garden experiments, and techniques: the good, the bad, the ugly

[lazy gardener]

This is a place to share info about things you've done in the past that have worked well or failed miserably. Helpful to include info about your growing zone, soil type and other specifics to your garden. Also, include your future plans.

I'm playing with the hugelkulture concept. This is not much of a jump from my dedication to permanent mulch in my garden. Found this article which you might enjoy!

Hugelkulture: a nice article I found that makes the process seem not quite so intimidating:http://www.nwedible.com/2012/03/half-as ... ultur.html

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Strawberries in a raised bed are a bad idea. Too much drainage. On the other hand they can't be in a low spot.
Make sure when you plant asparagus, it will be where you want them for years. I've moved mine 4 times which causes a year or two without asparagus each time.

I have a hugelkulture bed, mostly to have a place to put waste wood, old logs and woody debris.
I'm looking at inoculating it with mushroom spawn.

I'm in zone 6 with fair rainfall but most of the time it seems my garden always needs watering a day or two before a rainstorm. I have lots of huge trees surrounding and scattered around and the garden is in the only space where it gets 6-8 hours of sun, just barely enough.

 

[AnnieE]

Yikes, i just split my asparagus this fall! I like asparagus... :/

 

[Fluffnpuff]

or failed miserably.

The last epic fail of mine was thinking I could plant fava beans at the end of summer and get a harvest before the cold wiped them out. I'm in zone 6. They made it to the bloom stage before frost killed them. The package claimed small favas were hardy to 15 degrees but they died during 20-25 degree night temps.

 

[VKat]

This is a place to share info about things you've done in the past that have worked well or failed miserably. Helpful to include info about your growing zone, soil type and other specifics to your garden. Also, include your future plans.

I'm playing with the hugelkulture concept. This is not much of a jump from my dedication to permanent mulch in my garden. Found this article which you might enjoy!

Hugelkulture: a nice article I found that makes the process seem not quite so intimidating:http://www.nwedible.com/2012/03/half-as ... ultur.html

Please let us know how it goes! I am also very interested in trying the hugelkulture technique.
I am in growing zone 6 I think. I'm up in the Appalachians of Northern VA. Lots of sloping land and many fallen tree material to work with. Where are you? What plants are you thinking of planting this way?

 

[lazy gardener]

I'm in zone 4. We had a lot of land cleared in August. The remaining woods around the perimeter of the clearing have a lot of dead wood that needs to be cleaned up. We cleared the woods all the way to the property line on one side, and I'll talk with neighbors about cleaning up their dead wood in the spring, as that is adjacent to the slope that I've started to pile stuff for the first "terrace". I've got an area about 4 x 6' mounded up 1 - 3' high, and all it needs is the finishing touches of compost and spoiled hay on top. I am thinking about putting a rhubarb plant as the first plant, then planting the area to squash, or even greens for the first season. It all depends on how well things shape up, and how my energy level and time management issues work into the scheme of things. My plans are to complete one terrace at least 4' wide, with the potential of it being about 30' long before starting an other terrace. The remainder of the slope below the terrace will probably have a cover crop or deep mulch to keep it growing up to brambles. It's a mixture of clay subsoil and piles of rubble rocks, so not useable land at this point. Eventually, the plan is to either turn these terraces into more garden space for the space hoggers, or plant edible crops for the chickens, or a mini orchard. I have way more work to accomplish than I have available life time to accomplish it in.