Mac Johnson

When it comes to my tomato sauce, I usually leave it all in.  Though, I have relatives who really don't like this and I supply quite a few people with seed and skin free sauce batches as well as make some tomato juice and catsup (my recipe is definitely a catsup and not ketchup).  So I end up with a lot of seeds and skins.  My favorite use of them, especially the skins, is to dehydrate all of them (solar dehydrator is helpful) and then I grind it into a powder.  This powder I keep in a spice shaker and I use it to add a little color/fiber/thickener in different dishes similar to how someone might use paprika.  The rest gets mixed in with my "edible garden scraps" who all get a similar treatment and ground finely in a spice grinder or food processor with dried onion, mushroom, carrot, potato, lovage, or other similar garden vegetables all included.  Careful not to overpower the blend with one flavor (lovage can take over).  This powder is my go-to thickener for gravies, soups, even some dips and dressings.  It can also add flavor depth in some cooking and I'll add it to meatballs, bread dough, meatloaf, breading, tomato sauce and alfredo, and more.  I feel good about the fact that I'm incorporating the high nutrient/fiber/antioxidant trimmings and bits back into our diet in different ways and it has become pretty useful without changing what we eat in any meaningful way.

I'm going to try both of these approaches as well as sod transplanting.  If I remember, next spring/summer I can tell you which worked best

I've had pretty low success with getting white clover started in locations.  Once established, it's great but it always seems to be overtaken before it really develops roots.  I've only tried by direct sowing seeds so far.  I was thinking of digging up some of the stuff growing wild around my property and starting small patches that way.  Has anyone tried this approach?  Would I cut it similar to sod for best effect?  If planted in virgin dirt, how big of clover chunks should I plant with the hope of it overtaking the surrounding barren ground?  Power to the fixers

Crosshatched some sticks to help hold the dirt until there are roots to do the work. Finished adding dirt. Repurposed some blocks to make a few step paths for access to this bigger mound. Finally, I'm starting to add some plants. Got these honeyberry on clearance from a local place.

I'm probably going to cover most of it with old blankets too hold the weeds down until this fall when I can get the rest of the plants in.

Ended up 5 foot tall and 21 foot diameter. It'll probably settle some with the rain.

My trees support a large amount of Dryad's Saddle and Chicken of the Woods.  I make the Dryad's saddle into a jerky and use chicken of the woods to replace some of the chicken in our diet.  Makes great nuggets, alfredo, and grilled (mushroom) chicken with practice.

Updates!

Ran my ideas through several iterations of AI and got this.  Yep, looks like AI still has tons of problems like being able to count (no matter what I asked, it couldn't give me just 6 satellite mounds).  Someone at work had me try it out.

Put the logs (cottonwood, willow, ash, soft maple) together, inoculated with Shiitake mushrooms (Fingers crossed they take).  Started digging my future pond and putting the dirt on the mound.  More will be added after I fill in the voids.

Syd Smith wrote:
-The garden will be installed in what is now pastureland. It's pretty compacted. I plan to condition the soil with cover cropping and mulching for up to 2 years before installing the garden, but some modest mounds could also help build up a deeper soil bank that drains well.
-The ground is pretty flat (not great for swales), but it does pond in some areas, suggesting poor drainage.

Just by creating some small mounds you'll help some of your plants in these areas of poor drainage.  Just giving a little slope can provide the necessary movement of water to prevent rot and root smothering.  I live on the plains, and any area that has water pool likely has poor draining clay or something else underneath.  The capillary action of the mound will also draw some water up in times of drought.

I'd think about adding something organic to the small mounds.  Not a full hugel, but maybe leaf litter or sticks mixed in to be the water sponge that will soak up excess water and then release it slowly.  Personally, I wouldn't bring the dirt if you have somewhere you can dig and it is fairly fertile.  You'll be providing somewhere for the water to go if you dig in the same area.

Joao Winckler wrote: One thing worth considering as you scale up: a really large mound can create a rain shadow on its leeward side, so orienting the long axis perpendicular to your prevailing wind helps moisture penetrate more evenly. The keyhole path access is a good call too, makes it much easier to plant and harvest without compacting the mound itself.

That was something I had not thought about.  The mulberries would definitely cause some of that.  I'll amend my plan to take that in to consideration.  Maybe some plants that tolerate less moisture...  I am hoping to create many small microclimates throughout.  Even stretch a few zone 5 plants to my area with some creative hardscaping.  Thank you for your insight!

I've got some Hugelkultur mounds I've built over the years and feel pretty comfortable with the concept, now.  I've been a fan at their ability to produce and survive through droughts without supplemental watering.  Plus, the ability to contain gardens in circular plots I can mow around simplifies the maintenance and allows for control of more aggressive plants like jerusalem artichoke and raspberry suckers.  Now, I want to take all that I've learned and make a series of mounds including a larger central mound and include as many varied crops and their guilds that I can reasonably expect to grow in my zone (4b).  Part experiment, partly to show the locals what can be done, and mostly for food for my family and nutritious fodder for my livestock.

My plan at the moment is for one central mound (~18 feet across and 5-6 feet tall)  surrounded by 6 smaller mounds (~8 feet across and 3-4 foot tall) spaced evenly around the larger mound I'm calling satellite mounds.  I'm less concerned about these at the moment, as I will add them as I have time, and will start with the large central mound.  The mounds would each be specialized for guilds/livestock forage/specialized needs/etc. with the central mound being my most productive, cooperative, and desired plants.

I attached a hand drawn image of my initial thoughts for the central mound and quick drawing of the 7 total mounds for visual representation.

I'm worried the sunchokes will overtake the rest of the mound done this way, anybody have advice?  Want to use them for the groundnut support.  Clover and wild strawberry will be a lot of the soil coverage with astilbe adding more nitrogen fixing on this mound.  I'm also surrounding all mounds with chives and other alliums due to rabbits, deer, and voles.  I'm not a master gardener, just a guy with dirty hands and some time on his hands.

Thank you for any advice you may have!