Has anyone tried hugelkultur gardening?

submitted by Zapped from self.gardening

I am putting some raised beds together and have plenty of wood and leaves to use. Is this soil good for all types of vegetables?

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[–][deleted] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (5 children)

It won't even matter for like 5 years, but yeah maybe some extreme types of wood would make the soil ph extreme eventually. hugelkultur does seem to be a way to use less dirt though, which is cool if you're buying it. Leaves sound like a winner for sure, but way deep unless you chop them, it can create a barrier.

[–]Zapped[S] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (4 children)

Ok, thanks. I didn't know it took so long to be useful. I have access to as much leaf mulch as I can haul every Spring. I have used it on my last garden years ago for the nitrogen. I want to have the raised beds in use before then, though.

[–][deleted] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

It just takes that long for a tree to decompose, depending on how big the branches are. Cool, if the leaves are mulched then you can use them as liberally as you feel like. Plan on some settlement after like a year, but anything you put in there will settle out.

[–]Zapped[S] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

I did some research on Holzer as someone else suggested here. He says that it adds nutrients as it's decomposing, so it starts enriching the soil right away. I would think softer woods like maple would give benefits faster, but adding oak would keep giving for a few more years. It also adds heat to the soil and that's something I didn't think about. I saw a mulch pile catch on fire a few years ago.

[–][deleted] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Yeah good points. I doubt it's going to replace the need to fertilize and/or amend anytime soon though.

Well if you get mulch, I hope you don't leave it piled up somewhere where it can catch fire.

[–]Zapped[S] 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

I have never had enough wood mulch to create that much heat. A DOT contractor had a pile 60 feet wide and 20 feet tall piled up in a vacant lot in a business district. It had been smoldering for days before it ignited.

[–][deleted] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I've never heard of it before, sounds interesting.