Garden 2013

[footfootfoot]

Originally Posted by orthodoc

I think I'll try hugelkultur principles with some raised beds this year. Put a wood frame on the raised bed, place the wood and soil in it, finishing with a decent depth of soil, and let the interior wood slowly rot. Would there be problems with that?

The nice thing is that it would allow more height in the raised bed (easier on the back) without having to initially put in so much soil. And the rotting wood would keep the soil lighter.

It might be a season or two before that interior log rots. It's gonna need moisture. Not too much, not too little. And time, maybe a little oxygen.

We had the town drop off a huge load of wood chips a few years ago. For two years we had a nice pile of chips for paths, for another two years we had semi-mulch chips, and the following year we had pretty lovely soil with chips in it.

Had we mixed some soil in things would have gone quicker, but solid wood takes a few years, at least, to turn into honest to goodness soil.

[glatt]

I've got a limb/branch/stick pile up against the back fence. Maybe I should pull everything out into the sun, dig up the nice soil that's probably under there, and spread it on top of the pile, and have a go at this.