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livingontheland - Re: [Livingontheland] Wood does belong in the soil?

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Subject: Healthy soil and sustainable growing

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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 19:44:30 -0800 (PST)

Hi Harvey,

That is one method I've read of. I've also read of digging a hole and having the entire pile level with the ground at completion. As I said, I'm experimenting with this and really don't know yet how or if it works. Would a lack of air circulation in a buried pile necessarily cause the anaerobic conditions you wrote about? I can see a reduced circulation, but I'm not sure what the optimum circulation might be. My pile is on the ground as you described, covered with smaller compost and covered with soil. The south side is completely exposed, the north side not so much, it being on a hill.

-Aonghas

--- On Mon, 11/23/09, Harvey Ussery <harvey@themodernhomestead.us> wrote:

From: Harvey Ussery <harvey@themodernhomestead.us>
Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] Wood does belong in the soil?
To: "Healthy soil and sustainable growing" <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
Received: Monday, November 23, 2009, 2:21 PM

> Having the remains of an old barn on hand and a ready made hole to
> start with, I thought it would be easier to bury the old timbers in a
> hugel pile than to dispose of them in other ways. I've done that this
> fall, and was wondering if anyone had a few years experience with the
> method.  ~Aonghas


Hugelkultur sounds like a great technique for woody decomposition. But I
don't think the idea is to *bury* it underground. Doing so would create
anaerobic conditions, not conducive to the decomposer organisms you're
interested in. My impression is that in hugelkultur the woody debris is
piled on the surface, then covered with other organic materials and
soil. That should keep plenty of oxygen in the mix, and greater
biological activity where the woody stuff is.

~Harvey

--
Harvey in northern Virginia
www.themodernhomestead.us

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