Pine tannin. Tannin loving plants?

I started a bed from mostly dead wood left by the previous owner of my property. However about %50 of the bed I used fresh cuttings from a pine tree that I trimmed to improve sunlight to a certain spot. I have only planted patatos, clover and pees (probably will cut back) on it, I planted blueberry and rasburry around it. I then read pine is bad for hugelculture because it is full of tannins. Is there a plant or mycorrhiza that likes or "eats" tannins? Or are tannins considered bad because they are an acid, that my berries will "love".

My hugelkultures are primarily filled with pine both rotted and fresh (I use a combo). They do fine! I grow lettuce, spinach, strawberries, kale, broccoli, flowers, borage, tomatoes, herbs, peppers, onions and much more on them and everyone of them has done well. I toss partially composted material from the compost heap in some of the holes and this may help it break down quicker. I use pine because that is what I have an abundance of.

I'd say grow whatever you want like the other poster, but if you really want something that thrives on rotten pine it's gotta be gooseberries.

Thanks guys for reassuring me, I built it with a shovel in the pouring rain because I am getting anxious to get things done. I was beginning to fear that my only payback was sore muscles and upset neighbors.

Nothing but grass is sprouting yet, still too cold. I wish I could move down south.

I made a small hugel bed out of pine, mulched on top with pine needles as well. It has low bush blueberries under planted with native Oregon strawberries and nagoonberries...and in the back it has black currants and red currants. Also stuck a bu ch of columbine here an there, too, as they are lovely and tolerate acidic soil.

Here in Oregon we have high-acid soil, and much of the free mulching get is coniferous. I think the following perennials, which all grow happily in pine-mulch rich areas of my yard. would all be very happy in your pine bed:

Gooseberries
Currants black red white pink
Jostaberries
High bush cranberry (viburnum)
Low bush and high bush blueberries
Salal
Thimble berries or salmon berries (in shade)
Lingonberries
Cranberries
Nagoonberries
Strawberries

Do you think gooseberries could be grow under dwarf/semidwarf trees to protect the trunk from gnawing critters? They look tasty from the pictures.

I never even heard of or seen gooseberries. I don't see why they won't grow here unless there is some sort of importation law.

Where are you located? Gooseberries and currants like temperate climates. Gooseberries, currants and such do very well in partial shade. I have black currants and white currants in full shade that produce very large yields.

Angela Baker wrote:Where are you located? Gooseberries and currants like temperate climates. Gooseberries, currants and such do very well in partial shade. I have black currants and white currants in full shade that produce very large yields.

I am in a town called davenport wa. It is usda zone 5a. It is always gusty here. The seed website says it is hardy to zone 3

http://www.usclimatedata.com/climate.php?location=USWA0110

I now am reading up on the gooseberry esp Hinnomaki Red and they look legal. But I don't know anyone who grows them and I don't ever recall seeing them in a store. They look beautiful and delicious. It looks like a good plant to protect the trunk of a fruit tree. Unless the roots end up fighting, I don't know.