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A nice little project for the day. Suburban Hügelkutur

 
Posts: 57
Location: Richmond, VA, USA Zone 7b
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Built my second hügelkutur bed today. I would have made it bigger but I ran out of wood! it's about 2 feet tall, and something like 15 feet long.

The concave side faces SW and it is designed on contour. The wind seems to come from the North here, following the river most likely, so it should provide a little wind break to my peach tree about 8 feet from the concave side. I have been looking at the site for a few weeks now, moving branches around to see if I like it and how it affects my work flow.

I used my string trimmer to mark out the border and made some leaf cuts across it to help the sod come out easier, although, the mattock pick didn't find much resistance except for the one time I hit my foot. It was all boot, but a gentle reminder to be extra safe.

the ground after cutting out the sod was pretty much level.

I put a layer of wood chips on the bottom and used some to fill in gaps in the bottom layer of logs. I know that isn't optimal, but I got a bunch for free and it's my Hugel.

I put in my compost and then more sod and topsoil. I covered that with the leaves someone on the next street over was kind enough to place in a neat pile in the street.

I top dressed it with some store bought soil I already had to keep the leaves from blowing away, maybe, and then watered and spread some white clover seeds.

The wood chips around the edge should help keep the grass away, at least for a little while.

I can't wait to plant stuff in it next spring!
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Finished product!
Finished product!
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Layout
Layout
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Cut and level
Cut and level
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Chippy chips and sticky sticks
Chippy chips and sticky sticks
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Logjammin'!
Logjammin'!
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Take it or leaf it.
Take it or leaf it.
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Coffee time!
Coffee time!
 
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Location: Isle of Skye, Scotland. Nearly 70 inches rain a year
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Not a bad day's work there Brent! Thanks for sharing. It's nice when you can sit back (and enjoy your beverage of choice) and say 'that's done now'.

Be sure to let us know how your crops do next year.
 
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