Hügelkultur Raised Beds

[gtaus]

To turn the pile I would unhook the fence and reassemble the cylinder next to the pile, then fork the pile back into the fencing cylinder. That would mix the pile and add oxygen without getting too complicated.

We get a nice sunny day, and I want, actually want to go out and flip my compost from one bay to another. Winter in Michigan will do that to me!

You guys have way more energy than I do! I use my composting chickens to make my compost. Here is a picture from last week after I dumped about 15 bins of leaves in chicken run. Of course, that pile has been flattened out now from the chickens doing their work.

(You can see some of my hügelkultur raised beds in the background).

Those leaves will sit under snow all winter and come spring, I will have some finished compost ready to harvest under the first few inches on top.

I don't turn or flip the litter in the chicken run. The chickens do a pretty good job of doing that scratching and pecking for worms and bugs to eat. In the summertime, I load up the chicken run with grass clipping, and the chickens mix everything together when they scratch and peck the litter. It's not hot composting, but they can break down the leaves and grass clippings into finished compost in about 4-6 months. Then I sift the compost in my cement mixer compost sifter....

It's that finished chicken run compost in the black wagon under the barrel that gets top filled in my hügelkultur raised beds every spring before planting. The stuff that gets rejected into the grey wagon is either tossed back into the chicken run for more time to compost, or I use it as top mulch around the plants.

I don't need to do hot composting because I have so much Black Gold compost in the chicken run ready to be harvested all the time. For example, this year I filled up all my old raised beds and added two new pallet wood raised beds with only using maybe 10% of the finished compost in my chicken run.

That's why I say my hügelkultur raised beds are getting the soil fed from both below with the decaying wood and from above with fresh chicken run compost every spring.

 

[gtaus]

For my first compost pile I bought a section of beach/sand/snow fence 4' tall and 10' long. I set it up so the ends met, making a cylinder. I hooked the ends together loosely.

I like that idea using snow fencing. I don't know what you used to hook the ends together, but I think I would just use some zip ties.

I am starting to use zip ties for lots of things. I used zip ties to hold my fencing on the t-posts for the chicken run. They have held up for 4 years now, which has really surprised me. Those darn zip ties are so cheap, fast, and versatile for lots of applications. Especially great for applications where you only want a temporary, cheap, solution.

 

[Sally PB]

I am starting to use zip ties for lots of things. I used zip ties to hold my fencing on the t-posts for the chicken run. They have held up for 4 years now, which has really surprised me. Those darn zip ties are so cheap, fast, and versatile for lots of applications. Especially great for applications where you only want a temporary, cheap, solution.

As I have said many times, half my chicken run is held together with zip ties! I love those things!

They are also what we used to attach the fence to the U-posts around the garden. I didn't use big heavy duty ones, I used the 8" long, fairly light duty kind. I have seen one, singular zip tie that broke anywhere I've used it. And these are out in the sun and weather.

I nominate the inventor of the zip tie for knighthood.

 

[gtaus]

I nominate the inventor of the zip tie for knighthood.

That's about right. I'm always watching YouTube videos for more zip tie hacks.

Last spring, I made a trellis on one of my hügelkultur raised beds out of salvaged wood. Dear Wife wanted to grow bitter melon and they needed a trellis. I have a nice powered staple gun that I used to fasten my wire fencing to the trellis, but I am thinking if I did it today, I might use heavy duty zip ties instead just for ease of someday cutting off the zip ties and using that wire on some other project.

Well, it won't be too hard to take a flat screwdriver, hammer, and pliers to remove all those metal staples. It would be a lot easier just to cut the plastic zip ties.

Here is a picture of the trellis I made over my raised bed. I love using the 2X4's for the framing because it is so strong, but I could probably get by with 2X2's and it would be easier to use zip ties to fasten the wire to the wood frame.

Speaking of cable ties, does anyone have, use, or know of someone who uses those cable tie guns? Are they worth the money or just a gimmick? I have just always pulled the ties tight with my fingers, or a pliers, but it looks like a lot of people are very happy with this cable tie gun at Harbor Freight.

I am thinking it might be useful for the extra big, long, thick cable ties to get the tie super tight and then cut off the tail all in one tool. But I don't need another tool that is not very useful.

 

[fuzzi]

I like that idea using snow fencing. I don't know what you used to hook the ends together, but I think I would just use some zip ties.

I am starting to use zip ties for lots of things. I used zip ties to hold my fencing on the t-posts for the chicken run. They have held up for 4 years now, which has really surprised me. Those darn zip ties are so cheap, fast, and versatile for lots of applications. Especially great for applications where you only want a temporary, cheap, solution.

It's hard to describe. I left end sections of the horizontal fence wire uncut, and just fed them through where the fence ends met, and bent the wires back through, like a hook.

 

[gtaus]

It's hard to describe. I left end sections of the horizontal fence wire uncut, and just fed them through where the fence ends met, and bent the wires back through, like a hook.

I know what you mean. I have done that myself on all kinds of fencing. Works great most of the time.

Having said that, I think I'm moving to using zip ties these days for many things. Easier to work with. I only take out the heavy wire if something really needs all that extra strength.

Have you ever been poked by bending that wire over to attach fencing together? I have. One time I even got poked through my leather glove. The was no fun. In contrast, I have never been poked by a zip tie.

 

[Sally PB]

For a closure on my "look, don't touch" integration pen, I have used a piece of board, say, half inch thick, 3 inches by "height of fence" tall as the end of the fence. Stapled on, nothing fancy. I screw a couple of cup hooks into it. On permanent side of the enclosure, I make a couple of zip tie loops that catch the cup hooks.

The 2x3 fencing is flexible enough to bend out of the way when I open or close the "gate." It works well, lasts as long as I need the pen.

Zip ties! They're not just for tying up cables anymore!

 

[gtaus]

For a closure on my "look, don't touch" integration pen, I have used a piece of board, say, half inch thick, 3 inches by "height of fence" tall as the end of the fence. Stapled on, nothing fancy. I screw a couple of cup hooks into it. On permanent side of the enclosure, I make a couple of zip tie loops that catch the cup hooks.

Great idea. That would make a wonderful zip tie hack short video on YouTube!

 

[SueT]

I use zip ties for everything too. I buy large bags of them in every size. My hubby got me a little zip tie cutter that will trim them flush so that nothing sharp sticks out.
I am very careful about picking up all cut ends, broken ties, etc, so there isn’t any ‘trash’ on the ground.

 

[fuzzi]

I use zip ties for everything too. I buy large bags of them in every size. My hubby got me a little zip tie cutter that will trim them flush so that nothing sharp sticks out.
I am very careful about picking up all cut ends, broken ties, etc, so there isn’t any ‘trash’ on the ground.
View attachment 3701780

Looks like wire cutters to me...