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livingontheland - Re: [Livingontheland] Hugel bed, different application

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  • From: yarrow@sfo.com
  • To: Healthy soil and sustainable growing <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] Hugel bed, different application
  • Date: Thu, 16 Jul 2009 00:33:41 -0800

At 10:42 PM -0400 7/15/09, Liz wrote:
Fascinating. I don't think there's any way I could dig 24 to 36 inches deep
in my clay. It's like concrete to begin with, and on top of that, the land
was part of a tobacco farm years ago that got plowed year after year after
year, so there's an even worse layer of hardpan about three feet down. But I
can go up, in the raised beds I've already got. Have to try that in one that
I don't have planted yet. You must have some mechanical way to dig. Around
here it would take a backhoe to go that deep.


Is your clay diggable when it has the right level of moisture? We have hard clay in the summer, with no rain for months, that's impossible to make a dent in. But it's possible to dig if it's moistened properly, with a trickle of water, so that the soil can absorb it. It's like magic! I've been able to dig a foot down with no effort, even in the middle of the dry season, when I've let the hose run at a slow trickle for a little while.




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