Hügelkultur Raised Beds

[gtaus]

I've never minded cow poop smell. Maybe it's because I grew up around it...

I think that makes a big difference. But I don't think I would want a truck full of fresh cow/horse manure dumped in my front yard.

And I used to play barefoot with my cousin and neighbor at the neighbor's dairy farm...

Don't know what to say about that!

But they're weird... One of them shot a rifle toward our property for target practice and didn't stop until my dad yelled across the field that we were getting ricochet in our yard.

I grew up in a hunting family. I was out in the field hunting deer with my grandpa when I was about 5 years old. I took my NRA gun safety course at 13 years old with all my (male) classmates before I was allowed to carry anything more than a BB gun by myself.

It's hard for me to imagine myself or my friends ever not considering where our bullet would go down field when we shoot.

Some fresh cow manure for your raised beds might be a great idea, but not if it puts you at risk for your safety. Good luck with your neighbor.

 

[fuzzi]

I have a freshly cleared area where trees grew, and it's mostly clay clods. I dug large holes for my blueberry bushes and the two elderberries, mixing peat moss and compost to make a good base for them to grow.

When I recently cleaned out the front portion of my hoop coop I dumped a Gorilla cart load of the litter on top of the unplanted areas. I'm going to let the rain and the invertebrate work on the clay clods underneath.

Blueberry bushes are surrounded by the green fencing, the two elderberry bushes are surrounded by black and clay pots.

I also filled produce boxes about half full with the coop litter, topped off with soil/peat moss/compost, and planted melons and pumpkins. Their vines can fill the area, and the boxes will eventually disintegrate into the soil.

They are located between the elderberry bushes.

 

[DuckLady]

I'm going to be planting this week. It's pretty warm and while it's about 3 weeks earlier than usual, my starts are chomping at the bit and I have lots of "Wall of Water" plant protectors to put around the plants.

My tomatoes are Oregon Spring variety and the website claims they can take some frost, just in case we get hit with a hard one in the next month. I haven't decided if I will plant my cukes, giant sunflowers and watermelon starts yet, though.

I picked up a few Ft Laramie strawberry plants yesterday and will give those a go.

I have packets of green beans and corn which I'll get planted. I have no idea if corn will grow well here, but I found a 55 day variety that will probably be my best shot.

 

[gtaus]

I have a freshly cleared area where trees grew, and it's mostly clay clods.

I also filled produce boxes about half full with the coop litter, topped off with soil/peat moss/compost, and planted melons and pumpkins. Their vines can fill the area, and the boxes will eventually disintegrate into the soil.

That's a great idea. Will you plant again in that spot next year or will you start new boxes in another clay area? I can see advantages using either approach.

As I have mentioned, I moved to raised beds because my native soil is too sandy - I live on a lake. My approach was to build up. Although I spent years trying to improve my native sandy soil by tilling in compost every year, I never thought of using boxes like you did and planting directly in the box.

Now that I am into using hügelkultur wood, I'd probably dig a large hole, fill it up with some wood logs, add more organics, then top it off with a topsoil/compost mixture. I needed something to retain water longer than just draining out through all that sand.

Having said that, as I got older, my raised beds went from 6 inches high to now at 16 inches high. I don't know if my old body is still up to gardening at ground level anymore. Raised beds are still a great option for those of us with poor native soil, and those of us that feel the back burn at the end of the day if we are gardening at ground level and bending over all day.

But I really liked your idea of burying a box full of good organic content into the ground. I think lots of people would be interested in that method.

 

[fuzzi]

That's a great idea. Will you plant again in that spot next year or will you start new boxes in another clay area? I can see advantages using either approach.

As I have mentioned, I moved to raised beds because my native soil is too sandy - I live on a lake. My approach was to build up. Although I spent years trying to improve my native sandy soil by tilling in compost every year, I never thought of using boxes like you did and planting directly in the box.

Now that I am into using hügelkultur wood, I'd probably dig a large hole, fill it up with some wood logs, add more organics, then top it off with a topsoil/compost mixture. I needed something to retain water longer than just draining out through all that sand.

Having said that, as I got older, my raised beds went from 6 inches high to now at 16 inches high. I don't know if my old body is still up to gardening at ground level anymore. Raised beds are still a great option for those of us with poor native soil, and those of us that feel the back burn at the end of the day if we are gardening at ground level and bending over all day.

