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Meerkat

Meerkat

Awesome Friend
Neighbor
Joined
Dec 3, 2017
Messages
27,297
We started building this pile about 3 years ago and April 25th we finished it and planted okra, watermelons, squash,zuccini, and a couple others in it.

It is suppose to be self sufficient so will find out soon enough. It is not pretty but hope it works. So far all the okra on top has come up.
 
Patchouli said:
Do you post photos, @Meerkat ? A friend did her garden like this for the first time this year. Didn't someone else post a photo, I think it was hugelkulture too.
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Patch I thought I did awhile back but didn't find it so I put another one up. Hubby is loading them now. It looks terrible but we were fighting time so we just seeded it anyway. Lots of the seeds have come up all around it.
 
Planted 4-25-18.


We dug this about 3' deep then added logs from trees we cut down. Added tree limbs,twigs and some dirt. it is 5'wide 20' long. We wanted to cover it in wheat straw but can't find any so I'll rake up some leaves once plants get bigger.

I hear pine straw kills worms so never added that and not using that here anywhere anymore.
wQ7ZDZh.jpg


Okra .

DS43XtF.jpg
 
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Ours was started right but we got busy and rushed. But this couple built a real nice one. And really got some great crops from it too.

Skip to 5 minutes to see the build.



HARVEST TIME........This city slicker couple are doing great. Nice couple,lived in their van for a couple years then bought this property and home.

 
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It looks good.
I see it as a waste of wood, but that me, you should do what is right for you.
Also I have tons of coffee waste, mostly chaff, so I do not need it.
But this is a better way to clear land, then say burning it in piles.
We had brush piles on the farm, Dad let them rot, he did it for small game & other wild life.
 
joel said:
It looks good.
I see it as a waste of wood, but that me, you should do what is right for you.
Also I have tons of coffee waste, mostly chaff, so I do not need it.
But this is a better way to clear land, then say burning it in piles.
We had brush piles on the farm, Dad let them rot, he did it for small game & other wild life.
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Joel the idea is to not have to water or fertilize the mound much at all once it breaks down it is suppose to be ready for crops.

Of course ours needed more dirt added and some help sincc the dirt wasn't piled up high enough, so the crops didn't do good. We were too busy working on van to attend it.
It has really sunk down now too,so needs lots more dirt, it probably won't get.
 
I've got to put more dirt on the pile. I figure the nest way to do that now is to dig a trench around the whole thing and put it on top of the pile. It will be a slow process because I'm not good for but about 15 to 20 shovel fulls at a time.
After I cover it up with more dirt then I can put the hay to it so it doesn't wash away 'again;.:ghostly:. No hurry since it won't be used till fall.
I have been doing more outside and less in here lately so I'll just keep going till it hurts . Washing the screens last week I found a few new muscles I didn't know I had till they hurt.
 
After pulling briars of wild potato and black berry from the pile I got in 14 shovels and had to rest.

If we didn't have so much really hard work in that pile I'd never touch it again. :( I have all kinds of scratches and cuts now.:mad:. And still have at least a couple hundred more shovels to go.o_O.

We need to get some young blood around here but that ain't gonna happen.
 
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Started on this yesterday it has really fallen and forest coming in from other side of fence has been cut down. Plus it stopped the ringing in my ears from politics. Just 30 minutes and lots done.
Till we can rent a front end loaded in next few months anyway. At least now there is some sun on the pile.

bW9bE2T.jpg



What fence looked like yesterday. Pruning saw, pruners and hack saw does it good. I look like I got into a fight with a gang of cats but epsom salts soak will cure that.
bA8rqUJ.jpg
 
Bacpacker said:
Looks Good Meer
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Thanks BackP. We were talking today about the woods climbing in over the fence and hoping if we rent a front end loader in few months if clearing would tear down fence. Came up with cutting them off fence and hope that works. We now have it rabbit proof about 3 feet up the welded wire and that was not easy to do.
 
The first question my neighbor would ask is: "Did you catch them trespassing or was it a home invasion?"
And then he would tell me that I should bury them deeper so it doesn't show.
 
SheepDog said:
The first question my neighbor would ask is: "Did you catch them trespassing or was it a home invasion?"
And then he would tell me that I should bury them deeper so it doesn't show.
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That would definately have the police out here digging it up to see. Its about time for my compost to be turned.....:devil:
 
SheepDog said:
The first question my neighbor would ask is: "Did you catch them trespassing or was it a home invasion?"
And then he would tell me that I should bury them deeper so it doesn't show.
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:p " The journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step " was not in mind when I had the bright idea to start this job. I just saw a lot of logs laying around from some trees we had cut down and remembered youtube about huegelkultur. Never even thought about it is usually done by machines or a group of young people. o_O I really did hurt my spleen loading the logs onto the hand truck and putting them in the hole. Was in pain for awhile.

Terri9630 said:
That would definately have the police out here digging it up to see. Its about time for my compost to be turned.....:devil:
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In plain site?:D
 
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