Advice for a new wannabe Permie: Plum (Bullace) trees for hügelkultur?

Hi all 👋🏻

First timer here! Before getting down to it I just wanted to say that having recently come across this forum I’ve been blown away by the amount of insight and knowledge that everyone has shared. I could spend all day scrolling through doing research and browsing everyone’s awesome projects. So a big thanks to you for all you do!

I was just wondering if you’d be kind enough to share some of your knowledge with me...

So, I’ve recently taken on an allotment here in the UK and it’s in quite a state. One of the main issues (which will hopefully turn out to be surprisingly handy) is that there are old rotting tree cuttings and branches piled up everywhere. My first thought was to take advantage of this and build my first HK but I’m having a bit of trouble a) identifying the tree the cuttings came from and b) working out if it’s safe to use.

There are still a good amount of living trees on the allotment and it’s very clear that the clippings are from the same trees. After a bit of research I’m fairly certain that they are plum/bullace trees but I was wondering if anyone could help confirm? - pics attached.

Secondly, does anyone know if these are suitable for using in a HK. I know some fruit tree bark etc. can be toxic or generally unsuitable and I’d hate to bury it all and then have to dig it all up again.

Any advice for a keen wannabe permie would be greatly appreciated 😁

Thanks!

people wiser than I will be jumping on this very soon, but I just wanted to say Hi! and welcome! I used to live in Colchester (worked for Marconi, Chelmsford) and loved that whole part of England.  Huge skies!

Mandy Launchbury-Rainey wrote:people wiser than I will be jumping on this very soon, but I just wanted to say Hi! and welcome! I used to live in Colchester (worked for Marconi, Chelmsford) and loved that whole part of England.  Huge skies!

Thanks for the welcome Mandy! Great to hear you lived nearby too, a lot of people knock East Anglia for the flat land but there’s definitely a beauty to it as well. Hope where ever you are now is just as nice!

I can't tell for sure, but I tend to think plum also.

Really looks like it is in the Prunus genus.

Steve Thorn wrote:I can't tell for sure, but I tend to think plum also.

Really looks like it is in the Prunus genus.

Thanks Steve! I think I’ll just go for it. I’ve searched around for ages and it seems to be something of that Ilk and I can’t find any info to say it can’t be used for HK. So I guess I’ll just see what happens

William Vincent wrote:

Steve Thorn wrote:I can't tell for sure, but I tend to think plum also.

Really looks like it is in the Prunus genus.

Thanks Steve! I think I’ll just go for it. I’ve searched around for ages and it seems to be something of that Ilk and I can’t find any info to say it can’t be used for HK. So I guess I’ll just see what happens

I think it should be fine.  You will have branches almost every year once it is coppiced.  That is what we do with the chestnuts lining our field.  Do post in the HK section to tell us how you get on