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  • From: Angus MacLeod <afionnmc@yahoo.ca>
  • To: Healthy soil and sustainable growing <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] Wood does belong in the soil?
  • Date: Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:32:01 -0800 (PST)

Thank you Dieter. I was expecting this would be about a five year project before I'd be sure if it was working or not. Glad to hear it's working for you! In my reading I came across some claims that the water retention of the rotting wood made hugelkultur a good fit for arid / semi arid regions, and you seem to have had that experience too. Also that there is no ( or at least less ) need for fertilizer. Sounds hopeful!

-Aonghas

--- On Mon, 11/23/09, Dieter Brand <diebrand@yahoo.com> wrote:

From: Dieter Brand <diebrand@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] Wood does belong in the soil?
To: "Healthy soil and sustainable growing" <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
Received: Monday, November 23, 2009, 5:07 AM

Anghus,
 
I can’t do Huegelkultur because I live in an arid and hot climate where Huegelbeds dry out rapidly.  Nevertheless, about 6 years ago, I used some fallen trees to fill several large holes in our land.  I used everything from thin branches to 2 feet thick tree trunks.  I covered the lot with a bit of soil.  As expected, the top crust of soil was stone dry even during the wet season because it could not be fed with humidity through the capillaries from the subsoil.  Which has meant that I haven’t been able to grow anything in that place.  After about 5 years, the soil has started to sink, which probably means that some of the woody stuff has now decomposed and the more compact mixture of soil and decomposed wood holds humidity a little better.  Finally last year, that place produced the best sweet corn and cucumbers I have ever had, even without adding any compost, manure, fertilizer or anything else.  Normally, it is very difficulty to grow fair-sized cucumbers or sweet corn in my heavy clay soil without adding manure or at least compost.
 
In a cool and wet climate, you should have a lot less problems with Huegelkultur.
 
Dieter Brand
Portugal


--- On Mon, 11/23/09, Angus MacLeod <afionnmc@yahoo.ca> wrote:

From: Angus MacLeod <afionnmc@yahoo.ca>
Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] Wood does belong in the soil?
To: "Healthy soil and sustainable growing" <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
Date: Monday, November 23, 2009, 2:12 AM

Thank you. Laura, but I already looked into that. I used what was decent for a new building, but the rest deserves it's fate, believe me! I wouldn't say rotted, but definitely rotting. I'm hoping it has a new life as fertilizer.

-Aonghas ( Gaelic for  Angus )

--- On Fri, 11/20/09, laurabrownmckenzie@att.net <laurabrownmckenzie@att.net> wrote:

From: laurabrownmckenzie@att.net <laurabrownmckenzie@att.net>
Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] Wood does belong in the soil?
To: "Healthy soil and sustainable growing" <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
Received: Friday, November 20, 2009, 11:30 PM

Angus, what is your barn made of? You might reconsider burying it as many a builder would take it off your hands for a fairly decent price if its a good wood. Many an artist or interior designer would want it too.

Rotted of course is different.  We haul nicely rotted mycelia rich wood from the forest.



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