Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["Laura McKenzie" <laurabrownmckenzie@worldnet.att.net>]

Hi Jerry,

  Its been a while since I posted that.  I have found that by using a pick 
axe to chip out the sandstone/chirt/clay, double diggin (or pick axing 
again) the bottom of the hole and then putting in a hugelkultur bed provides 
the solution.  I go no-till after establishing the bed.  I've had offers for 
horse bedding and manure but the manure is full of wormers and the like and 
the bedding comes from fields heavily sprayed with herbicides. Much to my 
dismay, I found that using hay or straw from a sprayed field results in a 
bed that is non productive for years.  I've tried asking at the co-op and 
feed stores about a source on none sprayed hay.  That hasn't netted a 
desired response.

      But its ok. Hugelkulture has just about fixed everything for us.  I'm
now terracing what is on the steeper hills (my land rolls up and then dives
down into dry branches and is half climax forest).  And we're using clay to
make rims around the terraces so that each terrace will hold water. We're in
the middle of yet another drought here.

 The one thing I WOULD like to find is a source for un-sprayed kudzu.
After reading "How To Grow World Record Tomatoes" by Charles Wilbur (which
is more about growing as much as possible in as little space as possible
than it is about growing the biggest and best) I'd love to try kudzu
compost.

   I wish poison ivy compost would work as well. I have LOTS of that stuff!
(and rashes on my eyebrows, cheeks, neck, legs, arms and tops of feet right
now from our hike over the weekend.) I'm using impatiens since I forgot to
grow jewelweed yet again this year!

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Laura's Homeschooling, Garden, and Genealogy Site
is found here: http://home.att.net/~ekyorigins
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