4 pictures - click to enlarge
Raised woody swale / hugelkultur construction
Details
We used the opportunity of having a small excavator on site recently to construct 5 wood filed raised growing mounds on contour.
This technique is often called hugelkultur and exploits the ability of rotten wood to absorb and hold amazing quantities of water which is later made available to plants growing nearby.
The end result was 5 mounds about 7 meters long and half a meter high, each packed with a full trailer load of rotten willow logs and a wheel barrow of pig manure.
An assortment of fruit trees and berry shrubs has been planted along side in various locations to capitalise on the moisture, slow release of minerals and micro-climate effects of wind, shelter, sun and shade.
This technique is often called hugelkultur and exploits the ability of rotten wood to absorb and hold amazing quantities of water which is later made available to plants growing nearby.
The end result was 5 mounds about 7 meters long and half a meter high, each packed with a full trailer load of rotten willow logs and a wheel barrow of pig manure.
An assortment of fruit trees and berry shrubs has been planted along side in various locations to capitalise on the moisture, slow release of minerals and micro-climate effects of wind, shelter, sun and shade.
Date
July 25, 2014
Related
Hugelkultur gardens in summer
Details
Every year, since their construction, our hugelkultur raised woody garden beds have been improving in performance. While waiting for the perennial plantings to establish we have been gardening with seasonal crops including maize, pumpkins, tomatoes, salad, cucumbers and of course lots of beans. Modest additions of straw mulch, trenched in pig manure, compost tea and all plant residues are contributing to the overall fertility of the beds and on occasion where I have exposed the wooden core while digging it is clearly breaking down into a crumbly organic 'compost'.
Date
February 18, 2018
Related
Log Swale / Hugelkultur
There is a theory that burying rotting logs can improve the water retention and that plants growing above can tap into that water trapped in the rotting 'sponge' of wood.
Since we had the digger on site I figured we should give it a go - stay tuned for results on this
Since we had the digger on site I figured we should give it a go - stay tuned for results on this
October 12, 2011
Hugelkultur 101
Date
February 03, 2019
Details
A hot dry summer like this reminds us of the value of hugelkultur and retaining soil moisture. So, with the help of our young and energetic French helpers we threw together another log mound garden using rotted willow sourced from the nearby stream.
- Dig a hole
- Pack in the logs and any other surplus organic matter trying not to have too many air pockets
- Cover it over with the dirt from the hole
- Stop and have a beer
- When favourable weather returns add seeds and plants or just let nature do its thing...
External inputs
March 31, 2015
One of our aims is to eventually reduce or eliminate the need for external inputs for the orchard and garden. The goal is to keep fertility on site and make the most of that which enters naturally, such as rain and bird droppings. In the meantime, as we work towards this, there is always a use for biodegradable organic matter.
Commonly used materials include: sawdust from local joiner, seaweed from Kaikoura, rotten willow logs from the river, pine needles, organic grain straw, Conway river lime and dried animal manures.
Commonly used materials include: sawdust from local joiner, seaweed from Kaikoura, rotten willow logs from the river, pine needles, organic grain straw, Conway river lime and dried animal manures.