Hügelkultur Raised Beds

[gtaus]

They[strawberries] seem to spread pretty well and I don’t have them contained. I’m pretty sure the squirrels, birds and whatever else beat me to them. The few I do get to enjoy taste so much better than store bought, there’s just never enough of them to really do much with.

I fed too many squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks, birds, and deer last year. This year I hope my cages on top of the raised beds will keep the critters out.

I got less that 5 strawberries my last year out of 16 plants. I had a hard time believing that they tasted so much better at $5.00 per strawberry compared to buying a container full at the store for less money. And, yeah, not much you can do with less than 5 strawberries spread out over a few weeks.

I’m excited to see how these Hugelkultur raised beds do for me this year. I have some pretty good sized logs in the bottom of each of my beds and I can only imagine their water holding capacity will be beneficial to whatever I plant in them. Water batteries I think was the term I heard, that’s a good way to put it.

We had a terrible drought one summer and the only plants that lived were in my hügelkultur raised beds. Since then, I only make hügelkultur raised beds. Nice thing about the water batteries is that they release water to the plants as needed. It does not have to be all or nothing depending on the rain. It even helps if you have a sprinkler system for your garden.

It's not just the hügelkultur logs breaking down over years and feeding the roots of the plants, but it's also all the decomposing organics on top of the logs, and in my case, the high-quality topsoil and chicken run compost mix I put on the top 6-8 inches. It's the whole system. But it works great for me.

I think I heard somewhere that Mother Nature doesn’t like bare soil so if i don’t cover it or plant something in it, she will and that’s usually in the form of a weed.

I am learning the importance of mulching as well. I don't have too many weeds in my raised beds, but mulching is supposed to protect the plants from sunburn on hot days, keeping the topsoil cooler and preventing it from drying out as fast.

In my cement mixer compost sifter setup, I can take some of the compost rejects in the gray wagon and use that as top mulch. The black wagon is the finished compost that I mix in with the topsoil. Everything has a purpose.

 

[CatInTheHenHouse]

I'm also considering using toilet paper rolls. Cut them in half and tape one end and fill with some soil add seeds and at the time of planting just put the whole thing in the garden after removing the tape of course.

Skip the tape altogether, you don’t need it.

This is my third year doing toilet paper roll pots. I do see mold, but haven’t had issues with dampening off it’s just kind of gross looking.

 

[Molpet]

Around week 5 or 6, the paper roll pots were overrun with mold, and I had to toss out everything and start over.

Same here.

This is my third year doing toilet paper roll pots. I do see mold, but haven’t had issues with dampening off it’s just kind of gross looking.

Mine damped off.

 

[gtaus]

Skip the tape altogether, you don’t need it [for the toilet paper roll pots].

I agree. After I cut the bottom and folded it together, I let it sit in a pan of water for awhile. Then, after a fairly good soaking on the bottom, I took them out and let them dry. When dry, the bottoms stuck together as if glued in place. If you plan on filling and watering the paper roll pots as soon as you make them, you probably don't need to presoak like I did. But I had made a number of paper roll pots in advance.

I should also mention that I folded them into square pots, not round, so they maximized space in my watering tray. All you need to do for that is fold the paper roll in half (lenghwise), and then in half again, giving you four folds. You then cut the bottom for the flaps and fold them in. I preferred the square pots, but obviously the round pots work, too.

This is my third year doing toilet paper roll pots. I do see mold, but haven’t had issues with dampening off it’s just kind of gross looking.

My paper roll pots damped off and died, around 4 or 5 weeks, IIRC. How long do you keep your starts in the paper roll pots? I could certainly live with a bit of mold if the plants did not die. I think I left the plants in the paper roll pots too long.

I really liked the idea of using empty toilet paper rolls to make seed starting pots. I am always trying out ways to reuse or repurpose stuff that would otherwise end up in the trash. I was really excited when I had a few trays full of paper roll pots, but, like I said, I ended up losing almost everything. That was disappointing. But I would love to hear how you are successful with paper roll pots.

Although I did not have much luck using toilet paper roll pots for seed starting, I still managed to make good use of the paper rolls. Now, I just put them through my paper shredder and use the shreds as coop litter, along with my other paper and cardboard products we get at home, and then later all the coop litter is composted out in the chicken run.

 

[gtaus]

I previously mentioned that some people here on the BYC forums really like the double cup method for seed starting. I have not tried it yet myself, but I might get a few double cups setup this year just to try it out.

What I wanted to mention is that a person might be able to get lots of those solo cups for free. I attended a funeral a year or so ago and they used those large red solo cups at the table with punch and cookies. Of course, people take a cup of punch and toss the empty cup into the garbage can. The garbage can was full of empty solo cups. I was thinking what a great way to reuse those cups would be to take them home, rinse them out, and use them for seed starting.

Where I live, families usually have to clean up after a funeral and take out the trash. You might be doing someone a favor by taking a garbage bag or two full of those solo cups!

