Hugelculture Bed

[baymule]

I have read about hugel culture on www.permies.com and was intrigued by the concept. It was pioneered by Sep Holtzer, a permaculturist in Austria. I even bought a book written by Sep. Fascinating reading.

The idea is to use wood, tree trunks and branches, piled up and covered with dirt. The wood breaks down over time and releases nutrients. The rotted wood absorbs moisture and holds it, keeping the bed from drying out. I have been wanting to try this.

Since moving to our little patch of paradise, there is plenty of dead trees, branches, in various stages of decomposition laying around. So I got started. In no hurry, I have piled up tree trunks and branches from fairly big ones to twigs. I started on my pile of dead wood April 16, 2015. At one end of the house is a small wooded area, just perfect for a gazebo someday. But there was a lot of dead stuff laying on the ground. It needed cleaning up, just the inspiration I needed to get started on my hugelculture bed.

I saddled up Marigold and cranked the engine. I found a nice log.

I backed up to a fallen tree, lowered the bush hog, lowered the front end loader, set the brake, and throttled down to a low purr. Then I got off, dragged the chain to the tree trunk, dug under it so I could pass the chain under it and hook the clevis on a chain link. I hooked onto the log and got back on Marigold. I throttled back up, raised the bush hog and raised the front end bucket and off we went to the future Hugelculture bed!

I dragged out half a dozen of these dead trees. Stop the tractor, set the brake, throttle down, lower the front end bucket, lower the bush hog, get off, unchain or chain up a log. When I got the log to my pile, I unchained and used the bucket to push the log up to the pile.

I worked all day on that first hugel day. I didn't make a big pile that first day, but continued to add to it from time to time. It was whenever I cleaned up an area, I dumped it either on the burn pile or if it was oak, dead, dried out and starting to rot, then it went on the hugelculture bed.

Through the summer, I have added a bucket full here and there. The pile has grown.

 

[thistlebloom]

Is that your woods in the background Bay? Very pretty.
I will watch your progress with this new bed with interest. Hugelculture has come up here now and again, but I never seem to remember how or if anybody has discussed their progress from start to finish. It's very interesting.

 

[baymule]

A few weeks ago, on 9-5-15, a neighbor came over to help us start cleaning up an area for a future horse barn. There are six tall standing dead oak trees thrusting bare limbs in the sky that have to come down, plus one very dead pine tree.

The dead pine could have hit the fence if it fell, so it had to come down. Russell climbed in the tractor bucket and roped it off up high, then ran the rope around another tree, then tied it off to his trailer. He cut the tree to almost cut through, then pulled his trailer forward which sent the pine falling in the direction away from the fence.

There was so many dead fallen trees on the ground, that we had to clean them up before we could even start cutting down dead trees. We only cut down two trees because of all the clean up.

Russell's two boys lost no time in playing on the downed pine! it was cut in lengths, loaded on the tractor forks and I took it to the hugelculture bed. Actually, I had to start a second bed, because of the huge logs we cut up.

This tree was big! It had fallen and was a huge mess. Russell cut it in 6' lengths and it was all Marigold could do to take them to the new hugelculture bed!

You can see some of the dead limbs and branches we had to clean up in the above picture. Here's some more. We had to cut up dead trees, then back the bush hog in a short ways, cut the brush and weeds, just to be able to see what we were doing. What a mess!

We worked for most of the day and only got a small area cleared. But at least it's progress! And the hugelculture bed GREW! Then the next weekend, I drove Marigold around, cleaning up more mess. I loaded up the forks over and over, and went to the growing mound. Since it was full of gaps and holes, I didn't dump the loads, I took each stick and branch by hand and placed it in the pile.

 

[baymule]

The hugel bed stretched out to 30' long, 10' wide and about 4' tall. Time to cover it up. There is nowhere on this place we want to dig a hole big enough to get all the dirt I would need, so we bought 12 yards and had it delivered yesterday.

Our dog Polly said it passed inspection.

This morning I got started moving dirt with Marigold.

After I got one side done, my husband came out and started washing the dirt down in the pile. It has been killing him to watch me outside working, he had open heart surgery 5 weeks ago and is limited to what he can do. He goes back to doctor next week and will be released to start joining in activities again--sensibly!

We worked together this morning, me dumping dirt, DH washing it in. We got a good bit done before it got too hot. There is a small bit of dirt left, might have to get another load, we'll see.

So this is where we are today. We'll finish up the dirt pile this evening after it cools off.

Hey @ninnymary !!!!! Is this enough pictures??

 

[Smart Red]

Great job! Good detailing of how you're putting the beds together. It will be an excellent resource for the rest of us if your experiment is successful.

One small question. I may have missed the answer in an earlier post, but, why no oak trunks?

 

[Smiles Jr.]

Thanks @baymule . This is going to be a great thread to follow. Several years ago I studied the hugleculture method. Always wanted t try it but life seems to get in the way all the time.

 

[digitS']

Wow! You might want to check your data limits with Hughes ... oh, maybe that's not a cell phone service.

Good Luck, Bay'! If it's gonna work, I'd imagine it will work in Texas, where in-ground organic matter must decay before a gardener can turn around.

Hugelculture is something like "composting in place." Well, it is ... unless I'm wrong.

I began digging out a bed in the veggie garden yesterday. There are still some 2014 pepper plants still identifiable that I dug up. Of course, some of the green stuff I bury in the fall, I'll still find as green under 8" of soil in March, if I want to explore those beds.

Steve

 

[Nyboy]

Don't Rattlesnakes like to live in wood piles?

 

[PhilaGardener]

Now that you have real power tools, there will be no stopping you

That truckload looked pretty sandy. Glad your husband is feeling better - slow and steady!

 

[ninnymary]

Thanks for the pics Bay. But I do want to see more of all of your property and what you've done. Do you have chickens yet?

Mary