Today is my second posting of rebuilding hugelkultur Food Ridge West — all animal habitats get a name!
Go to Hugelkultur to see a description of this European garden art.
Today’s video starts with pulling apart an old firewood pile and some critters found in that habitat. One critter is relocated to the hugelkultur Food Ridge West.
Hugelkultur 2 of 4 (video):
From Tony’s project (pics):
A centipede on Tony’s patio; pic taken during another project day. Note the long tail antennae (bottom), how each body segment has one pair of legs (millipedes have 2 pairs of legs per body segment), and how shiny red the body is (a defensive “I look like venom” strategy).
Hugelkultur is the piling up of organic matter, like wood stumps and prunings, to make a raised mound on which crops are grown.
Go to Hugelkultur to see more description of this European garden art.
Today’s video introduces Tony’s project — a hugelkultur on top of a previous hugelkultur. The original pile of prunings and soil has decomposed and settled and is now ready for another round of rounds (pun intended!).
Hugelkultur 1 of 4 (video):
From Tony’s project (pics):
The yard debris pile that we have converted to a hugelkultur (by adding soil on top) stands nearly waste high to Anita.
Last year’s hugelkultur topped off with straw before final soil layer. The hugelkultur was a good place to get rid of, “use”, some on-hand adobe soil. Ultimately, the layers of organic matter below and above the adobe soil will enrich that soil.
Last year’s hugelkultur, Food Ridge West, produced a garlic crop. Notice how much the soil-covered debris pile has settled – the vertical log that was buried is now poking through the central walk path.
The BEFORE to this year’s Food Ridge West hugelkultur project. The soil level has settled even more. The hugelkultur’s inner debris pile has broken down further – note the vertical log sticks out yet further than from last spring’s garlic crop pic, above. Piles of black oak branches and limbs are ready to add to the hugelkultur.
Day 3 in this 6-day video series: Preparing patio pots for winter veggie planting.
First a video re “Patio Veggie Pots”, then some patio veggie planting pics (below the video):
Patio Veggie Pots 3 of 6 (video):
Patio Veggie Planting (pics):
Lemon Pot with a thick layer of "garden debris" (if there is such a thing!) under the planting soil. The composting organics will eventually turn to soil and add some richness to the existing soil. The process of burying organic matter in piles to breakdown over years is called hugelkultur, a German term and garden art.
For a detailed discussion,
clear graphics, and lots of pics of hugelkultur,
Click image to go to http://www.richsoil.com/hugelkultur/
see Paul Weaton’s blog at:
Happy planting veggies on your patio and see you tomorrow.
Adding lighter twigs, then heavier sticks and limbs to the hugelkultur. The heavier limbs will help compress the organic debris pile.
