Hugel with wood chips in south Florida

Hi all. I'm having a heck of a time getting enough logs for my 4, 3.5x5 hugel beds. I've been driving around on bulk trash weeks, calling tree trimmers, etc. I've gotten some, but I don't have a truck, so can only carry so much at a time. I have enough for 1 and a quarter of my 4 beds. My city gives away free wood chips, though. I know that they will rob the soil of nitrogen as they decompose, but it's late April in south FL. It's hot and things tend to break down fast. If I spread my logs out between the 4 beds, covered with wood chips, then added soil and cover cropped, do you think those chips are likely to be broken down by planting in September? What would be the worst case scenario? Adding extra fertilizer that first year?

Thanks for your time and insights
Mike

Hi Mike!

If you have the chips, I would lay them down on the top of the soil and not under the soil.  Under the soil anaerobic conditions will tend to prevail.  But in your humidity I would think that the chips would break down quickly just laying down on the surface.  

If you wanted to go one step further, you could try introducing mushrooms to the chips.  I personally like Wine Caps as they are pretty bulletproof and very aggressive.  I build my beds entirely out of wood chips and then break them down with Wine Caps.  Interested?  I can point you in the right direction if you want.

Eric

Eric Hanson wrote:Hi Mike!

If you have the chips, I would lay them down on the top of the soil and not under the soil.  Under the soil anaerobic conditions will tend to prevail.  But in your humidity I would think that the chips would break down quickly just laying down on the surface.  

If you wanted to go one step further, you could try introducing mushrooms to the chips.  I personally like Wine Caps as they are pretty bulletproof and very aggressive.  I build my beds entirely out of wood chips and then break them down with Wine Caps.  Interested?  I can point you in the right direction if you want.

Eric

Yeah, this is super interesting. So a bit of wood, cover with soil, then a bunch of wood chips and inoculate with mushrooms. Then when growing season comes, what would be the plan? Sift out the chips that remain and then add soil to desired height?

You could take that general approach.

When I make my garden beds, I do so by piling up a lot of chips and inoculating them with the Wine Caps and let the fungus break the chips down to a nice, soft consistency that just happens to be extremely fertile.  I like to grow tomatoes while I break down the chips so the mushrooms get some shade and I get some dual use out of the bed.  If all goes well, in a year you should have some nicely broken down wood for garden bedding.

Eric

Eric Hanson wrote:You could take that general approach.

When I make my garden beds, I do so by piling up a lot of chips and inoculating them with the Wine Caps and let the fungus break the chips down to a nice, soft consistency that just happens to be extremely fertile.  I like to grow tomatoes while I break down the chips so the mushrooms get some shade and I get some dual use out of the bed.  If all goes well, in a year you should have some nicely broken down wood for garden bedding.

Eric

How do you do the tomatoes? In soil pockets?

Mike, you are right on to it.  The more technical term is “fertile hole.”  Basically pile up your chips about 6” deep.  Dig holes in the chips all the way down to the ground and backfill with whatever soil mix you want.  A nice compost mix is ideal, but I have used bagged manure in a pinch.

As the tomatoes grow they will give shade to the Wine Caps which will happily consume the wood,  by the time the Wine Caps are done, the chips will hopefully be reduced to the point that you can plant directly into the decayed chips.

Eric

Thanks for the insights!
As an aside, would anyone know if wine caps would grow in mulch that includes palm fronds? Many palms here in south florida and its often in my city's mulch pile.

That one I just don't know.  Wine Caps thrive on hardwoods.  Correct me if I am wrong, but technically, palms are not actually trees?  Are they something more akin to a huge grass?  Either way, that might not be great news for Wine Caps as they don't thrive on grasses (though they will ravenously consume straw).  Maybe try a bed and see how things go?

Either way, maybe try looking at this thread:

https://permies.com/t/82798/composting/composting-wood-chips-chicken-litter

This is a long-running thread I have kept up to date documenting my experiences with Wine Caps.  I have some associated pages linked in.

Good luck and of course, don't hesitate to ask questions!

Eric

Eric Hanson wrote:That one I just don't know.  Wine Caps thrive on hardwoods.  Correct me if I am wrong, but technically, palms are not actually trees?  Are they something more akin to a huge grass?  Either way, that might not be great news for Wine Caps as they don't thrive on grasses (though they will ravenously consume straw).  Maybe try a bed and see how things go?

Either way, maybe try looking at this thread:

https://permies.com/t/82798/composting/composting-wood-chips-chicken-litter

This is a long-running thread I have kept up to date documenting my experiences with Wine Caps.  I have some associated pages linked in.

Good luck and of course, don't hesitate to ask questions!

Eric

Thanks a ton. I can pick up some hardwood chips from a bit further away, so it seems worth the trip. I'll follow that thread of yours. Thanks for all of the insights.

Mike,

If you can get the hardwood chips, I would start there, simply because that is what I know.  Wine Caps and hardwoods work very well together.  I don't know how a South Florida summer is going to affect the growth of the Wine Cap fungus, so if you can keep that part shaded and cooled, that might be best--at least until tomatoes are big enough to provide their own shade.  Straw can help with this.  Also, make certain that the chips don't dry out.  Your heat concerns me, but your humidity reassures me so I don't know how much drying is a factor, though I would aim to keep them moist.  In my area (Southern Illinois), we have a very hot, humid summer and we have dense clay that really holds on to moisture.  Basically as long as my tomatoes still look healthy, my Wine Caps seem to be healthy as well, but that is a place to keep an eye on.

Other than that, I think you have the beginnings of a great project.  Please keep us informed.

Eric