Thursday, April 10, 2014

To some extent I unknowingly used hugel kultur the whole 19 years I was an organic landscaper: my conscious goal was to get lignin formers beneath the root zones of roses and other perennials I planted in clients' landscapes here and in Colorado. But once I learned of hugel kultur itself a few years ago I consciously applied it when filling up my various Water Wise Container Gardens. I also add maybe 5-10% by volume cheap Publix white clay cat litter as it does wonders to help the soil hold moisture. The logs and branches come from my yard but mostly donations from neighbors who don't want to drive all the way to the brush dump on Adamo Drive. The giant kiddie pool I scavenged roadside 2 years ago now has a number of drainage holes drilled on the sides about three inches from the bottom, and is in my south bed that I am very heavily revamping for several uses now that the Muscovy ducks are gone. I'll fill the lower half with wood waste gotten by tidying up the back yard, then atop will go dry weeds, oak leaves plus dried chicken poop from the hen house, Publix cat litter, compost from a few barrels, some soil from the free range chicken path, then a few inches of aged oak mulch. This summer I will grow "Fife Creek" okra in it, and next fall I'll plant leeks in it.s. Due to my gardening almost entirely in Water Wise Container Gardens, saving kitchen gray water, my solar heated 1 gallon rain water out door showers, peeing outdoors, rare DEEP waterings of areas and other techniques, I generate very low water use bills despite growing a lot of food plus roses...my bill last month was $4.18! Nice to see so many people gardening, and so many of them trying to be conscious of their effect on the environment!


1 comment:

  1. Some years ago I came across a marble/granite shop that had a tank of rock dust from the wet saws and grinders that they regularly needed to dispose of. It reminded me of clay. I took a couple buckets to broadcast around and under the mulch of an old fruit tree and a small flower bed. I did not follow up and moved to an apartment later, but I wonder if such a resource would be helpful in your sandy soil?

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