But I really liked your idea of burying a box full of good organic content into the ground. I think lots of people would be interested in that method.

I did the boxes three years ago, had great results with melons. Last two years I planted them in a raised bed, used trellises, not as good results. I decided to try them in the boxes again, as it's much less work, no digging! They won't care that they're vining over clay clods, as long as their roots are in a good spot.

I have no idea what I will do next year.

 

[gtaus]

my starts are chomping at the bit

I have really poor starter plants this year. I bought good potting soil, but I think my seeds may have been too old. Only about 1/4 of the pots have any plants growing. What seeds did sprout are growing well, but lots of the older seeds (3+ years old) did not sprout at all. I probably should have done a sprouting test before potting up those old seeds. In any case, it looks like I will be buying more vegetable 6-packs this year than I wanted to buy.

Once again, I think my talent in gardening is building raised beds. I also built a nice pot starting shelf with grow lights. I can build things. When it comes to actually growing plants, I don't do a very good job. But we still have some time as I don't transplant until the end of May. Maybe some more of my starter pots will poke up by then.

BTW, how long do you actual real gardeners hang on to old seeds? Or do you buy new seeds every year? I'm always learning...

 

[fuzzi]

I have really poor starter plants this year. I bought good potting soil, but I think my seeds may have been too old. Only about 1/4 of the pots have any plants growing. What seeds did sprout are growing well, but lots of the older seeds (3+ years old) did not sprout at all. I probably should have done a sprouting test before potting up those old seeds. In any case, it looks like I will be buying more vegetable 6-packs this year than I wanted to buy.

Once again, I think my talent in gardening is building raised beds. I also built a nice pot starting shelf with grow lights. I can build things. When it comes to actually growing plants, I don't do a very good job. But we still have some time as I don't transplant until the end of May. Maybe some more of my starter pots will poke up by then.

BTW, how long do you actual real gardeners hang on to old seeds? Or do you buy new seeds every year? I'm always learning...

When the seeds stop germinating well I get more seeds, though sometimes I just impulse buy a couple packs at the grocery store.

 

[Molpet]

Depends in freezer longer than this link says
https://www.almanac.com/how-long-do-seeds-last

I have really poor starter plants this year. I bought good potting soil, but I think my seeds may have been too old. Only about 1/4 of the pots have any plants growing. What seeds did sprout are growing well, but lots of the older seeds (3+ years old) did not sprout at all. I probably should have done a sprouting test before potting up those old seeds. In any case, it looks like I will be buying more vegetable 6-packs this year than I wanted to buy.

Once again, I think my talent in gardening is building raised beds. I also built a nice pot starting shelf with grow lights. I can build things. When it comes to actually growing plants, I don't do a very good job. But we still have some time as I don't transplant until the end of May. Maybe some more of my starter pots will poke up by then.

BTW, how long do you actual real gardeners hang on to old seeds? Or do you buy new seeds every year? I'm always learning...

 

[gtaus]

Depends in freezer longer than this link says
https://www.almanac.com/how-long-do-seeds-last

Thanks. That was a good article. I took a screenshot of the chart of expected seed life. I will have to check my seeds to see the dates on the packages - which I kept. But I think I will use this chart and thin out my older seeds.

 

[DuckLady]

BTW, how long do you actual real gardeners hang on to old seeds? Or do you buy new seeds every year? I'm always learning...

I don’t consider myself an actual real gardener, but I finally found the packet of Black- eyed Susan seeds I have been looking for since 2009. I planted them in starter pots and have them all toasty in the windowsill. We’ll see. I had a hanging basket of them once and it was just beautiful, dripping with flowers and vining up the hanger. Now I can’t find the nasturtium seeds I bought a couple of weeks ago. I should find them in 2041, if I stay on course. I didn’t use up all my veggie seeds so I’ll save them for next year, unless I lose them.

I planted tomatoes, corn, cukes, green beans and more radish today. Every one of my starts…started. I didn’t think they would. I’m selling the excess at the local farmers market. We don’t need 24 tomato plants. The Black Tail Mountain watermelon has collected interest. I look forward to hearing how it did here.