Church gatherings might be another source of free cups. Maybe put out a garbage can designated just for the empty cups, so you don't get any other garbage mixed in. That might work.

I imagine just about any gathering that has punch bowls might have lots of those solo cups used once and tossed into the garbage can. Lots of free solo cups if you can get them. Or just buy them at WalMart for 13 cents each.

Part of my gardening journey has been learning how to reuse and repurpose stuff for gardening that we would otherwise toss in the garbage. It's a shame, to me, that we use so much stuff once and then fill up the landfills with that garbage. Better if we can reuse or repurpose something a number of times before it gets sent to the landfill.

I have saved some yogurt containers to use to grow plants in this year as recommended by another member on BYC. She punches holes in the top lid, turns it upside down, cuts off the bottom (now the top), fills it with potting soil and grows plants. When you transplant it, you just take the lid off the bottom and the plant slips out. That sounds like a good method.

Or, you can just use those containers right side up as well...

 

[Sally PB]

I don't know if I have tried to use the toilet paper roll method but I am going to try it just to see if it works out or not.

I did this, and yes, the TP pots were very moldy by the time I planted the plants. But the plants lived.

This is my third year doing toilet paper roll pots. I do see mold, but haven’t had issues with dampening off it’s just kind of gross looking.

My paper roll pots damped off and died, around 4 or 5 weeks,

My understanding about damping off is that it is a fungus (?) in the soil, and the mold on the pot wasn't the cause. I'm not sure about that, so I'm just throwing that out here.

 

[gtaus]

My understanding about damping off is that it is a fungus (?) in the soil, and the mold on the pot wasn't the cause. I'm not sure about that, so I'm just throwing that out here.

I sterilized my potting soil by using boiling hot water before I put it into the pots. But mold grew on the paper roll pots and my plants died. Maybe I don't know the exact meaning of "damping off." In any case, the pots got moldy, and my plants died.

After that, I switched to use net pots with all those slits in them. I don't have mold issues anymore and none of my plants have died off. It is certainly possible that I just did everything wrong and paid the consequences. Still, I think a person has to find a system that works for them. The net pots have proven to be more fool proof for me. That is my main method for seed starting.

This year, I plan on trying some other methods as well just for the fun of it. Probably the inverted yogurt container idea and the double cup method.

EDIT: I'll add what I found online about the term "damping off."

**********
"Damping off" is a term used to describe a common fungal disease that affects seedlings, causing them to suddenly collapse and die. This disease can occur both before and after seed germination and is often a result of overly damp or humid conditions, poor air circulation, or contaminated soil.

### Key Signs of Damping Off:
1. **Seedlings Failing to Emerge**: Seeds may rot in the soil before they even germinate.
2. **Thin, Watery Stems**: Seedlings may develop weak, thin stems near the soil line that appear water-soaked.
3. **Wilting and Collapse**: Seedlings that have germinated may suddenly wilt, collapse, and die.
4. **Discoloration**: The base of the stem may turn brown or black.

### Preventing Damping Off:
1. **Use Sterile Soil**: Start with clean, sterile soil or seed-starting mix to minimize the risk of contamination.
2. **Provide Good Air Circulation**: Ensure there is adequate air circulation around your seedlings by using a fan or opening a window.
3. **Avoid Overwatering**: Keep the soil moist but not waterlogged. Water from the bottom if possible.
4. **Use Clean Containers**: Make sure your pots and containers are clean and free of previous soil and debris.
5. **Apply Fungicides**: Consider using a fungicide specifically designed for seedlings if damping off has been a persistent issue.

Understanding and preventing damping off can help you grow healthy, strong seedlings. If you have more questions or need additional tips, feel free to ask!

****************

No doubt I probably overwatered my plants when I used the paper rolls. I do not think it helps that the paper rolls stayed wet which promoted mold growth. Even if I overwater the net pots, the excess water will evaporate out the slits. I bottom water the net pots, which also reduces the chances of waterlogged soil.

 

[CatInTheHenHouse]

My paper roll pots damped off and died, around 4 or 5 weeks, IIRC. How long do you keep your starts in the paper roll pots? I could certainly live with a bit of mold if the plants did not die. I think I left the plants in the paper roll pots too long.

My peppers last year were about six weeks IIRC. The cardboard had basically disintegrated by the time I planted them.

Did you take the humidity dome off when the seedlings sprouted?

My house also gets really dry in the winter when I’m starting my seeds. Might be a factor?

 

[gtaus]

Did you take the humidity dome off when the seedlings sprouted?

I was not using a humidity dome at all. I just think I overwatered the paper roll pots, and being paper, they never dried out. Probably the best environment to grow mold.

 

[akroberts1085]

My strawberry plants did okay for the first time I've been able to get them to grow. I got probably about a pound to pound and a half but not all at the same time. It was really nice though because I was able to eat some fresh strawberries from the garden. I went to the nursery and forgot to ask about the chicks. Oh well I will just have to check it out later.