Source Material for Urban Hugelkultur

Hi I'm based in the city of San Francisco and want to start a hugel in my backyard garden. I'm wondering if anyone can suggest where to find source material for free.

I have an a local arborist that can supply me with free logs and woodchips, the problem is it's all super fresh and I don't want to have to wait years to grow veggies.

There's a woodpile a few blocks down from me that seems up for grabs but it's all cypress. That's bad for hugels no?

Would all woodchips be bad? Would be easier for me to move by hand since you can't get a truck in my yard.

The hugel will be replacing the collection of pots in the photo. About 6'x6'x6' triangle

Thanks!

I don’t know if this is new to you or not? We here in my small New England town have a brush pile, so I looked for something similar in SF. If you know about these folks, Apologies!

https://sfenvironment.org/compost-in-sf

I would use those cypress for sure. If you top, your mound with enough soil you'll be able to grow crops immediately, it with just take a couple years to realize the full benefits of hugeldom.
I would pile the cypress logs with woodchips and fill dirt to pack in any air holes, then top it with the nicest soil you can find and go forth into the world of hugel

Jennie Little wrote:I don’t know if this is new to you or not? We here in my small New England town have a brush pile, so I looked for something similar in SF. If you know about these folks, Apologies!

https://sfenvironment.org/compost-in-sf

Yes I haven't been there but will probably get some compost topsoil from them

s. lowe wrote:I would use those cypress for sure. If you top, your mound with enough soil you'll be able to grow crops immediately, it with just take a couple years to realize the full benefits of hugeldom.
I would pile the cypress logs with woodchips and fill dirt to pack in any air holes, then top it with the nicest soil you can find and go forth into the world of hugel

That's what I was hoping to hear.  I would love to utilize hyper local materials.