity, I'd stick to what I said above. If anything, maybe you can use them as some sort of marginal erosion control on the edge of your property where you aren't intensively trying to grow things, and over time they should decompose into a fertile berm.
     
  4. Ludi

    Ludi Junior Member

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    Pines are fine to use in hugelkultur.
     
  5. NJNative

    NJNative Junior Member

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    No explanation on that point Ludi? I was under the impression that softwood/coniferous wood was not ideal. I'd be happy to hear that it was ok, because I have lots of it around. One thing I do know is that it makes the soil very acidic, so if anything, add lime or seashells to account for that.
     
  6. Ludi

    Ludi Junior Member

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    Sorry about my unhelpful blurt. :) What wood can go in hugelkultur has been an enormous topic of discussion over at permies, and the conclusion seems to be "use what you have." https://www.permies.com/t/12206/permaculture/Hugelkultur-Good-wood-Bad-wood

    Hardwoods such as oak are the best, especially if they are rotten. But other woods can be used if you have them, especially if you can mix them with hardwoods and rotten wood. Concerns about acidity or nitrogen deficiency can be addressed by adding the appropriate materials to the pile. A diversity of woods is probably the best.
     
  7. NJNative

    NJNative Junior Member

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    Gotcha, good to know. Diversity is yet again the way to go. :)
     
  8. RussHealesville

    RussHealesville Junior Member

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    So the message I'm getting is pine is ok but mix in some local hardwood.
    Use the pinechips for the pathways.
    So would the following sound ok
    Mark out contours and create a Hugelkultur along the line of the contour. Use a mix of hardwood branches, pine branches, hard and pine woodchips and cover in mulch and soil.
    run a path of pinechips in front of the Hugelkultur. Plant in behind it.
     
  9. Ludi

    Ludi Junior Member

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    I think most people plant right on the hugelkultur, but I'm not sure exactly where trees are supposed to be planted in relation to the mound, whether on it, or on the uphill side of it, or what.....
     
  10. Pakanohida

    Pakanohida Junior Member

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    Also all your cardboard, paper, scrap non-treated wood from the shop.. all your carbon.
     
  11. Pakanohida

    Pakanohida Junior Member

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    DIY Hugle

    1. Dig down into the soil, remove turfy layer, and set aside. ((If you are on clay, do not do this step, you can cause anaerobic decomposition and we do not want that!))

    2. Make bed with bulky materials, whole tree trunks are even ok.

    3. Cover bulky wooden materials with the turf layer, grass side down.

    4. Cover whole thing with humus.

    5. Plant, thyme, clovers, various root types to hold everything in place.

    6. Rejoice, you are done. :clap:

    There is hardly any danger of over fertilizing (compost / worm teas) due to the low availability of nutrients, however this is only true the 1st year. This has been practiced all over Europe prior to the Dark Ages, and through out the Medieval period in Europe.
     
  12. RussHealesville

    RussHealesville Junior Member

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    Too easy
    I'll post some photos to show those interested how it comes along
     
  13. RussHealesville

    RussHealesville Junior Member

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    I've been clearing ivy and blackberries the last few days and have uncovered 2 large tree logs that have been sawed but left to rot. They are soft, crumbly and only just holding together.I presume they'll make a perfect starting point for my Hugelkultur. I've also got 2 metres of hardwood chips, no end of branches and a very waterlogged hillside waiting to be planted, Exciting times!
     
  14. Ludi

    Ludi Junior Member

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    There was controversy at the other place when someone said they could find no reference to it being a traditional practice....
     
  15. Pakanohida

    Pakanohida Junior Member

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    That place is filled with drama llamas and I am a no-drama llama.

    Source: https://homesteadingstewards.com/gardening/huglekulture-hugelculture/

    People have been composting since prior to the Roman era according to Pliny the Elder, are people so _____ naive to think we just pulled this out of the ethos & its modern? Never mind, don't answer that.
     
  16. RussHealesville

    RussHealesville Junior Member

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    If you don't dig a small trench into clay soils what do you cover the mound in?
     
  17. Pakanohida

    Pakanohida Junior Member

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    I let it go for a year or 2 here in the rainforest, and then lasgna sheet mulch it followed by pioneer species such as clovers, daikon, etc else blackberry grows through it thanks to the animals using it for shelters while searching for food.
     
  18. Michaelangelica

    Michaelangelica Junior Member

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    Alys Fowler: the joys of hugelkultur (or rotting wood to you and me)
    A remarkably successful alternative take on the raised bed, using an old
    wooden trunk and very little effort
    https://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/sep/07/hugelkultur-permaculture-gardening-alys-fowler
     
  19. Stubby

    Stubby Junior Member

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    This looks like Huegelkultur could be another answer to my mounds of manure. I have a couple of old tree trunks (eucalyptus I am thinking), some trimmings from a tree we felled, loads of sticks, and oodles of horse poo, and soon oddles of shreddings from trimming the hibiscus bushes around the house.

    I need another swale on my place to slow the run-off and protect the precious little top soil, so I am thinking that this huegelkultur may just be what I am looking for. Ultimately I just want it covered in grass, browsing herbs for the horses, and a few fodder trees/bushes (eg, Tagasaste).

    Would that work?
     
  20. S.O.P

    S.O.P Moderator

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    That will work as the mound for the swale.

    I built a boomerange swale in a park and I found on an incline with a log, you need to make sure it won't move or roll when pressure builds up behind it (or something hits it). So use wood wedges, or soil behind the log to prevent movement.
     

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