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

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Subject: Healthy soil and sustainable growing

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  • From: laurabrownmckenzie@att.net
  • To: Healthy soil and sustainable growing <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] Hugel bed, different application
  • Date: Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:35:37 +0000

Liz, my husband and three large boys (ages 23, 20 and 14) take turns with me
on the pick ax for much of the hole excavating. I'm afraid it is a GREAT
deal of work to make a bed but I tell you, I have a REAL garden now that I
use this technique. I wouldn't dig or till if anything grew on this "soil".
But nothing will grow (bare earth, literally) so I don't feel I'm ruining the
microherd by digging.

This year's garden is fabulous compared to ones in the past. My earliest
planted tomatoes stand at 6 feet and are heavily laden with tomatoes. My
chile plants stand at 2 feet and have about 7-8 chiles on each and I got them
in very late. The pole beans are up and over a 7 foot tall trellis, across a
three foot span and running 2 feet down the other side right now.

Depending on how terrible the soil is, I would modify the depth of the hole
I'm using. We base depth on the hole's ability to drain. We have to get
through enough rock to reach a layer of earth that will drain. Otherwise,
during rainy weather, I'd just have boggy holes that would only be good for
anaerobic bacteria.

If it helps for this discussion, I live on the side of a "mountain" in
northern Alabama, zone 7B. Since my gardens face due south, the microclimate
is really zone 8. The pH of unworked soil (the bare spots) of my land tests
at 4.3 according to Auburn University. As a demonstration, I have dug a small
hole in this acid soil, put a bit of water and baking soda in it to watch it
foam and bubble <laugh>.

And in case its of interest, sometimes the pick ax doesn't work. Then my
husband (a scout leader) borrows some old circus tent stakes the scouts have
stored away. He uses a sledge hammer to put a series of holes into the ground
and then pries it all up. We're talking nearly solid rock. When people tell
me they can't garden because they have too many trees, steep land and bad
soil, I invite them to come see what can be done with persistence. I have all
three problems plus more. One reason why I've persisted is that I look at it
all as one big experiment in growing food in a very challenging situation.
Perhaps what I'm learning will help others.

As the two oldest boys are now following their own paths in life
(environmental science, biology and sustainable ag), I have less help so the
garden bed building has decreased.



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